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[IbizaPocholo]

Creator of Assassin's Creed Patrice Désilets: 'I'm sorry' for radio towers

Live at EGLX EGLX is underway in Toronto, Canada, and Destructoid managed to snag industry legend Patrice Désilets (Prince of...

www.destructoid.com

EGLX is underway in Toronto, Canada, and Destructoid managed to snag industry legend Patrice Désilets (Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Assassin's Creed) away today for a Q&A panel.

He talked about what led him into the wide world of game development, where he's going with his new studio and project, Ancestors, and a few off the cuff experiences throughout his career. But after being asked if he sees himself stuck as "the Assassin's Creed guy," Désilets had an incredible answer for us that no one could have predicted.

"I dunno man! Honestly, I don't know," he chuckled, before regaining his composure. "A little bit! If you're going to spend years on something I hope that happens. Breath of the Wild, wow! That was a game where you could do anything, once you finished the first half hour or so. Now, you're going to just climb towers and unfog the rest of the map. Sorry...it's my fault..." at which point the crowd erupted in laughter.

For reference, Désilets is the father of the Assassin's Creed series, leaving mid-way through Brotherhood (the third main entry). Although he's very proud of his creation, he knows that his history has impacted where he is today, explaining that he got meetings to found his new studio (Panache Digital Games) "because he's the Assassin's Creed guy."

Désilets reminds us that he hasn't played an Assassin's Creed game in 10 years because "he just can't do it," but he's made peace with the whole situation and is full steam ahead with his new studio. And he's still sorry for radio towers.

 

[daninthemix]

Radio towers are a good mechanic, if done well. The process of climbing up is enjoyable, and then have it uncovering points of interest on the map is satisfying.

It's just too many games started doing it and we got saturated.

 

[joe_zazen]

Radio towers are a good mechanic, if done well. The process of climbing up is enjoyable, and then have it uncovering points of interest on the map is satisfying.

It's just too many games started doing it and we got saturated.

.

exactly. & It alsways sucks when something good becomes a meme-butt-joke lazy people use to be ‘funny’, like the author of the piece And i guess delist himself.

 

[Barakov]

I really didn't have a problem with them in the early Assassin's Creed games. The problem was when they showed up everywhere and in some cases there was no good reason to be there. I wouldn't blame the AC creator for them but I'd blame Ubisoft for turning nearly everything they make into an AC game.

 

[pqueue]

I know many people hated them in Far Cry 4, but I found them fun.

 

[Dada55000]

Speaking of Assassin's Creed, I hope in 10 years some fuck apologises for 100 hour open world iconathon colored loot shitfests.

.

exactly. & It alsways sucks when something good becomes a meme-butt-joke lazy people use to be ‘funny’, like the author of the piece And i guess delist himself.

It's worth it to get through the dumbfucks heads that x mechanic is oversaturated to the point of being sickening.

 

[s34ab]

It wasn't so much the radio towers that were annoying, imo. It's that once you unlocked an area, it was basically the same 4 or 5 missions repeated.

 

[GreyHorace]

I wish Patrice hadn't left Ubiso- sorry. I meant fired from Ubisoft. AC2 was such a great leap from the first game I would have loved to see where he could have taken it. Unlike the annualized game schedule that Ubisoft has adapted for the series, he could have made true sequels that could have push the boundaries of the franchise. I still enjoyed the AC games up to Black Flag, but after the Unity fiasco I haven't touched the series since. I may try Origins and Odyssey at some point though.

 

[Yoshi]

If a game has good climbing mechanics, radio towers make sense and are fun. No reason to apologise.

 

[FranXico]

You've inspired countless other formulaic open-world games.

OWN IT!

 

[TeamGhobad]

is he the guy making Wild?

 

[Yoshi]

is he the guy making Wild?

You mean Michel Ancel (Rayman, BGE, Rabbids)?

 

[TeamGhobad]

You mean Michel Ancel (Rayman, BGE, Rabbids)?

i always confuse the two. they both have beef with ubisoft.

 

[D3SCHA1N]

is he the guy making Wild?

No, he's the one who made Ancestors: The Humankind Odessey. WiLD (if it is still being made) was being worked on by Michel Ancel, but he seems pretty focused on BG&E 2 now and I've not heard anything about WiLD in years...

 

[John Day]

I will always give him a chance. I loved AC 1, loved AC 2, sequels just liked, and and liked AC 3, but it could have been MORE. After Brotherhood, his absence was sorely noted.

The concept of it is just so fucking awesome.

 

[Grinchy]

The thing is, it's not a bad mechanic on its own. It pushes players to explore an area more slowly, take in the sights, pad out play time, ect.

It's just when you put it in every single game you make from then on that it becomes a problem. It's like how battle royale is a cool and interesting twist on the typical FPS formula, but once every game crowbars it in, suddenly it doesn't seem so cool or interesting.

 

[John Day]

The thing is, it's not a bad mechanic on its own. It pushes players to explore an area more slowly, take in the sights, pad out play time, ect.

It's just when you put it in every single game you make from then on that it becomes a problem. It's like how battle royale is a cool and interesting twist on the typical FPS formula, but once every game crowbars it in, suddenly it doesn't seem so cool or interesting.

Yes, exactly, i mean Far Cry doesn’t need it.

 

[ramuh]

Wasn't too bad I'm the first few games. It got u to explore and read the lore on buildings in the area. But ya. Long term, not good.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Patrice Désilets Interview: Ancestors Difficulty “On You,” 1666 Amsterdam Very Likely Next

The outspoken Patrice Désilets discusses the response to Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, 1666 Amsterdam, his idea for a furt trading game, and more!

wccftech.com

 

[Neoclash]

Radio towers are a good mechanic, if done well. The process of climbing up is enjoyable, and then have it uncovering points of interest on the map is satisfying.

It's just too many games started doing it and we got saturated.

exactly

 

[Javthusiast]

I had fun climbing the Robogiraffes in HZD.