Kikizo recently conducted an interview with Ubisoft about their massive undertaking, Assassin's Creed. Without further adieu, here's the important info you need to know.
The crowd plays a large role. "The crowd is really our main second character," says Claude Langlais, technical director at Ubisoft Montreal and previosuly lead programmer on Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. "You get feedback from the crowd on your actions. So, gradually, throughout the game, you can help citizens and bring them on to your side."
The lead character, Altair, was once a prominent member of a group of assassins during the Third Crusade. That is until he managed to completely botch a job, and was demoted to the lowest ranks of the creed. The game begins here and you must guide Altair through the Holy Land, dispatching important political and religious figures along the way.
You'll use incredible climbing and parkour (extreme walking, running and jumping) skills to stealthily sneak up on your unaware marks. The marks are all connected in an unexpected way, but to find out about that you'll simply have to play the game, according Langlais.
You don't need to know too much about the history. "The game is something that is pretty accessible," Langlais says. "You don't have to know about history. There are some historical facts, but there's a lot of fiction that goes into it."
95 percent of the game occurs during the Third Crusade. What of the other 5 percent? There have been rumors of a matrix-like element to the story, which have been somewhat confirmed by voice actress Kristen Bell.
In the end, Assassin's Creed relies upon knowledge.
"The rule behind everything we did is to obey the rules everybody knows," explains Langlais.
"Everybody's used to being in a crowd. If you're walking, trying not to attract too much attention, don't shove people out of the way because if you know if you do that you're going to cause trouble. The same rules apply in the game."
"It's mapping everyday life with a bit of acrobatics. It's really about dealing with the rules that people already know."
via psu