London is stunning by day and night in new Assassin’s Creed Syndicate trailer

Assassin’s Creed has always been a gorgeous experience. A big allure of climbing those highest points and synching the map hasn’t just been about solving the climbing puzzle and revealing parts of the map; I love to just stand there and watch that panoramic view spin around, seeing just how beautifully recreated the city is. This new trailer for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate shows off just some of that splendor.

I really like the juxtaposition of old and new in London in the trailer. That stunning architecture and design is mixed in with factories and smoke stacks. It’s the industrial era in this game, and London highlights this contrast in a way that is apparent while still beautiful somehow. While I love seeing the beautifully-rendered palaces and landmarks, it is just as intriguing to see the trains, rain and slums. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the most visually impressive Assassin’s Creed game to date.

I am curious, though, how they will work it with the high points around the city. Now that there’s the top launcher to help speed up the journey to the top of buildings, will it still be a unique experience to get to high ground and survey the area, or will it just be a standard, easy activity that everyone ticks off the list simply to clean up the map? I hope there is still some challenge to it, although climbing puzzles have all but disappeared in recent Assassin’s Creed games. Maybe there will be some new kind of challenge – at least, I hope so.

Last Updated: September 2, 2015