Did you guys even know that this was possible? A fan has recreated Assassin’s Creed Unity’s prospective Phantom Blade, to a startling degree.
This design actually deviates from that found in the original game. Creator ImDeePain managed to create the mechanism without a wheel to keep both sides of the retractable crossbow arms in place. The device seems to be made of wood and string, and seeing as it can actually throw out small arrows, it’s functional as much as it is attractive.
In fact, ImDeePain went the extra mile and incorporated Assassin insignia into the design. Of course, he calls this design two, so he is presumably planning on iterating on this design further, presumably to a level that’s good for some real life cosplay.
Just to put this in context, ImDeePain is not the first person to attempt to recreate Phantom Blades. However, the man is ahead of the curve compared to other fans, as he has managed to recreate the retractable sword sans the artifice of buttons.
It would seem the next steps forward are making a physically accurate, believable build, and also making the crossbow actually deadly, with power and accuracy.
Overall, it’s an amazing design that legitimizes Ubisoft’s designs. In fact, this makes one wonder if Ubi also, discreetly and internally, came up with their own Phantom Blade and added it to the game after figuring out it was doable in real life.
Assassin's Creed Unity is set for release on October 28th for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.