author: Luc
Heroes’ charisma. Does Assassin's Creed need serious changes? Our thoughts versus Ubisoft dev
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Altair and Ezio have a place among the most recognizable characters in video games of the last decade. Although the former owes it mainly to being "the first one" and standing out against other contemporary protagonists, in the case of Ezio Auditore there is no such “bonus”. This exceptionally charismatic assassin, who has unveiled mysteries and accompanied us throughout several installments, was remembered not only for his skills but also the dialogues and noble ideals. After his death and the end of the "trilogy" it was time for a new character, and then another and another... none of which came even close to the cult status of the hero from the second installment. Edward Kenway from Assassin's Creed IV had some potential, but in the end no fan of the series would put him above Altair and Ezio. What is the reason behind this? Why the sudden loss of charisma of consecutive characters? The answer seems simple – players find it hard to form a bond with protagonists who are discarded after only one game. Creating another trilogy featuring a single hero could be a great help in getting the series back on the right track and would give fans time to get to know the new character. The developers had the following to say of that matter:
I think how charismatic you consider a character is very subjective. Everybody has their favorites. But yes, I would agree that generally Ezio is the most favorite. Let’s remember, though, that he was annualized. He was in three Assassin’s Creed games! I think Evie and Jacob are exciting characters who fit well with others. I feel like of the two of them, Jacob is most reminiscent of Ezio, having this “fun” attitude, and Evie… she’s more like Altair – very serious and all about the Code/Creed, making sure she follows things to the letter. (…) Will we see them in other games or was it a one-time thing? I cannot say.
