Does Assassin’s Creed End? Exploring the Franchise’s Future and Multiple Endings
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has become a behemoth in the gaming world, spanning countless entries and captivating players with its historical settings, compelling narratives, and intricate gameplay. Given its massive scope, a common question arises: Does Assassin’s Creed ever actually end?
The short answer is no, Assassin’s Creed as a franchise hasn’t ended and doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. While individual storylines and arcs within specific games conclude, the overarching narrative of the conflict between Assassins and Templars, coupled with the modern-day storyline concerning powerful artifacts and ancient civilizations, continues to evolve. Ubisoft has consistently released new titles, exploring different historical periods and expanding upon the lore, ensuring that the Assassin’s Creed universe persists. While some have speculated that certain games might mark the “end” of specific eras or plot threads, Ubisoft’s consistent expansion of the universe indicates that the franchise will continue for the foreseeable future.
Understanding the Multiple Endings
While the overall franchise remains ongoing, individual Assassin’s Creed games often feature multiple endings, depending on player choices and completion of specific tasks. This adds depth and replayability, allowing players to experience different outcomes and explore various facets of the narrative.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: A Prime Example
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a notable example of a game with multiple endings. There are nine different endings available, influenced by choices made throughout the game’s nine chapters and epilogue. These endings impact the fates of key characters like Kassandra or Alexios’s family, providing diverse resolutions to the overarching narrative. To unlock the complete story, players must complete optional quests that reveal the conclusions to both the present-day narrative and the Isu (the precursor civilization) story.
Examining Potential Endings
While individual games can end, and certain narrative threads may be resolved, the core conflict between the Assassins and Templars ensures the franchise’s longevity. The introduction of new historical periods and characters provides endless opportunities for Ubisoft to continue the story. Additionally, the modern-day storyline, with its exploration of Isu technology and the search for powerful artifacts, keeps the overarching narrative engaging and open to future installments.
The Importance of Lore and Expansions
One of the defining features of the Assassin’s Creed franchise is its rich lore, which is continually expanded through games, novels, comics, and short films. This extensive universe allows for endless exploration of historical events, mythical creatures, and ancient civilizations. The detailed world-building and complex characters provide a solid foundation for future games, ensuring that the Assassin’s Creed universe remains vibrant and engaging for years to come.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Beyond
Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the latest installment, offers a more focused experience compared to recent open-world titles, but it still contributes to the overall narrative. While its story may conclude, it serves as a bridge to future games, hinting at new characters, historical periods, and narrative developments. The upcoming Assassin’s Creed titles, such as “Codename Red” and “Codename Hexe”, promise to further expand the franchise’s universe, exploring different cultures and gameplay mechanics. As such, the idea of a definitive end to the Assassin’s Creed saga remains distant, as Ubisoft continues to evolve and expand its flagship franchise.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Assassin’s Creed Endings
1. How many endings does Assassin’s Creed Odyssey have?
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has nine different endings. These endings are determined by the choices you make throughout the game, influencing the fate of your character’s family and the overall story arc.
2. Does Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have multiple endings?
Yes, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has multiple endings, influenced by your choices throughout the game. These decisions impact Sigurd’s fate and Eivor’s standing in Ravensthorpe.
3. What affects the ending of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?
The ending of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is significantly impacted by your choices in key story moments, particularly those involving Sigurd. Making choices that align with his values will lead to a more positive ending. Specifically, negatively choosing for three of five main choices will see Sigurd leave England.
4. How do I get the best ending in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
To get the “best” ending in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, you need to ensure that all family members (Myrinne, Nikolaos, Stentor, and Deimos) survive. This requires making specific choices in dialogue and quests that promote reconciliation and prevent conflict. For example, avoid killing Nikolaos and always try to reason with Deimos.
5. Can you miss endings in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
Yes, you can easily miss certain endings in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey if you don’t complete specific optional quests or make certain choices during key dialogues. Many players miss the ending of the Isu storyline.
6. Does the Assassin’s Creed movie have an ending?
Yes, the Assassin’s Creed movie has an ending where Cal (Callum Lynch) embraces his Assassin heritage and joins forces with other Assassins to fight the Templars. There was an alternate, darker ending planned, where Lin and Moussa are killed.
7. How does Assassin’s Creed Mirage end?
The ending of Assassin’s Creed Mirage sees Basim Ibn Ishaq fully embracing his destiny and understanding his connection to the Isu Loki. He then rejoins the Hidden Ones and starts his journey toward England.
8. Is Basim evil in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Mirage?
Whether Basim is “evil” is subjective. He is driven by a desire for revenge and is heavily influenced by the Isu Loki, which puts him at odds with Eivor and the other characters. He acts as the main antagonist to many characters in the narrative.
9. Is it necessary to play all Assassin’s Creed games in order?
No, it’s not strictly necessary to play all the Assassin’s Creed games in order. While there’s an overarching narrative, each game often features a self-contained story set in a different historical period. However, playing them in order can enhance your understanding of the overarching lore and character development.
10. What is the shortest Assassin’s Creed game?
Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection is the shortest in terms of main story length (23.5 hours), while Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the shortest with 7 main memory sequences.
11. What is the longest Assassin’s Creed game?
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the longest game in the series, with a main story that can take around 60 hours to complete.
12. Which Assassin’s Creed game has the best story?
The general consensus for best story goes to Assassin’s Creed 2. Its compelling narrative, character development, and historical setting make it a fan favorite. Many also find the story of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag compelling.
13. Did the Assassins in Assassin’s Creed really exist?
The Assassins in Assassin’s Creed are based on a real historical group known as the Nizari Ismailis, a Shia Islamic sect that operated in the Middle East during the medieval period.
14. What happens if you betray Sigurd in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?
If you make too many decisions that go against Sigurd’s values in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, he will leave England in the game’s final act, leading to a less satisfying ending.
15. Is there a future for the Assassin’s Creed franchise?
Absolutely. Ubisoft has announced multiple new Assassin’s Creed games in development, including projects like “Codename Red” set in feudal Japan and “Codename Hexe,” indicating a long and vibrant future for the franchise.
The Ever-Evolving Saga
In conclusion, while individual games within the Assassin’s Creed franchise may have their own unique endings, the overarching narrative continues to evolve and expand. With Ubisoft’s commitment to creating new games and exploring diverse historical periods, the Assassin’s Creed saga is far from over. The rich lore, complex characters, and engaging gameplay ensure that the franchise will continue to captivate players for years to come. As educators begin integrating games into learning, the future of education and gaming grows closer. Check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org to see the future of gaming in education.