After many requests and red herrings, Ubisoft has finally announced the tentatively titled Assassin's Creed Red. While details surrounding the game are scarce, it has been confirmed that the next mainline entry in the franchise will be developed by Ubisoft Montreal and will be the first Assassin's Creed title set in feudal Japan. Based on the trailer that was shown during the recent Ubisoft Forward event, players will take on the role of a ninja turned Assassin.
Feudal Japan is one of the most sought-after settings by Assassin's Creed fans. It was a time of civil unrest mired with bloody battles and deception. A lot of what makes feudal Japan interesting has been dramatized by pop culture, and Assassin's Creed Red won't be any different. But just like movies and television have put their own spin on the era, so too can Assassin's Creed by way of its unique gameplay elements such as the Assassins' iconic Hidden Blade.
The Versatile Assassin Tool
Most people know the Hidden Blade as a concealed weapon used by the Assassin Brotherhood, hidden on the underside of a bracer or gauntlet. The user can stealthily eliminate their target without drawing attention to themselves. This is the Hidden Blade's most common form and has been used to end the lives of many of the Assassins' foes throughout the ages.
But as times change, so too must the Assassins' tools. The Hidden Blade has been modified by various branches of the Brotherhood to suit their needs. During the time of the Renaissance, the Italian brotherhood repurposed a lot of Altair Ibn-La Ahad's designs, such as the Poison Blade, the Dual Hidden Blades, and the Hidden Gun. The Ottoman Brotherhood also created the Hookblade, a Hidden Blade affixed with a hook that made climbing and general traversal easier. Depending on the challenges they faced, be they enemies or the city infrastructure, the Assassins always found a way to adapt themselves and their tools to the situation.
Assassin's Creed Red Could Use Some Old Hidden Blade Modifications
With this in mind, Assassin's Creed Red should take inspiration from past Assassin's Creed titles when it comes to Hidden Blade modifications. In terms of combat and assassination, equipping the feudal Assassins with the Poison Blade or the Poison Dart Launcher from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood would allow them to create distractions and delay a victim's death. The Pivot Blade used in Assassin's Creed 3 would also be useful, as transforming the Hidden Blade into a versatile knife would provide the Assassins with a useful tool and weapon. While it isn't as well known, bringing back the Hidden Footblade from Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China would give the Japanese Assassins an edge when it comes to footwork-based combat. Since most modifications in Assassin's Creed titles provide the Assassins with some sort of combat advantage, it's important to add any that fit the time period.
Not all Hidden Blade modifications provide the Assassins with an edge when it comes to traversal. Since feudal Japan consists of large buildings separated by wide open spaces, the Assassins could really use something like Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Rope Launcher. While unrealistic, this would make transit between elevated areas much easier. Failing that, the aforementioned Hookblade from Assassin's Creed Revelations would allow the Assassins to climb faster with less effort.
These Hidden Blade modifications would have to be adapted to suit the setting or at least be explained with some form of realism. Putting the Hidden Gun in Assassin's Creed 2 was a stretch but when it was revealed that the plans for the weapon were a result of Altair using the powerful Apple of Eden, it became more understandable. Fans have been waiting for a Japanese-themed Assassin's Creed for a long time, and with enough original ideas and inspiration from its past works, Ubisoft Montreal might finally deliver what they want.
Assassin's Creed Red is in development.
