Assassin's Creed (video game)
A 2007 action-adventure game launching the Assassin's Creed series.
Assassin's Creed is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the first installment in the Assassin's Creed series, released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2007, with a Microsoft Windows Director's Cut Edition in April 2008. The game is set in a fictional history of real-world events, primarily during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land in 1191, and follows a modern-day man, Desmond Miles, who relives the genetic memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, through a machine called the Animus.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Assassin's Creed
- Developer
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Director
- Patrice Désilets
- Producer
- Jade Raymond
- Designer
- Maxime Béland
- Programmer
- Mathieu Mazerolle
- Artist
- Raphaël Lacoste
- Writer
- Corey May
- Composer
- Jesper Kyd
- Engine
- Scimitar
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3 · Xbox 360 · Microsoft Windows · GeForce NOW
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game's plot centers on Desmond Miles, a bartender kidnapped by Abstergo Industries in 2012 and forced into the Animus to relive the memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a senior Assassin during the Third Crusade. In 1191, Altaïr botches a mission to retrieve the Apple of Eden from the Templars, leading to the death of fellow Assassin Kadar. His mentor Al Mualim demotes him and orders him to assassinate nine individuals across the Holy Land to regain his honor. These targets include an arms merchant, a hospital leader, a slaver, and other figures in Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus.
Reader's Guide
Assassin's Creed received generally positive reviews upon release, praised for its storytelling, visuals, art design, and originality, while criticism focused on the repetitive nature of its gameplay. It won several awards at the 2006 E3 and end-year awards. The game introduced core mechanics such as counter-based hack-and-slash combat, social stealth, and parkour in an open world comprising Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. Its success spawned two spin-offs—Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles (2008) and Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (2009)—and a direct sequel, Assassin's Creed II (2009), which continued the modern-day narrative with a new historical protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, set during the Italian Renaissance. Subsequent games followed with various other Assassins and time periods.
Did You Know?
- The player character Desmond Miles is a modern-day man who relives the genetic memories of his ancestor Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad via the Animus.
- The game's historical setting is primarily the Third Crusade in the Holy Land in 1191.
- The player's health is represented as the level of synchronization between Desmond and Altaïr's memories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Assassin's Creed (video game)?
Assassin's Creed is the 2007 action-adventure title that launched Ubisoft's flagship stealth franchise. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in November 2007 (with a Windows Director's Cut in April 2008), it is the first entry in the series.
What are Assassin's Creed (video game)'s powers/role?
The player controls Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a master assassin who uses parkour traversal, a concealed blade, and stealth takedowns to eliminate targets during the Third Crusade. In the modern-day framing, Desmond Miles experiences these memories through the Animus, a neural-implant machine that lets him relive his ancestor's past as if it were happening in real time.
Why is Assassin's Creed (video game) important?
It established the open-world stealth loop—free-running across rooftops, blending into crowds, and striking targets from above—that became the blueprint for the entire franchise. Its pairing of alternate-history fiction with a sci-fi present-day narrative also set the tonal template every later entry follows.
What is the Animus in Assassin's Creed (video game)?
The Animus is a neural-interface device that lets a user physically inhabit the genetic memories encoded in their DNA. In the game, Desmond Miles plugs into it to experience his ancestor Altaïr's life during the 1191 Holy Land campaign, perceiving the medieval world with his own senses.
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