The Assassin’s Creed games have always told two parallel stories: one, historical fantasy fiction that explores various real-world periods, and the other a modern-day tale of two competing groups trying to make sense of that history. Over time, the modern plots of Assassin’s Creed titles became an afterthought, with each game caring less and less about the current narrative. This approach is probably fortunate. Ubisoft said Assassin’s Creed Shadows would tell a new modern story that would draw “a significant contrast between the past and the present.”
The modern story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ubisoft VP and Assassin’s Creed executive producer Marc-Alexis Coté spoke about updating the current storyline for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game at a BAFTA event last week. reported by Eurogamer. Coté said the contemporary narrative of recent Assassin’s Creed games had become “repetitive” and peripheral to the action-packed past timeline – “more of a side quest than an integral part of the overall experience”.
“As we move forward, our goal is to put story back at the center of the player experience,” Coté was quoted as saying at the event. “The modern narrative will serve to enhance, rather than overshadow, the historical journey. By creating a meaningful contrast between the past and present, we aim to restore the balance that was once the hallmark of the franchise.
The Ubisoft executive said the series’ modern story would explore themes of “memory, identity and autonomy,” making meaningful connections between the past and present.
“The foundations of this new direction will take shape with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which will lay the foundation for this narrative evolution that will develop in the years to come,” he said.
The original series of games in the series followed the present-day story of Desmond Miles, a descendant of the popular series’ protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze and a member of the Order of Assassins. Miles’ story concluded in 2012’s Assassin’s Creed 3 and Ubisoft has since struggled to bring meaningful contemporary storylines to subsequent AC games.
Desmond Miles’ story ended in Assassin’s Creed 3
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Although the publisher hasn’t shared details about Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ modern narrative, the action-adventure title’s historical story takes place in 16th century Japan. The game will feature two protagonists, the samurai Yasuke and the shinobi Naoe, both members of the Assassin Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows was originally scheduled to release on November 15, but Ubisoft delayed the game’s release after the disappointing launch of Star Wars Outlaws. The upcoming Assassin’s Creed title has faced severe backlash since its reveal – some in the form of justified criticism of its price and launch strategy; others in the form of racist vitriol against one of the game’s two protagonists, the real historical figure Yasuke, a samurai of African origin.
The game will now be released on PC (with simultaneous launch on Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on February 14, 2025.
