Assassin's Creed has always had a strange relationship with history. The games feature some of the most historically accurate representations of the respective settings, but they also feature hilariously over-the-top portrayals of major historical figures. Not that introducing famous figures into the games is a bad idea, but fighting alongside George Washington and Blackbeard can feel more like a Saturday morning cartoon than a serious drama.
For the most part, Assassin's Creed Unity seemed to downplay this side of the series—yes, Napoleon made a (strange) cameo in the game, but Unity was focused more on its own characters than the surrounding players. Ubisoft has always claimed that Assassin's Creed Syndicate would follow suit, and that its main characters would be the focus of the game as well, but the latest trailer begs to differ.
Fans already know that Syndicate will feature a huge, historically accurate London, but the 'Historical Characters' trailer shows off more of its inhabitants—namely, some of the most influential figures in the country's long history:
Right off the bat, Ubisoft seemingly confirms that it'll be bringing back some of the series' traditions: Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, appears to fill a familiar role similar to that of Leonardo da Vinci. Jacob and Evie need weapons, after all, and someone's got to build them. Whether or not Bell will have as large an impact on the story remains to be seen—da Vinci become a crucial element of the Ezio Trilogy storyline, and there's definitely a chance that Bell could go on to have a larger role.
The rest of Syndicate's cast seems to tie into the story more than anything else. Leaders like Karl Marx and Queen Victoria are sure to be major players in the game's plot, and the same thing goes for figures like Florence Nightingale and Charles Darwin. And, considering that Syndicate looks like it'll play out like some sort of extremely violent Charles Dickens novel, it's actually pretty amazing that Dickens himself will also make an appearance.
After the critical failure of Unity, it really seems like Ubisoft is really trying to pull out all the stops with Assassin's Creed Syndicate. The team is bringing back more than a few of the series' tropes—let's just hope it all works out a bit better than last year's game.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is due out on Oct. 23.
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