9. Victorian London
Although the British have featured heavily in the Assassin's Creed series, intimately entwined into Conor and Edward's struggles, players are now taken to the heart of the British Empire to witness the life of the underclass in the epicentre of industry, finance and imperialism. In traditional fashion, Assassin's Creed: Syndicate has thus far showcased artwork and world-design to the high standards the series has championed. Audiences are treated to sublime shots of London landmarks like Big Ben and St. Paul's cathedral, for example, the industrial advancements of manufacturing in the forms of factories and trains, whilst the streets and slums capture the Victorian era's reputation for wealth-creation and the downtrodden. It is questionable, however, whether the world-design of nineteenth-century London is distinguished enough from that of late eighteenth-century Paris. Successive studios have essentially failed to distinctly separate the design of each instalment from the previous. With the obvious themes of French and British imperialism and culture flowing through Assassin's Creed III to Syndicate, perhaps this is a prime source for the criticism leveraged at Ubisoft for failing to invigorate the series with something truly unique. Whilst the aesthetic once again seems beautiful, it is perhaps an area of the game which required extensive innovation.