Rome, Florence, Alexandria, Athens, Paris… The cities in which the games of the franchise are located are a delight and their development, impeccable.
Assassin’s Creed is not just the brotherhood, nor the Templars, nor all the conflicts that develop from that fictional rivalry. The hidden blade, the silent murders, the charisma of its protagonists —some much more than others— or parkour are part of its idiosyncrasy. But behind all those elements already inherent in the culture of the saga there is much more .
Because in Assassin’s Creed you don’t just enjoy the evolution of history , how the Fruit of Eden passes from one hand to another in pursuit of imposing ideals. Strolling along the banks of the Tiber, seeing the entire city of Florence from the Duomo, immersing yourself in Egyptian Alexandria, visiting the Acropolis in all its splendor, walking through revolutionary Paris… Which makes it one of the best PS4 games .
Playing all the titles in the series is a very rewarding experience . Visiting the places you’ve already been through virtually will make you think you’re living in constant deja vu with every step you take, even more so if you listen to the video game soundtrack at the same time . One of the great merits of all the works, developed by Ubisoft, is the awakening of cultural and historical curiosity among the players. Its educational use in classrooms has even been studied . Because… who wouldn’t want to visit Rome when you’ve already walked and fought more than once in its streets?
We review which are the best recreated cities among the more than 10 Assassin’s Creed games that have been released since the first of the saga was launched on November 13, 2007.
Rome Map
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is, according to public ratings, one of the best games in the series . And much of the blame seems to lie with its marvelous recreation of Renaissance Rome. Being able to step on the floor of the Colosseum is a unique experience.
Castel Sant’Angelo, Hadrian’s tomb, the Vatican with St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel (part of which is unfinished), but there are not only places of historical importance: families like the Medici, who ruled Florence for a long time and financially supported painters and sculptors, or the Borgias have an important weight in the plot.
The game gives you the opportunity to walk around the city freely and get to know its most intimate corners . The Vatican ceases to be that place of enormous proportions to become one more place to jump, run and climb. The frescoes, the sculptures… everything can be seen up close, conveying a sensation almost equal to a royal visit.
Damascus and Altair
It was the first great revolutionary milestone . Dressed in a hood, a kind of knife attached to the hand and a sword and with a monk-like outfit we walked through the streets of the Damascus of the Third Crusade, the current capital of Syria.
Although over time its graphics have become somewhat old, for 2007, Assassin’s Creed I was a true work of art. The city was divided into three zones based on the purchasing power of its residents: poor, middle and rich.
Among all the buildings that appear in the game, the most important —for its precise recreation and for its historical fidelity— is the Umayyad Mosque , built by the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I in the year 705 and whose three minarets are , in fact, watchtowers to collect.
Other symbolic places in this game that we can walk through are the cities of Jerusalem and Acre (Israel), with less importance and a less precise representation, but which still perfectly build that historical setting .
Athens and Kassandra
Assassin’s Creedy Odyssey was the last title released on the market. In it, we go through important cities of Ancient Greece , among which are Sparta, Macedonia, Boeotia, Naxos, Corinth and, of course, Athens.
In the middle of the Peloponnesian War, where the protagonist has been immersed without even looking for it, we will be able to walk through the brilliant streets of one of the most important Greek polis of the time, Athens.
The agora, the Acropolis, the temple of Zeus… all the details are so well cared for that it will be difficult not to get caught up in the magic of Hellenic architecture. And, of course, we can see the monuments as they were conceived: the Parthenon, for example, is polychrome.
The game also incorporates a tour mode so that, away from the missions and the hustle and bustle of history, we can quietly enjoy the historical recreation of the city with comments about the most emblematic places.
Arno and Paris
Revolutionary France in the 18th century is the setting for Assassin’s Creed Unity. The streets of Paris are represented by masses of citizens led by leaders who promise social justice.
It is common to witness executions with guillotines encouraged by a huge number of people. Robespierre, one of the most important historical figures of the time, will even cause us some headaches.
The city is not only perfectly designed, but its recreation is on a 1:1 scale , which shows the brilliant work of the game developers who spent many years in making it. And, seeing the end result, one understands why so long.
The catacombs, the Palace of Versailles, the Pantheon in Paris and even Notre-Dame , whose model the architects intend to use for its reconstruction, a fact that shows how detailed the game is.
Florence and Ezio
With a spectacular soundtrack, a well-woven story and a magnificent evolution and depth of the protagonist, Ezio Auditore, that the scenarios where Assassin’s Creed II takes place manage to stand out is a merit .
The main city of this title is Florence, birthplace of the main character, although Venice, with an excellent recreation , and Rome, with little prominence in this work, also appear.
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the protagonist’s main friends, so the historical depth is even greater here if possible, since we are given the opportunity to meet one of the greatest geniuses in art history. Along with Machiavelli, they are the most recognized faces of this title.
There are Renaissance monuments such as the Piazza del Duomo, where the most perfect Santa Maria del Fiore stands out , the Piazza della Signoria and the Hospice of the Innocents, among others.
In this way, we will be able to see spaces of these places that are completely inaccessible on a regular visit.
The end of this game, by the way, has provided the public with one of the best video game memes. As much as we see it, it will never be something “normal” that you have to fight against the Pontifex Maximus with your fists .
Bayek and Alexandria
Egypt, 1st century BC With the Roman civil war between the Pompeian and Caesarian sectors in the background, Bayek, the protagonist of the penultimate title of AC, will have to avenge the death of his son at the hands of a strange group.
To do this, he will visit the most important Egyptian cities of the time, including Alexandria and its precious and enormous library , whose historical fidelity is impossible to judge since there are hardly any known writings that precisely describe its structure and there are no architectural remains. There is also, of course, the great Lighthouse of Alexandria, whose great height allows the protagonist to contemplate the entire city.
This game was a pioneer in launching the tour mode, which offers the player the possibility of enjoying 75 different walking routes designed by historians and Egyptologists and detailing essential aspects of the Egypt of the time, the pyramids, the routine of the citizens , of the great capital and of the Romans.
