Assassin’s Creed Shadows To Restore Balance Between Modern And Historical Stories, Says Ubisoft

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Abdullah Waseem

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Assassin’s Creed games have found themselves in an identity crisis for the last few years. The plots have struggled to combine modern and historical stories well, but Ubisoft says that this will change with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Why it matters: Fans have actively complained regarding the stories of the recent Assassin’s Creed games. While the older ones felt like a perfect balance between modern and historical plots, the new ones struggle with it. 

Speaking at a BAFTA keynote, series executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté discussed the creative crossroads they faced when Desmond died in Assassin’s Creed 3. He says that the franchise has struggled with the modern aspects of its narratives ever since then. 

After that, there was a continued focus on finding Isu artifacts that made the narratives more predictable. It shifted the focus away from the conflict between Templars and Assassins to just the pursuit of power over magical relics.

We aim to restore the balance that was once the hallmark of the franchise, and help people feel this vertigo of history. 

– Marc-Alexis Côté

He admitted that this led to a more repetitive approach which was rightfully called out by fans and critics. And because about 15 years of complex lore surrounded the series, it also made it less appealing to newer audiences. 

However, with the Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft is looking to restore the balance between modern and historical storytelling. The modern narrative will nicely complement the story rather than overshadowing the historical elements. 

This will also be a continued focus point for all Assassin’s Creed games after Shadows. Long-time fans will be delighted to hear this as they’ve regularly voiced their concerns that the stories went nowhere after Desmond’s death. 

Do you think AC Shadow can restore the balance between the modern and historical elements of the franchise? Let us know in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum. 

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.