There’s no stopping a good Assassin. Ubisoft, over the last few years, has managed to make its Assassin’s Creed franchise one of its best selling to date, and it looks like there’s no sign of that trend stopping with the forthcoming release of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag coming to various consoles later this year.
And with Black Flag, we’re getting a change in character. Rather than playing as an assassin in Venetian times – or carving up the American Revolution in his own special way – this latest killer, Edward Kenway, is sailing the high seas as a pirate, where he’ll no doubt be brandishing a rapier, twin pistols and the traditional hand blades as he hunts down his foes.
So much has changed in the last year or so with the Assassin’s Creed brand, particularly with the introduction of new character traits. So we’re left wondering…where can future games go from here? What themes can Ubisoft cover with future assassin heroes in the timeline? We’ve got a few ideas. Some of them might not be what you’re expecting, but, hey, give them a chance. It worked for pirates…
Ninja/Samurai
It’s been ages since we’ve seen any sign of the Tenchu series, but back in its heyday, it was fantastic, giving you the chance to authentically play as a ninja as you sliced and diced your way through objectives, while using tools like shurikens and smoke bombs. So…why can’t an Assassin do the same thing? We’d love to see a game in the series take place in medieval Japan, where you hunt down targets without them even knowing you’re there, and even turn to the village when you need new tools, or some reconditioning to your sword. (And, no, contrary to popular belief, we did not name the ninja just because the next game is going to feature a pirate.)
Cowboy
We know that Western themes have already been covered fundamentally well in video games thanks to Rockstar Games’ splendid revival of the Red Dead franchise with Redemption. But why can’t an Assassin find his way into the Western world? We’d love to see a more traditional game taking place on the outskirts of some dusty towns, like San Francisco, and a cowboy hat-wearing killer enter the fray, without anyone suspecting what he’s really capable of. Along with some excellent gunslinger skills, you could easily cut someone down to size using your hidden hand blades, and even engage in some wild horse chases, pursuing targets in covered wagons or even blasting your way through a horde of banditos. Granted, it’s going to take a lot to topple the greatness that is Red Dead Redemption, but it’d be interesting to see this take in the Assassin universe.
Future Assassin
There’s great potential for taking a series into the future, away from its traditional format. Just look at what Call of Duty: Black Ops II did when it strayed away from classic and modern themes, with high-tech weaponry like drones and tanks entering the picture. The same could easily go for Assassin’s Creed, as we could see a highly stylized killer with cyborg-like tendencies, like the ability to hunt for targets in crowded areas or even fire a pulse laser to kill its target, with barely anyone noticing. And of course, the reintroduction of hand blades – in the form of mini lightsaber-like laser blades – would certainly be welcome. It wouldn’t hurt to have a holographic device that would let you change your disguise on the fly as well – because who has time to change in the future?!
Viking
Know what we haven’t seen in a video game for some time? One that takes place in the Viking era. These guys are a lot tougher than they appear to be, and blending the techniques of an Assassin with their brute strength would be just what some players have been waiting for. Imagine a hired gun that is capable of ripping someone in half with brute strength, or utilizing the kind of primitive tools that most people wouldn’t expect a Viking to possess. And, of course, we’d have to include some Naval battles, because what better way to experience a Viking era than aboard one of their vessels?
Female Assassin (like Assassin’s Creed III Liberation)
Finally, in all fairness, if we do see a new assassin enter the fray, we’d love to see a female do some dirty work. The male heroes of past games have been excellent, but Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation proved last year that a female version can easily hold her own, and can also manage to use disguises more to her advantage, whether it’s a slave outfit or a fancy dress. And a female could easily fit with any of the models above – even a Viking – when it comes to killing as well as the boys. Ubisoft has already expressed interest in getting the ladies involved, so here’s hoping it happens sooner rather than later.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag hits stores on October 29th for PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360 and PC. It’s coming to next-gen consoles as well, though the date is not yet specified.
