‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ Release Date Could Unleash Ubisoft’s Next Big Game, And The Pattern Continues

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate could continue the pattern I’ve been seeing in Ubisoft’s killer IP series. It looks like every second major game in the series ends up being among their best.

Assassin’s Creed II had improved on the first in many ways, including making it so your character could go into water above his knees without dying. He could also use a horse to travel between locations, but eventually you could simply use travel booths and eliminate the need for horses altogether. It also gave us the ability to generate regular income by improving the character’s home and collecting items.

There were a few years before we received another sequel as opposed to a follow-up, but Assassin’s Creed III was one of their worst. Collectibles meant nothing, the hero barely had any personality, and the new hunting and naval combat mechanics were horrible.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate seems to be taking the same route to greatness as Black Flag, taking what didn’t work so well before and refining it to make it addictingly fun. They also went a new direction with it. Those who disliked Black Flag generally pointed out the lack of a story rather than gameplay problems.

Unity was a good game, but it was riddled with enough glitches and clunky stealth mechanics that it turned a lot of gamers off. Ubisoft has had a couple of years with the Xbox One and PS4 and seem to have learned from their failures once again.

Now it appears that Ubisoft is taking elements of Grand Theft Auto and putting them into their next game, giving you the ability to jump into a wagon, punch out the driver, and drive off with it. They also seem to have embraced the group combat system, possibly incorporating other assassins into a gang that follows you around and helps you fight off crowds so you can focus on one enemy at a time.

This is helpful because the crowds no longer back off and wait their turn to attack.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate appears to have learned from the Batman Arkham games as well, now giving you a grappling hook for quick getaways to the rooftops. This could be a lot more useful than the usual roulette-style “run and regenerate” tactic used in earlier games. That old tactic sometimes simply got you killed because the AI got in a fatal cheap shot before you could escape.

This entry also brings back the whistle for luring targets behind corners and such, and makes the NPCs react to you more if you’re dressed in a hood. Apparently, there is no more blending into crowds when you’re the only one dressed that way.

I think the Assassin’s Creed Syndicate release date could give us the next hit in the series, and the first must-play current-gen title.

[Image via Dual Shockers]