“The last time this universe felt like it wanted you to be a cutthroat killer”
Going back to ASSASSIN’S CREED SYNDICATE reminds me of the series’ glory days
Ithink of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate as the last true Assassin’s Creed. Although there have been three mainline entries since its 2015, not to mention the DLC they’ve come with, Syndicate stands out as the last time this universe felt like it wanted you to be a cutthroat killer rather than a historical warrior.
I played Assassin’s Creed Syndicate at its original release, and loved it dearly. It gets the spirit of London right, with a good helping of the series’ ridiculous historical sprinkles. Of course you can just meet Dickens on the road as you’re talking about the Templars. Of course! It’s not like London, even in Victorian times, would be huge and bustling, and pictures of people were rare enough that it would be hard to say for certain without a conversation that the author was really walking past. That doesn’t matter, the Frye twins were bound to have known him.
Syndicate offers the best version of London in games. That’s something the series gets right without fail, finding the authentic feel of its settings. It’s Assassin’s Creed’s biggest strength by far.
FRYE UP
I’ve gone back to Syndicate because I’m missing the original AC series. There are pros and cons to the games moving on. They’ve expanded into massive RPGs and continue to entertain masses of fans. Largely sidelining the Assassins vs Templars conflict has also freed the storyline up to head into other areas and historical events, with the two organizations just weaving in here and there when it’s suitable. And if
SHE’S ALSO THE SMARTEST OF THE ASSASSINS WE’VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING
you like combat there are oodles of melee encounters to enjoy. But I really miss the simplicity of a clean, cold stab with a hidden blade.
The series, for a long time, lacked a mainline game with a female lead. Liberation, released in 2012, featured Aveline de Grandpré in 18th century Louisiana. Though technically the first female lead for the series, her game was a spin-off thrown onto the PlayStation Vita, so only a very small number of AC fans ever played it. Syndicate was the first real experience of a female lead in Assassin’s Creed in my opinion, even if Evie does have to share the screen with her brother.
She’s also the smartest of the assassins we’ve had the pleasure of playing. Level-headed and focused, Evie wants a piece of Eden, which we as a player know to be the key to the whole Assassin’s versus Templar war. While her twin Jacob is building a jolly ol’ gang, Evie is always thinking of the bigger picture. But it’s his bombastic brawling that proved to be a glimpse of the series’ future, rather than her careful espionage. A shame, but at least Syndicate still plays brilliantly years later.