With all of the trailers and gameplay videos that have come out for Assassin's Creed Unity, we've been able to see the game's slick new mechanics, the beautifully rendered city of Paris and the complex and meaningful storyline. But after each of these new trailers, many fans kept repeating the same question: Where are the French accents?
Unity's 'Paris Stories' Are Side Missions Inspired By Real-World People And Events
It's not an unreasonable question for series fans. Ezio, who presumably spoke Italian in his own lifetime, spoke English with an Italian accent throughout his trilogy. When he travelled to Istanbul in Revelations, the Ottomans and Byzantines spoke English with appropriate accents. So in our encounters with Unity's protagonist Arno, why hasn't he spoken with a French accent?
Yesterday, the writers behind the UbiBlog spoke with Creative Director Alex Amancio to answer the fans' burning question. The answer? Well, it's been established in the Assassin's Creed universe that the Animus translates all interactions so the user can understand. It's what made Desmond understand Altaïr without knowing a word of Arabic. So if the Animus is already translating everything said, Amancio explained, there would be no reason for it to translate it with an accent.
Ubisoft Is Taking Counter Kills And Kill Chains Out Of Unity
For those who were hoping to hear more French coming out of the City of Lights, there's no need to worry. All of the background characters in the streets of Paris will be speaking entirely in French, Amancio said. The only lines that are translated into English are those with narrative importance. With just a simple stroll down a Parisian walkway, players will be able to hear all of the language of love they desire.
Arno, too, will unleash a word or two every so often in his native tongue, just like the Assassins before him. If he's anything like Ezio, this means that Unity will be a wonderful teacher for French Curse Words 101.
.@Azzaboy97x Arno speaks the occasional word in his native language, just as previous Assassins did. #AskACAlex #AssassinsCreed
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) August 29, 2014
In the end, Unity's lack of French accents boils down to a creative decision. Interestingly enough, the developers' in-game rationale is the same one used for the transition into Assassin's Creed II: blame it on the Animus. The original Altaïr spoke in plain English, but Ezio picked up an Italian accent. When Altaïr came back in Revelations, he had picked up a solid Middle Eastern accent. In one Assassin's Creed II conversation between Desmond and Rebecca, she dismisses this disparity as a difference in the Animus translation software.
A machine that can change the user's perception of the world is certainly a handy little narrative device, as it turns out.
Assassin's Creed Unity is set to hit next-gen consoles and PCs on November 11.
