THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

The French revolution and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, from 1792 to 1815, is one of the most important time periods in modern history, laying the foundations for the break out of the First World War and the shaping of the modern world. If you just learned something new, I would be obliged on behalf of humanity if you didn’t breed from now on. Or breathe, for that matter.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE: AN ASSASSIN’S CREED GAME

This era is not completely devoid of games, but they are all some form of strategy game. Cossacks, Imperial Glory, Napoleon: Total War, there are no noteworthy games that diverge from this. It is understandable, as this was a time of great generals and colossal battles, manoeuvring and outmaneuvering that would not be seen again until the Second World War, a clash of empires that is very well suited to strategy games. Infantry, artillery and cavalry allow the player to fight the way they want, blasting the enemy away with cannons like Napoleon, massed bayonet charges in the style of the Russians or precise and clockwork like musket fire similar to Wellington. This is all fun to a strategy gamer but you are dealing with thousands of lives, all of them indistinct to you, O mighty general who floats above our heads. However, there is the opportunity for individual heroes to affect the course of history. And who does this better than an Assassin?

There was some speculation before the release of Assassin’s creed 2 as to where the new game would be set. Many people thought it would be revolutionary France, some thought it would be more about Altair, and a crazy minority thought it would be set in renaissance Italy, or somewhere weird like that. I always thought a game set in revolutionary France would be awesome. Assassin’s creed: Revolutions (get it).

Why? The story writes itself! As a young assassin, you help topple the Templar monarchy and create an Assassin’s Republic of France. Revolutionary leaders like Danton and Robespierre are assassins, but become corrupted by the power they hold, or the items of Eden they “take care of”. Their corruption leads to the terror in which thousands of people were executed. Thrown into jail and awaiting execution, you have to escape and confront your former master, and introduce his neck to your hidden blade. I don’t think they could work the killing of King Louis XVI into the game, as he has a historical appointment with Madame Guillotine, but they could have you killing other figures. Like, Robespierre? Nope, guillotine. Marie Antoinette? Nope, guillotine. Georges Danton? Guillotine. This is beginning to sound like Assassin’s Creed: Guillotine. At least you won’t have to sit through those cut scenes where your assassin of choice interrogates his victim, who can be quite friendly in an I’ll-tell-my-murderer-everything-about-my-friends-family-and-plans kind of way. I am amazed how they can talk with a knife sized hole where their throat used to be.

You can then set the sequel during the time of Napoleon, or have it as DLC.

WHY IT HASN’T BEEN DONE

*SPOILER* As of Assassin’s Creed Revelations there will be no more games with Ezio Auditore, as he settles down with his nice young Italian crumpet, so it seems from now on we have to put up with Desmond. Hooray, the man who gets out less than a depressed Moray eel. With the American Revolution being used in Assassin’s Creed III we can see other historical periods being used.  Going into the past and countering the attacks of men of every age, race and sword fighting ability is the biggest draw of Assassins Creed. Can you imagine free-running up the side of a modern building? How will you outrun city guards when they have cars, helicopters and police dogs?

Ubisoft could have set Assassin’s Creed II in this time period, but Italy must have somehow appealed to them more. Muskets were now the predominant weapons and I can’t imagine a game where every guard is armed with a musket being any fun. If you have played Revelations, you’ll understand the feeling. In ACR, there are guards with muskets who love to hover on the edge of melee fights, just waiting to shoot you. Janissaries, the elite Ottoman troops, also all have pistols which they are keen to use. It does not make for a fun game feature.

IT MAY STILL BE DONE

To me, Revolutions and Brotherhood feel like Assassin’s creed 2.5 and 2.75 respectively. We know what gameplay the next one will have, it’s like the transition between Call of duty games. That isn’t where the similarity ends. Ubisoft will drain this fat cash cow of every last drop, so be prepared to see more than one game left in the series, and where better to set Assassin’s Creed 12 than the French revolution?

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