On August 26th, 2007 an 11 minute demo of Assassin’s Creed was shown at the PAX 2007 by Ubisoft Montral’s Creative Director, Patrice Desilets. Too bad Jade Raymond, the producer of Assassin’s Creed, wasn’t there… there would have been a page dedicated just to her! The level that was shown was the same as in the E3 demo, however a different path was taken to reach the target. At the end of the demo, a conversation between Altair and the head of the Assassin’s bureau in Jerusalem, Malik, showed an intense rivalry between the two.
Patrice started the presentation with a short timeline of the development cycle of Assassin’s Creed:
- December 2003 – Prince of Persia Sands of Time
- January 2004 – Core team starts Assassin’s Creed
- September 2005 – First Announcement at TGS 05
- March 2006 – Presentation at GDC
- May 2006 – First Presentation at E3
- September 2006 – First On-Stage at X06
- July 2007 – First hands-on at E3
- August 2007 – First Presentation at Penny Arcade
- November 2007 – Assassin’s Creed is released (analysts speculate Nov. 9)
The game takes place during the Third Crusade, in the year 1191. The player assumes the role of Altaïr (??????, Arabic, “The Flying One”), a member of the Hashshashin sect (the original “assassins”), whose objective is to slay the nine historical figures who are propagating the Crusades. As the player finds and kills these targets, their conspiracy is unveiled. The player will be able to travel through three cities: Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus.
The environment is completely interactive, from the people to the historically accurate cities. These cities are populated by many people, and the way the player controls Altaïr affects how the bystanders around him react to his presence. For example, when going through a crowd, if the player lightly moves someone out of the way, it will not have a significant effect. However, if the player throws someone to the ground and kills them, the crowd may unite against him and he will then have to find a way out. Similarly, if the player shoves a person aside, they may shove him back. If he climbs walls, civilians will gather around, attracting unwanted attention from guards.
The producers of the game take pride in its historical accuracy. The locations in the game are distinctive models of the cities. All of Altaïr’s targets are also historic leaders who died or disappeared in the year 1191 (though not necessarily assassinated).
The start of the demo is with Altair climbing up the back way of the side of a castle. There are two guards with their backs to him, and Altair takes them out very quickly. Of course, other guards are alerted to this, so our assassin starts running through the castle, which is an opportunity to show off what the game can do. While Altair is running to escape, he was able to destroy a wooden ledge, brining heavy barrels down that take out several guards in a corridor. Altair was also able to commandeer a horse, which gives him a distinct advantage over his foes. He wields his sword and takes down guards as he speeds through castle corridors.
The next in-game trailer shows our anti-hero hopping from rooftops, and then he grabs a ledge. He climbs up and looks over the town. Another part of the trailer shows various combat moves and combos. Altair’s movements were all very elegant, and he disarms his opponents with impressive skill and grace, and never gets old watch. One guard falls off a ledge to his death because he isn’t paying attention to the close quarters of the rooftop. After our favorite assassin has skillfully dispatched all of the enemies, then starts jumping between rooftops again.
There is extreme environmental interaction between the characters and the world. The levels were designed to represent freedom in real life, and Patrice stated that all the level ingredients should be justified and make sense. Patrice then showed us an actual screenshot of the extremely crowded city model that seemed to stretch on for miles, and stated that every nook and cranny is completely explorable.
Climbing is based on the “human scale”. Instead of textures defining if a surface is climbable, the actual polygons of the model determine it. If a brick or ledge sticks out more than 2 inches, then Altair can climb it. Since Altair is an experienced acrobat, the developers have made “climbing as easy as walking”; meaning that climbing will be effortless for the player. If a surface is climbable and Altair latches onto it, then he will start ascending.
Patrice then showed us the video at GDC, which demonstrates climbing within the game engine. There was an obstacle course of several different ledges and bricks on a vertical plane, and the character realistically moved between them.
Jumps are also based on the “human scale”. An athletic person can jump 6.5 feet, and that is the base model that Altair can jump. Again, Patrice pointed out that jumping will be effortless.
With Xbox 360 controller in hand, Patrice then started another interactive demo, where he controlled our assassin. He stated that this demo was done in real time and not a cut-scene. To demonstrate, he took direction from the audience on what moves he should do next. He climbed to the top of a clock tower, and then jumped off and fell to his death.
The control scheme in Assassin’s Creed will be significantly different from that of the typical game. Rather than explicitly specifying what actions Altaïr will take, the player presses buttons corresponding to his various body parts and the game attempts to figure out what action should be taken. For example, running toward a wall and pressing the “legs” button will cause Altaïr to jump over a wall, while pressing the “arms without weapons” button will cause him to vault it. Virtually all movement through the environment can be done with just the left joystick alone, walking, running, climbing, jumping, swinging from pole to pole, all can be done with just the left joystick. The only movement exception appears to be sprinting and starting a wall climb, which requires one to be sprinting first. However, when moving through crowds at a run you will stumble over anyone you run into, so you can also shove people aside as you run past to move faster and avoid tripping.
A major selling point is “social stealth” – the ability to blend in with a crowd, as opposed to simply hiding in shadows.
It also appears that the player will be able to battle many historical figures, including the legendary Order of the Knights Templar. Patrice then showed how the fighting mechanics work. He stated that fights should mimic multiple situations, and is realistic (i.e. a sword to the head is a fatal blow). He stated that sword fighting should be about blades actually hitting each other. The AI has morale system, so if you are totally kicking everyone’s ass then they get frightened and run away. Interaction between NPCs is more diverse than just killing them. People around you are obstacles, and you can push your way through them (touching their shoulder as you pass), navigate around them, or interact with them in other ways.
Features that were demonstrated included improved crowd mechanics, the “chase” system (chasing after a target trying to flee), as well as deeper aspects of free running. This was the first time where Altaïr could be heard speaking. It was again showcased for nearly 20 minutes on Wednesday, July 11th. The video showed an extended version of the E3 demo, and included Altaïr trying to escape after his assassination of Talal the Slave Trader.
In another part of the demo, Patrice demonstrated how to interace with people and objects. One button is used to push people, and another to speak with them. If you start fighting with one, then others will probably come to his aid and you have a full-blown brawl to deal with. You can flee, but the now aggravated NPCs will start chasing you. If you can find a good hiding place (like behind a curtain), then the NPCs will search for you a bit and eventually give up.
The world is wide open, and you can explore as much or as little as you want between missions. When you reach the next objective, a cut scene is spawned that moves the plot forward. In one cutscene, Altair enters a building, and a disembodied voice starts speaking from the shadows. Altair is surrounded by four armed thugs that he must then defeat. Patrice demonstrated how you can grab a character and either throw them into a wall, counter their moves, kick them in the groin, do a back-handed bitch-slap, or deliver a killing combination blow. Again, fighting is very slick and elegant, and the kill moves are brutal, yet beautifully choreographed.
News has also circulated about a “sci-fi twist”, due to information from developer interviews, and some effects visible in trailers of the game. It is theorized that the historical setting may be a simulation, or perhaps some sort of genetic memory, for purposes of training or other gain, being undertaken by an unknown group in the present or near future. During a trailer shown at E3, the screen would glitch and go fuzzy at times, and at one point where Altaïr is killed, the screen fades to black and then shows a head’s up display with the words “computer offline” with a woman in a labcoat behind the display. Trailers shown at E3 07 reveal further evidence of this, such as a futuristic looking health bar, effects resembling readouts surrounding locked-on enemies and a rather lengthy conversation with a dying enemy surrounded by a white background. Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed will be part of a trilogy, and has also stated that one or both of the sequels may have a futuristic setting.
On September 28, 2006, in an interview with IGN, producer Jade Raymond confirmed that Altaïr is “a medieval hitman with a mysterious past” and that he is not a time traveler.
This is consistent with this particular design team, as in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, death was interpreted as a mistake in the Prince of Persia’s recounting of his story to Farah. In an Xbox 360 gameplay demo at X06, a screen appears with the words “memories /01” in the center with “hard drive” on the left and “options” on the right after the character dies. Above “memories” it says “animus”, Latin for “soul/life/spirit” (and where the word “animate” comes from) and under it are the words “access your genetic memory”. The word “shutdown” can be seen in the lower right-hand corner, and the outline of a person can be seen past the words, almost as if the person was standing over someone on their back, and the player can also see on the right-hand side a light bulb and a grate on the ceiling. Also, in the upper-left hand corner on the screenshot, it reads “in progress” so this may be something involved in the development.
Altaïr is voiced by actor Philip Shahbaz. It was mentioned in the UbiDays interview that Altaïr is not religious but rather “spiritual” and is the son of a Christian Mother and Muslim Father.
Altair (meaning “The Flyer” in Arabic) is a star in the Northern Sky in the constellation of Aquilla (“eagle” in Latin); this ties in well with a white eagle seen in the trailer for PS3 and Xbox 360 which is shown flying over the city of Acre, and lands on the bell tower Altaïr himself is standing on. To complete the theme the Assassin’s clothes consist of white flowing robes. His hood also has a hook on the end and his lower robe features a stream on each side, therefore making Altair’s shadow in air look like an eagle.
It is also stated that in events before the start of the game, there is an initiation where Altar’s left ring finger is cut off, so that he is no longer a Novice, but an Assassin. Once his finger is cut off, a hidden blade is installed.
Story
Assassin’s Creed is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players, assuming the role of the main character, will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and to shape events during this pivotal moment in history.
The story follows Altaïr, a disgraced master Assassin who embarks on an epic quest to restore his status within the Assassin Order. After failing to liquidate the Templar leader Robert de Sable and recover the legendary Templar Treasure, Altaïr is demoted to Uninitiated (the lowest rank in the Assassin Order).
But Sinan, leader of the Assassins, offers him an opportunity to redeem himself. Altaïr must venture out into the Holy Land and assassinate men said to be exacerbating and exploiting the hostilities created by the Third Crusade. In doing so, he will stabilise the region, allowing Sinan to usher in an age of peace.
When the game begins, Richard the Lionheart has just recaptured the port city of Acre from occupying Saracens. With a base of operations established, the Crusaders prepare to march south. Their true target is Jerusalem – which they intend to recapture in the name of the Church. However, Saladin, leader of the Saracen army, currently rules the city. Stinging from his army’s defeat at Acre, he will not allow Richard to humiliate him again. The Saracens are massing at the ruins of Fortress Arsuf, intending to ambush the Crusaders and prevent them from reaching Jerusalem.
These war maneuvers have left the rest of the Holy Land wide open. While Richard and Saladin battle one another, the men left to govern in their stead have begun taking advantage of their newfound positions of power. Exploitation, manipulation, and provocation rule the day. It is in this chaotic mess that Altaïr now finds himself. He is ordered to eliminate those most active in their exploitation. This is how the Assassin begins his mission.
Along the way, however, he will begin to discover that his targets are bound by more than just a shared interest in personal gain. They share membership in a secret society familiar to the Hashshashin. And they are not simply looking for profit. Their true goal and how they plan to achieve it lead to a modern-day conspiracy and are secrets to be discovered during the course of the story.
Weaponry
Altaïr carries a number of highly specialized weapons for his role as an assassin—weapons noted from the trailers include a sword (Xbox 360 gameplay demo), a small crossbow, the hooked ends of which can apparently be used to forcibly pull enemies away (though it is unknown if it was designed purposefully this way, or merely an effect created for the E3 2006 trailer), and on his back there are bolts for his crossbow in a small quiver; throwing daggers strapped on his chest, as well as his specialty weapon which is used for his assassinations, a concealed mechanical dagger that retracts to avoid notice (similar in concept to an OTF or “out-the-front” switchblade, though it is unknown where it derives the energy to both extend and retract mechanically) attached to the underside of his left arm, which emerges from under his wrist. Altaïr is also missing his left hand ring finger which was severed as part of the initiation ceremony when he received his mechanical dagger. When the blade is extended and the hand is balled into a fist the blade extends through the space left by the removed ring finger. A trailer showing the dagger being “unsheathed” shows a complex clockwork mechanism.
Jade Raymond has stated that the player will be able to unlock new abilities such as improved boots (better grip for climbing) and climbing gloves and customizations for Altaïr’s weaponry. In the newest trailer, Altaïr also carries a knife on his back, in addition to his sword. The players can select the weapon they want to use by pressing the directional buttons, this allows quick switch capability during combat.