Why next Assassin's Creed would naturally be set in France
Last week, after days of active rumors and leaks, Ubisoft had to finally announce their latest Assassin’s Creed.
The name is Unity and the chosen period is the French Revolution. At last, we should be able to roam free in the filthy and narrow streets of a tumultuous Paris roaring with rage.
In 2012, after the release of a disappointing Assassin’s Creed 3, I had already speculated on a possible sequel set in Paris, focussing on the Revolution and the troubled times that followed until the rise of Napoleon and his Empire. Let’s see historically why a (real) sequel to AC3 could only happen in France.
Ubisoft, a French company, has become a leader in the gaming industry. And Ubisoft knows how to profit from the gold mine the Assassin’s Creed franchise is. Each time a new Assassin's Creed is about to be announced and its context to be revealed, many gamers on the internet speculate and try to guess which time period would be chosen and the French Revolution has been a gamers' favourite. So perhaps, it was just meant to be! With Unity, it seems Ubisoft wishes to go back to the roots of the saga, returning to old Europe and its tall and flamboyant castles, private mansions and cathedrals, giving us, the players, a formidable playground with a more than interesting historical context.
ASSASSIN’S CREED REVOLUTION
We now know that a new hero will be introduced, Arno, and at this point we can only imagine what his back story is. At the time, I was imagining Connor crossing the Atlantic on the Aquila to reach France and take part in the Revolution to carry on the fight for freedom and equality of rights. This came to me because of a dialogue Connor has with the Marquis de Lafayette at the Valley Forge encampment, who invites him to come to Paris, a city both beautiful and rotten from within.
Evidently, Connor, it seems, will not reach our continent, or not as a main character. It is even rumored that he could be an important character of the other AC coming next year, code named Comet and set to be released on the "old gen". However, at the time, having just finished AC3 and virtually taken part in the important events that led to the American Independence, it seemed obvious to me the next AC would be set in Paris, just in time for the start of the Revolution.
Historically, it is important to remind oneself of the proximity of the two revolutions. First of all, these two liberating movements are very close to one another in time. The American Revolution ends up in 1783 and the first French Revolution’s feat of arms is the storming of the Bastille in July 1789. But more importantly, the two revolutions shared the same moral values and principles and naturally, the French Revolution was greatly inspired by its American counterpart, itself inspired by several European Revolutions of the mid-18th century like the Dutch or the Swiss revolutions.
Alfred Schalck de la Faverie, a French essayist on the American thought, already acknowledged the influence the American Revolution had on the ideas leading to the French Revolution. He conceded that action (leading to the revolution) had to be different. France was already an independent and sovereign country, ruled by an absolute monarch, Louis XVI. King Louis was blamed for his inadequate economical management of the country, allowing taxes to grow so high that farmers and peasants could simply not pay them anymore. Monarchy became then for many a a symbol inherited from traditions that had become obsolete and completely disconnected from the people, its needs and from the changes the world was going though.
ASSASSIN'S CREED EMPIRE
Historians now adopt a more balanced opinion on Louis XVI, giving him credits for his intentions to cooperate with the revolutionists. They acknowledge that Louis was not the dumb king that most people are led to believe, but a concerned ruler whose timidity and incapacity to push on crucial reforms for the country led to him becoming the "scapegoat" we all know. It is interesting to come back to these events as these are complex issues and cannot be treated from a Manichean point of view. Ubisoft managed to avoid this and already in AC3, slightly addressed delicate questions like the one concerning the treatment of the Native Americans after the Revolution. Washington's goal was to free the United States, at all costs, and this is particularly seen at the end of the game when Connor realises that his ideal of liberty and Washington's had somehow taken different paths and that his actions would have irremediable consequences for his people, the Mohawks.
In France, after the Revolution, the terror started. It was a troubled time where many heads would fall. What Unity could brilliantly achieve is to portray not just the Revolution itself but what followed and the political rivalry and manipulations that were into play. The Revolution officially ends in 1799 when Napoleon after a coup, seizes power and establishes himself as first consul of France. The final blow came with his coronation as Emperor of France in 1804, burying any hopes of a Republic.
You can see why this period fits so well into the Assassin's Creed saga. The title, Unity, interestingly suggests an odd alliance between templars and assassins to perhaps achieve the same goal, establishing the Republic. From Monarchy to an Empire, the French Revolution is a complex, fascinating and intriguing period that shaped France's and Europe's modern history. Playing the French Revolution was, until now, a fantasy to many and now that the cat is (officially) out of the bag, the wait will finally come to an end!
Xavier is a French journalist who co-founded in 2012 an illustrated blog about geek culture, l'Attrape Geeks. For the original article, written in December 2012 (in French), please go here.