Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - 10 Ways It Already Made The Series Great Again
9. True Development For The Modern-Day Story
Ever since Assassin's Creed III saw the end of Desmond, the modern story did definitely suffer from a loss of direction.
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate fixes this. First of all, those who dislike the modern gameplay missions need not fret, as the present-day assassins tale is told entirely in short cutscenes. Plus, in an odd twist, our heroes are ultimately unsuccessful.
We've been conditioned to always think the protagonists will come out on top of the end, but this time we see them beaten and unsure of what to do after having lost their objective to the enemy. The good guys received a humbling reminder that they are not invincible.
Arguably, the most important takeaway from Syndicate's modern-day story is longtime sarcastic character, Shaun. For the first time, he openly discusses how broken he is as a result of Desmond's death, deeply regretting the way he treated Desmond, saying the man was "the best of us", and is truly grateful for Desmond's sacrifice.
At a certain point in the main game, co-protagonist Jacob Frye meets the wife of the British prime minister at the time, Mary Anne Disraeli, and her dog, who just happens to be named Desmond. If you check the animus database, you find that upon simply hearing this name, Shaun locked himself in a room with a bottle of liquor and wept.
Shaun is engaging and importantly, relatable.