Village Gamer

Montreal – Ubisoft Montreal has released the following development update featuring a conversation with 3rd Party Producer Frederic Lefrancois, who is overseeing production for Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines. Frederic is overseeing the title’s development, working closely with Kirkland, WA development studio Griptonite. The game, which will be available this winter, is exclusively for Sony PSP. As liaison between Griptonite and Ubisoft Montreal’s Assassin’s Creed Core Team, it falls to Frederic to ensure that Bloodlines will be an outstanding game and respect all of the Assassin’s Creed brand pillars.

“Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” follows Altair’s story right after the events of Assassin’s Creed as he hunts down the ascending Templars in Cyprus. It’s the only game that explains the link between Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed 2. If you want to understand how Ezio is born and where the Codex comes from you need this game. Well,  time to dig out the PSP which is located somewhere in the cavechild’s domain…at least I have a few months…or maybe get the new generation…decisions, decisions…

Assassin’s Creed PSP picks up right where Assassin’s Creed ended. After the death of Robert De Sable by Altair’s blade, the Templars, led by Armand Bouchart, fled the Holy Land to settle on the island of Cyprus. Following their tracks, Altair has the firm intention to put an end to the Templars’ quest for power. Altair will help the local resistance fight the Templars’ occupation and get rid of the Templar commanders.

In Bloodlines, we will see Altair grow and change, but as with all change, his evolution comes at a price. With most of his preconceptions shattered and cast among the blood of slain Templars, Altair enters the events of “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” with an open mind. No longer bound by Al Mualim’s leadership, he forges his own path and destiny. He has become more curious, more inquisitive and far less trusting.

With this PSP version, gamers can expect to enjoy the core gameplay of the original Assassin’s Creed including the signature free-running and the intuitive combat system. Before killing his targets, Altair will get to complete a variety of missions, not always investigations. There are 8 new mission types and we wanted each mission to feel as fresh and exciting as the final Assassination moment.

As it was the case in Assassin’s Creed, Altair will get to explore various large cities. This time around Altair will discover the cities of Limasol and Kyrenia in Cyprus, a beautiful and historically very interesting island in the Mediterranean Sea. Once again, you can expect Altair to master his environment while performing all of his signature moves. In fact, Altair will free-run, sprint, fly between beams and climb everywhere to take advantage of its surroundings. This is a huge benchmark technology wise as this kind of freedom of movement has never been seen before on the PSP.

On deciding the location for Bloodlines, Frederic explained the Team’s choice of setting. “In the summer of AD 1191, the Templar order withdrew from the Holy Land to the island of Cyprus which they had previously bought from Richard the Lionheart. They occupied the island and oppressed the locals who rose up in rebellion only to end up being crushed by the Templars. We chose this setting because it’s an intriguing historical period surrounded by conspiracy of the Templar Treasures left on the Island. The oppression of the people of Cyprus is the perfect backdrop to continue Altair’s story and explain some of the key elements of Assassin’s Creed 2.”

For those who own both the PSP and PS3, full advantage will be taken of the connectivity function. As players unlock health and Hidden blade upgrades in Assassin’s Creed 2 PS3, the same upgrades will be unlocked in Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP). It also works the other way round: on the PS3 you will be able to access any Templar Coins and special weapons you’ve collected on the PSP.