Assassin's Creed Syndicate
Twin Assassins fight to liberate Victorian London from Templar control.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate, released in 2015, is an action-adventure game from Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It arrived on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 23, 2015, followed by a Windows release on November 19, 2015. As the ninth major entry in the Assassin's Creed series, it continues the fictional history of a centuries-old secret war between the Assassins, who seek peace and liberty, and the Templars, who want peace through control. The framing story takes place in the 21st century, featuring the same unnamed protagonist from Assassin's Creed Unity, who helps the Assassins find an artifact hidden in London before the Templars do. The main narrative is set in 1868 London during the Second Industrial Revolution, following twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye as they fight organized crime and reclaim the city from Templar control. It also includes segments set in 1916 during World War I, following Jacob's granddaughter, Lydia Frye.
The game is played from a third-person perspective, with an open world navigated on foot or by carriage. It introduces new travel systems, refined combat, and improved stealth mechanics. Players control both Jacob and Evie, switching between them during and outside missions. After launch, several downloadable content packs were released, including three story expansions. The most notable, Jack the Ripper, takes place twenty years after the main campaign and involves Jacob pursuing the infamous serial killer.
Syndicate received positive reviews for its visuals, characters, narrative, and level design, though its combat, open-world design, and vehicle gameplay drew some criticism. It was nominated for Best Action/Adventure at The Game Awards 2015. Financially, it was less successful than earlier entries, selling over 5.5 million units by November 2017. Ubisoft attributed this to series fatigue, partly due to the disappointing release of Assassin's Creed Unity the year before, and decided to end the annual release cycle. The next main entry, Assassin's Creed Origins, set in Ptolemaic Egypt, launched in October 2017 as a soft reboot with more role-playing mechanics and a new modern-day storyline.
**Gameplay**
Syndicate is an action-adventure stealth game played from a third-person perspective, with gameplay similar to Assassin's Creed Unity.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Assassin's Creed Syndicate
- Developer
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Director
- Marc-Alexis Côté · Scott Phillips · Wesley Pincombe
- Producer
- François Pelland
- Designer
- Frédéric St-Laurent B
- Programmer
- Pierre-Luc Coté
- Artist
- Thierry Dansereau
- Writer
- Corey May · Jeffrey Yohalem
- Composer
- Austin Wintory
- Series
- Assassin's Creed
- Engine
- AnvilNext 2.0
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game's framing story is set in the 21st century and features the same unnamed and unseen protagonist from Assassin's Creed Unity, who assists the Assassins in their race against the Templars to find an artifact hidden in London. The main story follows twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye as they arrive in London in 1868 and aim to take back the city from Templar control by infiltrating and uniting London's criminal underworld. Jacob is a hot-headed brawler specializing in close-ranged combat, while Evie is strong in stealth and relies on her intelligence and wit. The game also includes segments set in 1916 during World War I, following Jacob's granddaughter, Lydia Frye.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and its open world is navigated on foot or by carriage. Syndicate introduces new traveling systems, refined combat and stealth mechanics, and a rope launcher for rappelling and ziplining. The combat system focuses on chaining fast-paced attacks and blocks, while stealth improvements include a kidnapping mechanic. The side content adopts a gang warfare mechanic where the city is divided into districts controlled by two main street gangs; the Frye twins start a gang called the Rooks to combat the Templar-controlled Blighters. The game has no multiplayer mode and does not feature a companion app.
Reader's Guide
Assassin's Creed Syndicate received positive reviews upon release, with praise for its visuals, characters, narrative, and level design, while the combat, open-world design, and vehicle gameplay were met with some criticism. The game was nominated for multiple awards, including Best Action/Adventure at The Game Awards 2015. Syndicate was less financially successful than previous entries, selling over 5.5 million units by November 2017. Ubisoft attributed the lower sales to series fatigue among players, partly caused by Assassin's Creed Unity's disappointing release the year prior, and decided to end the annual release cycle for the series. The next main entry, Assassin's Creed Origins, released in October 2017, acts as a soft reboot introducing more role-playing mechanics and a new modern-day storyline. After launch, the game was supported with downloadable content, including three story expansions; the most notable, Jack the Ripper, is set twenty years after the main campaign and involves Jacob's pursuit of the titular unidentified serial killer.
Did You Know?
- Evie Frye is the first female playable character in a mainline Assassin's Creed game.
- The game's main base is a train that serves as the player's headquarters throughout the story.
- A World War I segment features Jacob's granddaughter, Lydia Frye, aiding Winston Churchill.
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