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Assassin's Creed Syndicate

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Assassin's Creed Syndicate
File:ACSyndicate.jpg
Developer(s)Ubisoft Quebec[a]
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)Marc-Alexis Côté
Producer(s)François Pelland
Designer(s)Scott Phillips
Writer(s)Jeffrey Yohalem
Composer(s)Austin Wintory
Tripod
SeriesAssassin's Creed
EngineAnvilNext
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
ReleasePlayStation 4, Xbox One
October 23, 2015
Microsoft Windows
November 19, 2015
Genre(s)Action-adventure, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a historical action-adventure open world stealth video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It was released on October 23, 2015, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on November 19, 2015, for Microsoft Windows. It is the ninth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, and the successor to 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity.

Set within London in 1868 during the Industrial Revolution, the story follows twins Jacob and Evie Frye as they navigate the corridors of organized crime during the Victorian era and fight against the established order, controlled by the Templars. The game retains the series' third-person open world exploration as well as introducing new traveling systems and refined combat and stealth mechanics. Unlike its direct predecessors but like the first two main games in the series, Syndicate does not feature any multiplayer gameplay.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed Syndicate marks the first time in the series where the player can freely switch between two different protagonists.[1] It is also the first main entry in the series to feature a playable female protagonist; Assassin's Creed III: Liberation featured a female protagonist, but that game is not a part of the main series.[1][2] Male lead Jacob Frye is meant to be more of a hot-headed brawler, specialized in close combat,[3] while his twin sister Evie is strong in stealth and relies on her intelligence and wit.[2][3] The Assassins' main weapons this time around include brass knuckles, a compact revolver, a cane sword and the traditional Nepalese curved kukri knife and combat is faster-paced than before with latency having been cut in half and multiple enemies attacking the player at once.[4] Additionally new travelling systems make their debut in the game, such as a rope launcher which allows the player to rappel up structures as well as create a zip-line between buildings, and carriages, which can all be piloted or simply occupied by the player, and trains.[5][6] The rooftops of moving carriages can also be the setting of fights and parkour chases.[3][7] London in the game is approximately 30% larger than Paris in Unity and consist of seven boroughs: Westminster, the Strand, the City of London, Whitechapel, the Thames, Southwark and Lambeth.[8] The game has no multiplayer mode,[9] and does not feature a companion app, which was introduced in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.[10] Side missions in the game have been designed to reflect the fight for power in London and are cohesive to the main story of the game.[11] Players can also kidnap enemies for ransom then put them inside horse carriages and take them to a drop-off point.

Plot

Setting

In 1868, at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution, with the Assassin Brotherhood all but eradicated in London, twins Jacob (Paul Amos) and Evie Frye (Victoria Atkin) leave Crawley for London and arrive to find a city controlled by the Templars, with both the Church and the Monarchy losing their power. Raised as Assassins to follow the Creed, Jacob and Evie aim to take back the city from Templar control by infiltrating and uniting London's criminal underworld,[3][12] aided by notable figures of the era such as novelist Charles Dickens, biologist Charles Darwin, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, political thinker Karl Marx, nurse Florence Nightingale, Duleep Singh (the last maharajah of the Sikh Empire), Sergeant Frederick Abberline of the Metropolitan Police Service (known for his investigation on Jack the Ripper) and Queen Victoria.[13][14]

Story

In the present day, the Assassin Initiate from Assassin's Creed Unity is contacted by Bishop from the Assassin Brotherhood, and is tasked with reliving the memories of twin Assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye, to find a Piece of Eden hidden in London. Meanwhile, Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings have infiltrated an Abstergo facility and, against orders, decide to spy on a secret Templar meeting.

In 1868, Henry Green, real name Jayadeep Mir, son of the Indian Assassin, Arbaaz Mir, writes to the Assassin Brotherhood begging for aid, explaining how the Brotherhood in London has fallen, leaving the city at the mercy of the Templar Grand Master, Crawford Starrick, who controls both London's industry and criminal underworld, and who plans to seize control of Britain and, through its holdings, the world. Outside of London, the Frye twins begin their work, with Jacob assassinating a corrupt factory boss, Rupert Ferris. Evie infiltrates a lab owned run by David Brewster and Templar Occultist, Lucy Thorne. Inside, Evie finds Brewster experimenting on a Piece of Eden and assassinates him. Brewster tells Evie that Starrick knows of a second, more powerful Piece of Eden when the first Piece of Eden becomes unstable and explodes, forcing Evie to flee. With their missions successful, the Frye twins decide to disobey orders from the Brotherhood and head for London. In the present, Rebecca and Shaun spy on a meeting between Isabelle Ardant and Alvaro Gramatica. Rebecca and Shaun attempt to capture Isabelle but she had anticipated the ambush, revealing that former Sigma Team leader and Master Templar, Otso Berg, and Violet de Costa were there to intercept the two assassins.Through a small window the two Assassins manage to flee.

In the past, the Frye twins arrive in London and meet with Henry Green, an old acquaintance of their father. They have differing ideas on how to liberate London; Jacob advocating that they take the fight straight to the Templars, while Evie advises they find the Piece of Eden first. They both agree to begin liberating the various boroughs of London by defeating Templar-controlled gangs, sabotaging Templar-controlled businesses, assassinating high ranking Templars, and building up their own criminal gang called the Rooks. Along the way, they enlist the help of various people including: Charles Dickens, Frederick Aberline, Alexander Graham Bell, Florence Nightingale, Edward Hodson Bayley, and a young Arthur Conan Doyle.

Jacob decides to investigate the mysterious "Soothing Syrup" that Starrick has been distributing all across London and is slowly poisoning the populace. He meets Charles Darwin, who is also investigating the syrup. Together, they destroy the factory producing the syrup and interrogate Richard Owen. Owen informs them that John Elliotson has been manufacturing the syrup. Jacob and Darwin then head to Lambeth Asylum, where Jacob assassinates Elliotson. Next, Jacob decides to assist Pearl Attaway, one of Starrick's competitors in the omnibus business. He sabotages Starrick's omnibus company and assassinates its boss, Malcolm Milner. However, Milner warns Jacob that Starrick and Attaway are cousins and that Attaway is a Templar. In response, Jacob assassinates Attaway. Jacob then learns of Templar banker Philip Twopenny's plot to rob the Bank of England and steal its gold reserve. With Aberline's assistance, Jacob breaks into the Bank and assassinates Twopenny. Jacob then heads to Parliament to prevent a Templar plot to assassinate British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who is pushing to pass the Corrupt Practices Act. Jacob assassinates the mastermind, Earl of Cardigan. Jacob is then contacted by Maxwell Roth, the leader of the Templar-controlled gang, the Blighters. Roth offers to betray the Templars and form an alliance with the Rooks, which Jacob accepts. After assisting Roth in several missions against Starrick, Jacob breaks off the alliance when Roth tricks him into bombing a building full of children. Jacob infiltrates Roth's headquarters at the Alhambra Theatre and assassinates Roth.

Meanwhile, Evie looks for the Piece of Eden, managing to steal an Assassin journal from Thorne. Analyzing the journal, Evie discovers that it refers to the Shroud of Eden, a Piece of Eden that can heal any injury. She follows the trail of clues to the mansion of Edward Kenway, where she finds a map detailing the locations of all of the Assassin vaults hidden in London. Her search leads her to famous landmarks such as the Monument to the Great Fire of London and St. Paul's Cathedral. She obtains the key needed to access the Shroud's vault, but it is stolen by Thorne. Evie then heads to the Tower of London, where the vault is located and assassinates Thorne. Thorne explains the Shroud is not in the Tower and claims that the Assassins have no idea of the true power of the Shroud before dying. Green believes the real vault is hidden in Buckingham Palace, and enlists the aid of the Maharajah Duleep Singh to find the schematics for the building. Unfortunately, the Templars manage to seize the schematics first. In addition to her hunt for the Shroud, Evie also helps correct the unintended consequences Jacob's assassinations caused such as medicine shortages and currency inflation.

With all of his lieutenants dead, Starrick moves to retrieve the Shroud personally. Throughout the latter part of the game, the twins different views on approaching their time in London comes a boiling point when Jacob and Evie get into an argument over Jacob's recklessness and Evie's apparent inaction. Henry warns the Frye twins that Starrick plans to break into Buckingham Palace, steal the Shroud, and kill all of Britain's heads of church and state. The Frye twins agree to work together to stop Starrick before putting an end to their partnership. The twins infiltrate a ball being held at the palace, where they meet Queen Victoria and Starrick himself. Starrick beats them to the vault and obtains the Shroud for himself, which grants him superhuman strength and regeneration from wounds. Working together, the Frye twins and Green manage to defeat and kill Starrick. After the battle, Jacob and Evie return the Shroud to the vault, reconcile their differences, and agree to continue working together. In recognition of their deeds, Queen Victoria knights the Frye twins and Green.

In the present, with the location of the Shroud confirmed, Shaun, Rebecca, and Galina head to the vault. Unfortunately, Otso Berg, de Costa, and Ardant beat them there, and despite the Assassins ambushing them, the Templars manage to escape with the Shroud and Rebecca is shot and wounded. Hacking Isabelle's computer, the Assassins find out the Templars plan to use the Shroud to construct a living Precursor. The recording also shows that Juno is secretly manipulating certain employees within Abstergo from behind the scenes to sabotage the company, and has her own plans for the Shroud.

Development

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the second major entry in the series not to be developed by Ubisoft Montreal, following 2014's Assassin's Creed Rogue. Instead, on July 2, 2014, Ubisoft announced that Ubisoft Quebec would handle lead development as part of "a major investment" in the studio, who'd assisted on the making of the six prior games as well as The Tyranny of King Washington and Freedom Cry, downloadable contents for Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag respectively.[15] Marc-Alexis Côté serves as the creative director for the game after working in various positions on Brotherhood, Revelations, Assassin's Creed III and Freedom Cry[16][17] while François Pelland returns as senior producer after Assassin's Creed III, having also been an executive director on all three in-between entries.[3][18] Lydia Andrew is the game's audio director, returning from Assassin's Creed III, Black Flag and Unity.[3][19]

Information on the game, then titled Assassin's Creed Victory, first leaked on December 2, 2014 through the website Kotaku, which published details and screenshots from a seven-minute "target gameplay footage" video the site had acquired. Kotaku received a large amount of backlash for this article due to the article being placed up with very little information whilst proclaiming several facts which were proven false. Ubisoft confirmed the news later that same day in a statement where the company expressed disappointment that "internal assets, not intended for public consumption" had been leaked but said that they were "excited to officially unveil what the studio has been working on at a later date".[20]

This turned out to be May 12, 2015, when on May 7 Ubisoft announced the reveal for said date. However, information once again leaked ahead of time to Kotaku, which on the very same day revealed the final title of the game[21] and then on May 11 published the first names of the game's two protagonists, Jacob and Evie, along with images of Evie.[22]

Richard M. Dumont served as the game's Voice Director returning from the Splinter Cell, Avatar, Prince of Persia, and Assassin's Creed brands.

Historian Jean-Vincent Roy served as a consultant on the game, beginning in May 2013, having previously consulted on Assassin's Creed III and held various other positions at Ubisoft.[23]

Release

The game was released worldwide on October 23, 2015 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and is set to be released on November 19, 2015 for Microsoft Windows.[24] The PS4 version contains an exclusive DLC, "The Dreadful Crimes".

Retail editions

On May 13, 2015, five different editions of the game were announced for Europe.[25]

Features Standard Edition
(consoles and PC) 		The Rooks Edition
(consoles and PC) 		Gold Edition
(consoles and PC) 		Charing Cross Edition
(consoles and PC) 		Big Ben Edition (Uplay exclusive)
(consoles and PC)
Game disc Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Exclusive packaging Yes Yes (Black, fold-out cardboard box) Yes Yes (Charing Cross box) Yes (Big Ben box and Futurepak disc case)
In-game content
Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy mission Yes (pre-order only) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Runaway Train mission No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Baker Street outfit No No Yes No No
Season Pass No (can be purchased separately) No (can be purchased separately) Yes No (can be purchased separately) Yes
Physical content
Official soundtrack CD No Yes No Yes Yes
Double-sided London map No Yes No Yes Yes
Artbook No Yes No Yes Yes
Jacob Frye statuette No No No Yes (26 cm figurine on Charing Cross rails) Yes (30 cm figurine in Big Ben clockwork)
Hip flask No No No No Yes
Numbered lithography No No No No Yes

Tie-in content

Life-size toy replicas of weapons used by Evie and Jacob in the game, the "Cane sword" and the "Gauntlet with Hidden blade", were available for purchase at launch.[26][27]

Reception

Assassin's Creed Syndicate received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the visuals and the likability of the major characters, especially the Frye twins and the antagonist, while criticizing the lackluster ending as well as the aging and repetitive gameplay and mission mechanics, yet saying that it was an improvement over Unity.[39][40][41] Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox One version 81.25% based on 20 reviews and 78/100 based on 19 reviews[28][30] and the PlayStation 4 version 77.61% based on 46 reviews and 77/100 based on 76 reviews.[29][31]

Alexa Corriea from GameSpot praised the fluidity of the game's new combat system, as well as the beauty of the map and the addition of the rope launcher.[34] Daniel Krupa from IGN gave the game an 8.2/10, citing the design of the city and the lighthearted plot as high points, while criticizing the repetitive combat.[36]

Sales

Assassin's Creed Syndicate debuted at number one in the UK according to Chart-Track. However, in its first week it was the second worst selling game of the franchise in the UK, only outselling Assassin's Creed Rogue. According to reports from Ubisoft these lower sales in the first week were due to last year's launch of Assassin's Creed: Unity having a negative impact on the sales due to it's notorious amount of bugs and glitches at launch, resulting in a mixed reception for the game and disappointing many gamers. However, by its second week sales for the Syndicate began to improve. [42]

References

Notes
  1. ^ Additional work by Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Annecy, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Sofia and Ubisoft Kiev.
Footnotes
  1. ^ a b Griffin, Andrew (May 13, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate: trailer drops and pre-orders announced as more details emerge on game set in Victorian London". The Independent. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Blain, Louise (May 12, 2015). "Who is Evie Frye? Meet Assassin's Creed Syndicate's female hero". GamesRadar. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Orry, James (May 12, 2015). "7 things Ubisoft wants you to know about Assassin's Creed: Syndicate". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  4. ^ Webster, Andrew (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate brings the series to London". The Verge. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  5. ^ Ray Corriea, Alexa (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate's New Rope Launcher Adds a Batman Twist to Your Arsenal". GameSpot. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  6. ^ Ray Corriea, Alexa (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Adds GTA-Style Vehicles". GameSpot. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  7. ^ Martin, Liam (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate revealed: Male and female siblings take back Victorian London". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  8. ^ Dunsmore, Kevin (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate Officially Announced". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  9. ^ Sarker, Samit (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate has no multiplayer". Polygon. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  10. ^ Karmali, Luke (May 28, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Will Not Have A Companion App". IGN. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  11. ^ "Assassin's Creed Syndicate won't have totally random side quests this time". GamesRadar. June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  12. ^ Lewis, Anne (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Announced". UbiBlog.
  13. ^ Krupa, Daniel (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Officially Announced". IGN. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  14. ^ Juba, Joe (May 12, 2015). "Interview: The Finer Points Of Assassin's Creed Syndicate". Game Informer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  15. ^ Matulef, Jeffery (July 3, 2014). "Upcoming Assassin's Creed game will be the first not headed by Ubisoft Montreal". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  16. ^ Grubb, Jeff (July 2, 2014). "Ubisoft expands its Quebec City studio to lead the future of Assassin's Creed". VentureBeat. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  17. ^ Ray Corriea, Alexa (May 12, 2015). "How Assassin's Creed Syndicate Reinvents Stealth and Combat in the Series". GameSpot. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  18. ^ Kamen, Matt (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate industrialises steampunk slayings". Wired.co.uk. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  19. ^ Ray Corriea, Alexa (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Story, Characters, and Setting Breakdown". GameSpot. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  20. ^ Schreier, Jason (December 2, 2014). "Next Year's Big Assassin's Creed Is Set In Victorian London [UPDATE]". Kotaku. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  21. ^ Schreier, Jason (May 7, 2015). "Next Assassin's Creed To Be Announced Next Week; Now Called Syndicate". Kotaku. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  22. ^ Schreier, Jason (May 11, 2015). "Sources: You Can Play As A Woman In Assassin's Creed: Syndicate". Kotaku. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  23. ^ Williams, Mike (May 13, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Female Assassins and Gang Members, A Step for Equality". USgamer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  24. ^ Juba, Joe (May 12, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Ubisoft's Latest Installment Officially Unveiled". Game Informer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  25. ^ Phillips, Tom (May 13, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate's four special editions detailed". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  26. ^ Saed, Sherif (May 13, 2015). "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate has four special editions, a season pass & two replicas". VG 247. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  27. ^ Blain, Louise (May 13, 2015). "Jacob's cane in Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a knife and a 'scythe blade'". GamesRadar. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  28. ^ a b "Assassin's Creed Syndicate for Xbox One". GameRankings. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  29. ^ a b "Assassin's Creed Syndicate for PlayStation 4". GameRankings. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  30. ^ a b "Assassin's Creed Syndicate for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  31. ^ a b "Assassin's Creed Syndicate for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  32. ^ Phillips, Tom (October 22, 2015). "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  33. ^ Juba, Joe (October 22, 2015). "Rebuilding The Brotherhood - Assassin's Creed Syndicate - PlayStation 4". Game Informer. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  34. ^ a b Ray Correia, Alexa (October 22, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  35. ^ Blain, Lousie (October 22, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate review". GamesRadar. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  36. ^ a b Krupa, Daniel (October 22, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate Review". IGN. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  37. ^ Schilling, Chris (October 22, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate review (OXM)". Official Xbox Magazine UK. GamesRadar. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  38. ^ Kollar, Philip (October 22, 2015). "Assassin's Creed Syndicate review". Polygon. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  39. ^ "Assassin's Creed Syndicate review round-up". GameAsylum.com.
  40. ^ "Assassins Creed Syndicate a historical failure". theguardian.com.
  41. ^ "Assassin's Creed Syndicate is everything that's great and terrible about the series". theverge.com.
  42. ^ "Assassins Creed Syndicate's Sales Clearly Impacted By Unity". eurogamer.net.
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