Assassin’s Creed Shadowshas been a little overshadowed by its many controversies and bad decisions, angering fans and detracting from what could potentially be a rather enjoyable entry in the series. It’s set to implement a number of features that fans have been requesting for a long time, such as a bigger focus on stealth as well as the option to go in guns blazing - or katanas blazing, in this instance. However, perhaps one of the biggest changes it’s adding is to the modern-day sequences.
The head ofAssassin’s Creedat Ubisoft recently confirmed that themodern-day sequences will be overhauled, improving them so that they better reflect the quality of the earlier games with Desmond. This is frankly rather significant news for fans of the series, as the modern-day sequences have been a low point for quite some time. Details on how it will change have been given, including how it will all integrate with the newAssassin’s Creed Infinityhub. Finally,it seems like one ofAC’sbiggest problems will be fixed.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Changing The Modern-Day Approach
It’s Making It A More Integral Part
It’s been clear for a long while now thatthe modern-day sequences inAssassin’s Creedjust aren’t working. They feel like a slog to get through, often interrupt the enjoyable historical gameplay, and offer little value, especially when compared to the more compelling central narrative. Well, apparently, fans aren’t the only ones who believe this, asAssassin’s Creedfranchise boss Marc-Alexis Coté spoke at a BAFTA event (viaEurogamer) about how the modern-day sequences have been handled poorly as of late.
What’s the best Assassin’s Creed game?
With the new Assassin’s Creed game approaching, I’ve been revisiting Odyssey, and I’m in awe of how incredible and expansive of an experience it is. I can see the case for Assassin’s Creed II being the quintessential game of the franchise and what it directly represents, but Odyssey is such an incredibly fun game. Assassin’s Creed aside, it’s probably the definitive Greek history/mythology game with how much ground it covers.
Coté discussed how once Desmond’s story was completed, “the modern storyline struggled to find its footing,” largely thanks to its lack of a compelling protagonist and constantly repeating the same stories from previous entries. However, now thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis shifting setting, the folks over at Ubisoft have spotted an opportunity to rectify the issues of the modern-day storyline. Importantly,the modern-day plot will be a lot more integral, but perhaps not in the way some fans may be thinking.
The fact that Coté and the team at Ubisoft have identified the modern-day story as a weak point speaks to the potential that it’ll get better, as, since Desmond left, it’s been a bit of a disappointing feature.
Coté explained that rather than have it overshadow the historical aspects of anAssassin’s Creedgame, “the modern-day narrative will serve to enhance [it].“It will better parallel the adventure happening in the main storyline, as well as, at least, hopefully, give players a reason to care. The fact that Coté and the team at Ubisoft have identified it as a weak point speaks to the potential that it’ll get better, as, since Desmond left, it’s been a bit of a disappointing feature.
Assassin’s Creed’s Modern-Day Story Has Never Lived Up To Desmond
It Failed To Find Its Footing Once Desmond Left
Desmond was easily thebest of the modern-dayAssassin’s Creedprotagonists, having the most interesting narrative and dynamic with the other characters. His sections of each game were genuinely fascinating to experience and are what madeAssassin’s Creedsuch a unique concept from the start.When Desmond’s arc came to a close, Ubisoft had an opportunity to tell a different story using the same framework, but, unfortunately, opted to tell the exact same story. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag lacked a cohesive modern-day story, and the introduction of Layla Hassan in Origins didn’t help.
It’s not that Layla Hassan couldn’t be as interesting as Desmond. It’s that she wasn’t as well fleshed out and repeated Desmond’s quest to hunt for Isu artifacts. She wasn’t so much her own character, but rather a poor stand-in for a far more interesting lead. It meant that the modern-day plotlines were fairly rote and as dull to get through as they were predictable. As Coté identified in his talk,the modern-day sequences became secondary to the main plot, which didn’t really work when the whole point was modern-day people utilizing their past to solve problems in the future.
This shift pulled focus away from what had always been at the heart of the franchise: exploring our history. As this approach became repetitive, both players and critics felt the modern-day storyline had become a secondary concern, more of a side-quest, rather than an integral part of the overall experience.
Players largely managed to overlook these more boring sequences, which was perhaps also a part of the solution.The longer the series went on, the easier it was for players to tune out during the modern-day sequences, to the point that their existence was brought into question. They should have been just as good as the main story, but Ubisoft never managed to figure out how. That is, apparently, until now, as the new plan to completely integrate it all intoAssassin’s Creed Infinitylooks set to fix it.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity Could Be Good Or Bad
It Has Potential, But The Past Has A Way Of Repeating Itself
Assassin’s Creed Infinityis positioning itself as the hub for all thingsAssassin’s Creed. All the futureACgames - fromAssassin’s Creed Shadowsonwards - will launch exclusively from it. However, more importantly,the modern-day narrative content will happen exclusively withinInfinity. While Ubisoft is yet to share exactly what that looks like, it will undoubtedly appeal to those who’ve grown exhausted of the modern-day content. What Ubisoft has confirmed is how it intends to improve upon the modern-day storyline.
WhileAssassin’s Creed’shistorical content is fascinating, it was the duality of its modern-day and historical storylines that made it such a compelling story in the first place.
Coté explained that the new storyline will “explore deeper themes of memory, identity, and autonomy” as well as how the past can inform the present. Much like the original games, this will further expand into explorations of “freedom versus control, the power of knowledge and the tension between individuality and conformity.” All of this will begin withAssassin’s Creed Shadowsand its unique dual protagonists. How that plays out remains to be seen, butthis feels like a far more comprehensive and interesting direction than the floundering approach that has been taken so far.
None of this is particularly new for sci-fi orAssassin’s Creed, but it does sound fairly compelling. If backed by a fully-fleshed-out protagonist as well as some exciting sequences that are as fun to play through as the main content, then it’s not hard to see fans becoming increasingly interested in it again. It would be a huge win forAssassin’s Creedas, while its historical content is fascinating,it was the duality of its modern-day and historical storylines that made it such a compelling story in the first place.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Delay Might Actually Get Me Excited For The Game
Assassin’s Creed Shadows releasing in 2025 comes as something of a relief for me, even if the delay comes as a disappointment to a lot of fans.
Whether or notAssassin’s Creed Infinitytakes off in the way that Ubisoft hopes it will, it’s clear that it intends to move in the right direction. Taking accountability for the shortcomings of the modern-day storylines post-Desmond, as well as the manycontroversies withAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis great, and shows that Ubisoft, while perhaps slower than other publishers, is learning from its mistakes. Time will tell howAssassin’s Creed Shadowswill turn out, but its newfound approach to the modern-day storytelling is a huge win for fans and newcomers alike.
