Assassin’s Creed Infinity brings multiplayer back to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and Ubisoft has to go out of their way to emulate Assassin’s Creed Unity about the classic PvP multiplayer modes of the old The Elder Assassin’s Creed multiplayer was much more focused on standalone multiplayer matches where players compete to kill targets, but Unit took a very different approach. While Unit may not have had the best launch, it still had one of the best multiplayer modes of all Assassin’s Creed title not yet.
Assassin’s Creed Unity chose to take a more co-op approach to multiplayer than multiplayer modes of the older titles. The game has been pretty much forgotten thanks to its launch status, but once the multiplayer worked it was a lot of fun. Ubisoft has yet to shed light on what this new multiplayer will look like, and it could very well be a remake of the competitive mode from previous entries. However, Ubisoft should really consider looking at AC Unit instead when it develops multiplayer’s grand return to this 15-year-old franchise.
What the old Assassin’s Creed multiplayer looked like
Multiplayer was first introduced in the Assassin’s Creed series with Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. It was set up to look like Abstergo’s new Animus training program and put players in control of several notable characters during the Renaissance. They would compete in different game modes by killing targets and dodging pursuers. These game modes were divided into team-based and free modes where players tracked each other down, and it was quite a fun experience.
The multiplayer mode was expanded in Assassin’s Creed Revelations with the introduction of brand new modes, maps and characters. Ubisoft chose to introduce a bigger story in multiplayer, with players uncovering more information about Abstergo as they level up. Most game modes still revolved around killing other players, but these new modes helped shake up the formula a bit.
Assassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag also included multiplayer modes, and each brought several new additions. Assassin’s Creed 3 saw the introduction of a new co-op mode that instructed players to kill NPCs instead of other players, and black flag let them create custom game modes. This version of multiplayer has not been carried over to Assassin’s Creed Unity because it involved a whole new way of doing things.
Assassin’s Creed Unity offered a whole new type of multiplayer
Instead of competing in PvP matches on different maps, Unit further expanded on the co-op elements that: Assassin’s Creed 3 introduced. It took it to the next level by letting up to four players play most of the game together, and it could be a lot of fun.
Players could go to the various taverns in Paris and group with other players to complete missions together. Any character would still play as AC unit‘s main character Arno, but they got a lot of control over what their version of Arno looked like. The players would then be able to play much of the story together, but there were some missions that were locked to a single player only.
This multiplayer was the main selling point of Assassin’s Creed Unity, and Ubisoft really tried to show this. However, the game has become infamous for its launch status and Assassin’s Creed multiplayer has not been seen since. It was full of groundbreaking bugs at release and the servers had many connectivity issues. It got so bad that Ubisoft suspended sales of the season pass and offered a free digital download of one of its other titles. This also marked the beginning of the end for the action adventure Assassin’s Creed titles like Ubisoft promised to evolve the series, and that saw the creation of Assassin’s Creed Origins three years later.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity should follow Unity’s lead
While Assassin’s Creed Unity couldn’t make the impact that Ubisoft wanted, the studio should still look into it when creating this new multiplayer experience. The PvP matches of the older games were a lot of fun, but nothing beats being able to run together through the streets of a large open-world city. Unit tried to deliver that experience even when it faltered, but that shouldn’t be the death of co-op Assassin’s Creed experiences.
Ubisoft has been making a lot of co-op experiences lately and it seems like it’s largely become clear how to do it. Tom Clancy’s The Division delivered some post-apocalyptic co-op PvP and PvE gameplay for players to enjoy, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon has thrown players together into vast jungles to overthrow regimes. Both games were quite fun to play with others, and they both feel a bit like what Assassin’s Creed Unity could have been if it had worked properly.
Ubisoft hasn’t been completely clear about what players can expect from Infinity, but it will serve as the location of the future multiplayer mode. It will supposedly connect all new Assassin’s Creed games, and that will allow a co-op mode to take many forms. Players could spend hours exploring Feudal Japan together thanks to Assassin’s Creed Codename Redand then explore an entirely new locale Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe rolls around. Those who prefer to play alone can do that too, and Ubisoft could even add some PvP if it wanted to.
When Ubisoft looks at the lessons it has learned with Unit and the fun people have with some of the newer ones Tom Clancy games, then it could make for good co-op Assassin’s Creed experience. Having players run through history and kill targets together would be a lot of fun and would fit right in with the Assassin Brotherhood concept. Assassin’s Creed Unity showed the potential of a co-op experience, and all Ubisoft has to do is get it right this time.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity is currently under development.
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