In an earlier article I wrote, I talked about the setting of the French Revolution for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Unity. However, I made several nods towards a personal theory I have for the game, that might involve a far more famous character. Almost everyone on the planet knows who Napoleon Bonaparte is, if only by his name and nothing else. He is truly one of history’s most famous figures, and he had a significant role to play in the French Revolution itself. However, Napoleon isn’t remembered for his contribution to the revolution, but for his actions following it.
As I mentioned in my previous article, my first-choice setting for the next Assassin’s Creed game was Feudal Japan. However, that was not to be, and instead, I got my second choice: France. This is where my own theory comes in however. So far, all we know is that Unity will occur in the French Revolution, but who’s to say there can’t be more? I personally wanted the game to be set between roughly 1790 and 1816. This might seem like a large chunk of time, but I’ll point to Assassin’s Creed II as an example of how a game can manage such a large time frame so well. While many might argue that the inclusion of Napoleon and his wars is not needed, I’ll point out a few reasons why I think it makes perfect sense.
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Maybe it’s my mind feeding me a notion simply because I want it to be true, but I think the title itself might hint at a broader timeline for Assassin’s Creed Unity. While the word ‘unity’ might simply be referring to the French uniting in revolution against the monarchy, as the 13 colonies had done in America, I’d like to think it means more than that. After the revolution, Napoleon united France and created an empire. That united empire then took on the rest of Europe, who in turn, united to face Napoleon’s armies. While this is probably my least convincing case for the game including the Napoleonic Wars, I think it should be considered nonetheless.
Perhaps the title ‘Unity’ means more than just the French Revolution?
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As I alluded to in my previous article, naval gameplay is another factor that makes my theory more plausible. As I stated, if Unity was set solely during the revolution, the game would struggle to incorporate the naval mechanics that brought so much success to the series in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. However, if I’m correct in believing we will see the Napoleonic Wars in some form throughout the game, naval gameplay suddenly becomes plausible again. Some of the most important battles of the Napoleonic Wars occurred at sea, and the English Channel could provide players with a wide open ocean playground to jump into. To me, it seems hard to believe that Ubisoft will so easily let go of one of what is now one of their most successful elements, so maybe the inclusion of the Napoleonic Wars can ensure that mechanic doesn’t disappear entirely.
Naval gameplay proved to be a huge hit in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
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While some avid lovers of history might recognize the names of those involved with the French Revolution, the vast majority of casual gamers will not. Napoleon was involved in the revolution, but even then most people would not associate Napoleon with the revolution, but with his later Empire. Napoleon aside, easily the most recognizable name from the era is Marie Antoinette, the wife of King Louis XVI. Again, to lovers of history, the names involved with the revolution are noteworthy and something to look forward too. However, I feel that the majority of fans won’t know who these people are. Although not necessarily a bad thing, as only Assassin’s Creed III had names that were widely recognized, and the games fared just fine. However, I feel the game would benefit greatly from the inclusion of much more notable characters in history. Napoleon himself would obviously play a large part in the game, should it encompass the Napoleonic Wars as well. Likewise, Napoleon’s nemesis, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, is another monumental figure to include in the game. Horatio Nelson, George III, Alexander I and more, round off a cast of historical juggernauts. While it has never hurt the Assassin’s Creed series to create their own supporting characters, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to include some of these names as well.
Assassin’s Creed Unity could rely on the countless historical figures that the Napoleonic Wars has to offer.
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I think most, if not all, fans of the Assassin’s Creed series really liked the way Ezio’s story progressed in Assassin’s Creed II. The game started you off as a newborn child, and developed you into a middle-aged master assassin. By involving not only the French Revolution, but the Napoleonic Wars as well, Ubisoft could follow a similar path with their new protagonist. Both events would give the game at least 25 years to play with, and once again develop a fresh-faced assassin into an expert and a leader. Even Connor’s story arc in Assassin’s Creed III played out in somewhat the same way, albeit to slightly less effect. Not only does it give players the opportunity to feel like they have developed the protagonist themselves, it is an effective way to make fans grow attached to the character. After all, Ezio has gone down as easily one of the most beloved and iconic figures in video game history.
Players followed Ezio’s storyline from birth in Assassin’s Creed II.
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While all of my other points so far have pointed towards the inclusion of the Napoleonic Wars in Assassin’s Creed Unity, this one could be a reason why it is left out. As I mentioned above, including both the revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in Unity would provide a decent level of character progression. However, Ubisoft would likely lose out on the opportunity of a sequel. If Ubisoft solely focused on the French Revolution in Unity, which remains to be seen, then that would leave the Napoleonic Wars wide open for sequels; allowing them to create another Ezio-esque, multi-game story arc. Although I’ll stick by my laurels and believe we will see a broader time frame in Unity, this is probably a far more likely explanation.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you agree with me? Do you think Assassin’s Creed Unity will only focus on the revolution? Do you have any contradictory points to some of my statements? Let us know in the comments below.