Summary
- Assassin's Creed Hexe could explore the persecution of alleged witches during the 1600s, providing a unique historical backdrop for the franchise.
- The game should embrace horror themes by portraying the protagonist as a terrifying presence, using curses, ailments, and psychological horror to keep enemies at bay.
- Hexe should introduce horror mechanics into both its combat and exploration, allowing players to use cursed symbols to gain territory and reduce the presence of enemies in certain locations.
Ubisoft has been fairly silent about Assassin's Creed Hexe ever since it was revealed during 2022's Ubisoft Forward event, being announced alongside a spate of other high-profile projects for the franchise. Despite only having a small teaser trailer to its name, fans have been locked in intense discussion around what experiences the title will bring for quite some time.
This hype surrounding Assassin's Creed Hexe undoubtedly comes from the unusually moody and sinister nature of its reveal trailer, with the appearance of dark forests and twig effigies being a big departure from the usual themes of the franchise. Leading fan theories already paint a sensible picture of what Hexe will eventually explore, and the game could be in a prime position to be the first AC title to take a concerted plunge into the world of horror.
Assassin's Creed Hexe Should Use Horror Themes To Its Advantage
The dark forest imagery of Assassin's Creed Hexe's reveal trailer, combined with the code-name Hexe, has led many fans to believe that the game will center around a coven of witches. With the franchise having a penchant for feeding off of real-world historical events, it would then make sense for Hexe to be set at some point between 1500–1700 AD during the European reign of the Holy Roman Empire.
This was a time of intense persecution against women who were alleged to be witches, with the most frequent witch trials occurring in what is now modern-day Germany during the 1600s. The Holy Roman Empire would be the perfect kind of religious institution that is often home to the Templar Order in the Assassin's Creed franchise, with the game potentially being the first mainline release to feature a sole female protagonist if it does indeed follow a coven of supposed witches.
Assassin's Creed Hexe featuring a coven of witches is a very popular theory for the game but has not yet been officially confirmed by Ubisoft.
Of course, given how this narrative would borrow from horrific real-life persecution, Assassin's Creed Hexe needs to be very mindful of how it portrays this period of time. Regardless of whether the game chooses to add genuine supernatural elements to the witches of Hexe or simply leaves them grounded in reality, there is still a lot of room for the title to lean into horror themes.
Assassin's Creed Hexe Should Put the Power of Horror in the Player's Hands
While the themes of Assassin's Creed games are usually quite serious, they are often contrasted by lighthearted and even comedic moments that Hexe should avoid. The protagonist of Hexe could be given powers if they are an Isu Sage, for example, and this could come in the form of curses and ailments that can be inflicted on enemies. This could make the player character feel like a vulnerable but terrifying presence to enemies, lurking in the shadows and using the familiarity of the wilderness to her advantage.
Hexe should then portray the genuine fear and apprehension that enemies would feel towards the protagonist, flipping the usual horror script by having the player take the role of the looming and mysterious threat. Psychological horror could play a huge role in Hexe's narrative in terms of keeping threats away from the protagonist's coven, with effigies like those seen in the reveal trailer for the game perhaps providing their own horror utility.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla featured Cursed Symbols that would hex and malform a given area until destroyed, and this is something that should return in Hexe, this time wielded by the player, to gain territory and reduce the presence of enemies in certain locations. While the Assassin's Creed franchise usually has a focus on skilled close-quartered combat, Hexe could easily capitalize on its already dark reputation by having horror mechanics at the core of both its combat and exploration.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- November 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- Ubisoft Anvil
- Cross-Platform Play
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla supports cross-progression between all platforms!
- Cross Save
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
Raid your enemies, grow your settlement and build your political power in the next chapter of the Assassin’s Creed series. Become a legendary Viking warrior raised on tales of battle and glory. Raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power in the quest to earn a place among the gods in Valhalla. Advanced RPG mechanics allow you to shape the growth of your character and influence the world around you. With every choice you make, from political alliances and combat strategy to dialogue and gear progression, you will carve your own path to glory. Construct and upgrade buildings that allow for deep customization, including a barracks, blacksmith, tattoo parlor and more. Recruit new members to your clan and personalise your Viking experience.
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
- Platform(s)
- Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 61 Hours
- Metascore
- 84
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 144 Hours
