By Adam Smith on March 4th, 2013 at 10:00 am.
Assassin’s Creed IV has pirates, a subtitle, a release date and a trailer. The pirates caught me unawares when the internet accidentally started yo-ho-hoing about them last week and the subtitle was unexpected too, but the release date of October 29th should surprise nobody. The adventures of Desmond and his ancestral chums arrive every autumn as predictably as a new FIFA. As for the trailer, it is below and it made me extremely happy for the minute or so that I managed to pretend it was a game about a pirate who doesn’t also happen to be part of a conspiratorial, century-spanning clandestine organisation.
We’ll have more on this soon but, for now, what say you?
04/03/2013 at 10:04 SkittleDiddler says:
Aaaaaand…the Assassin’s Creed series has finally run its course. I hope.
04/03/2013 at 10:09 Kambyero says:
I don’t know– after the slog that was Assassin’s Creed III, this seems like a fresh wind in the series’s sails.
04/03/2013 at 10:16 Nemon says:
Arrr we sure this is the direction the series should be heading in?
04/03/2013 at 10:17 Lambchops says:
I sea what you did there.
04/03/2013 at 10:54 kael13 says:
There’s knot a rope in hell this is the last game.
04/03/2013 at 11:37 Arglebargle says:
I think it will go to far ports with its star aboard.
04/03/2013 at 12:40 BobbyDylan says:
Looks like a Port to me. It’ll totally sink.
04/03/2013 at 17:59 Xardas Kane says:
Yeah, they went completely overboard with this ine.
04/03/2013 at 10:19 SkittleDiddler says:
I should have said “run aground” instead of “run its course”. That would have been much better.
04/03/2013 at 11:05 Syra says:
I doubt he anticipated this to turn into a pun thread matey.
04/03/2013 at 10:05 Jade Raven says:
Funniest trailer I’ve seen in a while.
04/03/2013 at 10:20 tobecooper says:
It is quite silly with how they try to set him up to be a superpirate respected by Black Beard – he fights like a devil and fucks like a man!
This may be enormously fun.
04/03/2013 at 10:58 kael13 says:
Somehow I think he’ll sound like Mr. 30 Yr-old American Dude we all know and love.
04/03/2013 at 11:01 tobecooper says:
I don’t know. Was Ezio generic? Maybe, a bit stereotypical, yes, but also different from the norm.
04/03/2013 at 11:05 Syra says:
Well Kennway was a much more likeable character and this chap is his father so perhaps a good englisman.
04/03/2013 at 10:06 Kambyero says:
I wonder how Ubisoft will phrase the blame when PC sales are incredibly lacking?
04/03/2013 at 10:10 Firez0r says:
PIRATES
04/03/2013 at 10:29 yurusei says:
It’s them scurvy dogs down those cursed isles of The Piratebay.
Blast ‘em for His Majesty’s glory!
04/03/2013 at 12:29 SuicideKing says:
They’ll pull a PIRATEFACE!
04/03/2013 at 13:57 tomeoftom says:
Shut up shut up shut up
04/03/2013 at 14:28 Synesthesia says:
hahaha, it’s always this guy isnt it? I’m starting to like him.
04/03/2013 at 10:08 apocraphyn says:
Well, I guess the general public didn’t like the new protag as much as Ezio, then. Almost seems weird that they’re not shooting for an “AC3: Revengeance” or “AC3: The South Rises Again” and are instantly following on to an ‘actual’ numbered sequel already.
On to the next possible success and string of interrelated sequels, yaharr!
04/03/2013 at 10:15 Iamerror says:
I would make the assumption they’d already planned this game before AC3 launched, so the general reaction to the game probably isn’t the reason we aren’t seeing a sequel.
04/03/2013 at 10:24 apocraphyn says:
Perhaps. The advent of new consoles likely contribute partially to the refreshing new entry as well.
04/03/2013 at 10:13 maninahat says:
Third person pirate ship commander? Yes please.
Also, perhaps I might be the only person, but I actually don’t mind the dumb conspiracy ultra plot. I figured that in the absence of the sci-fi setting, people would be complaining just as much about the Hollywoodesque, moronic, historically revisionism on display. At least the sci-fi setting softens the player to the inherent silliness of gravity defying, Crusade era ninja. It is no more ridiculous than Deus Ex’s Chubacabres and illuminati.
04/03/2013 at 10:14 MOKKA says:
Why do all Assassins wear hoods?
04/03/2013 at 10:21 Jade Raven says:
Terry Pratchett made a similiar comment about how assassins allways wear black – despite pure black not being very camoflaged. They think it looks cool. Same story with the hoods I’d say.
04/03/2013 at 10:43 Low Life says:
Because the guy who set up Assassins’ Guild thought they looked cool and made mandatory hoods the first, and in fact only, rule of the guild.
04/03/2013 at 10:15 Lambchops says:
Next Assassin’s Creed game will be:
Assassin’s Creed V: Fugazi
You heard it here first.
04/03/2013 at 10:21 Snids says:
Assassins Creed 0: Homo Erectus.
You’re charged with assassinating key genotype bearers, ensuring the evolutionary selection pressures fall in the favour of early the early human genetic lines.
It involves a great deal of sneaking into caves and bashing in hairy skulls with rocks.
04/03/2013 at 10:29 F3ck says:
…shouldn’t that be the sequel to Assassins Creed: Minor Threat?
04/03/2013 at 10:17 Snids says:
You’d think he’d have the decency to wear proper pirate clothes. The boots are ok I suppose.
As long as the game can provide me at least a decent amount of “pirating about” then I will play it.
I’m not sure why everyone’s so negative about this. PIRATES! Come on!
Exploring Caribbean islands, stabbin’ up British imperalists, going to see the voodoo lady, mixing up juju bags, spitting contests, stealing Wallys monocle, finding the Big Whoop. I cant wait!
04/03/2013 at 10:28 DrScuttles says:
Not to mention cheating at street gambling and fishing contests, stealing family heirlooms, checking out library books with no intention of returning them, getting people fired from their job (so you can replace them and then immediately walk out of said job), imprisoning innocent captains and even sawing off a peg leg.
04/03/2013 at 10:30 GigaCosmoShark says:
This could’ve been a better series if they didn’t had that whole bullshit plot of time travellin’Matrix …
04/03/2013 at 23:26 Arkh says:
I’m pretty certain that’s the consensus around the series.
05/03/2013 at 10:40 maninahat says:
(As I said above), people would instead just complain about there being bullshit, swan diving ninjas present at every major historical period.
04/03/2013 at 10:32 FFabian says:
I’d like a game like the one shown in the trailer but the whole Assassin shtick feels tacked on. Whats next? Assassins Creed: Alien Invasion where you play a gen-enhanced Super-Soldier defending earth, boarding ships and blowing up space stations but additionally foiling an evil conspiracy (templar aliens?)?
04/03/2013 at 10:34 F3ck says:
Sorry, but wasn’t AC3 terrible?
I picked it up, but haven’t bothered with it since nothing I’ve read anywhere has lead me to believe it’s any good?
(and also I’m wrapping up Dead Space 2 to get my DS3 on)
…not sure I understand the enthusiasm for this announcement. Or is it ’cause of “pirate” anything?
[edit] apparently the ship-on-ship combat from AC3 was just “a teaser” for this game…which will have lots of that and whole oceans to explore to boot…I just love when a game co. publicly announces the game you just purchased is actually merely a commercial for the real game on its way…
04/03/2013 at 10:50 ran93r says:
I’m enjoying it, I might be odd in that I enjoy just free roaming the frontier stabbing bears in the face for hours on end doing all the side missions. I haven’t progressed the main story all that much since getting my first assassin suit.
04/03/2013 at 13:13 razgon says:
AC3 was not very good, true, but its the best selling Assassins Creed so far it seems, so… The series will run for a while yet.
04/03/2013 at 10:38 Glottis1 says:
If this fails ubisoft can always blame pirates for bad sails.
04/03/2013 at 10:54 amateurviking says:
PRE-ORDER NOW
04/03/2013 at 11:04 Meusli says:
But I don’t want to. :(
04/03/2013 at 10:56 Laurentius says:
So CDPR Cyberpunk trailer was hailed “problematic” but this one having only two notable women characters and that being two naked ladies in bad is totally cool.
04/03/2013 at 10:58 CaspianRoach says:
There was also a hooker at the end.
04/03/2013 at 11:06 Syra says:
ITS ABOUT PIRATES AND WHORES
04/03/2013 at 11:15 maninahat says:
Yes, people probably aren’t going to complain about this trailer for having sexe nekked leddies. There is a difference. I’m assuming you were one of the people who didn’t find fault with the Cyberpunk trailer, so I’m going to also assume you didn’t bother to consider the differences between that and this trailer.
04/03/2013 at 11:52 Laurentius says:
What are you not getting ? This trailer presents only two women characters, that are there exculsivly for pandering purpose. At least Cyperpunk woman has also some story, there is something more to her, but in this trailer only purpose for women is to be used for pandering for male audience.
04/03/2013 at 12:16 maninahat says:
The AC4 trailer is devoted almost solely to describing the main character. It’s about showing who he is, what he does, where he lives, and all the cool stuff you’ll (probably) be doing with him. In other words, the devs offered what will be a general cross section of the game and the protagonist. The viewer is being sold on the idea that if you buy the game, you play a badass pirate captain who gets to sail ships, fight people, carry out assassinations, and yes, as a two second cut away reveals, be a bit of a ladies’ man. It’s an informative trailer that is selling an enjoyable experience.
Cyberpunk gave us a swimsuit model with scythes on her hands, being shot. Almost the entire trailer is devoted to looking at this woman. That gives us some flavour of the game: there will be cyborgs, sci-fi, guns and perhaps the woman might be a character, maybe? But what is the trailer really selling? Buy the game, and you’ll get to see a sexy woman with robot hands? It is selling a pinup, whilst sexualising violence and objectifying the central figure.
So in conclusion, it turns out there is more than one way to depict sexy women, and some depictions are more objectionable than others as a consequence of the content and the implication. Gee wow, who’d have thunk it?
04/03/2013 at 13:07 Laurentius says:
You really need to watch Anita Saarkesian blog because this trailer is perfect example why depiction of women in video games is so fucking terrible. Adventures, swahsbuckling, pirating etc are for men only, what is a role for women ( THE ONLY ROLE according to this trailer) ? Get naked and have threesome with young dude ! Also knowing Jade Rymond contoversy , this kind of trailer from UbiSoft is totally mindblowingly vile. And this it totally pissing me off because Mr Greyson piece about how gamers are to complain to devs about problematic issues in games while for example RPS editors can cheer on this terrible trailer. Seriously what the fuck…
04/03/2013 at 13:36 quijote3000 says:
You mean the blog that basically (two entries since august 2012) stopped updating after the famous cashgrab? Thanks, but no, thanks
04/03/2013 at 20:23 Lanfranc says:
The first video is coming out on Thursday.
04/03/2013 at 18:14 maninahat says:
Well, seeing as how the trailer features exactly one character (two, if you count Black Beard’s narration), the lack of prominent or fleshed out women is hardly surprising. It also isn’t surprising that when a pirate is describing how awesome some other pirate dude is, he doesn’t accompany it with a particularly comprehensive cross examination of women roles in colonial society beyond “this guy is so cool, he gets to have sex with TWO ladies at once!”
There are actually quite a few famous female pirates, so it is likely there will be some interesting female characters featuring in this game. They just haven’t featured in this trailer. NO prominence is given to anyone besides the protagonist, women included. That’s different from, say, the Hitman trailer, which spends at least as much time depicting leather clad nun bums as the baldie hero.
05/03/2013 at 12:45 bill says:
What people seem to be missing about the cyberpunk trailer is that that character (clothes and all) basically came straight out of the P&P RPG.
Alt Cunningham:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk_2020#Characters
https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=cyberpunk+alt+cunningham
I’m not usually a big fan of the use of oversexualised women in video games, but in this case the cyberpunk one is from the original source material, and when has there EVER been a pirate anything that didn’t have whores in it? Movie, book, etc…?
04/03/2013 at 11:20 rustybroomhandle says:
Perhaps people just hold Ubisoft to far lower standards than CDP.
04/03/2013 at 12:34 Cinek says:
Of course we are. What did you expect? That’s the company that got DRM as it’s first priority. Instead of… you know: making games?
04/03/2013 at 11:30 ReV_VAdAUL says:
Most people aren’t too bothered about women having consensual sex with someone I guess?
04/03/2013 at 11:58 Laurentius says:
You are not getting it, if there were other women in this trailer it would still be pandering but could be called acceptable. This trailer though shows only one role for women in this new AC pirates game. At least charcater from Cyperpunk is also shown in police squad uniform on the way to some action. Here women get naked and look sexy in bad, probably in threesome with our pirate assassin. Yes this trialer is a lot more problematic then Cyberpunk trailer.
04/03/2013 at 12:08 ReV_VAdAUL says:
I’m sorry, I don’t follow, why is women having consensual sex they clearly enjoyed worse than an unarmed woman being shot at repeatedly?
Do you not like women enjoying themselves?
04/03/2013 at 12:29 The Godzilla Hunter says:
Most people would not consider having two gigantic blades as unarmed.
/nitpick
04/03/2013 at 13:11 Laurentius says:
Because there is ONLY role for women, that’s why ! To have sex with male protagonist, presented in totally pandering way !
04/03/2013 at 11:56 quijote3000 says:
I guess the people that usually complain about pixelated women’s rights, right now are too busy trying to get porn banned in Iceland http://gizmodo.com/5984264/iceland-wants-to-ban-internet-porn
04/03/2013 at 23:54 Arkh says:
Pixelated women are people too, chauvinist pig! FREE THE WOMEN FROM pixelated OPPRESSION.
04/03/2013 at 14:57 TsunamiWombat says:
The CPDR trailer wasn’t problematic either. People need to come off it with their bull and stop banging the masculine guilt drum. An adverts an advert.
04/03/2013 at 17:54 The Magic says:
I agree with you, though i also agree that this is ubisoft and this is assassin’s creed. Blind and stupid is their thing. This falls neatly into both. It’s male power fantasy with women as prizes. It’s crap.
05/03/2013 at 00:17 Klaus says:
Well, I laughed. I expected some gnashing of teeth. Not that I think it’s great, but I don’t think anything will or can be done about it.
04/03/2013 at 10:57 CaspianRoach says:
Yay, let’s make the boring arcadey sidemissions from AC3 our core mechanic! Because fuck building scaling, are we right?
04/03/2013 at 12:11 Tams80 says:
It certainly looks more interesting than III. At least if the plot is ridiculous again, there’ll be pirates to offset it a little.
04/03/2013 at 12:36 Cinek says:
+1
hopefully they’ll include more than one epic sea battle – and then we’ll be able just to re-play it over and over again withouth being bothered to finish the game or actually… play any other crap that’s in it (just can’t wait for QTE sequences in bed…)
04/03/2013 at 13:36 internisus says:
Between this and The Witcher 3… Year of the whale tail?
04/03/2013 at 14:40 DestructibleEnvironments says:
Oi how dare they have a whale in one of their art works! Witcher 3 invented whales.
04/03/2013 at 19:43 Dances to Podcasts says:
Nuh-uh! Dishonored!
06/03/2013 at 02:08 Urthman says:
“I too cannot wait to sail to 20 different ‘Whale Event’ points in the Caribbean sea in order to increase my ‘whale sighting’ stat and unlock increased cannonball capacity.” – Roy Jones