Although there was a gap between the first and second games, since then the Assassin's Creed franchise has turned into an annual event. In some cases, in fact, the franchise has extended beyond the annual schedule to include several titles within a single calendar year. Take Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Rogue, for example; both highly anticipated titles are not just releasing within the same year, they are also releasing on the same day.
That's all to say that Assassin's Creed is clearly not letting up anytime soon. Rather, Ubisoft wants to keep the brand going for as long as they can, and in as many iterations as they can. That includes the recently unveiled Assassin's Creed: Chronicles spin-off, which we have now learned will include iterations beyond the announced Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China.
According to AC Unity Creative Director Alex Amancio, Ubisoft has plans for more Chronicles titles that would extend beyond China. Moreover, those plans include adapting the side scroller's art style to its setting. For example, AC Chronicles: China features a design reminiscent of calligraphy.
"We really liked the side-scrolling idea, like Mark of the Ninja, and we thought it would be a really great way to explore some of the other universes we've created. One thing that's really cool is that every one of the chapters of this game will be in the art style representative of that era in time. This is why Shao Jun's game is like Chinese ink - very black and red."
Unfortunately, Amancio was not willing to provide any more info regarding future Chronicles games, but he does suggest these spin-offs could bring back fan-favorite characters. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China's protagonist, for example, is Shao Jun, who was also featured in the novelization for AC: Revelations and the Assassin's Creed: Embers animated film.
"I don't want to spoil the surprise, but the idea is that we have this rich universe - we're going to use it."
So while franchise fatigue might be setting in for Assassin's Creed proper, this spin-off series has the potential to try some new things within that universe. Yes, there will still be nods to past heroes, but the art style can adapt to the setting. Whether or not future Chronicles games will be add-ons for mainline games or standalone downloadable titles is still not clear, but the prospect is exciting nonetheless. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is available with either the AC Unity Season Pass, or as a standalone download.
What other settings and art styles would you like to see in future Assassin's Creed Chronicles games? Do you like the idea of a sidescrolling AC title?
Assassin's Creed Unity is out November 11, 2014 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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Source: Eurogamer