The new Assassin’s Creed game may correct an Ubisoft mistake and focus more on stealth than titles released in recent years. Ubisoft’s next Assassin’s Creed title, rumored to be named Rift, could return the series to the old style of sneaking around and performing precision assassinations. Instead of focusing on combat, like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or Valhalla, the new game will supposedly bring back an element of covertness that has been missing for a long time.
Assassin’s Creed Rift is said to be focused on Basim from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as the protagonist and is reportedly set in Baghdad before the events of the 2020 title. Rumors also state that the game will be much smaller than recent Assassin’s Creed titles, and that it will focus more on stealth mechanics, which haven’t been seen much in recent games. Ubisoft is reportedly developing this content as a standalone title to fill its release slate. Although none of this information has been confirmed by Ubisoft at this time, the prospect of Assassin’s Creed returning to its original gameplay style is exciting.
As interesting as it would be to see Assassin’s Creed Rift play similar to older games in the series, it will be important that it stands out on its own as well. It would be hard to completely eliminate the fighting elements that have been developing since Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag‘s ship combat, but adding in more stealth will bring back some of what Assassin’s Creed has lost along the way. Even if Assassin’s Creed Rift focuses more on stealth, there could be somewhat of a balance between the two playstyles to incorporate all of the current staples of Assassin’s Creed.
Recent Assassin’s Creed Games Focus Too Much on Combat
Assassin’s Creed games have gradually moved away from strategic movements and stealthy assassinations to incorporate brutal and impressive combat encounters. The hidden blades, which were once a staple of the series, have nearly become obsolete when stacked against the large number of powerful weapons available. For example, the major boss fights in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla were in fixed arenas where Eivor had to use their skills to beat down their opponent rather than sneaking up on a target and taking them out silently. More recent Assassin’s Creed titles still have some situations where a stealthy approach is possible, but overall, the games haven’t been designed for that playstyle in years.
Returning to a stealth focused playstyle similar to the first few titles could satisfy fans who want a classic Assassin’s Creed experience. If Assassin’s Creed Rift includes more stealth gameplay in a smaller world, it can also be a good introduction to the series for new players before the release of Assassin’s Creed Infinity. Infinity is said to be a live service game expanding on the scope of the series, so a smaller title is a good way to get ready for it without overshadowing the project.
Stealthy Assassinations Aren’t Encouraged Anymore in Assassin’s Creed
In early games like Assassin’s Creed 2, stealth assassinations were sometimes required to fully complete the game. Tutorials focused on hiding in plain sight and sneaking up on targets rather than fighting, parrying, and upgrading weapons. Assassin’s Creed games also used to encourage players to move through each city unseen instead of confronting guards and enemies head on. The move away from convert gameplay has been amplified by protagonists like Eivor who is not an actual member of the Order of Assassins.
With the prospect of Basim being the main focus in Assassin’s Creed Rift, the new game may show more about the early days of the Order of Assassins, or, as they were known at the time, the Hidden Ones. Although when playing chronologically Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will still come first, Assassin’s Creed Rift may help fill in the gap between Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The two aforementioned titles have the largest gap of time between them, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the new game fell somewhere in between them.
A Stealth-Focused Assassin’s Creed Game Could Be Nostalgic
For fans of the Assassin’s Creed series, Rift may offer a feeling of nostalgia with stealth focused content. Old Assassin’s Creed games bring up memories of sneaking around to reach a vantage point and following a target until the optimal moment to strike. Avoiding direct confrontation and hiding in large crowds used to be necessary in Assassin’s Creed, and bringing back those mechanics may recapture how the original title felt. With the expansion into massive open-world settings, returning to an adventure like Altïar’s or Ezio’s may seem like a step backward, but making these changes can potentially enhance the series.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla started to make stealth important again with areas of distrust and the option for Eivor to pull up their hood up and hide their face. Expanding on the stealth options in Assassin’s Creed Rift could help increase the feeling of being an assassin and moving in the shadows to follow the teachings of the Order. The possibility of a nostalgic experience could draw in players that were less receptive to the large open-world settings that have grown in size since Assassin’s Creed Origins.
The New Assassin’s Creed May Return The Series to Its Roots
Adding in classic Assassin’s Creed features may restart the tradition of stealth and the concept of notoriety in future titles. Getting rid of all the changes made in recent games would be a mistake, but enhancing gameplay with a mix of the old and new mechanics can change the franchise for the better. Depending on the setting and how small Assassin’s Creed Rift actually is, this may not be feasible, but the return to stealth could set up future titles like Assassin’s Creed Infinity for a more complete experience.
It’s unconfirmed at this time whether or not Assassin’s Creed Rift will really focus more on stealth and bring the series back to its roots, but rumors indicate that the game is moving in that direction. It has also been reported that Assassin’s Creed Rift is a smaller game, originally meant to be DLC for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Due to the game’s connection with the 2020 title, there could be some shared features. However, a stealth game would make more sense if the protagonist is indeed Basim, who represented the Hidden Ones throughout Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Regardless of how the new Assassin’s Creed game turns out, the rumors surrounding it have sparked some excitement and eager anticipation amongst fans.
