STACK #156 Oct 2017

GAMES FEATURE

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This month, Ubisoft Montreal are taking us back where it all began in Assassin’s Creed: Origins .We caught up with Creative Director, Jean Guesdon. Words Paul Jones

“We decided it would be Ancient Egypt very early in the development process,” says creative director at Ubisoft Montreal, Jean Guesdon. “Work began on Assassin’s Creed: Origins right after the release of Black Flag , and from the start we knew we wanted to tell that story of the origins of the Brotherhood and that this story would need an ambitious setting. “We were also at a time when the technology would actually allow us to develop an entire and seamless country. We chose this particular time period because it offers the most amount of mystery and discovery that we can get from Ancient Egypt. “In this land of Gods, pyramids and mummies, Ancient Egypt triggers fantasies and mystery that we aim to deliver on in the most epic way possible. What is underneath the great pyramids? Who are these men with animal heads? Who were the Gods and what did they do? How does this all lead to the birth of the Brotherhood? This is what our players will discover.” With over 3,000 years of Ancient Egyptian history to sift through for the Origins setting, the team decided against the more popular and well- known eras associated with the period. “When you say Ancient Egypt, people mostly think about Rameses or Tutankhamun, but we

I ’ve been a stalwart supporter of the Assassin’s Creed franchise since I first marveled at the horse animations in a demo of the original early in 2007. I even happily played – and enjoyed – Assassin's Creed: Unity in its entirety, once the major bugs were patched. But by the time Syndicate released in 2015, like spent chewing gum, the flavour had waned. Although Syndicate was a solid game in its own right, in my opinion,

J e a n G u e s d o n

it had stepped forward too far into the realm of modernity. After playing practically every Assassin's Creed title launched, the mechanics felt tired to the point of feeling trite. So I was relieved to hear that Ubisoft was pulling the series out of the front line to rest and recuperate. After playing a little of the campaign so far this year, it feels like it

We chose this particular time period because it offers the most amount of mystery and discovery

was the right decision. Ancient Egypt has been a speculated historical era for as long as the series has existed. The period architecture, culture and mystique offer up boundless opportunities for an Assassin’s Creed narrative.

the Assassin’s Creed: Origins is set during the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The ‘what’ dynasty we hear you cry?

during this period were built using Egyptian plans and craftsman. For years, Egypt prospered during the Ptolemaic Dynasty with territory gains that included Libya, Cyprus and Palestine. Alexandria was the cultural centre of the world known for its famous library

Lagos, one of Alexander’s seven personal bodyguards. The Ptolemies exerted a Greek influence over Egypt. Greek became the language of the court and the army, although they were mindful not to unsettle Egyptian culture and tradition; temples constructed

The Ptolemaic (pronounced tola-mayek) Dynasty stretched from 323 to 30 B.C., and became the last dynasty of Ancient Egypt. When Alexander the Great died 323 B.C., Ptolemy, his Macedonian general and commander of Egypt, basically took over. He was the son of

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