Ubisoft teases virtual reality version of hit game ‘Assassin’s Creed’

LOS ANGELES — French videogame powerhouse Ubisoft on Monday announced that a virtual reality version of its blockbuster “Assassin’s Creed” franchise will be available by year’s end.

Player’s in “Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR” will take on the roles of earlier protagonists from the franchise, complete with the trademark hidden wrist blades, dramatic parkour escapes, and the iconic “leap of faith” from atop buildings.

“Being able to feel what it is like to become a master assassin is going to be a huge draw for players,” the game’s senior creative director David Votypka told AFP at a Ubisoft Forward showcase of upcoming games in Los Angeles.

“It’s a really strong fit for VR.”

Gameplay in “Assassin’s Creed” involves a lot of climbing, jumping between buildings swinging from poles, running, combat and more.

“Games that work best in VR are obviously the ones that feature a lot of physicality; so it allows us to make something different and better in some ways than the non VR version,” Votypka said.

A team at Ubisoft was devoted to making sure people who get disoriented or nauseous from dashing about in VR are comfortable, adding features like quick ways for characters to “teleport” from one spot to another.

There was also discussion early on by the team how realistic it should be for someone in VR to sneak up on a person and stab them to death, according to Votypka.

Game designers tuned down the violence of assassination scenes, making them quick and controlling where targets could be struck.

“You can’t torture them,” Votypka said of assassination targets.

“It’s still more like video game violence as opposed to trying to simulate what a real hidden-blade kill might be like.”

The game will be available on Meta’s latest VR headsets known as Quest, formerly branded as Oculus.

The new VR component will also add an interesting double-layer to the series, whose plot often centres around modern-day protagonists entering their own virtual historic world.

Players will see through the virtual eyes of Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Renaissance Italy; Kassandra in Ancient Greece and Connor in Colonial America in a storyline that lets them slip in and out of the memories of ancestors.

Real-world moves, while holding controllers, will be used to duel, throw axes, move with stealth and more in the game, demonstrations showed.

“This is a full proper ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game in VR,” Votypka said.

“I hope that it shows players and developers and publishers that big brands can be awesome in VR.”

Ubisoft also showed off a coming “Assassin’s Creed Mirage” addition the franchise tailored for play on videogame consoles and personal computers.

“Mirage” was described as an homage to the first Assassin’s game and plays out in ninth-century Baghdad.

Gamers will take on the role of “Basim” fighting against “The Order of the Ancients” in “Mirage”, which is set for release on October 12.

“Assassin’s Creed” is also going mobile, with a “Codename Jade” free-to-play version of the game set during the time of the Qin Dynasty in China.

Players were invited to register for a public “beta” test of “Jade”.