During their live E3 presentation way back in 2014, Ubisoft released the debut trailer for Assassin’s Creed Unity. The trailer was met with overwhelmingly positive reactions by both longtime fans of the series and newbies alike for its impressive presentation, visuals, and sound design. And while the game itself may not have lived up to the hype, the reveal trailer can still at least be appreciated for what it I – especially on July 14 of every following year.
Released on June 9, 2014, Unity’s trailer portrayed the late 18th century amidst the French Revolution at the onset of the Storming of the Bastille. The game’s trailer functioned as somewhat of a celebration for France’s national holiday, as well as advertising the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game.
Top Notch Cinematics
There were many things that gamers loved about Unity’s reveal trailer back when it originally premiered, but perhaps the greatest part of was its cinematic quality. Everything from the trailer’s impressive visuals to the sweeping opening shot of a bird overhead and the music that intensifies alongside the action fits together very nicely. There are few pop songs that have fit so well together with trailers as Lorde’s ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ does with Unity’s celebration of Bastille Day. Everything flows so well, making for a trailer that is infinitely rewatchable.
Close Attention to Detail
Apart from simply being very watchable, Unity’s reveal trailer also succeeds by paying close attention to historical detail. The trailer features highly detailed scenery and architecture, character clothing that is spot-on for its period and setting, and incredibly realistic violence. There are even small background details that viewers can spot, such as a banner with the words “liberte a la mort” (“Freedom or Death”), which was the motto of revolutionists during the French Revolution.
It Wasn’t Perfect
But while Unity’s E3 trailer is overall excellent, there were still some questionable decisions made. Perhaps the strangest creative choice was the lack of any French accents whatsoever. Set during the French Revolution and developed by a company with French origins, it’s incredibly odd for the game’s characters to speak in Brtiish accents. Ubisoft attempted to explain the omission by stating the Animus, a sort of in-game time machine, translates “everything into the language you’re playing in.” However, that doesn’t explain games like Assassin’s Creed II, which remained truer to its Italian roots.
Additionally, we should also wonder whether or not it is entirely appropriate to use a pivotal historic moment from a nation’s history to promote and advertise a commercial product. It could be argued that the game undermines history by commercializing (and therefore trivializing) a critical moment from history.
But at the end of the day, the trailer brought the history behind Bastille Day into the homes of players around the world. While an excellent display of trailer craftsmanship, it may serve a deeper purpose than a marketing tool by focusing heavily on the events of July 14, 1789.
At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)