Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Victorian London's Underground Revolution

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate transports players to Victorian London, offering a rich blend of historical fiction and action-adventure gameplay. Set in 1868, the game follows twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye as they navigate the bustling streets of the Industrial Revolution.

Syndicate introduces a unique dual-protagonist system, allowing players to switch between the siblings and experience their distinct playstyles. Jacob favors a more aggressive approach, while Evie excels in stealth tactics. This dynamic adds depth to the gameplay and storytelling.

The game’s rendition of London serves as a sprawling playground for players to explore. From iconic landmarks to grimy factories, Syndicate captures the essence of a city in transition. New traversal methods like the rope launcher and horse-drawn carriages enhance the urban exploration experience.

Game Overview

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes players to Victorian London in 1868, introducing twin protagonists and new gameplay mechanics to the series.

Setting and Historical Context

Victorian London in 1868 serves as the backdrop for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. The game captures the essence of the Industrial Revolution, showcasing the stark contrast between the wealthy elite and the working class.

Players explore a bustling city filled with iconic landmarks like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the River Thames. The streets teem with horse-drawn carriages, factories spew smoke, and child laborers toil in sweatshops.

Historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell, and Queen Victoria make appearances, adding authenticity to the game’s narrative.

Main Characters

Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins, take center stage as the game’s protagonists. Jacob is brash and impulsive, favoring direct confrontation. Evie, on the other hand, is stealthy and calculated, preferring a more subtle approach.

Players can switch between the twins at will, utilizing their unique strengths and abilities. Jacob excels in combat and brawling, while Evie specializes in stealth and infiltration.

The twins face off against Crawford Starrick, the Grand Master of the Templar Order in London, who controls the city’s criminal underworld and industrial might.

Gameplay Mechanics

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate introduces several new gameplay elements to the series. Players can use a rope launcher to quickly scale buildings and create ziplines between structures, enhancing vertical traversal.

Gang warfare plays a significant role, with players building their own criminal syndicate to combat Templar influence. Street fights and turf wars become common as the Frye twins expand their control over London’s boroughs.

The game features a diverse array of weapons, including brass knuckles, cane swords, and revolvers. Players can also commandeer horse-drawn carriages for high-speed chases and combat through London’s streets.

Development

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s creation involved extensive planning and coordination across multiple Ubisoft studios. The game’s development focused on crafting a detailed Victorian London setting and refining core gameplay mechanics.

Production

Ubisoft Quebec led the development of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, marking their first time as lead studio for a main entry in the series. The team collaborated with nine other Ubisoft studios worldwide to complete the project.

Production began in 2013, shortly after the completion of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The developers aimed to create a more focused and streamlined experience compared to previous entries.

Ubisoft allocated significant resources to ensure a stable launch, learning from issues that plagued Assassin’s Creed Unity’s release. This included extensive testing and quality assurance processes.

Design

The design team focused on creating a vivid representation of Victorian London. They conducted extensive research on the era’s architecture, fashion, and social dynamics to enhance authenticity.

A key design goal was to make traversal more enjoyable and efficient. This led to the introduction of the rope launcher, allowing players to scale buildings quickly and create ziplines between structures.

The team also redesigned the combat system to be faster-paced and more brutal, reflecting the street-fighting style of the era. They introduced new weapons like brass knuckles and cane swords to fit the setting.

Music and Sound Design

Austin Wintory composed Syndicate’s original score, incorporating elements of traditional Victorian music with a modern twist. The soundtrack features a blend of orchestral and electronic instruments to create a unique sonic atmosphere.

Sound designers worked to capture the ambiance of 19th-century London. They recorded period-appropriate sounds, including horse-drawn carriages, steam engines, and factory machinery.

Voice acting played a crucial role in bringing the characters to life. The cast included notable actors like Paul Amos and Victoria Atkin as the Frye twins, with performances recorded using motion capture technology.

Story and Narrative

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate weaves a tale of twin assassins fighting to liberate Victorian London from Templar control. The game’s narrative explores themes of industrialization, class struggle, and the birth of organized crime.

Plot Summary

Set in 1868 London, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate follows Jacob and Evie Frye. The twins arrive in the city to wrest control from Templar Grand Master Crawford Starrick.

Jacob focuses on building a street gang called the Rooks to combat Starrick’s influence. Evie, meanwhile, searches for a Piece of Eden hidden in London.

As they progress, the twins encounter historical figures like Charles Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell. These characters aid the assassins in their quest to liberate London’s boroughs.

The story culminates in a final confrontation with Starrick at Buckingham Palace. The twins must prevent him from using the Shroud of Eden to dominate the British Empire.

Narrative Structure

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate employs a dual-protagonist structure. Players can switch between Jacob and Evie for most missions, offering varied perspectives on the story.

The game’s narrative unfolds through a series of memory sequences. These sequences are accessed via the Animus, a device that allows modern-day users to relive ancestral memories.

Side missions and activities supplement the main story. These include liberating child laborers, hunting down Templar targets, and solving murders with Arthur Conan Doyle.

The game also features “time jumps” to World War I London. These segments provide a glimpse into the future consequences of the twins’ actions.

Character Development

Jacob and Evie Frye evolve throughout the narrative. Jacob starts as a brash, impulsive fighter but learns the value of strategy and leadership.

Evie begins as a cautious, by-the-book assassin. She gradually embraces spontaneity and learns to trust her instincts.

The twins’ relationship is central to the story. Their initial rivalry gives way to mutual respect and cooperation as they face increasingly difficult challenges.

Supporting characters like Henry Green, a fellow assassin, and Clara O’Dea, a street urchin, also show growth. They become integral parts of the twins’ mission to free London.

Reception and Legacy

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate garnered significant attention upon release, with critics and players weighing in on its Victorian London setting and gameplay innovations.

Critical Reception

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate received generally positive reviews from critics. Many praised the game’s vibrant recreation of Victorian London and the introduction of dual protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye. The combat system and new traversal mechanics, including the rope launcher, were highlighted as improvements over previous entries.

Some reviewers noted that while Syndicate refined the Assassin’s Creed formula, it didn’t significantly innovate beyond its predecessors. The game’s story and character development received mixed responses, with some finding the narrative engaging while others felt it lacked depth.

Sales and Commercial Performance

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s initial sales were lower than its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed Unity. This was partly attributed to Unity’s troubled launch, which affected consumer confidence. Despite the slower start, Syndicate’s sales improved over time.

By the end of its first week, Syndicate became the top-selling game in the UK. It also performed well in other markets, though exact figures varied by region. Ubisoft reported that the game had met their sales expectations, considering the challenges faced by the franchise at the time.

Awards and Nominations

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate received several award nominations for its achievements in game design and technical execution. The game was nominated for “Action/Adventure Game of the Year” at the 19th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.

It also earned nominations at The Game Awards 2015 in the “Best Action/Adventure Game” category. The British Academy Games Awards recognized Syndicate with a nomination for “Best British Game,” acknowledging its portrayal of London.

The game’s audio design received particular praise, with nominations in sound-related categories at various industry events.

Gameplay Experience

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate offers a diverse range of gameplay elements set in Victorian London. Players can engage in combat, explore the city, and take on various side activities.

Combat System

The combat in Syndicate features a blend of melee and ranged options. Players can switch between the twin protagonists, Jacob and Evie Frye, each with unique fighting styles. Jacob excels in close-quarters brawling, while Evie specializes in stealth takedowns.

Weapons include brass knuckles, cane swords, and kukris for melee combat. For ranged attacks, players can use pistols, throwing knives, and hallucinogenic darts.

The game introduces a new multi-kill finisher move, allowing players to chain takedowns on multiple enemies. This adds a dynamic flow to combat encounters, especially when facing groups of foes.

Exploration and Movement

Syndicate expands on the series’ parkour system with new traversal options. The rope launcher allows players to scale buildings quickly and create zip lines between structures.

Horse-drawn carriages serve as both transportation and mobile cover during combat. Players can hijack carriages, engage in high-speed chases, and use them to ram enemy vehicles.

The game world of London is divided into distinct boroughs, each with its own character and challenges. Players can liberate these areas by completing specific objectives and defeating gang leaders.

Side Missions and Extra Content

Syndicate offers a variety of side activities to complement the main story. These include:

Gang Wars: Build and manage a criminal syndicate
Fight Clubs: Compete in underground boxing matches
Bounty Hunts: Track down and capture wanted criminals
Carriage Races: Participate in high-stakes street races

Historical figures like Charles Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell appear in side missions, providing tasks related to their areas of expertise.

Players can also collect hidden items, solve environmental puzzles, and complete challenges to unlock new outfits and weapons for Jacob and Evie.

Technological Aspects

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate introduced several technical advancements to the series. These improvements enhanced both visual fidelity and gameplay performance.

Graphics and Visual Effects

Syndicate showcased a visually striking rendition of Victorian London. The game utilized advanced lighting techniques to capture the city’s atmosphere. Detailed textures brought buildings and characters to life. Dynamic weather effects added realism to the environment.

Improved character models featured more expressive facial animations. Cloth physics enhanced the movement of costumes and flags. The draw distance was increased, allowing players to see farther across the cityscape.

Particle effects were refined, creating more convincing smoke and fog. Enhanced water rendering made the Thames River more lifelike.

Engine and Performance

Syndicate ran on an updated version of the AnvilNext engine. This iteration offered improved performance and stability. Load times were reduced compared to previous entries in the series.

The engine supported larger crowds, populating London’s streets with more NPCs. AI behavior was enhanced, making NPCs react more realistically to the player’s actions.

Frame rates were optimized for smoother gameplay. The engine allowed for seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor environments. Physics simulations were improved, affecting combat and parkour mechanics.

Syndicate also introduced a new rope launcher tool, which required additional physics calculations.

Cultural Impact

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate left a notable mark on gaming culture and expanded its reach beyond the realm of video games.

Influence on Gaming Culture

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate introduced several elements that influenced the gaming landscape. The game’s Victorian London setting sparked renewed interest in historical fiction among players. Its dual protagonist system, featuring siblings Evie and Jacob Frye, became a model for future titles seeking to offer diverse playable characters.

The game’s refined parkour mechanics and grappling hook traversal system inspired similar movement options in other open-world games. Syndicate’s emphasis on gang warfare and territory control also influenced subsequent titles in the action-adventure genre.

Representation in Other Media

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s popularity led to its representation in various forms of media. The game’s characters and setting appeared in comic books, expanding the narrative beyond the main storyline. Novelizations of the game’s plot reached readers who might not have played the title.

Collectible figurines and merchandise featuring Evie and Jacob Frye became sought-after items among fans. The game’s depiction of Victorian London inspired television documentaries exploring the historical accuracy of its setting and characters. Syndicate’s soundtrack gained recognition, with performances at video game music concerts.