GrizzleBoy
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French politician: Assassin's Creed: Unity 'makes travesty of the French Revolution'
- Thread starter Poetic.Injustice
- Start date
captainnapalm
Member
I did find it interesting the angle the game seems to take on the revolution. If you actually read all those database entries, where all the real history gets delivered, you do start to realise what a bloody, nasty and vindictive business it was. It wasn't really this just and fair people's uprising - or at least, it didn't stay that way for long.
Which makes sense if you look at what happened to France in the immediate wake of the revolution. It quickly seemed to devolve into swapping out one group of tyrants and despots for another. The guillotine became an instrument of death visited upon the guilty and innocent alike - the world's first bureaucratically enforced mass murder machine. The database entries also detail how much history and antiquity was destroyed in Paris.
Which makes sense if you look at what happened to France in the immediate wake of the revolution. It quickly seemed to devolve into swapping out one group of tyrants and despots for another. The guillotine became an instrument of death visited upon the guilty and innocent alike - the world's first bureaucratically enforced mass murder machine. The database entries also detail how much history and antiquity was destroyed in Paris.
Windom Earle
Member
Assassin's Creed making a travesty out of history is nothing new. Their representation of historical figures is just annoying.
As expected from (mostly American) gamers not used to French political and historical debates, almost no one here understood what is said in the OP. This is why they say "Oh it's a game it doesn't matter" or why they quote the sentence before the title screen (which means nothing).
Also the telegraph article doesn't help to understand since it doesn't talk about the long article Mélenchon wrote about how he saw video game as a new form of art that needs to be understood because it conveys too lots of representations of political or historical subjects (in this case according to him, bad representations). The real jokes are the people who aren't taking this seriously. But they may not know master's thesis were defended last year in La Sorbonne in Paris about how AC used history for playful purposes and thesis defended in another French university about how deep was the political message in GTA IV.
I remember saying basically the same thing 1 month ago on Gaf
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136796617#post136796617
After playing the game it's even more true : how Paris is just violent and depicts violent revolutionaries everywhere, while not talking about political, ideological, social or cultural ideas created in this time period, confirms that we can at least talk about it. This is creative choice they made, this is cultural product, not just a game.
Also the telegraph article doesn't help to understand since it doesn't talk about the long article Mélenchon wrote about how he saw video game as a new form of art that needs to be understood because it conveys too lots of representations of political or historical subjects (in this case according to him, bad representations). The real jokes are the people who aren't taking this seriously. But they may not know master's thesis were defended last year in La Sorbonne in Paris about how AC used history for playful purposes and thesis defended in another French university about how deep was the political message in GTA IV.
I remember saying basically the same thing 1 month ago on Gaf
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136796617#post136796617
After playing the game it's even more true : how Paris is just violent and depicts violent revolutionaries everywhere, while not talking about political, ideological, social or cultural ideas created in this time period, confirms that we can at least talk about it. This is creative choice they made, this is cultural product, not just a game.
Unity is such a letdown after the historically-faithful Assassin's Creed I through IV. Everything depicted in them was of the utmost historical faithfulness. The Apple of Eden? It was totally there in the Crusades. Leonardo da Vinci? Totally let Ezio fly his flying machine through Italy. George Washington? A tyrant if I ever saw one.
And the Ubisoft drops the ball and goes all "fictional" in AC Unity. SMH.
And the Ubisoft drops the ball and goes all "fictional" in AC Unity. SMH.
GhostTrick
Banned
Mélenchon claims that Robespierre is his hero. And no, we're not teached that Robespierre was a hero... more like a guy who sent a lot of people to guillotine.
Also that. This was just a mess... Especially "La Grande Peur" that happened where people in others cities just got crazy and start to kill, rob, put things on fire or break things just because of rumours.
Monocle
Member
It's lies for liars who can't be historians because they love lies so much. Damn dirty lie loving liars.
Alx
Member
Yeah you have to realize that Mélenchon is the leader of an extreme left populist party, so for him the popular revolution should be painted as more pure and idealistic or something. Which it wasn't, of course. Anyway he's the kind of politician who barks as much as possible to get attention, I won't give him that pleasure.
Concerning the use of Revolution as a historical background only, I don't see it as a problem, on the contrary. Granted, I don't care that much about plots, but I don't see why every story happening during the revolution should be about the revolution. If anything it's always refreshing to have a different point of view of that era, rather than getting the usual stories about historical characters (disclaimer : I haven't played AC:U... yet).
It makes me think of the French movie "Chouans", which happens during the revolution too,, taking place in the far French countryside where insurrections supporting the onarchy occured, but is mostly a love story.
Concerning the use of Revolution as a historical background only, I don't see it as a problem, on the contrary. Granted, I don't care that much about plots, but I don't see why every story happening during the revolution should be about the revolution. If anything it's always refreshing to have a different point of view of that era, rather than getting the usual stories about historical characters (disclaimer : I haven't played AC:U... yet).
It makes me think of the French movie "Chouans", which happens during the revolution too,, taking place in the far French countryside where insurrections supporting the onarchy occured, but is mostly a love story.
Havent played the game, but I am really sad to hear that this is the way the revolution is portrayed. The masses of France started the wave of rebellions in Europe that eventually led to democracy and (some) social justice everywhere, and while it was bloody and had its share of villains of both sides, there is no doubt the people of France are and should be celebrated as heroes.
He also said he will buy a console. But yes, after so many french public figure shitting on video games recently, he's the one who said really intelligent things about gaming in our society, about the relation between reality and virtuality, about the importance of popular culture - talking about his own experience as a avid SF reader - ... And just my two cents but Robespierre was not the guy some here - like the Ubi game - are portraying.
Robespierre a fucking hero? I get that you are very republican and anti-royalist, but saying that Robespierre was a decent chap is like telling the world that Hitler wasn't as bad as everyone says.
Guy is crazy, but what should you expect from extreme-left...
Btw, people wanting the protagonist to play part more often to the French Revolution, don't really understand what it really was. Mainly lots of raping, stealing and killing.
Guy is crazy, but what should you expect from extreme-left...
Btw, people wanting the protagonist to play part more often to the French Revolution, don't really understand what it really was. Mainly lots of raping, stealing and killing.
Yeah, totally nothing barbaric about executing children either. What a lunatic.
I completely agree. Some people seem too quick to dismiss the revolution as a mess without realizing its influences or pivotal importance in modern history. To be fair though the game does show some revolutionaries in a good light but when you portray the revolution basically as
a plot of the bad guys
Edit:Also for further reading I feel like some of you guys should look into anachronism.
jakonovski
Member
Accuracy was never a thing, but the first two ACs had a love for history. Newer iterations have replaced that love with cynical exploitation of the player.
Dominican Power
Member
Not if they deserved it.
You really should read more historical books and bios about Robespierre because what you think he is is just a pure cliché that doesn't pass through a simple fact-checking.
Same as the guy before, but with a brilliant godwin point and some brilliant historical political analysis ! (or not, just pure bullshit and far-right/reactionary clichés/insults repeated since 1792)
Yep exactly.
Alx
Member
I don't remember history being used as more than a background for what seemed to be a common revenge plot in ACI and ACII (but then I don't even remember much of the plot). And when historical figures appeared, they were obviously not historically accurate.
Not everyone deserved it. Especially children.
Tidus_Great
Banned
and ancient japan didn't really have giant enemy crabs
Dominican Power
Member
So how are the far right in France? WTF do they believe in?
Brerlappin
Member
In a way, its better like this. Alot of people had problems with Connor being somehow amazingly influential in the forming of the US as an independent country, seeing as how hes completely fictional. And it makes sense, its a bit of a disconnect like, "well how come i never heard of this dude who was riding on the same horse as Paul Revere??".
hmmm, I can't think even of one big game that took something from history as a theme,
and didnt fiddle around with it to make the game.
does unity advertise itself as a historically correct game? like, do they say that their game depicts what really happened in the french revolution?
and didnt fiddle around with it to make the game.
does unity advertise itself as a historically correct game? like, do they say that their game depicts what really happened in the french revolution?
Alx
Member
There's been a lot of talk/advertising of the game in the news lately, and everytime someone from ubisoft was asked, he made it clear that it was mostly entertainment and didn't claim to be a history lesson or anything. Even if journalists just want to say how videogames evolved and can now show us real places and events and yadayada.
GhostTrick
Banned
I should yes. I'm simply basing this on what I learn at school which was years ago. I'm not saying Robespierre is pure evil, but you cant deny the violence either.
FlyingSaucer
Banned
Thanks to decades of irrationnal diabolization instead of rationnal contradiction of their ideas, governmental failure to resolve some of the long-term problems of the country and a failed some-people-are-more-equals-than-others socialist system, they are in a pretty good shape thanks you very much. They have their chances of being in the second round in the next presidential elections
Polically, along with the traditionnal ideas associated with the far-righ (anti-immigration, security), there has been a shift toward more 'social' themes.
No cake no buy(yes I know she never actually said let them eat cake)...did you just accidentally out yourself as an immortal?
EDIT: slight tangent... Totally bought this for my friend on his birthday afew years ago.
Marvel
could never
This got me.
Ubisoft marketed their game as a game which had the best virtual Paris ever made where you can "live" the Revolution. In France they co-worked with an historical magazine of popularisation. They authorized and talked about the two historians which worked and fact-checked the main script of the game. One of them even talked about how Ubisoft agreed to give him and his studients the engine to show them how was Paris at that time. They want an almost-scientific endorsement for they game : to recreate Paris, to have a script that fits at 75% historical facts and to sell their games to a mass market. This is why you have the evil guys, the guillotines, the violence, the blood and blablabla.
And they are doing this since AC2 after the AC1 backslash about how it was inaccurate.
I don't blame you at all. And I don't deny anything, but portraying the Revolution as simply a violent movement with angry/mad people, blood and guillotines (which is what is done in basic school classes, movies and what is logically done in AC:Unity) is a wrong representation of the period.
whaaat.
They already were in the second round back in 2002, it's nothing new that the far-right/national-populism is high in France (and in Europe), even though they managed to rally more people since 3 years.
But it's off topic here.
And they are doing this since AC2 after the AC1 backslash about how it was inaccurate.
I don't blame you at all. And I don't deny anything, but portraying the Revolution as simply a violent movement with angry/mad people, blood and guillotines (which is what is done in basic school classes, movies and what is logically done in AC:Unity) is a wrong representation of the period.
Thanks to decades of irrationnal diabolization instead of rationnal contradiction of their ideas, governmental failure to resolve some of the long-term problems of the country and a failed some-people-are-more-equals-than-others socialist system, they are in a pretty good shape thanks you very much. They have their chances of being in the second round in the next presidential elections
Polically, along with the traditionnal ideas associated with the far-righ (anti-immigration, security), there has been a shift toward more 'social' themes.
whaaat.
They already were in the second round back in 2002, it's nothing new that the far-right/national-populism is high in France (and in Europe), even though they managed to rally more people since 3 years.
But it's off topic here.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
I love how this guy obviously knew enough about the game to decide to comment on it but left out all the things you'd need to know in order to know that much.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon (or Mémé (=Granny) Lenchon like a satiric french show despise him) did find video games intersting and cultural. His point of view was from a specific trailer who showed Robespierre like a sadistic butcher (well, he wasn't an angel for sure, remember Les Noyades where hundreds of innocent people were drawned).
Jean-Luc Mélenchon in Les Guignols de l'Info :
Jean-Luc Mélenchon in Les Guignols de l'Info :
Well I don't blame him, this isn't all accurate.
Man. Off with her head.
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Exactly. That's how it was during the Ezio trilogy as well.
Only how accurate it looks. Also this guy is completely wrong when he says that the aristocrats are presented as fine upstanding people, especially considering that nearly everyone who Arno kills in this game is a wealthy aristocrat.
feint_ruled
Member
Well, like you say, they are playing the French version, I doubt they give a fig about how the English voices are done. Interesting side question, is it really correct to call it a "dub" - in that, is it any less the true version than the English voice track. You could even make the case that it is the correct one, given the setting. (I am assuming they adjust lip-sync.)
AC 3 did a good job portraying the founding fathers and climate of the revolution. It wasn't a "good vs wrong" conflict and the founding fathers weren't saints either. Hearing Connor routinely call them out on their bullshit was refreshing.
LOL
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette weren't horrible people by any account - she was frivolous, and he believed in the divine right of kings (as he had been taught to), and they were both naive and seperated from the reality of the people's lives out in Versailles... but there isn't much more you could say of them.
Robespierre, on the other hand... he was one of the true monsters of the day.
This is a really silly reaction for anybody to have. The game isn't attacking the Fifth Republic, or any that came before it, it's just telling the truth of what happened. Many horrible events followed the Revolution, but it was hardly what anyone would call a "nice" event.
Robespierre, on the other hand... he was one of the true monsters of the day.
This is a really silly reaction for anybody to have. The game isn't attacking the Fifth Republic, or any that came before it, it's just telling the truth of what happened. Many horrible events followed the Revolution, but it was hardly what anyone would call a "nice" event.
...did you just accidentally out yourself as an immortal?
EDIT: slight tangent... Totally bought this for my friend on his birthday afew years ago.
I went to this club this summer where a woman came on stage dressed as Marie Antoinette, holding a giant fake cake, and started telling the crowd they were disgusting peasants in a ridiculous French accent.Then she started stripping and someone nicked the cake.
I have no idea why but it was pretty brilliant.
A lot of people think its a pretty fun game underneath its technical issues and failings as an education tool to teach students about the French Revolution. So yea, obviously failed at everything most important.
Krappadizzle
Member
Virtue=Terror.
I would agree with Ubifactory, it seems this is the case with Ubisoft as of lately especially in regards to Assassin's Creed. I'm also curious why they decided to be sympathetic towards the aristrocacy and the ancient regime. I'm playing through the game right now and the whole revolutionaries vs royalists thing is a bit confusing, I must confess. But still, there seems to be some leniency from Ubi's part towards Louis and Antoinette.
Pretty much. I wouldn't claim everything he and others did was required just cause it's what happened and what worked.
Winterblink
Member
Every AC game I've ever played has a big disclaimer on launch that speaks to forthcoming experience being inspired by history but still being a work of fiction. I've not played Unity myself but I assume it has the same full screen statement on launch that only an idiot would read and then misinterpret the coming content as something it's not.