Ubisoft has explained the impact of RPGs on Assassin's Creed Unity's design, revealing that there will be extensive customisation which will carry over to the game's co-op mode.
Creative director Alex Amancio told Kotaku that players will be able to unlock different types of boots, ropes, gauntlets, and hoods which can impact on how NPCs detect players and the customisable objects will transfer into the co-op. Online play will be similar to Watch Dogs in that all players will appear to be Arno in their own game but will have different faces in another player's – just as invaders in Watch Dogs see themselves as Aiden Pearce.
The fact that player faces change in co-op play is what led to Ubisoft's controversy surrounding the inability to play as a female character.
Of course, the ability for players to use their own equipment while playing with others could potentially lead to unbalanced online play but hopefully there won't be too much of a gap between novices and veteran players.
Ubisoft also showed off a level-up system, which allows you to improve equipment and skills, such as lockpicking. One lock, for example, required a level three skill.
The developers are said to be very into "character progression and gameplay-relevant customisation". Ubisoft said the fact that the game's French characters speak English with British accents was intentional but wouldn't comment on why. Arno is also not related to the other Assassins we've seen in past games, meaning a new bloodline and lots of possibilities for future games in terms of setting and time period.
It was recently revealed that Unity's optional modern day sections will not happen in Abstergo Entertainment like they did in Black Flag, with members of the development team repeatedly commenting that "you" will be asked by the Assassins to explore Arno's past.
Assassin's Creed Unity is set for release on October 28th for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.