The tabletop role-playing game Assassin's Creed gets to the heart of the most controversial element in video games

 Enter the Animus machine that reads DNA

The tabletop role-playing game Assassin's Creed gets to the heart of the most controversial element in video games

The iconic Assassin's Creed franchise, which has been captivating gamers since its debut by Ubisoft in 2007, has now made an intriguing leap into the realm of tabletop role-playing games courtesy of CMON, and it's currently available for pre-order. In an unexpected twist, rather than immersing players in the various well-established historical timelines that have defined the series, the publisher has boldly chosen to place the game's central narrative in the modern-day setting. Yes, you read that correctly: the Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game places its focus on the enigmatic Animus machine, a futuristic marvel that enables ordinary individuals to relive historical assassinations from the distant past. You can now download a 130-page “quickstart” Animus Training Program for free.

For those unfamiliar with it, Animus technology is a form of virtual reality that reads latent fragments of a person's ancestral DNA and reconstructs past events through an immersive simulation. In the narrative of the Assassin's Creed video games, players typically assume the role of a modern-era character who is plugged into the Animus machine, with their genetic information guiding the story's progression, as highlighted by cutscenes and playable segments.

While the Animus concept has puzzled and overwhelmed some fans, CMON's emphasis on it appears to have been the key to getting Ubisoft's approval for the tabletop role-playing game.

CMON's head of tabletop role-playing, Francisco Nepitello (known for his work on "The One Ring"), shared in a recent interview with Polygon, "I think that's exactly what got us the job. There were several projects that were pitched to "Ubisoft for a role-play game, but we were the only ones who actually presented the game with [an Animus-centric] angle."

What's intriguing is that this unique approach actually sounds captivating. According to Nepitello, the Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game will consistently thrust players into the heart of the action, utilizing the Animus as a vehicle for experiencing only the most thrilling aspects of a tabletop role-playing game, conveniently skipping over the more mundane elements. For instance, if you find yourself in ancient Greece, you won't need to worry about currency systems or cultural specifics. Instead, you'll simply roll some dice and embark on exhilarating adventures.

“As we have to play out, for example, a scene where you have to break into a temple and retrieve an item and escape,” explained Nepitello, “you inject the right amount of information to set up that situation. You don’t need to create the whole world. And that's exactly why, during the same session or along several sessions, you can hop from one time frame to another without any problems at all."

Moreover, CMON's new tabletop RPG won't restrict players to the well-known mainline franchises of the long-standing series for their time-travel escapades. It will delve into the catalog of smaller, perhaps less-recognized video games, including the 2015 trading card game “Assassin's Creed: Memories.” Additionally, it will introduce brand-new assassin characters, such as Major Gallagher, who combats Nazis in World War II-era France, and players will even have the opportunity to create their own assassins.

Character development plays a pivotal role in the game. It's important to note that your modern-day character evolves and acquires skills, not their historical predecessors.

“As the game goes on, you're growing in power because you start displaying those abilities—even in the modern day,” Nepitello explained.

Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game utilizes custom dice, which may be a point of contention for some players. Fortunately, there's a free mobile app available that handles all the dice rolling. Pre-orders for the game range from $35 to a $130 bundle that includes 13 assassin miniatures. There's also an extensive actual gameplay video, spanning nearly two and a half hours, that dives into the game's unique mechanics. The final product is expected to be shipped as a physical object by October 2024, with a digital version of the core books available on DriveThruRPG well before that date.

For fans eagerly anticipating the next installment in the mainline Assassin's Creed video game series, "Assassin's Creed Mirage" is currently scheduled for release on October 5.