STACK #121 Nov 2015

GAMES

FEATURE

visit www.stack.net.au

Vive la Revolution

According to STACK ’s Paul Jones, Maxime Durand has the best job on earth; he gets to research history for video games. We spoke with him about the history behind Assassin’s Creed: Unity.

Why did you decide uponThe French Revolution as the historical setting for an Assassin’s Creed game?

The French Revolution is such a complex period of history.Was it challenging to shape a game from this monumental historical event? Assassin’s Creed: Unity is really about Arno’s story, his relationship with Elise and his redemption quest, epitomised by his journey from novice, to master assassin.The French Revolution acts as a backdrop to Arno’s story. Consequently, we’ll be crossing paths with numerous and very diverse historical figures, landmarks and events. Unity is respectful to historical facts and intentions regarding these, while integrating them into our unique narrative arc.The historical experience we propose focuses on a vast and immersive reproduction of Paris as a playground. It is filled with real historical crowd life activities, such as tanners, or popular era songs, like La Carmagnole . Our gameplay mechanics are also based on historical facts in many more ways than the weapons used. For instance, our enemies are embodied by a faction better known as the Sans-Culottes; an extremist political group which led thousands of people to execution via the Committee of Public Salute. Also, our protector faction is based on the National Guard and acts as the police, preventing any and all reprehensive actions. Our rich side content is based upon obscure historical facts and various Parisian myths. Players will still be able to enhance their historical experience via our in-game encyclopedia, the Animus Database.

realise that the model was doomed. A new system had to be found, and the foundations of that new system were laid.

MAXIME DURAND: The French Revolution was the perfect template for an Assassin’s Creed title for a variety of reasons. The Revolution itself was far more than a simple rebellion against an unpopular king; it was a total rejection of repressive feudal principles that had endured for centuries. The French Revolution gave the middle finger (and the guillotine) to anyone who supported the old social order of Europe. It was also a time of firsts. It included the first-ever assault on the concept of organised religion, the first genuinely populist uprising (which was put down by other revolutionaries) and the first modern police state, with show trials, informants, and public executions. On the brighter side, it included the first clear enunciation of modern liberal principles that we, in the West, now take for granted. For all our focus on the American Bill of Rights, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man predated the American document by a year. The French Revolution saw the birth of the charter of rights; it’s the inauguration of a new world. It also gave way to the Napoleonic wars that changed not only Europe, but also the entire world. It is during this time that the old ways were replaced with the new. While other nations kept their monarchic structure, the Revolution made the French

There are plenty of stories from that time which have, until now, escaped popular imagination.

At the individual level, it was exceptionally bloody and nearly all of the victims were civilians. It was a time of terror in which no one was safe. A man could be sent to the guillotine on his neighbour’s whim. In sum, it was an extraordinarily violent, cruel, and momentous decade that took Europe by surprise. And while we might think we know what happened, there are plenty of stories from that time which have, until now, escaped popular imagination.

NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

038