Assassin's Creed Unity - Arno

It's no secret that last year's launch of Assassin's Creed: Unity was something of a botched job, marred by a host of glitches and bugs. Now, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has admitted that things didn't go to plan with the game's release — although, as the man at the top of the ladder, he's been as tactful as you might expect with regards to the sticky situation.

During a Q&A session following a Ubisoft earnings call with investors earlier today, Guillemot noted that 'a few things were not perfect when the game was launched'. The remedy for these 'few things' was a 6.7 GB patch released a full month after the game itself hit shelves, which wasn't quite enough to placate many fans of the series.

However, according to Guillemot, the teething troubles that blighted the launch of Assassin's Creed Unity will pay dividends in the future. Its predecessor, Black Flag, was released alongside the new generation of home consoles in 2013 — but that title made use of the same engine that had been implemented in the series from its inception way back in 2007.

"In the case of Unity, we had to redo 100% of the engine," Guillemot explained, adding that since the new engine is now in place it can "help the brands to shine in the future." The proof of that particular pudding will be in the 2015 Assassin's Creed release, which was recently confirmed to be set in Victorian London.

An accurate depiction of a 18th century Frenchman.
An accurate depiction of a 18th century Frenchman.

This fall will see three major franchises attempt to atone for the sins of 2014; Assassin's Creed with Victory, Destiny with its first 'Comet' content update and Halo with the much-anticipated Halo 5. Each series managed to alienate their fanbases with sloppy launches mere weeks apart from one another, and none of them can afford to repeat that mistake this year.

Guillemot's comments would suggest that Ubisoft are heading in the right direction, but given the platform that he was speaking from, it's important to take what he's saying with a grain of salt. With future installments in the Assassin's Creed franchise already planned out, there's a lot hanging in the balance for both the series and the studio — we won't know the lasting damage of Unity until Victory launches later this year.

Assassin's Creed: Unity is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. AC Victory is rumored to release in late 2015 for the same platforms.

Source: Kotaku