The Assassin’s Creed Franchise Lost Its Edge When They Killed Desmond Miles

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Picture this scenario: You wake up one morning, eager to enjoy your go-to cereal, only to find it’s no longer available. A trip to the local store confirms that it’s been gone for quite some time. That would certainly be a bummer. This is exactly what happened when Ubisoft decided to phase out Desmond Miles from their cherished Assassin’s Creed series. Although he wasn’t as essential as your favorite cereal, he was the soul of the franchise.

A while ago, about a few months after its debut, I recall diving into the first Assassin’s Creed game. There was an air of mystery surrounding Desmond’s tale – why was I transported to 12th-century Syria? What was the meaning behind those wall symbols? I managed to play it on my old Lenovo laptop, which frankly struggled to keep up with the game. Despite the technical difficulties, I fiddled with the graphics and performance settings to get a feel for the game’s nature.

At that point, it struck me that the rabbit hole ran even more profoundly. As the storyline of Assassin’s Creed unfurled, figures such as Lucy and Shaun managed to liberate Desmond from Abstergo’s control, providing a detailed account of the plot. That was when I understood this was merely the start for a series that would eventually prove itself among Ubisoft’s most formidable—remarkable given the company’s history of occasional missteps.

The Templars vs. Assassins

The primary appeal of the earlier Assassin’s Creed series lay in its captivating, fantastical contemporary setting. The narrative centered around an ongoing struggle between the Templars and Assassins, reminiscent of a darker, fictionalized portrayal of organizations such as the Illuminati and Freemasons.

In Abstergo, where Desmond was held captive, stood a powerful corporation under the Templars’ control. Simultaneously, the Assassins, including Lucy and Shaun, formed a covert group whose mission was to safeguard tranquility by uncovering fragments of Eden. These two groups were constantly engaged in an ongoing battle, each advocating for their respective ideologies as to what was best for humanity’s future.

The franchise presented a narrative heavily influenced by conspiracies, freely interweaving real historical occurrences with fictitious elements.

After completing Assassin’s Creed 2, I quickly searched online about every historical event related to the Artifacts of Divinity. That’s when things got quite intriguing—the game implied that the Templars played a significant role in initiating World War II, providing these artifacts to Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill for a secret conflict. It was both amusing and genuinely captivating all at once.

The Pieces of Eden Were Enough

I often find myself yearning for the days when Assassin’s Creed games focused more on the Artifacts of Eden instead of extensively exploring the daily life of a distant civilization. I believe it was more engaging when these artifacts remained shrouded in mystery, considering they belong to a civilization that no longer exists.

In my gaming world, it’s all about those legendary relics known as the Pieces of Eden. These bad boys can manipulate crowds like no tomorrow, and that’s exactly what the Templars wanted—to wield such power. But me? I’m an Assassin, and my mission is to thwart their plans. Stopping them from controlling the masses isn’t just a game for me; it’s a fight to preserve freedom itself.

In the world of Assassin’s Creed 2, there was an unforgettable scene – a blend of epic and humorous – where I found myself squaring off against none other than the Pope himself! Wielding the Staff of Eden, he challenged me to a fistfight, deep within the hallowed halls of the Sistine Chapel. Quite an unusual adversary for an assassin, don’t you think?

Then They Killed Desmond

The Templars vs. Assassins saga lost its charm when Ubisoft eliminated Desmond Miles, a character who bridged the Animus to our contemporary world. This move by Ubisoft was one of their poorest narrative choices, and they’ve since acknowledged it as a mistake. Why end such a pivotal character, the foundation of the broader storyline?

Beginning with Assassin’s Creed Origins, the series has largely moved away from the central theme of the Templar-Assassin conflict. Now, it primarily focuses on the Isu and their connection to ancient civilizations. Ubisoft aims to delve deeper into this enigmatic precursor race, but the narrative lacks the same emotional resonance. The characters are generally one-dimensional, often brought down by their own arrogance. I found myself uninterested in Juno and other similar figures, even if they had intriguing backstories, as their motivations failed to match the intensity of the ongoing fight between the Assassins and Templars.

Ubisoft attempted to rekindle the story with Layla Hassan, yet she wasn’t able to mend the plot’s issues. By then, Ubisoft had dispersed so many storylines that there was no longer a unified tale remaining. In Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, they put in a great effort with the ‘Sage’ storyline, but it ultimately didn’t develop further in subsequent games.

It’s surprising that Ubisoft removed the contemporary storyline, replacing it with characters from the Animus that don’t interest me at all.

The main narrative of Assassin’s Creed no longer holds a clear direction. Instead, each new game serves as a platform for Ubisoft to construct an open world in various historical contexts. It seems the focus has shifted from storytelling to creating expansive and visually stunning worlds. Despite Ubisoft’s mastery of open-world games, it’s unfortunate that the tale which once gave the franchise its identity is now less prominent.

I’m crossing my fingers that Assassin’s Creed: Shadows revives some intriguing storylines, but to be honest, I’m not too hopeful about it.

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2025-03-12 18:13