Ubisoft dropped another story trailer for Assassin’s Creed Unity this week. The new video features a good chunk of in-game cinematic footage, as well as some of the featured characters–some of whom are real-life historical figures. The use of history and historical figures in the Assassin’s Creed story is one of the franchise’s most appealing aspects. The story provides a great deal of insight into the backstory of the game’s protagonist, Arno Dorian.
The trailer provides a much-needed look at Arno’s backstory. Arno appeared to be the son of a well-to-do noble family. However, his father was an assassin for the Assassin’s Brotherhood. Much like Ezio, Arno takes up his father’s legacy and trains to become an Assassin to fight for the French Revolution. Some flashbacks showcase a young Arno interacting with a young redheaded girl his own age. I suspect the redhead could actually be young Elise, whom Arno encounters late in life. At that point, Elise has become a member of the Templar Order.
The two most amusing aspects of the trailer were the appearances of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Marquis de Sade. From the looks of the footage in the trailer, Bonaparte will be an ally of sorts for Arno, which should be fun for the game. I avidly wait to see exactly what role Marquis de Sade will play and what will transpire in those encounters. Bonaparte’s role as an ally of the Brotherhood is especially ironic considering he eventually becomes the emperor of France. I am curious to see if the ultimate end to the game will hint about these events.
The rebels ultimately win the French Revolution, the monarchy was overthrown, and Napoleon became the emperor. The monarch, King Louis XVI, was also executed. In short, the rebels acted in a similar way to the monsters they fought. There are definitely hints of these elements in the footage released so far. Based on the new footage, Arno appears to experience a crisis of conscious in wanting to fight for “redemption” and not for “revenge.” The trailer depicts what appears to be an Assassin Grandmaster ordering the assassination of King Louis XVI. So, I wonder how the fall of King Louis, his capture and ultimate execution will be portrayed in the game. DLC focusing on the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte would also be fun.
Assassin’s Creed Unity hits the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC on November 11 in North America and November 13 in Europe.
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