"Sigh, players still lack trust in our Nebula Games!"
Looking at the trending terms online like 'Vacation Agency' and 'tourism,' Chen Xu couldn't help but sigh.
Tourism?
Nonexistent.
This was all for work!
From Florence to Vatican City, nearly a month of location scouting—do you know how exhausting that was?
And to ensure the landmarks were accurate, they had to visit various tourist attractions—no, rather, historical sites preserved since ancient times—to feel the weight of history.
Besides, who said being in Italy meant they weren't working on game development?
With the internet so advanced nowadays, even half a globe away, they could still handle official business!
Otherwise, how could the VR theme for Outlast, which delighted players, have been launched during this time?
But now, that trust was completely gone!
Though some mentioned Nebula Games might be scouting locations for a game, it caused no ripple.
Watching Chen Xu sigh, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue nearby remained silent.
Lack of trust? Wasn't that something Mr. Chen had gradually discarded himself?
As for Italian cuisine, they initially thought it would be delicious, but now?
Chinese cuisine was better!
"But Mr. Chen, will our new work be set in Italy?" Meng Zuo asked curiously.
Though they seemed like tourists, they had actually done a lot of work, such as visiting the Florence Cathedral and other related areas for on-site research.
While photos and VR could provide some sense of these places, Chen Xu's recent behavior clearly indicated he wanted them to experience it firsthand.
"That's right." Chen Xu nodded with a smile.
Regarding the new work, Chen Xu had actually been considering it for a long time.
But due to capability limitations, he hadn't started production until now.
Now, it was about time.
At the same time, the performance of the New Era Huanyu VR could provide players with a more immersive experience for this work.
Assassin's Creed.
Strictly speaking, it should be the Ezio Trilogy and Altaïr's story.
In his previous life, Assassin's Creed was also a massive IP with millions of sales.
However, this large IP's journey was quite tumultuous—from its highly anticipated initial release to the Waterloo of Unity. Though subsequent content fixes improved Unity, its 'notoriety' had already spread.
This led many random players to instinctively call Unity the worst entry in Assassin's Creed, even though later titles like Syndicate also had mixed reputations.
In this context, a major overhaul of the series emerged.
Origins began it, Odyssey peaked it, and Valhalla concluded it—the Mythology Trilogy opened a new chapter.
The Assassin's Creed series was no longer confined to assassins.
Many players had jokingly referred to Assassin's Creed as 'Berserker's Creed,' and with the Mythology Trilogy, that became literal.
'Family Man' Bayek, 'Sibling Harmony' Kassandra, and 'Stealth Master' Eivor—these protagonists brought players a completely new experience.
If the original Assassin's Creed leaned closer to action Gameplay, the Mythology Trilogy was pure RPG Gameplay.
Moreover, in a broader sense, the Assassin's Creed series had long attempted to separate itself from the assassin identity.
The Ezio Trilogy was a mild attempt at this.
Connor, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed III, had a father, Haytham Kenway, who was a bold experiment—his father was an assassin, his son was an assassin, but he himself became a Templar Knight.
Later, the character Shay appeared, first as an assassin before becoming a Templar Knight.
His existence shattered the固有印象 (deep-rooted impression) that assassins were always good, Templar Knights always evil, and that the two were水火不容 (irreconcilable).
This concept was heavily emphasized in later games, such as in the revolutionary Origins and Odyssey.
The reason for choosing the Ezio Trilogy as the next development direction was simple: Ezio was the most thoroughly developed character in the series, and the trilogy's story could be considered the peak of the franchise.
Admittedly, every protagonist in the Assassin's Creed series left a deep impression on players.
From '浪里白条 (White Streak in the Waves)' Altaïr, '守身如玉 (Chaste and Virtuous)' Ezio, '弱不禁风 (Frail as Paper)' Connor, '父慈子孝 (Loving Father and Filial Son)' Haytham, '无双战神 (Unrivaled Warrior)' Arno Dorian, '视钱如土 (Money Means Nothing)' Edward Kenway, '遵纪守法 (Law-Abiding)' Jacob Frye, '忠于组织 (Loyal to the Brotherhood)' Cormac, '妻儿圆满 (Perfect Family)' Bayek, '姐弟和睦 (Sibling Harmony)' Deimos, to '潜行大师 (Stealth Master)' Eivor.
Behind each name was a moving and epic story.
But if there was one protagonist who stood out the most, it was undoubtedly Ezio.
After all, he was the only character with three full games and an animated short film dedicated to him.
Youth, middle age, old age, and twilight—his entire life was perfectly depicted.
Naturally, this left an indelible mark on countless players.
Thus, Chen Xu reserved the protagonist role of the first Assassin's Creed for Ezio.
Of course, Altaïr was also included, as Ezio's story couldn't be told without mentioning this master assassin.
This trip to Italy was meant to let the team personally experience landmarks like the Florence Cathedral and other Renaissance-era classics in the real world.
After all, one of the most crucial aspects of Assassin's Creed was its recreation of historical atmosphere.
Without exaggeration, in his previous life, the Assassin's Creed series was the best at capturing historical realism—bar none.
If you asked players which game truly made them feel history, many would answer: Assassin's Creed.
For example, after the Notre-Dame fire, Unity saw a resurgence in popularity, with some even claiming its depiction of Notre-Dame could aid in post-disaster restoration.
Though this was just a baseless rumor, it highlighted how accurately the series recreated historical and cultural structures.
Some university professors even used Origins and Odyssey as teaching materials for Ancient Greek and Egyptian history courses.
One of Assassin's Creed's greatest attractions was how it transported players back in time to pivotal historical moments.
It let them participate in these events and experience the culture of those eras—Pericles' speeches, Socrates' debates, the grandeur of Jerusalem, the majesty of the Egyptian Pyramids, the romance of the Renaissance, and the stories of Leonardo da Vinci and Copernicus.
Chen Xu wanted the entire team to personally witness the structures that would appear in the game, rather than relying solely on资料 (materials),文献 (documents), and照片 (photos)—himself included.
As for tourism?
That was just a bonus.
The real goal was to recreate that sense of history in Assassin's Creed.
(End of Chapter) <