Assassin’s Creed Origins Director Talks PC Release, Historical Setting & More

Assassin’s Creed Origins is this year’s big historical romp from Ubisoft, and the game’s director recently spoke to fans about its finer aspects via Twitter. In a series of tweets catalogued by Access The Animus , Ashraf Ismail talked PC ports, historical landmarks and character details.

Since the tumultuous release of Assassin’s Creed Unity in 2014, gamers have been skittish about Ubisoft’s treatment of PC releases of the publisher’s major games. However, Ismail went a long way toward easing those concerns when a fan confronted him on the subject. “It’s not a port,” he confirmed, adding that the PC version “is shipping on the same day as all other platforms.” In other words, the assumption is that Origins’ Windows build will be optimized and prepared to arrive on time.

Speaking of time, there’s been lots of discussion regarding Origins ’ ancient Egyptian setting as well . As a pseudo-reboot of the franchise, one of its most interesting mysteries is how Origins ties to the previous games. Ubisoft has been generally quiet about story specifics, but one thing Ismail has revealed is that our new playable protagonist, named Bayek, isn’t related to the series’ original hero, Altaïr.

The implications of this tease could potentially have a major impact on what Origins is about. In the past we’ve been tied to Desmond Miles through his ancestral link to Altaïr, but, if Bayek isn’t featured in that bloodline, does that mean Desmond won’t be involved either? Might this narrative remove itself from the complex tangle involving Miles’ adventures inside the Animus? E3 gameplay has yet to show how the Animus fits into this year’s entry, so it’s quite possible it’s not there at all. Instead, maybe this time players will be able to fully immerse themselves in the history unfolding in front of their eyes.

With that focus in mind, iconic interiors like the Library Of Alexandria will be part of the plot in some way. We haven’t seen it yet, but the director says it will be featured in the open world. Also, in a bid to remember everything that has made Assassin’s Creed such a great series in the past, it’s been confirmed that legacy outfits can be found in 2017’s experience too. We’ve yet to learn precisely how that’s going to work, but we can’t imagine it being vastly different from the standard unlock process of previous games.

After taking a year off from games in 2016, Assassin’s Creed Origins aims to rejuvenate interest in the franchise by bringing its time period back to the start of the brotherhood. In addition to seemingly distancing itself from established story beats, the upcoming game also introduces a variety of RPG-like mechanics that are totally new. For more on that, read our E3 2017 hands-on report .

Assassin’s Creed Origins comes to Xbox One, PS4 and PC Oct. 27. It’s also got 4K support for the Xbox One X.

What do you think of these tiny details? Are you hoping to play Assassin’s Creed Origins on PC? Tell us in the comments section!