Ubisoft Teases Next Assassin's Creed Game Setting In The Division 2 (Vikings) [UP: Jason Schreier confirms]

[Ringten]

I have always wanted a Japanese or Chinese setting, but ghost of tsushima and sekiro will do for now.

I'm excited for a viking setting, especially if they are skipping AC this year. Next gen even :o

Glad I got odyssey gold edition in the meantime for my ac fix :p just gotta beat the final boss in sekiro before I can finally start ACO

 

[HellofaMouse]

id be more excited if these setting changes in asscreed also ment drastic mechanics and design changes instead of being little more than reskins.

 

[Deleted member 49132]

Get rid of the janky garbage Souls-esque combat and I'll think about it

 

[Crossing Eden]

id be more excited if these setting changes in asscreed also ment drastic mechanics and design changes instead of being little more than reskins.

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I mean Origins already was a drastic change and that was followed by Odyssey which was very clearly an evolution of that concept pushed much further in the RPG direction. Crazy how much of a game changer the adrenaline system was in Odyssey and all the emphasis on abilities, some would call game breaking, compared to Origins.

 

[Deleted member 9971]

Guess theyll do hinduism/buddism next after this and complete the major quatro mythros.

 

[RedSwirl]

So can anyone think up some actual possible settings within the Viking Age? All I kinda sorta know about is that time in the early 11th century when the Danish and Swedes I think invaded the fuck out of England.

And I think it has been noted that Ubisoft won't greenlight any pre-modern setting outside Europe and the Middle East for fear that western audiences wouldn't click with it. This might be why there hasn't been a real China-themed AAA AC game yet.

Ghost of Tsushima, Sekiro, Nioh, Nioh 2, Genji, three Onimusha games, Way of the Samurai. Not the same type of game, but thematically, a similar space. Samurai and Ninjas are well trodden ground.

Ancient Japan is the "break glass in case of emergency" game. It simply dovetails too easily with what AC is. Your mind jumps from assassins to ninjas effortlessly. But that not just me saying that.

https://www.cinemablend.com/games/Why-Assassin-Creed-Never-Went-Japan-68099.html

Hes not at the company, but nothing has pointed to that mindset changing. Ubisoft knows fans want Japan. And that's likely why they'll never do it until AC is really in trouble.

And I think some fans who want it secretly know why Ubisoft won't do it as well.

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Honestly, the only historical Japan-themed open-world game that hits all those notes is Tsushima. Maybe the Way of the Samurai series but that's more niche. The Yakuza spin-offs aren't even available in English. People keep saying Japan is well-traveled but honestly it's in the same situation as Vikings. We've recently gotten a ton of Norse mythology games but basically no games about mundane historical vikings. There have certainly been no open-world games that go really deep into the history of either setting.

And if we're keeping boats, the way I hear it at some point in the middle ages there was a lot of pirate-type stuff going on in the seas between Japan, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia with plenty of colorful characters. It'd be real interesting if when Ubisoft did do Japan, it threw us a curveball and did something like that, avoiding the more commonly covered periods like Sengoku Jidai and the Bakumatsu.

Really though, pre-modern not-Europe is a pretty gargantuan wellspring of possible ideas for these kinds of games when you think about it.

 

[Ripcord]

All in for Vikings Creed. Got Odyssey from Project Stream and really dug it. Hadn't played an AC since the pirate one (4?).

 

[Castamere]

Well shit. Curious how they'll make it different from Odyssey and Origins.

Almost undoubtedly going to be a big focus on forts and sieges, so I'm in.

 

[super moustique]

Ghost of Tsushima, Sekiro, Nioh, Nioh 2, Genji, three Onimusha games, Way of the Samurai. Not the same type of game, but thematically, a similar space. Samurai and Ninjas are well trodden ground.

Ancient Japan is the "break glass in case of emergency" game. It simply dovetails too easily with what AC is. Your mind jumps from assassins to ninjas effortlessly. But that not just me saying that.

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I mean, you're comparing games (some even retro) that are nothing alike.

The only game that might be comparable to an AC game here is Ghost.

You forgot Onimusha 4 by the way :P

 

[Prolepro]

So can anyone think up some actual possible settings within the Viking Age? All I kinda sorta know about is that time in the early 11th century when the Danish and Swedes I think invaded the fuck out of England.

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Probably the mid to late 9th century when things were going nuts between Charlamagne's empire starting to crumble and be fought over by his sons, The Great Heathen Army ransacking England, and the raiding of Paris.

They could go a similar route with Odyssey and have your protagonist be the descendant of Ragnar Lodbrok, like they did with Leonidas and the 300, or maybe even introduce the raid on Lindisfarne in 793 as an attempt to claim a piece of Eden as the prologue.

 

[Deleted member 43077]

Well shit. Curious how they'll make it different from Odyssey and Origins.

Almost undoubtedly going to be a big focus on forts and sieges, so I'm in.

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deeper RPG and refined combat is mainly what I imagine.

 

[abellwillring]

I think after Sekiro and Ghosts of Tsushima, East Asian setting would be a little crowded for the next two or so years.

Edit: forgot Nioh and Nioh 2

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Sekiro has a very limited audience in comparison to an Assassin's Creed game and Ghosts is PS4-exclusive. I think there is definitely plenty of room for it especially when you consider the wider audience -- there's no end to weeaboo video game fans (myself included).

 

[CrazyDude]

Arhitecture of that era is not something that will provide good base for parkour.

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Ancient Greece didn't either.

 

[dex3108]

Ancient Greece didn't either.

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Still better than Viking era and setting.

 

[More_Badass]

deeper RPG and refined combat is mainly what I imagine.

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If Vikings (the show) is any indication: more involved focus on crews (like actual interactions reminiscent companions in an RPG instead of just being stats and numbers) and boarding, having companions in battle with you building off the battlefield clashes in Odyssey, more expansive choices to reflect conflicts between clans and Jarls,

 

[More_Badass]

Still better than Viking era and setting.

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Odyssey shows that the "climbing famous architecture and parkour chases across rooftops" aspect of AC is long dead. Famous cities are in, sure, but the focus is no longer on climbing architecture and leaping across rooftops.

 

[Rocketz]

Day 1 now it's confirmed by Jason

 

[dex3108]

Odyssey shows that the "climbing famous architecture and parkour chases across rooftops" aspect of AC is long dead. Famous cities are in, sure, but the focus is no longer on climbing architecture and leaping across rooftops.

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And that is sad, that was one of the core pillars of the franchise.

 

[jdstorm]

God willing.

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Pretty much this.

In saying that a French resistance game would be cool. Still pretty low on my list of Assasins Creed games that I'd want though

In order.
1. Revolutionary Russia (Anastasia)
2. 1800s Australia ( essentially Red dead with an Assasin Ned Kelly)
3. Middle Ages England (Robin Hood)
4. Prohibition Chicago
5. Fall of Constantinople

 

[Kiraly]

I feel like the East Asian setting for Assassin's Creed is such an ERA meme, only ever read about it on here.

 

[MHWilliams]

I mean, you're comparing games (some even retro) that are nothing alike.

The only game that might be comparable to an AC game here is Ghost.

You forgot Onimusha 4 by the way :P

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I acknowledge they weren't the same type of games in the very post you're replying to. And I said "three Onimusha games," not "Onimusha 1, 2, and 3".

You have your answer and I even gave you the same reasoning from the horse's mouth. It's been done thematically, and Ubisoft would prefer to do something else. It could still happen, as that original list of "boring" settings was WWII, Egypt, and Japan, and the first time they needed a series soft reboot, they went straight to Egypt, so... like I said, maybe if it falters again, you get WWII or Japan. Until then, I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Deleted member 35011]

Assassin's Creed is a weird series for me in that I alternate between REALLY wanting to play it and not giving a shit. Like I love the setting, production values, and so on. But I'm not a fan of the overall story, hate the gameplay and I really don't like how the game is designed.

So I'll probably play this because it sounds rad but yeaaah.

 

[Harlequin]

In Norse culture the act of homosexuality itself wasnt stigmatized, but the connotations of being dominated or submissive was associated with weakness or shame. Femininity was seen as being clandestine or surreptitious. This made gods like Odin and other Gods' relationship with Norse people complicated and far more dynamic than the idealized version we get in media today. Odin, being a god of magic, was considered with just as much fear and suspicion due to his trickery as he was revered for his more masculine aspects associated with war and death.

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Yes, I'm well aware that it was mainly the submissive part who was blamed and shamed in Norse culture. But that seems like an issue that might come up when you're a guy getting it on with another guy, hence my wondering if they'll address that in the game. And in general, there was loads of toxic, sexist gender role stuff going on in Norse society, not just the bottom shaming (and yeah, the same is true for most cultures and societies but from my understanding, it seems to have been even more pronounced there because of how big a deal they made of masculinity and being manly). I feel like it'd be interesting for a game (especially one that lets you play as a female protagonist and engage in gay romances) to explore that but looking at Odyssey, I suspect they'll mostly just sweep it under the rug.

 

[Prolepro]

Yes, I'm well aware that it was mainly the submissive part who was blamed and shamed in Norse culture. But that seems like an issue that might come up when you're a guy getting it on with another guy, hence my wondering if they'll address that in the game. And in general, there was loads of toxic, sexist gender role stuff going on in Norse society, not just the bottom shaming (and yeah, the same is true for most cultures and societies but from my understanding, it seems to have been even more pronounced there because of how big a deal they made of masculinity and being manly). I feel like it'd be interesting for a game (especially one that lets you play as a female protagonist and engage in gay romances) to explore that but looking at Odyssey, I suspect they'll mostly just sweep it under the rug.

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I agree, it'll probably be grazed on but not really delved into.

 

[Cpt.Underpants]

Better be wielding shields

 

[super moustique]

Isn't WWII already a tired and generic setting?

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Fo FPS, yeah, it is or at least was.

I acknowledge they weren't the same type of games in the very post you're replying to. And I said "three Onimusha games," not "Onimusha 1, 2, and 3".

You have your answer and I even gave you the same reasoning from the horse's mouth. It's been done thematically, and Ubisoft would prefer to do something else. It could still happen, as that original list of "boring" settings was WWII, Egypt, and Japan, and the first time they needed a series soft reboot, they went straight to Egypt, so... like I said, maybe if it falters again, you get WWII or Japan. Until then, I wouldn't hold my breath.

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Well, I read your post... My point is that they aren't the same games at all, even thematically.

I still don't understand why you cited three onimusha games instead of four though.

 

[Deleted member 43077]

Still better than Viking era and setting.

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Odyssey showed you dont have to have dense cities to still provide a good parkour/climbing part of the game (even tho it did have some). They could very easily rely more on both man made buildings and natural objects like trees, cliff faces etc.

A larger open world that has more to it is better than a small city ala Florence where the only thing realy to climb is very similar buildings broken up like 3 large/important buildings.

 

[MHWilliams]

I still don't understand why you cited three onimusha games instead of four though.

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I figured you might have an issue with half of 3 taking place in Paris, so I preemptively removed it.

Fo FPS, yeah, it is or at least was.

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And it being a generic FPS setting, despite them not being the same game type, is one of the reasons Ubisoft wouldn't do WWII AC. Same themes and ideas repeated.

 

[super moustique]

I figured you might have an issue with half of 3 taking place in Paris, so I preemptively removed it.

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Oh, that indeed explains it.

I tend to forget half the game is bad ! :D

 

[Deleted member 41520]

Unity still has the best city of all the games and my main reason for still revisiting every so often.

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I've got Unity on PC and I last played it on PS4 at launch.

Suffice to say I am pretty excited to return to that world eventually.

 

[Viceratops]

Claim:AC game have moved away from assassinations and stealth mechanics
Reality:No, they literally haven't in fact there are more targets than ever to assassinate as well as more ways than ever to assassinate and take advantage of stealth systems even in spite of the fact that they moved away from social stealth specifically as it didn't fit into the new gameplay loop they were trying to establish

Goalpost moved:But they don't have as many cutscenes......
Reality:Unlike in the past the majority of targets are encountered dynamically in the world. There are still targets related to questlines who have cutscenes and story, these factors affect the inclusion of traditional confession scenes.


You:why can't you accept a bullshit criticism

Maybe if the "criticisms" weren't so easily refutable and didn't always boil down to "it's not exactly the same as older AC games"


Doubt.jpg.


Do better with your build:


All that needs to be said. Note, this video was made before they added even more ways of maximizing assassin damage.

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I swear you work for Ubisoft.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Fo FPS, yeah, it is or at least was.

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Imagine trying to fit the gameplay loop they've established into a WW2 setting or the series in general. It really doesn't work. The one time they attempted it you got a parkour obstacle course and a turret section. Any era with automatic weapons really doesn't jive with AC.

I swear you work for Ubisoft. I'm only saying making this shitpost because I genuinely cannot refute what you just said

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It's good to be honest. Re-adjusted those specs yet?

 

[dragonflys545]

Japan and China would have been amazing. Guess I'll continue to wait.

 

[TheRuralJuror]

I acknowledge they weren't the same type of games in the very post you're replying to. And I said "three Onimusha games," not "Onimusha 1, 2, and 3".

You have your answer and I even gave you the same reasoning from the horse's mouth. It's been done thematically, and Ubisoft would prefer to do something else. It could still happen, as that original list of "boring" settings was WWII, Egypt, and Japan, and the first time they needed a series soft reboot, they went straight to Egypt, so... like I said, maybe if it falters again, you get WWII or Japan. Until then, I wouldn't hold my breath.

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My only dig here is that Ubisoft's lineup really doesn't seem to indicate an issue with very similar genres or themes in house, let alone when compared to games in general. People continually reference these Japan themed games and other than ghost, nothing is similar except the theme, but that's not stopped Ubisoft from releasing a ton of shooters or repeated AC games within a similar geographical area. The gentleman who originally stated Japan was overdone also said Egypt was a boring choice pitched by fans and we still received an Egyptian themed game nonetheless, so I'm holding out hope for next gen at least.

 

[Viceratops]

Imagine trying to fit the gameplay loop they've established into a WW2 setting or the series in general. It really doesn't work. The one time they attempted it you got a parkour obstacle course and a turret section. Any era with automatic weapons really doesn't jive with AC.



It's good to be honest.

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Reported for making up false statements and being an astroturfer who says the dumbest bullshit ever.

 

[RocknRola]

Was kinda excited to see how Ancient Rome would look with this current engine. Ancient Egypt and the many Greek Islands/Towns looked absolutely phenomenal IMO. Plus I'm a sucker for Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations.

Still, Vikings are always dope too! Lets raid some costal towns, yeeeeeaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

 

[jdstorm]

Imagine trying to fit the gameplay loop they've established into a WW2 setting or the series in general. It really doesn't work. The one time they attempted it you got a parkour obstacle course and a turret section. Any era with automatic weapons really doesn't jive with AC.

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Two words.

French Resistance

Have a greater emphasis on social stealth, with Automatic weapons being something to be avoided. Focus on daily life under occupation.

Edit: just because it's WW2 doesn't mean it has to be on the front lines.

WW2 China and Mr IP would also be a great setting

 

[More_Badass]

Two words.

French Resistance

Have a greater emphasis on social stealth, with Automatic weapons being something to be avoided. Focus on daily life under occupation.

Edit: just because it's WW2 doesn't mean it has to be on the front lines.

WW2 China and Mr IP would also be a great setting

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That might have worked for classic AC, something in the vein of Saboteur, but now? With a focus on RPG elements, customization, action and skills and abilities, freeform exploration? That kind of setting and role wouldn't fit with a stealth-driven urban setting

 

[super moustique]

Imagine trying to fit the gameplay loop they've established into a WW2 setting or the series in general. It really doesn't work. The one time they attempted it you got a parkour obstacle course and a turret section. Any era with automatic weapons really doesn't jive with AC.

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I'm not saying they should do it but outside the FPS genre, I don't think WWII is overused. The only game that comes to mind when I think about WWII and action/adventure, is the Saboteur.

Is that mission you're talking about the "what if" thing in Unity or something else ?

Honestly, the only historical Japan-themed open-world game that hits all those notes is Tsushima. Maybe the Way of the Samurai series but that's more niche. The Yakuza spin-offs aren't even available in English. People keep saying Japan is well-traveled but honestly it's in the same situation as Vikings. We've recently gotten a ton of Norse mythology games but basically no games about mundane historical vikings. There have certainly been no open-world games that go really deep into the history of either setting.

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That's pretty much what I think on this subject.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Reported for making up false statements and being an astroturfer who says the dumbest bullshit ever.

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Accusing me of astroturfing for *reads notes* refuting false claims made. Bold strategy cotton. How is a literal video proving what I said dumb bullshit? Re-adjust those specs fam, they literally added more ways to do more damage. In fact, here's an early game video,


How are you struggling when dudes are stealth killing everything by lvl 5? I am so curious about your stats and build if by lvl 30 you still aren't one shotting the vast vast majority of enemies in the game with a prioritized stealth build.

Two words.

French Resistance

Have a greater emphasis on social stealth, with Automatic weapons being something to be avoided. Focus on daily life under occupation.

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Sounds like you want a Hitman game instead.

I'm not saying they should do it but outside the FPS genre, I don't think WWII is overused. The only game that comes to mind when I think about WWII and action/adventure, is the Saboteur.

Is that mission you're talking about the "what if" thing in Unity or something else ?

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Melee/hack and slash and a medieval/ancient feel are the series bread and butter. Think back to just how limited they were when it came to AC:S and imagine that issue being 2 fold due to a WW2 setting. Especially since the series is now an RPG. I just can't imagine a scenario where a mainline AC game works in that setting and that's without getting into the historical figures themselves.

 

[Osahi]

Could be interesting and a change of style and scenery, even though I prefer Ancient Rome from that other, now debunked rumour. ( Unless both are true and Ubi does a Unity/Rogue repeat with the Rome one being current gen and Vikings next gen. But I assume the other rumour was just someone who got lucky with educated guesses)

 

[RocknRola]

Crossing Eden

Btw, kinda random, how worth it is the DLC (all of it) for Odyssey so far? Stayed away from it so far.

 

[Viceratops]

Accusing me of astroturfing for *reads notes* refuting false claims made. Bold strategy cotton. How is a literal video proving what I said dumb bullshit? Re-adjust those specs fam, they literally added more ways to do more damage. In fact, here's an early game video,


How are you struggling when dudes are stealth killing everything by lvl 5?



Sounds like you want a Hitman game instead.

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Genius, I'm telling you I got to level 30 and everything leveled up with me. That meant my progress was completely worthless. This was when the game came out. Not after they did balance readjustments because they realized that they developed a horribly balanced game.

I'm not going to download that garbage again and reward Ubisoft with the satisfaction of retaining players after releasing that poorly designed game with updates that made it better. My experience with the game was that stealth was bad. Quit trying to deny that because you can't handle Ubisoft being taken to task over their design choices.

You can tell your superiors that patching the game to work properly after months doesn't work when the first impression is bad.

 

[Slim Action]

French Resistance in WWII would be my top pick as well. If EA won't make The Saboteur 2, Ubisoft should do it.

 

[Harlequin]

Claim:AC game have moved away from assassinations and stealth mechanics
Reality:No, they literally haven't in fact there are more targets than ever to assassinate as well as more ways than ever to assassinate and take advantage of stealth systems even in spite of the fact that they moved away from social stealth specifically as it didn't fit into the new gameplay loop they were trying to establish

Goalpost moved:But they don't have as many cutscenes......
Reality:Unlike in the past the majority of targets are encountered dynamically in the world. There are still targets related to questlines who have cutscenes and story, these factors affect the inclusion of traditional confession scenes.

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I mean, I can see why people feel like modern AC games aren't really about assassinations anymore. Sure, they may have more assassination targets in total but there seems to be less of a focus on them. In the first few games, assassinations were the main point of the game You spent huge chunks of your time building up to them, preparing for them, etc. In the new games, it's basically just one of many things you can do and there's far less of a build up. Assassinating a cultist in Odyssey often felt like a totally ordinary kill. There wasn't a whole lot of narrative build-up to it, no tension, nothing that really made it feel special. So yeah, you may still get to assassinate lots of people and do it stealthily but I do think it's fair to say that the games aren't really about assassinations anymore.

 

[Tiamat]

In some way I am disappointed because i'd Love an assassins creed game in japan .
But it could be a really cool setting.
Drakkar battle. Wilderness, snow , mystical creatures, badasses warriors...I'm in!

 

[The Silver]

Vikings means more boats, I love me some Assassin Creed boats.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Crossing Eden

Btw, kinda random, how worth it is the DLC (all of it) for Odyssey so far? Stayed away from it so far.

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It's good only thing is it is so very blatantly obvious that the story department was handled by different writers. Weirdly enough it feels like the dlc was made with Alexios in mind while the main game was made with Kassandra in mind.

Genius, I'm telling you I got to level 30 and everything leveled up with me. That meant my progress was completely worthless. This was when the game came out. Not after they did balance readjustments because they realized that they developed a horribly balanced game.

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They didn't rebalance the game or the lvl scaling. That video was BEFORE they added even more ways to maximize damage. In fact, when they DID rebalance the game, they reduced the amount of damage one build did, and it was still doing hilarious amounts of damage. You struggling is your own fault. You can own up to that, or you can just ignore the impressions of everyone else who didn't struggle with leveling or the mechanics.

I'm not going to download that garbage again and reward Ubisoft with the satisfaction of retaining players after releasing that poorly designed game with updates that made it better. My experience with the game was that stealth was bad. Quit trying to deny that because you can't handle Ubisoft being taken to task over their design choices.

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You being the issue=/=stealth being bad.

You can tell your superiors

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Astroturfing accusation #3. The triple down. Kindly stop posting.

 

[Stixitnu]

Vikings??? I'm fucking in FAM

 

[jdstorm]

That might have worked for classic AC, something in the vein of Saboteur, but now? With a focus on RPG elements, customization, action and skills and abilities, freeform exploration? That kind of setting and role wouldn't fit with a stealth-driven urban setting

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It worked fine in Mass Effect, Deus Ex and Watchdogs 1 and Yakuza.

Have 3 main builds Brawler aka Kyriu* but French, Spy aka Sam Fisher and Healer/mage Which is focused on healing/poisoning, your healer is weak but buffs other resistance members and has them do most of the fighting while they sneak around and do stealth takedowns.

You can even keep most of the swordplay mechanics by swapping it for a baton.

Then throw in a bunch of other skills like lock picking, shooting accuracy and all your other standard RPG skills and you are good to go.

* who doesn't want to tiger drop a Nazi.

Elevator Pitch: It's Yakuza 0 but in 1940s Paris/Casablanca