Assassin's Creed: Syndicate release set for October 23, new combat details spill forth
The livestream reveal of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate has given us an insight into the world and politics of Victorian era London, as well a boatload of info on the combat system. We also have a release date - October 23. Mark your calendars.
The newest title in the franchise is set in London, in 1868, during the Industrial Revolution. Templar controlled gangs run the seven boroughs of London and it's up to Jacob Frye and his twin sister Evie to run them out and take over their territory. A pitched battle between the classes is the central theme, as the workers form syndicates to take back the city.
As well as being surrounded by bowler hats and fancy mustaches, vehicles like carriages and trains have a place in the more modern setting, and can be utilised during the game. For example, you can hi-jack a carriage and go on a GTA-style killing spree, running down enemies willy nilly. You can hide in a carriage, assassinate someone from one, incorporate them into parkour run, or ram another carriage in a high-speed chase through the streets.
The combat has had a little overhaul and is more fast-paced, with Jacob's repertoire including headbutts, knees to the face, and other brawler-esque moves, and in an effort to keep things in close-quarters, swords openly dangling from the hip have been replaced by hidden knives, revolvers and brass knuckles.
The Assassin's Gauntlet has been revamped to include hallucinogenic darts that turn enemies against one another, and a rope launcher that you can use to zip-line from rooftop to rooftop, or to pop up to the top of a building without having to do any actual climbing.
Another new element is being able to use the environment to your advantage, like releasing a pallet of barrels onto some unsuspecting bugger's head.
We also got to see Jacob rescue an ally, then recruit them to give him a hand in a particularly tough-looking area. The camaraderie doesn't end there, as it also seems that factions can meet for a bout of fisticuffs on the streets, and you can all pitch in and knock some teeth out.
There was no mention of whether we'd get to play as Jacob's sister Evie, but we'll keep you posted if anything pops up.
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate will hit PC, Xbox One and PS4 on October 23.