Architecture, Narrative and Interaction in the Cityscapes of the Assassin’s Creed Series

Abstract

In the design of cities in recent video games, architecture, narrative and interaction influence each other in several ways. The following chapter presents a preliminary analysis of how those three elements intersect with each other within the cityscapes of selected cities included in three episodes of the Assassin’s Creed series. Despite the ever-increasing diffusion of, and interest in, video games by both the general public and the academic environment, the number of scientific studies on the topic remains quite limited, especially in relation to architecture. The Assassin’s Creed series is one of those remarkable examples that prove how the design of cities and architectures is becoming increasingly critical in modern video games. Moreover, these video games also provide new ways of understanding and experiencing historical information. However, despite its success and its richness and complexity in terms of design, art, technology and cultural elements, this series of video games has not yet been adequately investigated. Three main components constitute the methodology that was used to analyse the selected cities, namely the application of a theoretical framework, direct experience of the virtual environments selected, and the study of various references from books to online resources. The research has multiple values. It shows how historical information has been interpreted and blended within a creatively designed work in order to present historically believable, aesthetically evocative and engaging virtual cityscapes, and it helps to develop awareness of the artistic and cultural qualities of video games. Moreover, the study of these virtual environments may encourage architects to reflect on the design of real cities. The present work continues an ongoing research path between architecture and video games and lays the groundwork for further studies.