The Assassin's Creed franchise has had a bit of a turbulent decade. After a surprisingly successful debut, Ubisoft followed up with some of the best third-person stealth-action games of their console generation with the release of Assassin's Creed 2 and Brotherhood. In 2013, the beloved swashbuckling adventure Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag released, and the next few years saw the standard Assassin's Creed formula run its course, ending with Assassin's Creed Syndicate in 2015. 2017 saw the return of the franchise, now with a brand new, RPG-based formula, and for the most part, it's been a solid direction for the franchise. However, things are about to get shaken up once more with the upcoming Assassin's Creed Infinity.
A game that's been leaked countless times over the last year or so, Assassin's Creed Infinity is now officially confirmed to be in development, though it's still a little unclear what exactly the game will be. The only key detail that's been confirmed is that Assassin's Creed Infinity will be a live-service title, with Ubisoft planning to update it consistently over time. This could pave the way for some classic Assassin's Creed locations to return, or for some fan-requested eras to finally appear.
What Assassin's Creed Infinity Could Be
Through various rumors and leaks, some of which seem to be quite credible, fans are beginning to get a better understanding of what Assassin's Creed Infinity could be. It seems as though Infinity won't be a standalone title, like any of the other games in the series. Instead, Assassin's Creed Infinity will apparently act as a sort of hub, or platform for future Assassin's Creed games.
This essentially means that players would drop into a hub world, and would then be able to access various missions or activities, all set across the Assassin's Creed universe. According to the leaks, Ubisoft will use Assassin's Creed Infinity as a platform to connect future titles, adding them in via updates with its live-service model. Potentially, this could mean that Assassin's Creed Infinity becomes the hub of a plethora of new AC experiences, set across a variety of different time periods, and locations.
Assassin's Creed Infinity Should Return Players To Rome, Paris, and the Caribbean
If Assassin's Creed Infinity is going to bring a variety of locations to the game via live-service updates, then some of first settings that should be added are those in the original series of Assassin's Creed games. When fans think about the most iconic settings in the entire Assassin's Creed franchise, they'll likely think of Florence, Rome, the Caribbean, North America, Paris, and perhaps even Victorian London.
All of these settings should make a return in Assassin's Creed Infinity, in one form or another. While some of these older locations may not be quite as sprawling or expansive as those featured in the recent games, the level of environmental detail in each area is still astounding all these years later, and simply porting these maps into AC Infinity would be an easy way to immediately bring back a whole host of old Assassin's Creed fans. Alternatively, these settings could be revamped so that they keep the essence of the original games' locations, while still providing modern day high-res textures and environmental details.
Assassin's Creed Infinity Should Finally Deliver on Some Fan-Requested Settings
While having classic settings return in Assassin's Creed Infinity would serve as a great and easy way to bring back older AC fans, new settings are obviously the most important element of a live-service Assassin's Creed game. With the live-service model, Assassin's Creed Infinity has the opportunity to finally bring some of the most highly requested settings to the franchise, some of which fans have been desperate to see for over a decade.
When it comes to fan-requested Assassin's Creed settings, none is more infamous than Feudal Japan. A setting that's been requested since players got their hands on the very first Assassin's Creed game, Feudal Japan would be an ideal setting for the AC franchise. Tall pagodas, plenty of era-specific unique stealth tactics and equipment, and a gorgeous backdrop make Feudal Japan an obvious pick for Assassin's Creed Infinity. And if AC Infinity decides to get more experimental with its gameplay, then some more paired back samurai dueling could be a great way to refresh the franchise.
However, in the time it's taken the Assassin's Creed franchise to consider going to the Feudal Japan era, plenty of other games have already beaten it to the punch. Just recently, Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima have offered stellar third-person action experiences set around the Feudal Japan era, so fan anticipation for the setting in an Assassin's Creed game may not be quite as high anymore. Instead, Assassin's Creed Infinity may want to deliver on another highly requested setting: South and Central America.
While fans have been able to explore North America is Assassin's Creed 3 and Liberation, they haven't yet been able to explore most of South or Central America. When it comes to South America, the Incan Empire is an obvious choice for a time period, while Central America could either be the ancient Mayans, or the slightly later Aztecs. All three civilizations have their own distinctive architecture and mythology, all of which would be perfect for Assassin's Creed Infinity. Some Assassin's Creed comics and novels have mentioned or explored these periods before, but a few missions or even an entire game set in Central and Southern America could offer some of the most unique gameplay in the entire franchise.
The live-service model is also the perfect way to explore more of Assassin's Creed's modern day setting. Though it's been a controversial part of Assassin's Creed, even during the Desmond saga, the modern day setting has always been at the heart of the franchise, with Abstergo Industries being an iconic gaming antagonist. Assassin's Creed Infinity could finally deliver a modern day setting that actually feels like a fully-fledged experience as opposed to just a mission that's tacked on at the end.
Assassin's Creed Infinity is currently in development.