Summary
Assassin’s Creed Hexeis one of the more intriguing upcoming installments in theAssassin’s Creedfranchise, primarily due to its rumored setting and protagonist. Supposedly, it will be set in Germany during the 16th-century witch hunts that took place there, which would make it an incredibly unique entry for the series. If the protagonist truly is a female, it’s assumed she would be one of the “witches” who were being hunted. There is even potential for it to explore elements of horror, which would be a first for the franchise. However, what makes the notion ofAssassin’s Creed Hexe’s rumored settingall the more intriguing is the potential for the series to finally explore the idea of its protagonist using magic.
TheAssassin’s Creedseries has always relied on realism to tell its stories, meaning magic (to a certain degree) wouldn’t necessarily be possible. If the franchise was to lean too heavily into the supernatural side of things, it might veer too far away from the historical accuracy it is known for. Up to this point, the Assassins have relied on practical tools to fool, evade, and assassinate their victims. That being said, there would be room for a certain type of magic inAssassin’s Creed Hexe— one that would continue to honor the real world ofAssassin’s Creedwhile still offering some fresh gameplay that the franchise has never seen before.
How Assassin’s Creed Hexe Could Incorporate Magic Into Its Gameplay
Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Protagonist Could Be an Expert Illusionist and Trickster
Real-world magic is not supernatural at all. Instead, it relies on deception and illusion to trick onlookers into thinking something truly magical has taken place. Magicians make use of techniques such as sleight of hand, misdirection, and optical illusions to accomplish their tricks, and this is perhaps one of the most convincing waysAssassin’s Creed Hexewould be able to incorporate magicinto its protagonist’s skillset while still maintaining some semblance of realism.
TheAssassin’s Creedseries has already entertained the idea of deception and manipulation by providing players with tools like the Smoke Bomb and the Hallucination Dart, so the idea isn’t too far from what the franchise is used to.
Rather,Hexemay need to take the concept even further by providing new tools that keep the gameplay feeling fresh and also serve to bolster its narrative.Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Trickster vocationcould serve as a good blueprint forHexe’s protagonist, with a healthy set of deception skills like Enthralling Aroma, which possesses targets and causes them to attack one another. There are plenty of routesHexecould go with a magical protagonist, and there are more than enough examples out there that it could be modeled after.
Hexe’s Take on Magic Could Reinforce the Series' Iconic Stealth Gameplay
AssumingAssassin’s Creed Hexe’s protagonistis a female, it’s likely she could also be one of the “witches” that is being hunted. Perhaps her ultimate goal would be to save her fellow accused from their enemies by whatever means possible. That said, this would mean that she would need to evade capture at all costs, and there is arguably no better way to justify this than by her utilizingHexe’s take on magic to deceive and manipulate her foes until she accomplishes her goals. This would effectively reinforce the stealth gameplay theAssassin’s Creedseries is known for, which was all but discarded in the few installments ahead ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage.
AssumingAssassin’s Creed Hexeis set in 16th-century Germanyduring the witch hunts, it could serve as a great opportunity for the series to begin exploring new, perhaps unorthodox, gameplay options. The use of deceptive and illusionary magic would arguably fit right in with the setting, but it will likely be some time before any of this is confirmed or denied.
