Assassin's Creed Hexe's Plot Leak is Disappointing For One…

In a recent leak, it was revealed that Assassin's Creed Hexe, Ubisoft's next mainline Assassin's Creed title after AC Shadows, is once again relying on a tired trope to drive the story forward: a revenge plot. This is disappointing news, as it continues a long-standing Assassin's Creed tradition that has long been considered overdone.

Since Assassin's Creed 2's Ezio, revenge plots have become an overly common plot device in Assassin's Creed games, a means to give the protagonist motivation to join the Assassin Brotherhood or the Templars, driving the story forward. Elsa, the rumored main character for Assassin's Creed Hexe, appears to fall into the same category, which could come to many fans' dismay.

Assassin's Creed Shadows AC Hexe Same Weakness

Assassin's Creed Shadows and AC Hexe May Have the Same Weakness

Assassin's Creed Hexe may struggle with one element that AC Shadows also struggled with, as its setting may keep it from fleshing out that element.

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By Josh Cotts

Assassin's Creed Hexe Falls Into the Same Pit as Most Other Assassin's Creeds

The problem with Assassin's Creed Hexe's rumored plotline opting to kill off Elsa's mother to kick off the story isn't that it's a revenge plot; it's that it's a revenge plot that is beat-for-beat the exact same plot of several other Assassin's Creed entries. After Ubisoft found success with Ezio's revenge story in Assassin's Creed 2, the series has regularly tried and failed to recapture the same lightning in the bottle. Assassin's Creed Hexe appears to be following the same tired route, if this leak is to be believed.

A rare exception to Assassin's Creed's tortured protagonist trope is Edward Kenway, a pirate-turned-assassin who isn't in it for revenge but because he got caught up in the conflict between Templars and Assassins. Considering how beloved Edward Kenway is and how high Black Flag is on a majority of Assassin's Creed game tier lists, it would have been more interesting for Elsa to follow in Kenway's footsteps instead of Ezio's, as the series is overdue a less vengeful lead.

Assassin's Creed Hexe's Story Could Be Predictable in the Worst Way Possible

It's easy to envision a scenario based on Assassin's Creed's usual methods of storytelling where Hexe's story turns out to be as repetitive as it sounds on paper. In the game's opening hour, Elsa's mother would be accused of being a witch and would be burned at the stake. Elsa, sad and angry, would vow revenge, setting off to kill those responsible - only it wouldn't be possible to kill the big bad just yet for various reasons. Before that can happen, Elsa would need to find helpers who can aid her in her revenge, like an assassin-teacher-friend who is more than happy to welcome a complete stranger into the ranks of the famously secretive Assassin Brotherhood. Said teacher would then introduce her to a local leader, who would help Elsa inch closer to her target, having her complete various tasks to gain a foothold in the area.

Assuming that the story doesn't just end with Elsa avenging her mother, several hours into the narrative, Elsa may find out that the person she vowed revenge on either killed themselves, was killed by someone else, wasn't the killer in the first place, or found a way to repent for their sins. Elsa's journey would then continue on, with her assassin-teacher-friend having her hunt down several high-ranking Templars before some kind of twist occurs regarding Elsa's mother and her journey up to that point, such as her teacher potentially being the true villain all along. Obviously, this is all speculation based off of a very brief leak regarding the game's premise, but with how formulaic Assassin's Creed plots have become, something along these lines unfortunately feels believable.

Assassin's Creed Hexe's Story Might Still Surprise Fans, But it's Unlikely

Despite the disappointingly predictable hook of Assassin's Creed Hexe, there are still ways the game can make its narrative intriguing. An anti-hero twist, an innocent assassination, or even a quick and easy revenge job before moving on to more interesting things can help AC Hexe’s revenge plot stand out from the rest. But considering Ubisoft's long track record of storylines that stick to the safest possible route, this is wishful thinking. A much more likely scenario is that Hexe blends into the background like so many other AC games do in the weeks post-launch, as the core motivation for its main character isn't anything new.