Assassin's Creed

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Assassin's Creed

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E3 brings more info about the most expected title of 2007

Reconquering the Holy Land


The end of the Second Crusade, in 1187 CE, saw the recapture of Jerusalem by Saladin in charge of the combined forces of Egypt and Syria from the European invaders. Taken aback by this failure, Richard I of England and Philip II of France made up their differences in Europe and started the Third Crusade to the Holy Land only two years later, in 1189 CE. Ultimately, in 1192 CE, Richard I ended up finalizing a treaty with Saladin which left Jerusalem under Muslim control but allowed unarmed Christian pilgrims to visit the city. And this agreement didn't last long either, since the Fourth Crusade started only six years later with the Europeans again yearning for the riches of the Muslims.

However, on an alternative timeline the history may be very different indeed, and this is where Assassin's Creed steps in. In 1191 CE, when the Third Crusade is still at full swing, a secret order of Assassins aims to stop the war by taking out the nine key individuals who are architecting the crusades. The assassins in the game are based on the actual historical order, Hashshashin, which was a militant religious sect of the Ismaili Muslims and was active during the period the game is set in.

Altair the assassin


Ubisoft, the publisher and developer of too many hits to count, are at it again, promising a completely new kind of gaming experience where you get to play an assassin of the above-mentioned order and plan and execute your kills from start to finish with total freedom – including the fancy escapes from the soldiers or whoever happens to try to stop you after your deed. All this in a realistic game world where you will not see scantily clad women heaving swords that are thrice their own size, familiar from practically every fantasy game out there.

The player controls a character called Altair, Flying Eagle in English, who is one of the henchmen of the Assassins and whose task it is to take out nine key people behind the crusades – those who benefit the most from the war and want to see it continued. He's sacrificed one of his fingers in order to become a full-fledged member of his order and carries around a hidden blade in his sleeve that will pop out at the press of a switch. His other weapons include of a sword, a dagger and throwing knifes and possibly a crossbow (seen on some trailers).

Cities of the Holy Land


The game takes place in three major cities in the Holy Land: Jerusalem, Damascus and Acre. All these cities are meticulously created and follow the actual geography and architecture of the cities as they existed during the Third Crusade. The designers have used actual historical information – paintings and other period documents – to achieve a setting that is as close to the real thing as possible. The cities are completely interactive and you can visit every building that you see when you climb onto a high perch and view your surroundings. In gaming terms, the cities provide an extensive playing ground and a setting for the storyline to commence in.