With almost everyone sceptical about the Assassin’s Creed series given it’s plot-line losing any semblance of direction and last year’s bugged out release (yes, Unity, no amount of patching or free DLC will make us forget), here’s five things you should know about Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Hopefully, this will help you in making an informed decision as to whether you should buy this latest entry in the franchise or forget about the series entirely.
1. Twin Assassins
For the first time in Assassin’s Creed you will be able to play as two Assassins – Jacob and Evie Frye. Born in a small town just outside of London, these twin Assassins were raised to follow the Creed. Together the Fryes head to London with the end goal of taking it back from Templar control. However, they both have very different ideas as to how to go about this. Where Evie is tactical and resourceful, Jacob is brutal and impulsive.
“Jacob and Evie represent a different side of the English persona,” says Creative Director Marc-Alexis Cote. “Jacob is a charismatic brawler. He’s going to be the leader of London’s criminal underworld. Evie is much stealthier. She’s really, really intelligent and witty. One of the things I really like about our two characters is how they bounce off each other.”
The twins will have to use their unique skills to unite the London underworld under one banner and remove the stain the Templars have left on the great city, because whoever controlled London during the Industrial Revolution controlled the world.
2. Gangs Of London
In order to take on this massive city, Jacob and Evie are going to need an army. On their journey to wrestle control from the Templars, the twins will unite the street gangs of London under a single banner. The Rooks will be the Fryes’ ears, eyes and blades in the deadly underworld.
Many of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s activities and side quests will revolve around winning over the various gangs in London’s diverse districts, building influence to help them gain even footing in the war. “Upon arriving in London, Jacob and Evie soon take the side of the impoverished majority, though not necessarily for the same reasons,” says Roy.
“Evie is much more idealistic and closer to the Creed, and Jacob perceives the rugged London poor as natural allies to the cause.”
In the demo shown a few weeks ago, we see Jacob taking on a hideout where the Templar-controlled Blighters are hiding out. Once you clear enough of the enemy gang members out of a district and remove their influence, their their Templar leaders will ambush you and challenge you to a Gang War. You’ll face off in iconic locations in one final struggle for control over the district. Take out the Templar gang leader and the district will belong to the Rooks.
3. Stealth Is In
Gone are the good old days when you could walk down the streets with a sword at your side and no one would bat an eye. Concealment is now key. In the world of organized crime, it’s smarter to hide your advantage until the moment of attack. Combat is more about getting in close and fighting dirty.
In order to support this brutal new style, the Assassins will need some more clever weapons. Weapons like the brutish brass knuckles and the compact revolver, or the gentleman’s cane sword and the exotic kukri knife. These fiercely efficient weapons come together to form the perfect arsenal for an Assassin in the Industrial Revolution.
Even though progress permeates the city throughout the century, it remains an old city with a long history and many dark corners. Shady back alleys, densely populated slums, layers upon layers of old, crumbling buildings right next to sparkling new ones…
This environment makes for close and vicious encounters. In the blink of an eye, a street full of young people loitering about could turn into a highly violent brawl. Fists, knives and sometimes guns would come out in a flash and vanish just as quickly upon the arrival of the Metropolitan police.
4. A Bigger, Better Sandbox
The world of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is like no world you’ve ever seen in Assassin’s Creed. Carriages fill the streets, which in turn need to be made much wider to support the new traffic flow. The buildings are taller than ever and dense crowds pack the sidewalks. You’ll need some help getting around the city.
That’s where the introduction of the rope launcher comes in. A new addition to the Assassin gauntlet, the rope launcher will propel you to new heights at a faster pace or even let you create a zipline between buildings and avoid the streets altogether. The rope launcher can be used at any time, on any building and becomes a very powerful tool in the hands of either Jacob or Evie.
In addition to the new tools at your disposal, there have also been some changes made to familiar toys. Take the upgraded hallucinogenic darts, for example. In the demo, we see Jacob trying to get rid of a small group of enemy gang members.
Rather than use the dart on just one of them, he fires at a nearby fire drum they are warming themselves around. The effect is an explosive shower of hallucinogenic gas that hits multiple opponents, causing them all to attack one another in blind rage.
5. Catch A Ride
Why walk when you can ride in style? Any carriage you see on the busy streets of London can be yours. Yes, even if they are already occupied. You can knock someone out of the driver’s seat or hide in the actual carriage itself to escape from your pursuers. In the demo, Jacob hijacks a carriage to chase after a fleeing target, but is quickly noticed by the local police.
After his carriage begins to take too much damage, he makes a daring leap into another nearby vehicle and neatly kicks the driver out before continuing his chase.
Of course, if you can do all these stunts, you can be sure your enemies can as well. They will be able board your ride and rip you right out of your seat for a good old fashioned brawl on the roof of the carriage. Square off against your foes or leap to the relative safety of another carriage top, performing an intricate dance over the vehicles of London.
You’ll also have access to another common sight from the period: trains. This was an era of speed. These marvels of the modern age allowed people, goods and information to travel more rapidly than ever before and they provide a brand new playground for the Assassins. You may find yourself racing down the length of London’s many trains as you take on your enemies.
Well, those were some of the facts as we know it. We’re still playing the game, and at this time it’s really enjoyable. Keep an eye on Gaming Central for the review.
