Of all the upcomingAssassin’s Creedprojects,Assassin’s Creed Infinityis probably the one fans know least about, despite it being the project fans have known about for the longest time. Initially leaked all the way back in July 2021,Assassin’s Creed Infinitywas the focus of a Bloomberg report that claimed the game would be a live-service, free-to-play title covering multiple historical periods. Soon after, Ubisoft officially confirmedAssassin’s Creed Infinity’s existence, but described it as more of a hub where future entries will be accessed.
Based on that premise alone,Assassin’s Creed Infinitydoesn’t sound like the most excitingACproject currently in the works, especially as other bigfranchises likeCall of Dutyhave already attempted a live-service hubwith poor results. But there are waysAssassin’s Creed Infinitycan prove itself to be a worthwhile venture, and embracing some of the series' extensive external media might be a great place to start.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity Should Embrace The Series' Reading Material
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise is not only Ubisoft’s biggest IP, but one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, shipping well over 200 million copies since its debut in 2007. WhiletheAssassin’s Creedfranchiseis best known for its mainline entries, the series has experimented with a few pieces of external media over the last nearly two decades, including a long line of comic books and graphic novels.
The very firstAssassin’s Creedcomic run - titledAssassin’s Creed: The Fall- released in 2010, and was a smash-hit among both fans and critics. This first comic followed the Assassin Nikolai Orelov in 19th century Russia, as did its 2012 follow-upAssassin’s Creed: The Chain. These first twoACcomics opened the floodgates for more comic book spinoffs, and those floodgates haven’t closed yet. Since 2010, a total of 22Assassin’s Creedcomic runs, graphic novels, and manga have been released, many of which dive into brand new historical periods, and explore some of the series' more complex concepts such as the ancient Isu civilization.
On top of comic books,Assassin’s Creedhas also found a great deal of success with its vast collection of novels, a collection that began in 2009 with the release ofAssassin’s Creed: Renaissance, a novelization ofAssassin’s Creed 2’s story. Over the last decade and a bit,Assassin’s Creedhas continued to release novelizations of the mainline games, along with a handful of other novels that continue to expand and flesh out the world ofAssassin’s Creedthrough the eyes of new characters.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity Should Be a Hub for The Series' Comics and Novels
As the new hub of the entireAssassin’s Creedfranchise,Assassin’s Creed Infinityshould act as the perfect entry point for newcomers to the series, quickly catching them up on the overarching narrative of the franchise so far. It would be great if this streamlined introduction to the series could include some ofAssassin’s Creed’s most important comic booksand novels.
Assassin’s Creed Infinitycould offer some kind of museum-like area, where players could read synopses of each novel or comic, or maybe choose to purchase the product and read it on the spot. Obviously, the best-case scenario would be forAssassin’s CreedInfinityto include short playable adaptations of these integral comics and novels, but that would likely take a lot of time and resources, which Ubisoft might be unwilling to give to a hub experience.
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as a cunning young street thief seeking answers in this majestic Middle Eastern open world. Experience the home of the original Assassins in this exciting new narrative-driven, open world adventure. 15 years since the first Assassin’s Creed redefined adventure, experience the franchises' trademark parkour and stealth like never before - in Assasin’s Creed Mirage. In this smaller scale, back to basics Assassin’s caper, you play Basim, a young street thief seeking answers. Roam the richly-detailed, reactive and vibrant streets of 9th century Baghdad, uncovering the mysteries of the past as you fight to secure your future. Stalk the shadows. Become the ultimate assassin.
