Another Masayf Key in our possession means that we’re entitled to another glimpse into Altair’s life. Let’s make the most of it!
Streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/newdarkcloud
So Says Jay, in his retrospective on the game, mentions that much of the Altair plot was taking from the novelization of Assassin’s Creed 1, titled The Secret Crusade, which delves into his later years. I can’t truly say I remember that with clarity, because it’s been far too long since I read that novel and my memory of it has atrophied. I think I have memories of recognizing Maria’s death as a scene from the novel, but I can’t truly say that with confidence.
I can say from my own experience is that this material with Altair, and his struggle against Abbas, is easily the best writing in the game. The only issue is that it doesn’t feel like there’s enough time dedicated to it. There’s depth and complexity to the character and how he views the world as a result of his experiences with it, and that’s just not explored as much here as it deserves to be. It’s a story that clearly needs more time and resources dedicated to it to pick at the juicy meat on the bone. What we have is good, great even, but it’s not enough. I’m always left wanting more at the end of an Altair segment, because he has such an interesting character arc.
I simply cannot say the same about the Desmond sections, but we’ll get more into that next time.
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