In a recent leak, it was revealed thatAssassin’s Creed Hexe, Ubisoft’s next mainlineAssassin’s Creedtitle afterAC Shadows, is once again relying on a tired trope to drive the story forward: a revenge plot. This is disappointing news, as it continues a long-standingAssassin’s Creedtradition that has long been considered overdone.
SinceAssassin’s Creed 2’sEzio, revenge plots have become an overly common plot device inAssassin’s Creedgames, a means to give the protagonist motivation to join the Assassin Brotherhood or the Templars, driving the story forward. Elsa, the rumored main character forAssassin’s Creed Hexe, appears to fall into the same category, which could come to many fans' dismay.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe Falls Into the Same Pit as Most Other Assassin’s Creeds
The problem withAssassin’s Creed Hexe’s rumored plotlineopting to kill off Elsa’s mother to kick off the story isn’t that it’s a revenge plot; it’s that it’s a revenge plot that is beat-for-beat the exact same plot of several otherAssassin’s Creedentries. After Ubisoft found success with Ezio’s revenge story inAssassin’s Creed 2, the series has regularly tried and failed to recapture the same lightning in the bottle.Assassin’s Creed Hexeappears to be following the same tired route, if this leak is to be believed.
A rare exception toAssassin’s Creed’s tortured protagonist trope is Edward Kenway, a pirate-turned-assassin who isn’t in it for revenge but because he got caught up in the conflict between Templars and Assassins. Considering how beloved Edward Kenway is and how highBlack Flagis on a majority ofAssassin’s Creedgame tier lists, it would have been more interesting for Elsa to follow in Kenway’s footsteps instead of Ezio’s, as the series is overdue a less vengeful lead.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Story Could Be Predictable in the Worst Way Possible
It’s easy to envision a scenario based onAssassin’s Creed’s usual methods of storytelling whereHexe’s story turns out to be as repetitive as it sounds on paper. In the game’s opening hour, Elsa’s mother would be accused of being a witch and would be burned at the stake. Elsa, sad and angry, would vow revenge, setting off to kill those responsible - only it wouldn’t be possible to kill the big bad just yet for various reasons. Before that can happen, Elsa would need to find helpers who can aid her in her revenge, like an assassin-teacher-friend who is more than happy to welcome a complete stranger into the ranks of the famously secretive Assassin Brotherhood. Said teacher would then introduce her to a local leader, who would help Elsa inch closer to her target, having her complete various tasks to gain a foothold in the area.
Assuming that the story doesn’t just end with Elsa avenging her mother, several hours into the narrative, Elsa may find out that the person she vowed revenge on either killed themselves, was killed by someone else, wasn’t the killer in the first place, or found a way to repent for their sins. Elsa’s journey would then continue on, with her assassin-teacher-friend having her hunt down several high-ranking Templars before some kind of twist occurs regarding Elsa’s mother and her journey up to that point, such as her teacher potentially being the true villain all along. Obviously, this is all speculation based off of a very brief leak regarding the game’s premise, but with how formulaicAssassin’s Creedplots have become, something along these lines unfortunately feels believable.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Story Might Still Surprise Fans, But it’s Unlikely
Despite the disappointingly predictable hook ofAssassin’s Creed Hexe, there are still ways the game can make its narrative intriguing. An anti-hero twist, an innocent assassination, or even a quick and easy revenge job before moving on to more interesting things can helpAC Hexe’srevenge plot stand out from the rest. But consideringUbisoft’s long track recordof storylines that stick to the safest possible route, this is wishful thinking. A much more likely scenario is thatHexeblends into the background like so many otherACgames do in the weeks post-launch, as the core motivation for its main character isn’t anything new.
