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An Assassin's Creed set in feudal Japan would feel over-familiar, says AC3 director

Note: Didn't see it posted anywhere, mods please delete if this is old.

"You could always do it, but the point I was trying to make was that in the broad strokes and scale of history, that's a theme that's been well-mined in videogames," Hutchinson began. "So, Assassin's Creed is one of those games that can take [lesser-known] time periods or corners of the world and make them cool, fun, new and refreshing.

"Feudal Japan would work as an Assassin's game, for sure, but I feel like it would start to look like 'oh, have I played this?' You know what I mean - 'oh, I've been a ninja before, I've been a samurai before'."

http://www.totalxbox.com/82294/an-a...n-would-feel-over-familiar-says-ac3-director/

I post this knowing full well that there's a chance AC3 haters who are also lovers of the particular setting will be tempted to take some shots at the guy. ;)

That said, as a huge fan of the franchise including AC3, I think he's dead on. I've been there before. I've been in worlds that heavily draw inspirations from that place and time before. All of the architectural, artistic, cultural and military touchstones and visual cues are well-worn and familiar. The sense of wonder, of exploring a place that a game has never taken me that almost every AC provides in some way or another, would be lost.

As for where Hutchinson might take Assassin's Creed, were he back in charge of the franchise - the answer remains India during the British Raj (aka, the mid-19th to mid-20th century). It's not just Hutchinson's call, of course: Assassin's Creed 4 game director Ashraf Ismail has said that he'd "love" to visit Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs.

I'd take either of these 10,000 times a day, every day, over heading back to Feudal Japan.

Thoughts?
 

legacyzero

Banned
Somebody here on GAF suggested a long time ago having an Assassins Creed game take place in wartime Nazi Germany. Now Ass Creed usually bores the crap out of me for some strange reason that's beyond me.

But I would play the SHIT out of a Nazi Germany themed Assassins Creed game, fo' sho.
 

Corgi

Banned
i swear they said this years ago.

Still think a full fledge game set in china would work too. maybe add a bit wuxia flair, like being able to run up the air, and fight dudes on bamboo!
 

Gaz_RB

Member
Shit ,I was all for it before, but he's right, AC is one of the only franchises that explore lesser known time periods, and I wouldn't want to lose that aspect.
 

Sentenza

Member
While I won't complain for the choice of more unusual/exotic settings, I don't necessarily agree it would have to feel overfamiliar. It would be up to their use of the setting.

That said, this hardly matters since it's AC we are talking about. Nothing will save it from being as much awful to play as it is pretty to look once again.
 
hilarious. it's because an asian dude on the cover wouldn't sell units. Minority protags will forever be relegated to spinoffs for this company. We shall forever be relegated to lesser known battles, like pirates or the war for american independence.
 
i swear they said this years ago.

Still think a full fledge game set in china would work too. maybe add a bit wuxia flair, like being able to run up the air, and fight dudes on bamboo!

They have, this is a statement they've had on full repeat. I can understand where they are coming from... but then we had 3 games set in Italy so... yeah.
 

Trago

Member
I've wanted that setting since I played the first game. I don't understand why Ubisoft won't give us that game. Don't they like money?

Also, an Egyptian setting would kick ass too.
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
Yeah, but since Ubisoft makes so many AssCreed games anyway, it wouldn't really hurt to devote one that's familiar to many people.

Or what about ancient China? Now that's a lot of untapped potential for a fresh and interesting AssCreed setting.
 
Franchise about assassins doing parkour throughout history doesn't go to Feudal Japan, but goes to 18th century New York and Boston.

Ubisoft pls
 

Eggbok

Member
An Assassin's Creed in feudal Japan would feel over-familiar, but making multiple games in the same time period isn't?

You know what I mean - 'oh, I've been a ninja before, I've been a samurai before'."

BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN A SAMURAI NINJA ASSASSIN.
 

EMT0

Banned
So Sengoku Japan is a theme that's been well-mined in video games? Versus:

-The Crusades
-The American Revolution
-The Age of Pirates

Excuse me

1405890449975.gif
 

Rebel Leader

THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
So Sengoku Japan is a theme that's been well-mined in video games? Versus:

-The Crusades
-The American Revolution
-The Age of Pirates

Excuse me

https://warosu.org/data/g/img/0431/15/1405890449975.gif[/IM G][/QUOTE]

This is the director of ac3
Ac3 was boring as hell
 

cavemancolton

Unconfirmed Member
Yeah, Ancient East Asian culture would feel to similar. Better just stick to familiar Western Cities and time periods. /s

Stop the nonsense, Ubisoft. What would feel too familiar is your rehashed and boring gameplay at 30fps for that 'cinematic feel'.

Feudal Japan or China would be Amazing.
 

stormplyr

Member
I'd like to play an Assassins Creed during the time of Scottish independence with Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. I know that it would be similar to past AC games but I love that time period.
 
hilarious. it's because an asian dude on the cover wouldn't sell units. Minority protags will forever be relegated to spinoffs for this company. We shall forever be relegated to lesser known battles, like pirates or the war for american independence.

They put a native american on the cover of their best-selling entry in the series. Yes, technically in the game he's half native american, but he looks unmistakenly native american in the art-work. Of all franchises, I doubt fear of stepping outside the 'white dude' box is having a huge impact on their setting decisions.
 
You know what I mean - 'oh, I've been a ninja before, I've been a samurai before'."
Well, it's not like I felt like I was playing as a pirate in AC4, or as a native American in AC3. I've always felt like I was playing just another assassin in a different setting.
 

Sentenza

Member
You know what? Fuck AC, now that I think about it I'd rather get a feudal Japan free roaming from Rockstar.
Red Dead Samurai or something.
 

Corpekata

Banned
For such a "familiar" location I'm having trouble thinking of games set in it that aren't old or pretty niche.


It's not like ninjas and samurai are that common place in gaming these days, especially big budget affairs.
 
Just one.

Just give me one full blown Assassin's Creed game set in China starring Shao Jun that isn't a damn side-scroller. That's all I want from the series.
 

Spacejaws

Member
Didn't this series waste 3 games in the same period of history with the same damn character.

Then the chapter he developed took place in arguably one of the most well trodden areas of recent history for entertainment (not just in games.)

I'm not arguing against his point, but he must see the hypocrisy right?
 
It's ironic but I feel the exact opposite...

At this point, I feel the constant western AC themes (whether it's America, Europe, or the Middle East via western Crusades) are overly familiar

And, ironically, a big budget AAA Japanese ninja/stealth open world game would be refreshing.
 

ymmv

Banned
So Sengoku Japan is a theme that's been well-mined in video games? Versus:

-The Crusades
-The American Revolution
-The Age of Pirates

Excuse me

1405890449975.gif

There have been tons of Japanese games where you could play ninjas and/or samurais. I can't think of any games (besides AC1 and AC3) set in the Levant or against the backfrop of the American revolution.I actually agree with Ubisoft for a change.
 

MormaPope

Banned
GTA has taken place in Liberty City and Los Santos/San Andreas for the past two gens. Gigantic amount of differences between last last gen locales compared to last gen locales. Hell, Red Dead Redemption and Bully feel like completely different worlds, even though they share similar aspects and assets with past GTAs.

You've been a criminal before in Rockstar games, but where and what type of criminal you are can vary drastically.
 
Shit ,I was all for it before, but he's right, AC is one of the only franchises that explore lesser known time periods, and I wouldn't want to lose that aspect.

Maybe within gaming as a whole, but within AC itself I feel they've become stuck in a very western history focused rut. The backstory and snippets of other assassins suggests that they could go much broader both in terms of time and place than they currently are.

Maybe Feudal Japan isn't the right place to go, but following the European colonisation of the Americas and the birth of the US with revolutionary France doesn't feel like the most imaginative leap in the series.
 

Trago

Member
It's ironic but I feel the exact opposite...

At this point, I feel the constant western AC themes (whether it's America, Europe, or the Middle East via western Crusades) are overly familiar

And, ironically, a big budget AAA Japanese ninja/stealth open world game would be refreshing.

Are there even AAA Japanese ninja/stealth open world games?

Again, don't Ubisoft like money??
 
Shit ,I was all for it before, but he's right, AC is one of the only franchises that explore lesser known time periods, and I wouldn't want to lose that aspect.

Lesser known? The Crusades, the Renaissance, the American Revolution, the Golden Age of Piracy and the French Revolution?
 

Skux

Member
I guess they're worried about competition from... what... Way of the Samurai and Tenchu?

Exactly. How the hell is a feudal Japanese ninja/samurai game going to "feel over-familiar" when there haven't been big releases in this genre for like, a console generation.
 
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