Assassin's Creed 1 REMASTERED Ideas
Okay, I am really hoping that AC1 gets a remake (unlikely, but still hoping), because personally, it was the best Assassin's Creed, and Altair will forever be the ultimate master assassin. Here are some ideas:
-NO PRESENT DAY. Okay, so I said that this will be a remake, buuut, I think it should be ENTIRELY focused on Altair. I think it should start in his earlier years aswell, and it should DEFINITELY include key moments of his life (such as the flashbacks of AC:R). I feel like this game should be focused on Altair's life, all the way from his childhood to his death (obviously skipping some areas of his life). I feel like this is the best thing to do in order to ensure the success of this "remaster".
-New voice for Altair! I personally didnt mind his voice in AC1, even though it made no sense with the time period and the area, but it kinda fit his character in a way, well, at least that part of his life. His voice is fixed in AC:R, and in is way more appropriate for the setting.
-SWIMMING. I don't know what the problem with this in the original was, but you DIE as soon as you hit the water! I believe this was corrected with Altair in ACR though.
-Better travel. Let's face it, the traveling in AC1 sucked, and it was boring and sometimes confusing. There needs to some sort of faster traveling.
-REPETITION. While this game is repetetive, it does it in an okay way, but this would have to be fixed in the newer version. I've looked around, and I've seen some amazing ideas! Some even say that the GPS system be entirely removed, and make it mandatory for the player to listen to guard or passing citizens for info on their next target, or even info about where to get MORE info on their target. Personally, I feel like this is a perfect way to rebuild what made Assassin's Creed so fun in the first place; being an assassin! What kind of assassin looks at messages on-screen for his objective? That's the problem with the series now, it just tells you where to go and what to do, and you dont get to experience finding out what to do, you dont get that sense of discovery, that sense of being a true assassin.
-Customizability. This might have seemed like and idea for kids that like to play dress-up when you just read that, but I mean your assassin's style, is he stealthy, not stealthy, does he take a smart approach, or does he just get others to do it for him? Obviously there would need to be some sense of balance here, but it really is a great way of giving the player a sense of control, and makes them feel like THEY are the assassin. This could be done with perks, attained by skill points after side-quests and story missions. I also feel like more weapons could be added, but not bought in the market, there could be a number of ways to get them! Obviously, being a stronghold for ASSASSINS, Masayaf would have some weapons (in exchange for your current weapon(s)), and maybe you could sneak into (highly armed) enemy territory to steal weapons. And you see, that is also where your skills come into play, if you have a full-on stealth character, then it would be easier to get inside the territory, and if you have a big tough assassin, he may be able to berzerk his way through the place. But while we are still on the topic of weapons, different weapons would obviously have different conditions. For example, if you wanted to be a stealthy character and sneak past everyone, you probably would not want to hoard tons of weapons on your person, as that would draw attention, so you would have a very light arsenal. That is where balance comes into play. A stealthy assassin would be worse in combat then a big buff assassin, but he would be a lot quicker, quieter, and he would blend better than the big guy. I believe that there should be quite a variety of different (types of) weapons, such as cross-bows, heavy weapons (useable to bulked assassins as a skill perk), medium weapons (available at the start), light weapons (also available at the start), darts/throwing knives (do less damage than crossbow, but are a lot quicker and quieter and lighter for stealthy assassins), spears (for a character with high attack but low defense), and obviously hidden blades for all! Now, back to my original idea of types of assassins. There would be lots to choose from or mix-match, but here are just a few starting ideas:
-Bulk. The tank of all the assassins, able to take massive amounts of damage, and dew a good amount of it aswell. He would be loaded with (at max upgraded) a crossbow, one heavy weapon, one light weapon, one medium weapon, hidden blades, bulky loud armor, and dual mini scythes (yes, weapons like this WERE used).
-Stealthy. The quickest, quietest, and most incognito assassin of all, able to sneak past the brightest of guards. This asaassin would obviously not have very much armor, and would be very vulnerable to attacks, but his damage (towards unaware enemies) would be great, quick, clean, and super silent. His arselal (at max upgraded) would include throwing knives/darts (quick, quiet, light, but not very strong), a light weapon, an optional medium weapon (decreases stealth level if you have this on your person though), and hidden blade(s). With this play type though, the more weapons you add, the less stealthy he becomes.
-Smarty. The assassin that uses all his possible exploits to kill his targets. This assassin would use his knowledge to set traps, ambushes, and even trick his own target into trusting him. This assassin would be equiped with pretty much everything that the stealthy assassin has, but he would also come with a variety of small traps. This assassin would have the skill to (in eagle vision) see possible kill scenarios and traps (such as the scene in Masayaf where you spring the trap on Robert).
-Theif. I'm not sure that this really belongs, but it's a creative idea. He would be fast, and quick at pickpocketing aswell, quick enough to run up and snatch the pickpocket info in seconds, unlike the usual get-in-close-and-carefully way. He would be equiped with throwing knifes, a light weapon, mini dual scythes, and his hidden blades.
-Killer. This assassin would be good for quickly killing enemies and going on about his business. He would be equipped with a spear (great for quick kills), a light weapon, an optional medium weapon (obviously slowing him down if equipped) and hidden blades.
I might have gone a little over-kill with that section.
-Graphics. This one is a given.
-Side-quests. We need something else to do, obviously Altair would have taken small breaks from getting info for big targets.
That's all I can really think of for now, if you have any more ideas, feel free to tell me!
Assassin's Creed Remastered, huh? ;D
Might be fun to slap a nice themed title on it like, Assassin's Creed Re-Synchronized or something crazy like that.
Anyway, title doesn't really matter.
What matters are your ideas, and you've got some cool ones. I'll address each one of them in sequence.
1) No Present Day
- This makes sense to me, because the Present Day story has already been seen in the original release of AC1. If it were a completely new game with a completely new story, I'd demand that Present Day make a return - but it's not. It's just a remake of Assassin's Creed with a deeper focus on improved Altair gameplay. Using the AC Unity engine for this would be amazing.
2) Altair's Voice Actor
- I won't really mind whichever voice they use for Altair - as long as it's one of the two Voice Actors who'd done him before. No one new though, I wouldn't trust them to do his character justice. The voice actor doesn't matter as much as his written lines do. Altair's writing was what made him who he was. An abrasive, arrogant character who eventually grows and becomes one of the wisest people history has ever seen. He grows in humility and becomes all the more noble for it, learning from his failures and always striving to be a better person. However, that wouldn't be until about the halfway point of the game.
- His edge from AC1 should return; Altair should always be somebody you don't really want to talk to, you sort of fear, and you don't want to mess with at all. He won't kill you for looking at him funny, but he has more than enough power and skill to do so. There's a reason AC1 is the only game in which you Intimidate people. Altair is Intimidating. It is one of his character traits, and he's done it best; even better than bigger, brawnier or "scarier" Assassins like Connor. You just do not want to screw with The Flying Eagle.
3) Swimming
- AC1's Animus was weak. TL;DR Ubisoft couldn't program swimming in AC1 because by the time they wanted to, it was too late and it broke a lot of things. Altair should definitely be able to swim, in keeping with AC's freedom of movement. This is just a standard Quality of Life change.
4) Travel and Fast Travel
- My favored idea for this is simple. Take the Fast Travel system from AC4 Black Flag and put it in this game. Every time you Sync a Viewpoint, it becomes a Fast Travel Node that you can select on the map, warp to and Leap of Faith off to get back down to ground level. It was genius and worked really well. With the Eyeground/High-Ground feature from Unity (viewing Icons just by climbing a building) and Controlled Descent, Viewpoints will become more useful as Fast Travel nodes than their original purpose anyway.
5) Removing the GPS System, and Gameplay Variety
- This should be optional, if only because I'd rather not alienate newcomers. Eagle Vision and finding objectives that way, with the Eyeground/High-Ground feature could work as well, but people playing this game for the first time should feel it's fair and fun for them. Assassin's Creed is vastly about Options. Being able to tweak things as you like is part of the Animus experience. It's just a matter of good design. Some players like having icons and maps. Others prefer a more naked/pure experience.
- Keeping variety in gameplay and retaining the feeling of Discovery can be tied to Mod Missions, and their Discovery through Interrogations (revealing more Map Icons, Metal Gear Solid-style) or the way it works in Unity. Since Adaptive Mission Mechanic can also be a likely part of AC Remastered, there's that to consider in terms of variety as well.
6) Customization.
- I enjoy the concept, but it may be going a little overboard. Having different Customizations all be named could be cool, but it should only be name-switches based on Equipped Items. You'd never be picking a class, and the class name would be purely cosmetic. The advantages conferred should be gained purely through the way your Equipped Items play together - and maybe your Skills as well.
- My reasoning for this is that AC Unity is big on Customization because of Co Operative play, and Complementarity.
Unless AC Remastered has Co Op (Which it very well may, and it might be a great idea.) Customization won't be super huge, I feel.
7) Side Quests
- New Side Quests for a new age.
Multiple Bureaus in each city, with of course, one Primary Bureau. (This would be Malik's in Jerusalem, for instance.)
Individual Bureaus should be able to gain Heat depending on actions you perform within that city. If a Bureau's Heat is far too high, you may need to accept information or begin your mission from different Bureaus, which may be farther and farther away from your Target. Bureaus closer to your Target that have accrued much Heat also make starting at the Bureaus that are farther away more difficult. More guards, more patrols, because now Guards and the Target are aware of Assassin activity within their district. Altair should be able to take Assassination Contracts like Ezio (and later Assassins) to lower Bureau Heat. These are randomized targets with randomized guards spawned around them, and uses Adaptive Mission Mechanic + Blackbox depending on mission type.
Flag Races should go away, it doesn't fit with Assassin's Creed's newer, more open and fluid mission structure.
If we're going to comprise Altair's entire LIFE, then there should also be times where he "syncs" with the Apple, or gazes into it and grabs its Knowledge for himself. In here, Altair learns how to resist the hallucinations and visions, the Apple's influence, and gains the wisdom to craft the new weapons we learn about him making (in AC2 all the way up to Revelations).
Hidden Gun
Double Blade
Poison Blade
Hidden Blade Bracer
In the Codex in AC2, Altair describes the new Assassination Techniques (Ledge, Air, Haystack/Hidespot) as having been developed between him and Malik, not just Altair alone. Malik should have more exposure in AC Remastered, as he was a vital character in Altair's life and we didn't really see him in Revelations at all. The relationship and brotherly bond between Altair and Malik are just about as much a defining factor as his bond with Maria.
That's all I got for now.
I really wouldn't like a remastered version of AC1.
What would be removed/modified for a remastered version is what, in my opinion, makes this game special ; it would lose its uniqueness in the process.
-Present day : aside from the fact that the present day segments are cool and I would miss them if they were removed from an AC game, in AC1 they're not just here for the hell of it. Sure, the entire gameplay only makes sense because of the modern day setting, and if this was the only problem it could be resolved by one explanatory cutscene in the beginning but that's not how I see it.
For example, they made the cliffhangers more intense : what would Altaïr's death in the beginning of the game have been if what immediately followed is him standing wondering how he is alive? The fact that there is a Desmond cutscene in between makes the player uncomfortable, because they're forced to wonder 'how am I going to end the game without the main character?'
Also, the similarities between Altaïr-Al Mualim and Desmond-Vidic showed how even hundreds of years apart both Assassins go through the same struggle, that of having too much unanswered questions. That throughout the game Desmond was lectured by a Templar behind a desk who would often stare out the window just like his ancestor.
-Altaïr : I never minded his AC1 voice, and didn't like the change in ACR, even if it was to make it more accurate. In a new game he would either have a third voice, or keep his ACR one and that would be weird to me.
About his "edge", you are absolutely right, and this is why Altaïr felt out of character in ACR, to add to the voice problem.
Plus, a remastered version would be more like ACR, zooming in on his face and showing the player how he moves. The first time I saw the ACR E3 trailer, I wondered why just seeing Altaïr walk on the wooden platform for a mere second blew my mind so much, and I realised it was because this was the first time we saw how Altaïr really moved. In AC1 you are almost always in control of the character, so he just stands there and you only have his voice to convey how he reacts. This was taken away in other games because it is either gameplay or cutscene. In AC1, I believe the only times Altaïr moves "by himself" (not counting the CG cutscene) are when he attacks Robert in Solomon's temple, and how he averts or fixes his eyes on Al Mualim before he is stabbed in the beginning and when he is restrained by the PoE in the end.
Altaïr had this "edge" because we didn't know much about him. The effect would be reduced by changing that, if we saw more of his life (like ACR did or how a remastered version would do), or if the cutscenes were more movie-like, like all AC games have done since the first one.
-Swimming : sure it didn't make much sense in the game, but it was a nice challenge. Being able to swim wouldn't make a big difference, except make Sibrant's assassination easier, but it would be a change nonetheless.
-Fast travel : the fast travel option in the Kingdom once you had gone once in every city manually was enough, I think. The only thing you had to do after that was either Al Mualim -> Masyaf gate or ride a few seconds to one of the cities' gate. It wasn't long and it showed you how Altaïr was forced to do the same thing over and over again. Fast travel makes sense in other games because the structure is more "all over the place" than AC1, where you know your destination at all times.
You could say it kind of reinforces Altaïr's badassery as well, if you imagine the ride between Masyaf and the other cities being boring and exhausting in itself (Bowden's book estimates crossing the Kingdom takes three days), but then he had to either be in top form to efficiently investigate and then not fuck up the assassination, or having a clear enough mind to put up with Al Mualim's briefing and actually turn his master's soliloquy into a conversation.
-Customization : here I think AC1 showed that having the most choices possible isn't the only way to make a good game, quality over quantity. The fact that you have to accomplish your missions with just what you are given (and when they are unlocked) contributes to the "minimalist" period Altaïr lived in. The other games' protagonists had the freedom to enter a store anytime and buy what they wanted, whereas AC1 conveys the idea that you are not allowed to do what you want, including using certain abilities.
You can't grab a ledge until Altaïr gets his skill back (I think it coincides with when he gets his gloves back, that would make a more "normal" explanation), but then you can kind of make a manual controlled descent.
-Side quests : don't get me wrong, they're great because they give you more things to do in the game. They went really well with the storylines starting from ACII, because the protagonists could afford to help someone in trouble even if they didn't get anything in return. Their cause was less restricting than Altaïr's was.
In AC1 any side quest you do benefits you directly for the mission. It is either an investigation, or a viewpoint to find said investigation, or a save citizen mission to get monks to hide amongst/thugs to cover your escape.
I have difficulty imagining Altaïr taking the time to deliver letters or go beat up a robber. If there was side quests it couldn't be anything else than what DAZ suggested, something directly linked to his goal.
It goes with the fact that he would not jump in to save someone that was being killed by one of his main targets, because his role wasn't to save the most people possible, but wait for the right moment to be sure he killed his one target.
Take Majd Addin's assassination, for example : Altaïr took his time while Majd was executing the civilians, so that when he got to him, it would be to instantly kill him. On the other hand we have been showed in the other games that Ezio wouldn't have hesitated to jump in to spare the civilians first, then have to run after the target or track him down again.
That's one thing I hope we'll see in future games.
Tl;dr AC1 has no flaws and shouldn't be modified.
Sync, I think I might actually love you. I responded for the purposes of discussion and exploring ideas, but I can easily see enormous merit in what you're saying as well. As someone whose favorite game of all time is AC1, I'd be happy with just a smoother engine but the gameplay being overall the same. Changing far too much might take away from what made it special.
Changing far too much might take away from what made it special.
I agree. I wouldn't want a complete overhaul of the original, I'd just like it to be smoothened up a bit.
Sync, I think I might actually love you. I responded for the purposes of discussion and exploring ideas, but I can easily see enormous merit in what you're saying as well. As someone whose favorite game of all time is AC1, I'd be happy with just a smoother engine but the gameplay being overall the same. Changing far too much might take away from what made it special.
Love you too pal. I was afraid my message might be a little dramatic but I'm glad it didn't seem too ridiculous.
An AC remake is a recurring daydreaming theme for me.
Mine goes something like this:
No present day. It all starts with Altair raising his blade and killing that guy in Solomon's temple.
More continuous animations, without changing the speed or the moves. Just connect the gaps, with no time added. Also, the obvious glitches with climbing and freerunning fixed.
A more complete saving system, so that you can save any checkpoint and go back later.
Otherwise, exactly the same as the PC version.
Additionally, it has a built-in replay system, which you can activate at any time, and record it from any perspective. You can even set timed paths for the camera.
You can turn on an extreme stealth mode, which will immediately desynchronize you if a citizen notices you doing something strange out of combat, or if you startle them at any time, or if you get hit.
Sometimes I even fantasize about a multiplayer feature: sometimes it randomly connects two players that are in the same area on the map, but you can only see the other if they got noticed by anyone since they last exited a hiding spot. Otherwise they are invisible.
Anyway, I don't think that Ubisoft would ever make something like that. Their version of a remake would probably use the latest version of the engine, with Altair floating around like he's on the Moon or something.
Guys...
It looks pretty fake.
Guys...
It looks pretty fake.
It is fake. No way would it be 60 fps!!!1!!
Missed a decimal point. Should be 6.0 fps ... then "patched up" to 25 fps after release.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
Hahaha, look at the stretched PC cover.
When you kill Al Mualim the usual cutscene should play and then the Memory from AC:Revelations. After that it should say "Memory Fast Forward" and a remastered AC:Bloodlines with Cyprus completely redone with the same gameplay as whatever engine Ubisoft decides to use for Assassins Creed Remastered should start.
I'm more interested in gameplay additions, such as VR missions in the animus room, possible contracts, more assassinations, even that Acre demo. I also heard they originally planned to make Jamal the first target in the game.
Anything else they can add.
Adding too much would take away from the game, though. Remastered games usually don't add much else except for previously DLC-only missions or visual upgrades. Additional levels would be fine if it's from Bloodlines as a full Altair package (all in the AC1 engine and its controls).
I'd like the basic game there, but have it look as gorgeous as Unity's Paris does, more NPCs on screen, more diverse NPC models, a few more Info Gathering missions, and maybe some Extras for the game that AC1 fans would like (such as behind the scenes video during the production of the game back in the day or commentary from Patrice and/or Jade Raymond). Everything else, like the story and main assassination missions, stay the exact same.
Just make it pretty and worth buying again with little bonuses like that.
While I agree the main story shouldn't be messed with, small additions don't seem like enough. Many of us have played the heck out of AC1, and the graphics are already great with an HDMI cord. That's why I was hoping they can go the extra mile and make an expanded version.
A good example is MGS2. They added more missions without creating new stuff. For example instead of audible dialogue there was written text and the missions were made off recycled game mechanics. I haven't played any of the extended version, but Jackreacher has and could tell more.
Now just think of the possibilities of extra missions. We could (and should) make a topic just on that. Imagine contracts like the informer missions, except without a time limit or stealth requirement. Imagine if it was enemies disguised as civilians you were after. Imagine VR training like in AC:B.
I always liked the DaVinci machine missions, no matter how much the tank one pissed me off.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
Maybe once you 100% the game you get the crossbow. Since it was cut it shouldn't be too hard to code in.
I was actually thinking about that crossbow. In the AC1 intro it shows the crossbow on Altair's back and the short blade on the front of his belt. If it's too much trouble to make it like that, there should be an option of choosing between shortblade and crossbow (have a weapon rack at the city bureaus).
I really need to make a topic for this. So many ideas.
You could imagine how easy the game would be with a crossbow, just point at a target and shoot. Especially the target thats on the boat.
It would be far too easy thats why I would want it after you finish the story. The weapon rack idea is good though.
You could imagine how easy the game would be with a crossbow, just point at a target and shoot. Especially the target thats on the boat.
It would be far too easy thats why I would want it after you finish the story. The weapon rack idea is good though.
Throwing knives are so satisfying, though. I'd be happy without a crossbow, personally. It would feel too different to me having anything resembling a firearm in AC1. Swords and knives all the way!
I do prefer swords and knifes but the crossbow after the final memory would be good to mess around with.