Location: HOMELatest Game IssuesThe Verticality Challenge in Assassin's Creed Games: How Ubisoft Solved Ancient Greece's Landscape Problem

The Verticality Challenge in Assassin's Creed Games: How Ubisoft Solved Ancient Greece's Landscape Problem

2025-07-14 00:52:52

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series has consistently impressed players with its meticulously crafted historical worlds. From Renaissance Italy to Victorian London, these settings serve as more than just backdrops - they're integral to the gameplay experience. However, as Assassin's Creed Odyssey's world director Ben Hall revealed, creating these immersive environments often presents unique challenges, particularly when it comes to verticality.

In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, Hall discussed the particular difficulties the development team faced when designing Ancient Greece for Odyssey. Unlike previous settings that naturally featured towering structures, Greece's landscape offered fewer opportunities for the vertical movement that's become a hallmark of the franchise.

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Hall explained: "Verticality is crucial to Assassin's Creed's DNA. We're essentially creating climbing frames for players to explore. In Syndicate, Victorian London's architecture naturally provided these opportunities, but Ancient Greece required more creative solutions."

The development team's innovative approach involved incorporating massive statues throughout the Greek landscape. These weren't arbitrary additions - each was carefully researched and based on historical or mythological references. The statues served dual purposes: maintaining historical authenticity while providing the vertical playgrounds players expect from the series.

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This solution exemplifies the delicate balance Ubisoft must strike between historical accuracy and engaging gameplay. As Hall noted, these towering structures also served as organic distractions, encouraging players to explore off the main path while still delivering that signature Assassin's Creed climbing experience.