Assassin's Creed games have often been noted for their large crowds of AI-controlled characters and their responsiveness to events. But they've also been limited by the technology of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. With the upcoming Assassin's Creed Unity only for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, however, developer Ubisoft promises that crowds will be much, much larger.
As reported by Game Informer in its September issue, crowds in Unity will reach upwards of 30,000 people, meaning that you will be able to look at, move through, and interact with a group the size of a small town. According to the story, "Couple s hold hands, arguments occur, and fights break out. Ubisoft says it can have up to 30,000 people in a crowd."
These improved crowds aim to help fill out and make an engaging world, but the developer is also changing the way you play. Ubisoft promises that it is overhauling character customization to include gameplay perks, as well. According to the story, you'll accumulate skill points as rewards for completing tasks and activities. You can then use these to level up your navigation, stealth, or combat skills.
One of the most heavily criticized parts of past Assassin's Creed games was the inevitable inclusion of follow missions, in which you immediately fail and have to restart if you are detected. Ubisoft has finally changed these missions to make them more dynamic, and now objectives shift as you do different things. If you get spotted by a guard you're following, for example, the guard will run away and you'll have the opportunity to chase h im down. If he dies, you can loot his body for information, but more guards may appear as the result of his death.
Recently, Ubisoft stated that it wants the main character, Arno, to feel like a real person, not a "grizzled badass." The company also released a new trailer showcasing Elise, a female Templar whom Arno is romantically involved with.
Yesterday, Assassin's Creed Rogue was announced for Xbox 360 and PS3, which expands on the events of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. It's unknown if any of th ese improvements going into Unity will appear in Rogue, especially since Ubisoft has said Unity "can't be done" on last-gen systems.
Assassin's Creed Unity launches on October 28 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Are there any other parts of Assassin's Creed that you want to see changed in Unity? Let us know in the comments!
| Alex Newhouse is an editorial int ern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @alexbnewhouse |
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