[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch RIP Tom Clancy😔Really don't like how ghost writers write books under his name. Surprisingly though, I believe it was a Ubisoft studio who created and wrote Sam Fisher and the rest of the Splinter Cell concept. I really hope these uber talented individuals are still with Ubisoft.

Dude your Agent 47 backstory is canon for me. It fits so well with the AC stories! I'd love to see an Agent 47 shout out like they did for Solid Snake in that Ghost Recon Sam Fisher DLC.

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH I think those series were inspired by Tom Clancy, but he also joined in the development in some capacity. Sort of like Sapkowski did for the Witcher series. But yeah, it takes more than one writer to create a game (unless it is an indie), so there should be people around who could carry on the torch. But using his name as a brand would be questionable. It's been a while since we had a decent high-tech government espionage game.

A shoutout would be nice, yeah! You can put a lot in easter eggs, but not sure how possible it would be to make a more serious connection there. And Hitman is a good universe for all sorts of connections, too. Maybe they manage to find some common ground.

And hey, we can also hope for some hints towards AC Black Flag and the upcoming Skull and Bones. The new game is darker, but they could throw in a few mentions of Edward here and there. Maybe.

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Oh that's very true. Hope the team working on the Splinter Cell remake integrate Tom Clancy's ideas/world building which might have been dropped due to the hardware limitations at the time.

I might actually play Skulls and Bones if they feature Edward 😆

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH You know, this conversation reminded me of The Night Manager series, and so I thought that they could try and bring David Farr on board for these. I liked how he adopted the original novel by John le Carré for The Night Manager series into modern times, he seems to "get the vibe". Though it is not high-tech stealth espionage like Splinter Cell, the feeling was there for me.

Skulls and Bones could feature Edward, but it is a bit...spoilers, because we know how Edward dies, so no matter what happens to him in S&B, you know he'll live in the end. Maybe he'll drop in for a cameo.

And back on the subject of Assassin's Creed, I finished Rogue yesterday. Well. To me, it was all a bit "meh", was not too bad, but not really good either, like a "filler" series episode. Maybe it's just me. And it felt short, I could only get through half of the Naval Campaign by the time the story was over, I could not get through that in the end (so no Altair swords for poor @DoctorEldritch). Anyway, that's all done and over, so on to Unity I go.

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Now that was a great trailer! Definitely got some SC Conviction vibes from it. Hope the Last of Us show kick starts the trend of acclaimed TV producers working on popular video game adaptations.

Agree with your Rogue impressions. To me it felt like an appetizer for the main course, Unity.

Well, you can probably collect them Altair Swords in AC Mirage😁That Ubisoft showcase can't come soon enough. Cautiously optimistic this time.

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH It is tricky in that regard with these, one could argue that Splinter Cell games are themselves an adaptation of Tom Clancy's novels, which it is, to a degree. So series based on that would be adaptation of an adaptation.

And it is harder with that game, you need drama and suspense, but most of the show about Sam Fisher would be watching him crawl through vents and sneaking in the dark with that trademark night vision googles of his. Sure, there'll be bits of story here and there, but overall, that is a hard game to adapt as a series.

The Last of Us is much better, though I hope they will be able to say something original and not be a "different way to say Walking Dead". We'll see. But a trend you mention is certainly possible. These days it is hard to greenlight original ideas, and while this is bad, it resulted in older franchises getting a boost. LoTR, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, you name it.

With Unity, I am a bit sad that some content is only available in multiplayer. Not only am I vary of playing with someone random (which is why I only play with other people at our Legion Game Nights), but also, servers are off right now anyway, so that content I can't get. But oh well.

I think you could collect Altair Swords in most games? I know you could in all games up till Unity, but I do not see them there. I wonder if they are in Syndicate, because in Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla they would not be present as Altair was not born yet in those times, I think?

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Oh right I didn't think about how the gameplay aspects will be translated to a TV format😅On a second thought, I'd rather have a game directed by that producer like you said. We've seen uber famous and talented writers like George R. R. Martin and Brandon Sanderson work on video games in recent years, so here's hoping we can also get some TV producers on board in the near future.

Yikes, so they shut down Unity's MP? That's unfortunate, but apart from some co-op missions, I think you're not missing out on much. I do wish that they released those missions in a couch co-op format. As for Altair Swords, I'm completely in the dark cuz I never go for a completionist run in an AC game😓

Btw, coming back to AC Mirage, someone on Twitter shared AC Mirage's official description. Not linking it here because it's an external website link and might turn out to be false. But hey it's worth checking out if you guys are curious😁

[DoctorEldritch]

It can actually be fun with some work. Some time ago, I wrote about a series called "Leverage" in our series thread. I could not find a good trailer for it (but discovered they relaunched it again titled Leverage: Redemption). But the premise is that it is like a mini Ocean's 11 in a series format. One of the main characters is a cat burglar-type thief, and she makes vent crawling look fun. But, of course, there is a lot more going on. Still, a matter of execution, I guess.

And you bring up a very interesting point: who is good at directing video games (of those who did not study for it)? You mentioned writers, and it is always a plus when they are involved. Although, while I have all the love and admiration of her father, I personally do not really like Rhianna Pratchett's work as a writer for video games. Sure, she has giant shoes to fill, but still, I feel that her stories lack layers and complexity. imho, of course.

But writing and producing are very different. Most games need a story, but a producer is almost like a director. Some games like Detroit: Become Human are excellent in that format, but games allow for so much creative freedom, that maybe cartoon producers would fit better for some of them (like that of Rick and Morty, for example). I know South Park has 2 games, both well received, so the example is out there... This is turning out a bit too long, maybe a good topic for a separate thread.

I have not tried co-op missions, but there is a function there to play them privately, I'll try and see how it works today. But there is that whole other side with social club and weekly tasks and all that, none of that is really supported anymore. Not sure if I'd enjoy it, I am just curious as to what exactly am I missing in the experience.

And yes, back to AC Mirage, we can check out Twitter, I mean, we collect rumors, too. And then you can compare how much of what you saw was actually true. Everyone liked doing that with earlier Peter Molyneux games.

[ZaidH]

Your observation about the cartoon producers is on point! I'd love to see a list of game devs whose early skill set didn't include game development.

That co-op stuff is such a bummer. Everything from that mode should've trickled down into the base game. It's not Assassin's Creed, but imagine if Rockstar Games shelved GTA online someday and all the MP stuff just puffed into the oblivion. All that hard work by the devs down the drain.

Aight, lemme share the rumored AC Mirage description then😁

SPOILER warning for anyone who wants to go into the Ubisoft event blind.

Experience the story of Basim, a cunning street thief seeking answers and justice as he navigates the bustling streets of ninth-century Baghdad. Through a mysterious, ancient organization known as the Hidden Ones, he will become a deadly Master Assassin and change his fate in ways he never could have imagined.

• Experience a modern take on the iconic features and gameplay that have defined a franchise for 15 years.
• Parkour seamlessly through the city and stealthily take down targets with more visceral assassinations than ever before.
• Explore an incredibly dense and vibrant city whose inhabitants react to your every move, and uncover the secrets of four unique districts as you venture through the Golden Age of Baghdad.

If you already own the PS4™ version of this game, you can get the PS5™ digital version at no extra cost and you do not need to purchase this product. Owners of a PS4™ disc copy must insert it into the PS5™ every time they want to download or play the PS5™ digital version. PS4™ game disc owners who buy the PS5™ Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to get the PS5™ version at no extra cost.

[ZaidH]

Here it is! Big bummer that we didn't get a gameplay reveal😓
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x55lAlFtXmw&t=42s