Thoughts on Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Assassin's Creed is a series that I have always loved. The original game may have been extremely repetitive but the overall concept was a fantastic one and since then the sequels have always done the series justice. 

Today, Ubisoft announced the next game in the series in the form of 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate', set in the Industrial Revolution, the player will take control of the Assassin 'Jacob Frye' as he begins to free London from the Templars and give more freedom back to the lower class. 

Jacob and his sister Evie are both trained as Assassin's, where they have become fed up with how the poor are treated and have begun to rise up against the Templars. In a similar system to the territory control, they will get the lower class to aid them in taking territories and putting them under the Assassin's charge. 

The team have done a fantastic job with Jacob's design wise, his long flowing black coat with the white undershirt and waistcoat is very true to that era as well as being dark in colour to fit in with the dank and dreary way of life for many in this time period. 

To add more to this detail they even gave him a top hot which he will take off to pull up his hood during stealth. This is a nice touch as many wealthy gentlemen wore top hats as a symbol of status, its very much like Ebonisa Scrooge. Facial wise he is very much like Arno but with a more gruff appearance. 

From the glimpse we saw of Jacobs interactions with other characters, he appears very forceful compared to many of the other Assassin's who were very cocky or naive. This is a good indication of how he will act during the game as he appears to be a man to get the job done and possibly for his own gain as noted by something he says to those he freed from the templars 'you will work for us'. 

Along with his personality, the combat is extremely brutal compared to older games which were fairly brutal themselves. Jacobs fighting style revolves around quick yet powerful blows with weapons such as the Kukri that he throws through peoples faces, brass knuckles for close range powerful strikes, a revolver for quick shots and throwing knives to quickly take out watchmen in the distance. 

All these details when put together have intrigued me greatly about how Jacob's story will play out as he seems very much like an Assassin Enforcer.

Along with combat, Ubisoft also released a few details on some new mechanics. The player is able to ride carriages and trains, allowing them to traverse the city at street level very quickly as well as using them during parkour. They can also fight on the back of these and hide within the carriages to perform stealth kills, which I am sure will be an amazing mechanic to have in, especially on the more stealthy missions. 

As well as this, they introduced a grappling hook, Jacob can shoot this at high points on buildings and fly up without the need of climbing, speeding up the process. He can also shoot this to other buildings like a Zip Line and perform aerial kills with ease. 

This game appears to have increased the pace greatly, with having close quarters combat, vehicles and faster paced climbing. Personally I am extremely happy with this as I found Unity fairly slow paced, whereas the pace for Syndicate is perfect for the Industrial Revolution. 

The time period was an incredible one, going from almost medieval to the birth of the modern world in such a short space of time. Modern medicine, electricity, Rail Roads, Steam Engines, it was a huge boon for many but not so much for the lower classes who found themselves in more squaller then previously imagined. The Thames river became extremely toxic during this time due to the pollution caused by the numerous factories, many fell ill due to this and it fits perfectly as some sort of Templar plot. 

Overall I am severely happy with the information we have received thus far on 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' and I cannot wait to play it for myself in October! 

Post delay

Hey guys!

Apologies for delays in content for the blog. Life has been getting in the way due to various things, but some new content that I have been working on will be coming soon!

So keep checking back and I will post some new stuff soon.

--Andy

Equinox character overview #4 Gerald and Jessica

Character 7: Gerald Abus

A young and talented apprentice wizard from the Kingdom of Selvenei. During the events of chapter nine Gerald first appears to Clix and the current party as he rescues them from the monsters in the Margen Mansion. 

Gerald is a kind hearted young man with a dark and hidden past. He often goes off into his own head, leaving the group to ponder about what he could be thinking. As the story progresses the reader will learn the truth about this apprentice Wizard.

He carries a spell book into battle that allows him to blast the battlefield with a flurry of elemental magic as well as bludgeoning any enemies with it at close range.

When he first appears he recognises Clix straight away announcing that the young earthling is his cousin. Confused with this sudden confession, he asks the young Wizard what he means by this, how can they be related? It is up to the reader to discover the truth behind this series of events.

Character 8: Jessica Layens

A high spirited young woman and a childhood friend of Clix's. Jessica is a loving and caring girl that can get a bit hyperactive at times, she rushes into things before she thinks about them even if it puts her in danger.

Unlike Clix, Viktor and Ray. Jessica does not travel to Nyris at the same time, she eventually ends up there when the wormhole opens up once again and she is pulled through. Lost and confused, she is rescued by a knight of Selvenei named of Rydal, who protects her until she has recovered from her shock and helps her find Clix and the others.

Jessica carries a thorned whip into battle that she uses to great effect, it allows her to perform a series of skills that will devastate the enemy. Due to her loud personality, she is great at rallying the troops to the cause and will do anything for the people of Nyris.

Equinox novel segment #4

‘My lady, are you alright?’ Gerald asked, ‘Yes…I am fine Gerald, but I’ve told you before Gerald, we’ve known each other since we were little, you can call me Natalie’ Natalie said with a smile. ‘Ah forgive me my la……Natalie; it’s a force of habit with having to refer to everyone in a formal sense since our return. However Natalie, it is getting late, I must escort you back to the castle before the night rolls in, the King would throw a fit if you were still out in the wilderness once its dark’ Gerald stated, ‘Yes….you are right, forgive me Gerald the time escaped me; although I don’t know why father worries so much, I mean we were out in the wilderness for months as we traversed the lands’ Natalie said, ‘This is true Natalie, but I guess the king feels now that everything is back in order and the threat has dissipated; that a princess should not be out in the evenings’ Gerald stated. Natalie did not say a word and just gave a small smile as they walked towards the Sendonox’s to take them back to the castle.

As they road back to the Castle, the air grew heavy as the heavens opened and rain came flooding down. Natalie began to glow as she called out a protection spell ‘Obex Praesidium!’ as a brilliant light shot into the air and formed a protective bubble around Natalie and Gerald, the rain rolled off the barrier as if they were inside looking out of a window, ‘Incendia!’ Gerald called as he made a small flame float in between the two of them to keep them warm and dry them off, even though they were only caught in the rainstorm for small amount of time they were drenched right down to the skin. Natalie watched as she road as she saw the surroundings being pelted by rain, the tree’s dripped continuously, small animals ran for cover under bushes, it reminded her of the time Clix, herself, Ray, Viktor and Kimberly ran and took shelter from the rain in the abandoned mansion, the night was a tough one but she smiled to herself at the good times they had together on their journey.

They road up a large hill and saw the lights of the Kingdom shinning, ‘Not much longer now Natalie, we should be back within the next half an hour’ Gerald said as he led on, ‘Ah….yes thank you Gerald, this evening has been a long one indeed’ Natalie said with a hint of sadness in her voice, she knew once she got back to the castle, that the following morning would be another day of training and matters that her father thought would be beneficial to her rise to the throne. She however did not want this, her life was so turned upside down with the rise of the Reavers and she managed to have it all changed on her travels with her friends; she wasn’t sure how to cope with such demands anymore. As they got closer and closer to the castle, the rains began to stop, all around there were puddles and everything was dripping. Natalie removed the barrier, the fresh air felt so wonderful on her face, the clouds above began to recede revealing the moons and the stars; which glistened their light down onto the kingdom. 

Equinox character overview #3 Vikor and Ray

Character 5: Viktor Maicine

One of the first characters introduced in Equinox, Viktor is the best friend of Clix who was originates from Russia, he is an incredibly strong individual but he does struggle with the academic side of things.

Along with Clix he ends up travelling to the new land of 'Nyris' where he also dubbed a saviour of the world. To show his might he takes up a large Axe in battle where he is a force to be reckoned with, he uses this strength to protect his friends and save the people of Nyris.

Personality wise, he is a very outgoing person that makes friends easily, however he does have tendencies to become angry and needs to calmed down.

He will do what it takes to defeat the Reavers and return home.

Character 6: Ray Gates

A young and very talented young man. Ray is another of Clix's friends who is an incredibly smart individual, from a young age he has prided himself in his work and ability to play Chess to its greatest effect.

He is considered one of the saviours of 'Nyris' when he ends up travelling their with Clix and Viktor where he is unfortunately taken ill rather quickly. He is rescued by Kimberly who uses medicinal herbs on him and he soon recovers.

As an extremely academic person and a lover of chess, he has a mind for strategies and tactics that he displays with sheer prowess. During the many battles, Ray takes a role of being at the front and back of the fights so that his skills can take full effect.

He will protect Clix on his adventure no matter what the cost.

Game Concept #3 Anno del Serpente

'1400's, Horror, Pre-Columbian America, Serpentine, Regal, Cloaked, Collapsed, Central' 

Game title: Anno del Serpente
Genre: first person horror

Serpentine - Twisted, Crafty, Coiling, Snakelike
Regal - Imposing, Proud, Majestic,
Cloaked - Veiled, Occult, Arcane, Camouflage, Artful, Hidden
Collapsed - Disintegrate, Break, Weaken, Wilt, Exhaust
Central - Essential, Paramount, Pivotal, Significant

General Premise

During Columbus's first expedition, the Santa Maria was stranded on a coral reef where its crew spent a long time gathering up all the cargo that had strewn all over the water and the lands. Soon after, Columbus returned to Spain on the Nina leaving forty members of his crew behind to start the first European settlement in this new land. However this was a grave mistake....he would return to the settlement a year later to find that none had survived...Or is there?

Main Character

Crew member of Christopher Columbus's first expedition that was left behind after he returned to Spain. After Columbus vanished, a local tribe learned of this settlement and struck back against those that would defile their land. Many of the crew members were taken and sacrificed including the playable character who manages to escape. A large serpent like creature was summoned forth using the blood of the crew who goes forth to kill the rest of the settlers, it is up to you to survive this horror using the environment to your advantage.

Story Points

• Santa Maria is stranded at a Coral Reef 
• A crew of forty is left behind to create the first settlement 
• A local tribe is displeased their land is being defiled 
• Some crew members taken for sacrifice 
• One crew member manages to escape
• Blood of the crew is used in a ritual to bring forth a snake demon 
• The snake demon kills everyone bar the one crew member who escaped
• The crew member must use his wits and cunning to survive this predator 

Game Mechanics

The snake demon is on the lose and the player has no choice but to do their best and survive. They must use their environment in order to hide from this threat in hopes that someone will save him soon. 

Here are some of the mechanics that the player must master in order to survive. These skills are essential for survival.   

Sounds

There are many audio cues that the player must listen out for. These are helpful indicators as determining where the Snake demon is. 

• Hissing - the demon will hiss when it is extremely close and has your scent
• Slithering - a sound that can be heard from a medium distance to close range, the player needs to keep an ear out for this to see if it is getting louder or quieter 
• Tongue flair - listening out for the Snake demon tasting the air as it travels, this is an indicator that it has begun to catch your scent 
• Animal screeches - the snake demon has caught an animal, this can be heard from any distance but the louder the scream, the closer it is. 

Hiding

One of the main mechanics of the game, the player must use their wits to stay hidden from the Snake demon. As it is a snake, it has both the strengths and weaknesses of these slithering reptiles. 

• Covering yourself in mud and staying still will reduce your body heat and stop the snake from discovering you. Keep out of the way of the snake by standing against trees or crouching in tall grass.
• Hiding underwater will hide your scent, however make sure you have a reed available or you will run out of oxygen and drown. 
• Climbing trees will help you hide from the snake, make sure not to move as it goes passed as the noises of the shaking branches will draw it to you
• Creating a camp fire will increase the heat reducing your scent but it will draw the snake close. So using this in combination with other techniques is paramount at night. 
• Causing disturbance elsewhere can cause the Snake to go after that, allowing you to run away. 

Crafting

Using materials the player finds throughout the maps they are able to craft a variety of weapons and useful equipment. Although the weapons may not do much to the Snake demon as it can't truly be killed, it can however be driven off, the weapons and traps are also used to kill local wildlife that the player will need to do often. 

Some weapons include 

• Spear
• Bow and Arrow/Fire Arrow
• Flintlock
• Whip 

The player must use these to their advantage in order to survive 

Food and Drink

As mentioned above the player must kill local wild life in order to prepare and eat it. Not doing so will result in the character becoming tired, hungry and easier to catch, so the player must keep an eye out on the hunger gauge. 

Drinking is also important, they must find fresh water sources to quench their thirst. There are many salt water pools around, so the player will have to be careful to not drink too much of that as it will dehydrate the character and cause him to hallucinate and faint.  

Sleep

The player must find safe places to sleep, making sure they have plenty of wood for their fires to keep the snake away or making sure they are completely hidden and protected from this dangerous threat. Not sleeping will again cause the character to hallucinate and be easy prey for this slithering demon.

Exhaustion

It is a difficult task constantly running for your life, struggling to find food etc. During times of Exhaustion the player must rest out of the Sun. It is paramount to the characters sanity otherwise as mentioned above, they will start to hallucinate, seeing images of the snake that is not truly there but causing the player to panic and cause sounds that could bring the snake to them. 

Exploration

There is a whole world to discover, going through jungles, coastlines, cliff tops, the European settlement and also ancient temples. If the player discovers these, they can learn of ways to keep the beast at bay as well as learning truly how to defeat it.

Key Points

• Going back to true survival horror with a twist 
• Plenty of jump scares for adrenaline junkies 
• Extremely atmospheric 
• Brings a lot of audio elements into it 
• A story for the players making as they must survive the year 

Equinox character overview #2 Natalie and Maiyth

Character 3: Princess Natalie Feigh

The princess of Selvenei, she escapes her kingdom with Clix and the others after the Reavers come to take her away, it is unknown why they were after her but the King knows she will be in safe hands with the heroes protecting her. She is always desperate to help people, especially those within her kingdom who are suffering and in plight and will often run off in the face of danger to do so. Natalie has the ability to heal her allies as well as being able to strike from a distance with her archery skills. 

Natalie is first introduced in chapter four of Equinox and from that point on she is a prominent character throughout the story.

Character 4: Maiyth

An extremely powerful warrior who is under the Reavers control. Maiyth walks into battle with sheer strength and duty for his masters. He is tasked with bringing the princess of Selvenei to them although he does not understand as to why they would want this. 

The group encounter him many times along their journey as not only does he need to complete his task but from the first moment that he meets Clix, he feels something familiar about him. What that is he cannot fathom. 

He is first introduced in chapter three of Equinox but he is not truly revealed until the seventh chapter where he first meets Clix before he escapes.