Well-loved character from the Assassin's Creed series became a victim of money and Ubisoft's creative freedom
One of the most controversial events in the history of the Assassin's Creed series was not at all planned from the beginning. It was led by money and Ubisoft's desire for creative freedom.
NOTE: SPOILERS
The news below contains some spoilers about the ending of Assassin's Creed III. Although it will be 13 years since its release in October, if you still haven't learned the story presented in it and you intend to do so, I advise you to stop reading at this point.
The death of Desmond Miles in Assassin's Creed III remains one of the most debated events in the series' history for years. In the latest episode of The Convergence podcast, the director of "trilogy," Alex Hutchinson, spilled the beans on the decision-making process and the original plans for the characters (via 3DJuegos).
As the developer explained, the Assassin's Creed series was originally supposed to consist of only three games. The first two parts were created according to the devs' vision, and the third one was supposed to take place entirely in the modern world, with Desmond as the main character. However, the huge success of the series caused Ubisoft to expand its plans - and as a result, AC3 became not the third, but the fifth released installment.
When we were working on AC3, which was supposed to be the third installment, but ultimately became the fifth due to financial reasons, I realized that we would be asking people to remember a story from seven years ago. It didn't make sense to me that you could have been in primary school and you're now in college and I'm saying 'remember when you were in primary school' - said Hutchinson.
The director wanted to say that the longer a big, relatively coherent narrative lasts, the harder it is to keep the audience's attention. He compared it to the fatigue some viewers experience with the Marvel universe, which has had many interconnected movies and series. In his opinion, it's better to go with the Nintendo game model, where the story is based on universal principles and doesn't require following a long, complex plotline.
In the end, Desmond's death wasn't the end of the whole saga, but rather the end of the first stage. It allowed the creators to close one chapter and pave the way for new stories. Although this decision still stirs mixed emotions - many fans believe that it marked the end of the contemporary storyline in the series, even though it was later continued - Hutchinson thinks it was necessary to maintain creative control over the story and avoid plot chaos.
Moreover, the decision not to transfer the entire game to the present day may, in retrospect, be considered a good one. Many fans believe that the strongest aspect of the series remains its historical setting and unique atmosphere. Over the years, however, we have come to realize that Ubisoft lacks the idea of how to lead it in the right direction.
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Author: Kamil Kleszyk
At Gamepressure.com deals with various jobs. So you can expect from him both news about the farming simulator and a text about the impact of Johnny Depp's trial on the future of Pirates of the Caribbean. Introvert by vocation. Since childhood, he felt a closer connection to humanities than to exact sciences. When after years of learning came a time of stagnation, he preferred to call it his "search for a life purpose." In the end, he decided to fight for a better future, which led him to the place where he is today.
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