Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is now among us and we told you in our review of this excursion into the world of the Vikings. A period in its own way extremely fascinating, as indeed its protagonists, whose choice confirms the attention that Ubisoft has always paid to the historical aspect of this franchise. On the other hand, the settings are the main distinguishing feature of this saga, which in this sense over the years has given us many fascinating ones.
Precisely for these reasons, having to choose only six for our article proved to be a really difficult undertaking. On the other hand, from the hot sands of Egypt of Assassin's Creed: Origins to the cold North Atlantic scenarios of Assassin's Creed Rogue, up to the beautiful Monteriggioni of the second chapter, just to give examples, we think that many would have deserved their own space. But anyhow, the one available to us is limited, and after a strong skimming, we finally gave birth to the list you find below. A list that, as always, does not want to represent anything definitive or "sacred", as it is based not only on objective but also subjective factors, and which we have tried to make as varied as possible in terms of settings.
Jerusalem (1191-1191 - Assassin's Creed)
The Holy Land, and those who have visited it cannot fail to confirm it, is probably one of the most fascinating regions in the world, despite the thousand contradictions and contrasts that have been affecting the area for centuries. Jerusalem, in particular, is an extremely fascinating city, with its stone alleys, the mazes of narrow streets full of shops and artisan shops, and its religious buildings. The one represented in the first Assassin's Creed revised today, perhaps, would not convince everyone 100% from the point of view of environmental reconstruction, but at the time of the game's release it excelled and far exceeded any competitor in the ability to recreate in a likely way a lively and pulsating location, which gave a good idea of the image that a thousand stories had and formed about the great eastern cities of the Middle Ages. Thanks also to a skilful artistic research, which includes the architecture, costumes, animations and sounds of the time, the Jerusalem of the Crusades era has something magical, as well as moving through those streets so full of charm and history, a legacy especially of the Roman reconstruction undertaken at the time of the second Jewish revolt on the orders of the emperor Hadrian.
Florence (1476-1499 - Assassin's Creed II)
Choose one between Rome, Florence and Venice it is a titanic undertaking, considering the historical and cultural beauty of these three cities. But having to select one anyway, our preference goes to the Tuscan capital. With its masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, the Duomo, the cathedral with the tiled dome designed by Brunelleschi and Giotto's bell tower, Palazzo della Signoria, as well as the presence of figures of the caliber of Leonardo Da Vinci and Lorenzo de 'Medici, in Assassin's Creed II Florence is represented by Ubisoft graphics in a spectacular way. And for those who, like the writer, are passionate about that culture, to be able to wander through the cobbled streets, literally get lost in its crowded streets of merchants, players and ladies, letting themselves be captured by its suggestive charm, even if in a video game, not has price. And then explore every corner, slip into the intertwining of "noises", with their tortuous paths that perhaps emerge on a square, or "live" some of the most important historical moments of the city, such as the Pazzi Conspiracy, a conspiracy from the homonymous family of Florentine bankers who wanted to take away the dominance of Florence from the Medici through the support of the papacy and other external subjects.
Boston and surroundings (1760-1783 - Assassin's Creed III)
The capital of the county of Suffolk which was founded on three hills by British Puritan settlers, fleeing the persecution of the motherland, has always played an important role in the history of today's United States of America. And this since the days of the colonies, given that the struggles for independence originated there. The town, originally known as Massachusetts Bay, was the scene of many important events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. All beautifully reproduced in Assassins Creed III. But for those who love the period, the town is liked precisely for its colonial style, for the brick buildings that alternate with the typically wooden ones, which ideally descend from Beacon Hill along the many narrow streets lined with terraced houses and artisan shops. reminiscent of the real ones of current Acorn Street. And then the ships moored at the port, with their colorful banners, the places crowded with people and a series of fortified structures that contrast with the magnificent landscapes all around, and a surrounding nature that presses or still literally integrates with the city and its inhabitants
Islands of the Caribbean Sea (1715-1722 - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag)
Exploring the pristine open seas and lush islands of Black Flag has something magical, incredible. The representation in the game of the Caribbean Sea is so extraordinarily credible, to the point of pushing the player to move on land and by sea more for the desire to enjoy certain evocative scenarios, perhaps at dawn or at sunset, or for the simple taste of explore and revisit certain atolls, which by necessity of the plot. Fishing villages, coffee plantations, cotton, sugar cane and tobacco, jungles, forts, Mayan ruins and large cities such as Havana, Nassau and Kingston, offer the player the opportunity to enjoy truly unique landscapes. Not to mention the various islets whose lush vegetation creates a wonderful contrast with the intense blue of the sea. And let's not forget that the adventure set falls within the historical period of the so-called "golden age of piracy", which was characterized by a total domination of piracy in those areas. An element that leads the user to meet characters like Blackbeard, and to relive some "deeds" of entire fleets of privateers, characters that have always fascinated the public for their travels, their spirit of adventure and courage.
Paris (1789-1799 - Assassin's Creed Unity)
It is said that Paris is the city of a thousand returns, a bit like London: you can visit it dozens of times without ever getting bored, discovering something new every time even in those places previously visited. The charm of the Parisian streets, with its most famous locations, combined with the various attractive factors of a historical era much loved by the public, led us to choose the French capital as the fourth most fascinating location in the Assassin's Creed series. The Île de la Cité, one of the two river islands of the Seine in the center of Paris, is faithfully reconstructed, with the Palace of Justice, the Sainte-Chapelle built by the most devoted King Louis IX of France, up to Notre-Dame , the splendid gothic style cathedral among the most famous in the world. they are all there, within reach of the player. The Paris of Assassin's Creed Unity is that of Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution, of the many narrow and cobbled streets of a medieval type, which would have had a great advantage for the revolutionaries as they were perfect for raising barricades. A few kilometers from the capital there is also the marvelous palace of Versailles, but that's another story.
Ancient Greece (431–422 BC - Assassin's Creed Odyssey)
Here too we have chose an entire area rather than a single location. On the other hand, Assassin's Creed Odyssey offers a real fresco, even visual, of an extremely fascinating world, full of lush forests, snow-capped mountains, but also of sunny beaches and crowded towns, from the splendid Mykonos in the Cyclades, to Athens, with the its wonderful Acropolis. Against the backdrop of the Peloponnesian War, which saw Sparta and Athens face off, each with their own coalition, the player actually has the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful scenarios ever to appear in a video game. The polis, with their outer walls for protection, but also the squares, with the public space that included temples and government buildings, but also villages overlooking a crystal clear sea. Landscapes of rare beauty, with rock formations sculpted by the waves and the wind over the centuries, to be admired even on board a ship. And from it, setting sail towards the open sea, admire breathtaking sunsets, with the sun's rays reflecting on the waves, drawing on them colored arabesques of blue and orange, or some spectacular sunrise. And now, tell us yours: what are the Assassin's Creed settings you are particularly attached to for their beauty or their historical charm?
