Ubisoft Forward returns (very) early next week, with the French publisher promising first looks at a number of new and upcoming games. What do we know about, and what should we expect hear about? Let’s discuss (and theorise wildly).
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a game that was being produced in relative secrecy until it sprung about 15 leaks in the space of two days last week, will receive its first public airing during the next Ubisoft Forward. Little has been confirmed about the game just yet, beyond that its protagonist is Basim Ibn Ishaq, last seen in AC Valhalla. Rumours suggest that the game is set in Baghdad in the 800’s and is of a significantly smaller scale than AC Valhalla or Odyssey. Should this pan out, it would mark a back-to-basics design approach for the series. One more recent rumour from just the last 24 hours suggests that the game will bring Assassin’s Creed Unity‘s heaving, massive crowds back from the dead. Personally, I hope that one’s true. I truly believe if it had had another year in the oven, Unity would have been one for the ages.
Depending on your feelings about modern Assassin’s Creed vs the older games in the series, this will either be a cause to celebrate or to mourn. I, for one, would be happy to see Assassin’s Creed shrink back down to a more manageable size. Odyssey and Valhalla were just too bloated and crammed with content for me. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have too much to do in a game, as opposed to not enough — it’s more that I don’t have 600 spare hours required to complete them both. By contrast, our good mate Zac Kelly over at Gizmodo Australia loves those games for precisely the reasons I don’t. Let me know what you think in the comments. Would you be happy for the XXL-sized Assassin’s Creed games to continue or are you keen for something a little less operatic in scale?
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
Ubi has confirmed that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, its strategy sequel to its surprise hit Nintendo Switch exclusive, will be getting a run at Ubisoft Forward. It’s a little different from the original game, banishing the XCOM-style grid-based movement in favour of something more free-flowing, but that gnarly strategic heart still looks firmly in place. Hopefully this will be another substantial look that gets into systems, character classes and strategy.
I know it’s rare for someone connected to Kotaku to be excited for a Ubisoft game in any capacity, but I am legitimately psyched for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. The original is still one of my favourite games on the Switch, and one I recommend to anyone picking up the console. I will sit through the rest of this broadcast just to hear more about Sparks of Hope.
Skull & Bones
Skull & Bones had its own Ubisoft Forward broadcast not all that long ago, so it remains to be seen exactly how much more of it Ubi will be willing to put on display. A pirate adventure that puts naval combat and ship construction at its core, it certainly has a very different flavour to something like Sea of Thieves. It’s also been in development long enough that I think it will entice quite a few interested players into picking up a copy. Expect we’ll at least see another trailer, though I doubt we’ll get another deep dive.
Updates on older games like Brawlhalla, For Honor, The Crew 2, and Anno 1800
Ubi has also confirmed it will drop updates on many of its existing and ongoing games. That means new content for Brawlhalla, a new season in For Honor, and a leap to next-gen systems for The Crew 2, a game I didn’t realise anyone was still playing.
Among these updates, one title leaps out: Anno 1800, which must surely be the most successful entry in that series to date. I personally loved Anno 1800 and feel it walks a fine line between expansion-driven strategy and a casual city builder. Its rolling list of annual updates has kept it fresh and interesting since it launched in 2019. By now, developer Blue Byte would usually be preparing to announce another game, but it seems Anno 1800 is powering on. Good on ’em.
And that’s all we know about so far! Is there anything you’re looking forward to from Ubisoft Forward? Let us know in the comments down below.
You can catch Ubisoft Forward this Sunday, September 11, from 5 AM AEST. We’ve compiled all the times in Australian and New Zealand timezones right over here.
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