Assassin’s Creed Unity: Tons of New Info

If you’re waiting eagerly for the next chapter of the Assassin’s Creed series (or better, one of the next chapters), Assassin’s Creed Unity,  the latest issue of Game Informer includes a rather extensive feature on the game, providing a large amount of new details on the game.

Here’s a recap of the main points, courtesy of NeoGAF user Deadly Cyclone.

• Skill leveling is in, and you can choose to drop points in stealth, combat, or navigation. You could potentially make a tank who is awesome at fighting, or a better stealth player.
• You can now customize your legs, boots, forearms, chest, hood, and mask. And the armor/clothing has attributes like a hood that makes you blend faster in crowds and a belt that allows you to hold more items.
• Co-op missions can be done solo as well and have multiple difficulties. You can also explore the whole world in co-op
• They realized that with the multiplayer in the last games they were essentially making two separate games, and they didn’t want to do that. They noted that people buy the game for the campaign and the added-on multiplayer wasn’t the same experience, so they went back to the drawing board to get co-op in.
• They are using a similar technique as Watch_Dogs for co-op, in your game you are always Arno, and everyone else looks like other brotherhood members, but in their game they are Arno and you look like a brotherhood member (like how you are always Aiden in Watch_Dogs).
• NO MORE AUTO-FAIL MISSIONS! The missions now adapt to what happens when you play and don’t follow any script. There will be changes and consequences for how you handle missions, but no longer will you get desynchronized for being spotted.
• You use the new rapid descend ability from buildings by hitting RT + B. Haystacks still exist, but they found you don’t use them near as often now.
• The interiors really open up the game. You can run into a building to hide from guards, but there may be guards inside too. You can also use interiors for assassinations, hiding in windows, etc.
• You really notice the new 1:1 scale for buildings, and the amount of buildings on the streets seems higher than any of the other games.
• Stealth mode softens your footsteps, but you still move rapidly. Great for sneaking up on guards.
• New cover system makes hiding easier and you can now peek.
• Guards no longer automatically know where you are at all times once alerted, they will now search your last known location which makes it easier to get away and even flank them.
• Combat is now harder. You may be able to beat two or three guys but five is too many. You have to pay attention to what weapons enemies have now. “For the first time, we have boss fights that are about parrying at the right time, making sure you dodge, and not spamming the attack button.”
• The NPC groups now react to each other. Thugs may attack you on sight, but guards/police won’t unless provoked. Police may go after thugs, which means you can lure thugs to the police and watch the police go after them.
• They are starting a “new cycle” with the present day stuff. “You are the protagonist ultimately.” You will understand in the first 20 minutes of the game where they are going with it. It’s “cool” and “very, very surprising.”