‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ Announced, Releases Oct. 23

Ubisoft has officially unveiled ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate,’ its eighth core game in the franchise.

Ubisoft

Set in 1868 Victorian London, Syndicate will focus on the corruption of the poor set on by the very rich during the Industrial Revolution. Bringing balance to the world are the ever-reliable assassins, namely the game’s protagonist, Jacob Frye.

Developer Ubisoft Quebec emphasized the faster pace of Syndicate, something that can be felt in both combat and traversal. Gone are the naval ships of yesteryear (literally), and in are horse-drawn carts Red Dead style. Featured in the game will be high-speed chases through the broad streets of London. Fighting atop these carts, as well has barrelling locomotives, will also play into the new style of gameplay for Assassin’s Creed.

Combat has also been refreshed, with it feeling more like a brawler, featuring hard hits, fast attacks and brutal finishers. New weapons include a kukri knife, which apparently can be used to double penetrate an enemy’s hand and his eye, and brass knuckles for “when a punch to the face just isn’t enough.” Players will also have a classic six-shooter revolver for distance and other brutal kills. Finally, the Assassin’s Gauntlet will round out the new arsenal, packing the series’ signature hidden blade and hallucinogenic darts. The gauntlet’s third function includes a grappling hook, which can be used in combination with parkour for some fluid traversal.

Contrasting the depressing era of Unity’s French Revolution, Jacob Frye should provide some levity and comic relief to his too depressing surroundings. His sister, Evie Frye, is said to be a more rational counterpart to Jacob’s more brash approach. A major plot point and gameplay feature will be gangs and battles between them, so we’ll have to wait to see how their dynamic will play out.

Ubisoft

From the looks of it, Assassin’s Creed fans can look forward to underground fight clubs. Brawling was seeded throughout this entire reveal. Given that Syndicate is single-player only, a dedicated meta game where Jacob and others can participate in these fights wouldn’t be too far out of the equation.

Assassin’s Creed has edged even closer to modern day, and with that, the feel of Watch_Dogs meets Red Dead Redemption can’t be ignored. Without gushing on about that, the game definitely looks to stand on its own and still keeps the heart and soul of the franchise intact.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate will release in North America on Tuesday, Oct. 23 for Xbox One and PS4 and holiday 2015 for PC. There’s no word on if the franchise will live on on last-gen hardware or Wii U.

Do you think ‘Syndicate’ strays away from the series’ roots? Are you excited to deliver brass knuckle packages to faces? Tweet us @YouNerded.