Highlights
- Desmond Miles was once the center of the Assassin’s Creed universe, but he bowed out in AC3 and hasn’t been in the spotlight for many years since.
- Desmond’s departure from Assassin’s Creed opened the door for new settings and stories in the franchise, moving away from the modern-day plot.
- Ubisoft’s decision to end Desmond’s story in AC3 allowed for the series to become an anthology, exploring different characters, settings, and historical backdrops.
For the first seven years of Assassin’s Creed‘s life, it seemed like the series’ narrative was headed in a clear, reasonable direction. Just like current-era Assassin’s Creed, the first five games in the series are built around the modern-day narrative framing device, wherein underachiever Desmond Miles explores the memories of three of his ancestors: Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, Ezio Auditore, and Connor Kenway.
Along the way, Desmond transforms from something of a slacker into a master assassin, thanks to the “bleeding effect” of the Animus, a Matrix-esque process of learning abilities through the simulated reality of his ancestors. Once Assassin’s Creed 2 introduced the idea of Desmond becoming an assassin in the real world, it seemed inevitable that the series would culminate in an epic finale starring Desmond and Desmond alone, wielding all of his newfound abilities in the modern day. For better or worse, this didn’t end up happening, as Desmond sacrifices himself at the end of AC3, effectively removing himself from the overarching Assassin’s Creed plot.
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The Story of Desmond’s Departure from Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft Wanted More Out of Assassin’s Creed
Ahead of Assassin’s Creed 3‘s launch, the game’s creative lead Alex Hutchingson stated that it was time for the series to move on from Desmond, explaining that “[t]hings that go on too long lack resonance. We’re asking people to remember seven years’ worth of story.” Hutchingson would go on to explain Ubisoft’s vision for the future of Assassin’s Creed, likening the series to classic anthology TV show The Twilight Zone and the episodic, arc-focused Star Trek. Over a decade after these statements were made, with Assassin’s Creed clearly defined as an anthology series, it’s clear that this vision has been realized.
Desmond Stood In the Way of Assassin’s Creed’s Future
While there could have perhaps been a way to move forward with the anthology approach while keeping Desmond at the helm—he was at the center of three different historical assassins’ stories, after all—things are undeniably easier with him out of the way. The Ezio trilogy is fondly remembered, but modern Assassin’s Creed games don’t get direct sequels, as this would limit what the franchise can do with new characters, settings, etc. Were Desmond to stay in the role of the hero all these years later, Ubisoft would have to keep devising narrative justifications to keep him around. Plus, with his story seemingly headed in the direction of him becoming a real-world assassin, it would be difficult to keep implementing new historical backdrops, thus complicating the main draw of the franchise.
The Cost of Cutting Desmond from Assassin’s Creed
Ending Desmond’s story in Assassin’s Creed 3 allowed the franchise to introduce all-new settings and historical stories, but it also shot the modern-day plot in the foot. When Desmond was alive, the modern-day story was heading in a clear, intriguing, and definitive direction: Desmond would take the fight to the Templars in the real world, perhaps in his own game that adapts Assassin’s Creed gameplay to contemporary settings. Whether this would have been a good thing is another question entirely, but it would certainly be a bold step for the franchise and a fitting conclusion to the modern-day storyline.
Today, the non-Animus plot of Assassin’s Creed is a little directionless, with each new release essentially kicking the can down the road, attempting to retain some semblance of narrative continuity between releases. For fans that never want Assassin’s Creed to end, this is great, but for those hoping for a satisfying end to a story that began back in 2007, it can feel frustrating and disappointing.
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is the latest entry in Ubisoft’s iconic stealth series.
The game will be set in 9th century Baghdad and is going to take the Assassin’s Creed franchise back to its action-adventure roots with a more linear structure, rather than the role-playing style seen in the recent main series games.
- Released
- October 12, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Bordeaux
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- Metascore
- 78
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
