Summary
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise has been going through a bit of reinvention over the past couple of entries. First,Originstook the franchise to the RPG landscape, which proved remarkably successful. Then,Odysseytook the focus off of the Hidden Ones to tell a more historical-based story whileValhallagave players a massive Viking saga to explore. Now,Assassin’s Creed Miragehas brought the series back to its roots with a few new additions, and fans seem to be loving it.
AfterAssassin’s Creed Mirage, it may be time for another reinvention. WhileAC RedandHexeare rumored to continue the RPG model of the last three games, Ubisoft should really consider taking the concept even further. Instead of playing it safe with what it knows is successful, the studio should consider finally giving players the assassination sandbox they have been dreaming about. IfHitmancan be so successful doing that, then there is seemingly no reasonAssassin’s Creedcannot follow suit.
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Assassin’s Creed Needs to Embrace the Sandbox
The focus of theAssassin’s Creedserieshas always been on exploring history to rid iconic cities of the influence of Templars. This has been the driving force of the franchise since its inception, and it will likely not change anytime soon. However, the games have only done so much with the concept so far. Instead of fully embracing what the series could be, Ubisoft has stayed within the realm of action-adventure or RPG, and that should change.
ThenewHitmanreboot trilogyseemed to have fulfilled the wishes of the fanbase by giving them a true sandbox to mess around in. Players were placed into these various assassination missions and given free rein to accomplish their tasks how they see fit. They could take out their enemy from afar, get up close and personal, tamper with the environment to kill their target, or attempt to take them out in all sorts of unconventional ways. It led to a fantastic experience that was only further expanded on with the subsequent sequels.
TheHitmanseries showed audiences what an assassin sandbox could look like, and now is the perfect time forAssassin’s Creedto embrace that. While the franchise has given players some control over how they take out their targets and navigate missions, the majority of it is pretty structured. The game may present players with choices; however, those choices are often limited. This gives players the feeling of freeform gameplay, even though they are often forced to choose between only a couple of options. On top of that,most ofAssassin’s Creed’s open worldsalso lack meaningful interactions, so players cannot really use the environment to their advantage outside of scaling buildings.
AnAssassin’s Creedgame thatfollows theHitmanmodelsounds like a recipe for success. Players should be brought to an interesting historically accurate city, be given their targets, and then should have the freedom to take them out any way they see fit. Maybe they want to go the old-fashioned route, cause a chandelier to fall on them, start a stampede, or like to use some poison. This hypothetical game should let them do all of it, and if it did, it would truly feel like players have control over the assassination experience.
It seems likeAssassin’s Creedwill be returning to the RPG genre shortly, which could result in some great games, but they could be greater if Ubisoft reinvented the franchise once more. AfterMirage, it feels like the perfect time to explore a whole new concept for the series, andHitmanseems like the perfect choice. Hopefully, the studio is interested in taking a risk like that, because the franchise could be better for it.
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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