In the midst of the Third Crusade, we’ve been stripped of our rank and made novice once more. In the modern world, we’ve been kidnapped by an evil corporation who wants to use us for their own nefarious ends.
It’s not looking great, but we’ve been through worse.
In developer interviews, the developers at IO Interactive have said before the reason Agent 47 was given a barcode tattoo was so that the player had a way of determining which character on screen was the player character even when disguised. A core mechanic to the franchise is dressing up in different outfits, so the protagonist’s character design had to accommodate that.
And I use this example to explain why I’m so fond of Altair’s design in the original Assassin’s Creed. Like Agent 47, he needs to have an appearance that stands out from the crowd he is canonically blending into for the sake of the player. The combination of white robes, red sash, and visible armaments make it so that player always knows which character on screen is their avatar. As the franchise progress, this aspect of character design has held true. No matter which Assassin’s Creed one plays, the main character is always immediately recognizable by the outfit and silhouette.
What is still important is about Altair’s design is the often overlooked practical in-universe purpose for it. The white robes are designed to be almost identical to the robes worn by scholars across the city. Not only does this allow Altair to pass himself off as a scholar to avoid suspicion from guards, but it allows him to blend in with groups of scholars to bypass security discreetly. It’s a queue that I wish other assassins in later games took for their own designs: Outfits that stand out while still feeling as though they had practical purpose for the assassin wear them.
It makes for strong characterization.
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