Summary
- Assassin's Creed Origins' recent update led to performance issues and review bombing, tarnishing the brand further.
- Ubisoft has faced a declining reputation due to underperforming games and historical inaccuracies in titles like Assassin's Creed Shadows.
- The negative reactions to the series challenge Ubisoft to regain trust.
With every passing day, it seems as though Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series just can't escape bad publicity. After the recent fallout that Assassin's Creed Shadows has experienced, now, Assassin's Creed Origins, a seven-year-old Assassin's Creed game, has been review bombed due to a recent update that has led to some major performance issues. Unfortunately, the ripple effect of this event unfortunately goes far beyond Assassin's Creed Origins itself.
What must be considered is the name and brand that Assassin's Creed Origins carries and the current state of the franchise's reputation. As Ubisoft gears up to release the next installment in the Assassin's Creed series, Assassin's Creed Shadows, the problems created by the recent update to Assassin's Creed Origins and the way some players have responded are the last thing the brand needed, making any hopes of its redemption even more unrealistic.
What to Expect From the Assassin's Creed Franchise in 2025
Ubisoft seems to be going all-in on Assassin's Creed, with there being at least six AC projects in development, some of which fans might see in 2025.
Assassin's Creed Origins' Review Bombing Puts More Dirt on the Brand
Assassin's Creed and Ubisoft Haven't Been Able to Catch a Break for Some Time Now
It's no secret that Ubisoft has had a rough go of it lately, with its standing in the gaming industry seeing a steady decline after underperforming game releases, including titles like the recently released Star Wars Outlaws, failed to meet sales expectations. Its reputation among fans has also been at stake as of late, after it has faced controversy for perceived historical inaccuracies and cultural insensitivity in games like Assassin's Creed Shadows. Despite the issues it has faced, however, Ubisoft is currently busy behind the scenes, seemingly doing whatever it takes to earn back the trust of its fans by focusing its energy more internally rather than outwardly.
It's no secret that Ubisoft has had a rough go of it lately, with its standing in the gaming industry seeing a steady decline after underperforming game releases, including titles like the recently released Star Wars Outlaws, failed to meet sales expectations.
One of Ubisoft's most popular series, Assassin's Creed, has received a significant portion of this criticism over the years for a number of different reasons. Firstly, Assassin's Creed Origins, ironically, changed everything for the series in 2017 by opening the door for a shift from the stealth-based gameplay it was known for to a more action-oriented, open-world RPG format. While these changes were initially received somewhat positively, subsequent titles like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Valhalla saw that evolution taking root in a far more significant way, leading to further criticism.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is the latest title in the series to garner widespread negativity, despite the fact that it hasn't even been released yet. For the most part, any negative opinions targeting Assassin's Creed Shadows have been aimed at something the franchise has long been infamous for: historical inaccuracy. Fans and critics alike have argued that certain Assassin's Creed games take creative liberties that compromise historical accuracy, potentially misleading players about real-world history. Now, one of Assassin's Creed Shadows' protagonists, Yasuke, has inspired more debates about the series' historical authenticity and its true intentions, even to the point that some fans have called for the game's cancelation.
Assassin's Creed Shadows has also been heavily criticized for its portrayal of Japanese culture and history, with many pointing to inaccuracies in architectural designs and various Chinese and Japanese elements.
Assassin's Creed Origins' Review Bombing Adds More Fuel to the Fire
Now, as if the Assassin's Creed series didn't already have enough working against it, Assassin's Creed Origins, a seven-year-old game, is getting review bombed for a recent update that is bricking the game for a lot of people and causing black screens, flashes, and freezes for many others. While this certainly doesn't benefit the reputation of one of the better Assassin's Creed titles out there, it simultaneously adds fuel to the fire for those who have already taken up issues with the series over the last several years. This will be especially true for any who neglect to fully research the problems the update has caused and instead simply choose to take it as a justification for their growing disdain for the Assassin's Creed brand.
As Ubisoft continues to be met with criticism and setbacks, the Assassin's Creed franchise is at a critical crossroads. While the review bombing of Assassin’s Creed Origins may be the result of severe performance issues, that negativity chips away even more at confidence in the series during a time when Assassin's Creed Shadows is already under intense scrutiny. If Ubisoft hopes to achieve redemption, it will need to meet these challenges with increased transparency and a renewed commitment to quality and authenticity. For a brand that is as ambitious in its storytelling as it is in its immersive worlds, now is the time for Ubisoft to prove that Assassin's Creed can evolve while remaining true to its legacy.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- October 27, 2017
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- AnvilNext 2.0
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
- PC Release Date
- October 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
- How Long To Beat
- 30 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- File Size Xbox Series
- 49 GB (November 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
