Tech Blog

[#1]

I have to say I'm surprised to be excited for Assassin's Creed II. The original was a gorgeous exercise in complete vapidity, with barely anything to do in a huge world that was simultaneously lifeless and full of life. And don't get me started on the meta-story! However I've seen Assassin's Creed II twice across its development--once at E3 and once at a Sony press event--and each time I see it it's stronger.

The improvements they've already made make a remarkable difference. It's hard to really buzz about them without it turning into a dull list, so I'll just state it's more than just adding new weaqons and fighting abilities, but expanding the sense that in Assassin's Creed you inhabit a world, one that now has shops, different groups of people, witnesses, wanted posters, day and night, and so on.

I think that the idea of creating a world was important to Ubisoft, and that it took part in their decision to create Assassin's Creed: Lineage, a film series that is to be shown on Youtube and also on Teletoon in Canada. You can view the first episode here:

The series has been developed by Ubisoft Digital Arts and Ubisoft’s Hybride Technologies (the visual effects studio behind 300 and Sin City) and explores the events that happen just before Assassin’s Creed II starts--the story of Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, the main character's father--and uses both live action actors and CGI.

WIth all the discussion about games and movies--often related to how bad the movies based on games are--it's really unusual for Ubisoft to go out of their way to create a movie based on a game that hasn't even come out yet. I can't tell if it was a worthwhile gamble, and especially wonder about the decision to use live action actors--the whole thing sort of makes me think of the mid-90's CD-ROM-fuelled "interactive movies" except, er, this movie isn't interactive. Despite that, though, it's continued to whet my appetite for the release of the game on November 17th--I really hope it isn't a disappointment.