Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Features a New Melee Combat System and Gang Warfare

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (hereafter AC:S) appears to be Ubisoft’s bid at redemption, following what transpired with Assassin’s Creed: Unity. AC:U had been a bit disappointing, and attempts to “fix” it sometimes made it worse. It looks like some of the concerns from ACU are being addressed in this upcoming release.

For one, more hands-on combat is being re-introduced. A new melee combat system is being brought to AC:S, and it’s looking pretty promising. Brass knuckles will be useful for close quarter combat, but guns are still an option. The human shield mechanic has also returned, making life a little easier. It would be a nice change of pace from the run-and-hide tactics that AC:U had many players employ.

An interesting addition to AC:S is the inclusion of gang warfare, which has lead characters Jacob and Evie Frye recruiting English citizens to help them control the districts, which will in turn grow the player’s sphere of influence. It appears that allies can be recruited at any point during missions, and assigned to the map once the takeover is complete. Progress in the campaign is directly proportional to the gang’s loyalty and morale, increasing as you move forward. The happier your gang is, the faster the player can unlock stuff and get supplies to better accomplish goals.

Of course, we can’t ignore the main characters’ voice actors. Listed on IMDB are voice actors Paul Amos as Jacob Frye, Victoria Atkin as Evie Frye, and Jaz Deol as Henry Green; this is backed up by Atkin’s tweet of a photo of some of the listed actors on their way to a “secret project.” The rest of the cast’s roles remain undisclosed at the moment.

It looks like Ubisoft is making good on their promise to scrap multiplayer and just focus on the single player experience. We’re looking forward to their showcase at E3, which is coming up soon. Were you burned by Assassin’s Creed: Unity in the past, and are you considering playing Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate? Or are you waiting for them to showcase something that will convince you to pick up the game?