The success of Assassin’s Creed not only ensured future sequels, it introduced players to one of today’s most interesting new video game characters, the Middle Eastern assassin Altaïr. When news struck that Altaïr’s descendent Ezio is taking over in Assassin’s Creed 2, fans were understandably disappointed, begging for more game time with the memorable character.
Ubisoft producer Frederic Lefrançois agrees. “Actually, Altaïr is probably the most popular character ever created by Ubisoft,” he tells us. “It would have been sad to end his adventures after the first game.” The result of this shared sentiment is a brand new Altaïr-fueled adventure for the PSP, Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines.
The transition from console to handheld is an adventure in its own right, fraught with danger; one design misstep could spell disaster (i.e. the DS flop Assassin’s Creed: Altaïr’s Chronicles). But Lefrançois believes that despite the challenges of working on the PSP, the team has succeeded in crafting an experience authentic to the fledgling franchise, assuring us that Bloodlines offers players the same freedom and “climb anywhere” gameplay Assassin’s Creed featured. While he couldn’t directly compare the size of Bloodlines’ cities to its predecessor, Bloodlines features two full open-world cities – Limasol and Kyrenia – each sporting a minimum of four districts. Both cities are on the island of Cyprus just west of Syria, one of the settings of Assassin’s Creed. Cyprus was also once controlled by the Republic of Venice – where part of Assassin’s Creed 2 takes place. It’s one example of how Bloodlines ties the two games together, but the story isn’t the only facet receiving additions.
According to Lefrançois, all of Altaïr’s signature moves are once again available to gamers (as well as some new ones), and the game sports new challenges and mission types – something the original Assassin’s Creed could’ve used.
As you can see, the first screenshots look promising, and Bloodlines is poised to give people exactly what they want: the continuation of Altaïr’s story. This includes more face time with Maria, the female Templar Altaïr spared in the first game (we’re guessing that’s going to be awkward), as well as additional information that will flesh out his past. Lefrançois also promises, “You’ll learn more about Altaïr’s legacy through the writing of his codex.” We’re not sure what Altaïr’s codex is, but we can’t wait to find out.
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