14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at Ubisoft working on Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag says that it has plans to avoid franchise fatigue even if this is the second high-profile launch delivered in a 12-month span of time.
Jean Guesdon, the creative director leading the development of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, tells The Official Xbox Magazine that, “I think we have proven that this franchise is relevant, and that it has a long way to go.”
“Our job as developers of this new opus is to surprise players and bring fresh, different ideas, while at the same time making sure that what makes AC such a standout franchise remains intact,” he continues.
Assassin’s Creed has evolved quite a lot during its history, from a game that was focused on stealth movement and complex assassinations to a city experience that encouraged exploration and highly stylized street battles.
Guesdon adds, “With the scale and scope of the world we are building, the completely new setting, the new gameplay mechanics, and our new characters (both our hero and his supporting cast), we are definitely on track to get the job done and avoid fatigue altogether.”
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will take players back in time, allowing them to sail the high seas with Connor’s grandfather.
The main mechanic of the game will be built around naval combat, but Ubisoft also wants to make sure that boarding options are appealing and that land-based exploration is interesting.
The company has also promised that it will work on the meta-narrative of the series, although Desmond himself will not make an appearance, offering the player reasons to continue following the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is designed to launch on the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, as well as on next-gen consoles, in late October.