After players had been clamoring for it for years, theAssassin’s Creedfranchise finally brought them to Japan withAssassin’s Creed Shadows. While it may not be perfect, that blend has made for a fantastic game overall, with many eagerly waiting to see how Ubisoft expands it from here. But even though the setting is definitely a standout,Assassin’s Creed Shadowstruly shines with its protagonists. Specifically, the inclusion of Yasuke is unlike anything the franchise has really seen before.
Yasuke has completely changedAssassin’s Creed’s approach to protagonists by actually being a real person from history. It remains to be seen if Ubisoft continues down that path with future titles, but if it chooses not to withAssassin’s Creed, then it really needs toconsider doing it withFar Cryinstead. If done well, a historicalFar Crycould lead to something truly special for the franchise. Plus, it may also be the exact thing the series needs afterFar Cry 6struggled to excite the player base.
Yasuke Was Unlike Anything Assassin’s Creed Has Seen
Ever since the firstAssassin’s Creed, players have taken control of fictional characters in a historical setting. They have battled alongside the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates, Cleopatra, Benjamin Franklin, Blackbeard, and so many more real people from history throughout the years. But, throughout it all, players have never really played as a historical figure until now.
Assassin’s Creed Shadowshas finally put players in the shoes of an actual person,the samurai Yasuke. While his story has definitely been fictionalized to fit in with the game’s story, his inclusion here has made for a very unique experience, grounded in history in a different way. And now that Ubisoft has shown that it is willing to tell a story with real-world characters, it should consider bringing the concept to its other massive open-world franchise,Far Cry.
Far Cry Should Really Consider Taking Some Notes
TheFar Cryseriestends to explore a more modern setting filled with fictional characters, but after six mainline entries and multiple spin-offs, it may be time to shake things up. Even though Ubisoft may have some other tricks up its sleeves, the best route forward may be to delve back in time. Much likeFar Cry Primal, the franchise could explore some turbulent times in the past, and players could step into the shoes of an actual person to experience everything that the period has to offer.
Of course,theFar Cryseries has been built aroundits open-world first-person shooter chaos, so any historical figure that the studio chose would have to fit into that somehow. That means that Ubisoft would likely have to pull from some famous general or wartime leader, or even just someone who made a name for themselves fighting back against evil. Additionally, the story would likely have to be heavily fictionalized to ensure that the game offers countless hours of fun. But, with centuries' worth of history waiting to be explored, it should be relatively easy to deliver just that, especially after the precedent set by Yasuke.
Going back in time would not only lead to something truly special forFar Cry, but it may also be exactly what the franchise needs right now. Some players have felt like the formula has gotten a bit stagnant, with some of the recent entries failing to excite players on the same level as the likes ofFar Cry 3. It’s time for Ubisoft to deliver something that the series has never really seen before.
