For a franchise that has been around since 2007, one would think thatAssassin’s Creedhas explored every frontier there is. There are mobileAssassin’s Creedgames, handheld titles, action-adventure games, action RPGs, and more, but VR is one area that has gone without the franchise’s iconicHidden Blade. That changes withAssassin’s Creed Nexusin November, where players almost literally step into the shoes of Ezio, Connor, and Kassandra in a new modern-day plot exploring newfound memories of the past. It remains to be seen how it’s all connected, but this is definitely a new venture for the franchise.
Game Rant recently spoke toAssassin’s Creed NexusdirectorOlivier Palmieri about this new venture and what VR means toAssassin’s Creed(and vice versa), features and technologies implemented to support the game, and much, much more.The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: I know you’ve talked about it on stage, but the nose, I’ve got to hear more about the nose. Why, how, and what does it do?
Palmieri:It helps your brain focus on something that is fixed and not moving. Back in the day, whenthe first Doomwas invented, there were people who had motion sickness because they were looking at a screen that was moving all around. If you were playing in a completely dark room and you just see that, then it might be more challenging for motion sickness than when you see fixed references. That happened back in the day because people were so focused on motion and not seeing the rest of it.
Your brain likes to have fixed references and elements on the screen, so the nose is kind of doing that for the human vision system. When you put a VR headset on, you don’t see your nose most of the time because it covers it, it’s dark, and you’re able to only see the screen. It’s also different for the brain because it’s like, ‘Hey, I don’t have a nose anymore.’
I can’t say it’s proven, but there’s been lots of tests. We even tried back in 2014, and we did some prototypes of different noses. It seems to help with grounding the brain, making it think there’s something fixed on the screen. It’s also called the cockpit effect. Sometimes in space games orplane games, having a cockpit gives the brain something that is fixed, and that helps with comfort. We couldn’t have a cockpit in Assassin’s Creed, but we could have a virtual nose.
Normally, you don’t see it, actually. I talk about it, and when I do, someone looks for that nose in the game. But we have had lots of people play, and they don’t even notice it if I don’t talk about it.
Q: I can imagine because you don’t normally see your own nose unless you’re, like, looking for it. I was also curious if you could talk about our Assassins - is there any specific order you have to play them or can you pick certain missions?
Palmieri: There is a story that emerges when you play the game, like otherAssassin’s Creed games,and you get chosen to embody those Assassins in a certain order. So, you don’t get to choose the order when you play the first time, but you’re able to also replay any mission you played before.
Just to mention, you can’t choose among those three characters for every mission, obviously. If it’s a Greece mission, it’sKassandra, and so on.
Q: How complicated was it making this story with these very distinct timelines?
Palmieri:You as a character are putting theAnimus deviceon your head to get thrown into that. It’s all part of the story, so we can’t really disclose it before, but it makes sense for sure. There is a sense of why these three characters and why you have to go back to those locations.
Q: You also discussed some of the comfort and accessibility options on stage, but I was curious if the Leap of Fath being more complex presented any specific challenges?
Palmieri:Yeah, it was quite a challenge because discomfort usually happens with motion. That’s why I talked about one of the features that hides motion on the sides of the periphery, the peripheral vision human system, when needed to make the game more comfortable. You are higher there, you dive, and you are falling, basically. Also, there might just be a fear of heights, as they fall into those stacks and hiding points. So yeah, it’s one big challenge, but then we tried to address it in multiple ways.
First, there are those features about fear of heights that you’re able to activate to reduce that. There’s also motion you can hide more or less, even more so than the dynamic blinders, and you can have tunnel vision focusing on where you’re going to land. The combination of those different features helps with the leap of faith, but yeah, it was one big challenge.
Q: This is the first Assassin’s Creed game in VR. What do you think the VR space brings to the Assassin’s Creed franchise and vice versa?
Palmieri: For sure, we’re excited to bringAssassin’s Creed to VR. It’s the first time in VR, and it’s a wide-scope game. What I think it brings into the VR space is a big IP game with lots of possibilities for the player. You know,Assassin’s Creed gameplayhas been developed over 16 years and more or less refined, and now we can bring that to VR players. Maybe some VR players haven’t played Assassin’s Creed, so they now get a chance to play it in VR.
As for what VR brings to Assassin’s Creed, I think it brings a new perspective. When you put on the VR setup, you see through the eyes of the Assassin. You see your arms, your legs, you take out your sword, and you fight. It’s a brand new perspective visually but also a brand new way to play it. I think it’s interesting after 16 years of Assassin’s Creed to have the possibility of playing it a different way.
Q: I also know you’ve been bombarded with a lot of questions today, so has there been anything you’ve specifically wanted to talk about that you haven’t had the chance to?
Palmieri: Lots of things. I think like bringing Assassin’s Creed to VR, that’s a big thing for Ubisoft. It’s one of our main IPs, you know, and with an AAA VR game with such a scope, so many characters, and being able to enjoy a proper Assassin’s Creed in VR, we are excited. Beyond excited. There are many things in the game we’re proud of.
The living world is one thing. I talked a bit about it, but really, the streets are pretty crowded and there are NPCs around. Usually, it’s quite a surprise for people to see the NPCs but even the world you know. I don’t think there have been many VR titles that are open where you can climb multiple buildings and see a big city or see NPCs on the streets. It’s so beautiful for VR. We’re proud of this. It’s not a corridor game. It’s really like a proper open map,open world-esque Assassin’s Creed, and being able to play this in VR is great.
Q: One big aspect of the VR world is that it’s a fair way to get exercise in. Has Ubisoft looked at how this might impact exercise?
Palmieri:We didn’t dig into how many calories might you burn or not burn.
We even allow you to play the game in the way you prefer. So if you want to play fully the game seated, not making much motion, that’s possible. Even with the parkour or the UI inventory system we have, which reduces the amount of motion you can do to accommodate for accessibility. But even for everyone, maybe you prefer these anyway.
We didn’t make the game specifically to use physicality, but we made it. It’s great if you want to stand up, climb, do motion, crouch, lean, and play stuff like that.
Q: Assassin’s Creed Nexus is coming in November, and that announcement came not too long ago. What should players expect come release? What would you say to players as they pick up Nexus?
Palmieri: First, don’t be afraid to get motion sickness or get dizzy because we really made the game to be comfortable and accessible for most. Don’t be afraid to play. You should be covered because there are so many options for comfort and accessibility.
Maybe you’re worried about standing up and moving, or you don’t have a space to play. It’s fully playable in seated mode, with no moving at all. You don’t need a space to play, so don’t feel those are limitations to play this VR game.
I think it’s a great new perspective on Assassin’s Creed immersion. Seeing through the character’s eyes in the way you play the game and revisit these famous locations and beloved characters is so fun.
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