The upcoming Assassin's Creed part “Hexe” will most likely take place in Germany. But what could the game look like? We're thinking about this.
A comment from Ove Frank.
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Assassin's Creed Witch: What's behind the codename?
On the Ubisoft Forward In September 2022, Ubisoft announced, in addition to the long-awaited Assassin's Creed in Japan, a briefly hinted AC project called Codename Hexe.
But the mini-teaser that was published for it still contained all sorts of clues. Some particularly astute fans were able to crack the secret code, which once again underlines what many of you had been hoping for a long time: Codename Hexe will (probably) take place in Germany.
Have you watched the teaser yet? If not, it's best to do it straight away:
Heinrich Kramer's witch's hammer
The code name “Hexe” already suggests that Germany will be the setting for the game. Hexe is not an English name, but a German one and yet the game was announced internationally under this name. It is therefore unlikely that the game could address the Salem witch trials of 1692.
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It is more likely that the game will change Malleus Maleficarum (German witch's hammer) will take to the chest. This was written in 1484 by the German Dominican and inquisitor Heinrich Kramer. This would mean we are in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.
The Witch's Hammer is a book in which Kramer presents his views on witches and wizards and uses false logic to try to justify his brutal actions against supposed servants of black magic. Above all, the witch hammer is directed against women. Those who reject the witch hunt should also be declared heretics and persecuted.
AC in Germany: Is it about witch hunts?
The scenario of the witch hunt and Heinrich Kramer as a great antagonist are very well suited dramaturgically and narratively. Kramer was extremely brutal against alleged witches and those who thought differently, but he was also extremely well connected. He even had the ear of Pope Innocent VIII and persuaded him to initiate and legitimize nationwide witch trials.
It would make sense to make Kramer a Templar who the witch trials as a pretext used to actually hunt assassins and critics of the Templar teachings. The infamous Inquisitor would be a historically documented villain who would be ideal as a nasty antagonist.
Possibly could Kramer even used an Eden shard to draw the masses to his side and thus legitimize his inhumane actions. Similar to how the antagonists did in the previous AC titles.
As a setting, the game would probably be most important the south of Germany as well as parts of Austria and Bohemia serve, where at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries many witch trials were carried out and numerous innocent women met a miserable end at the stake.
What can the German Assassin's Creed look like?
With Mirage has Assassin's Creed is more tied to its own roots and not a long open-world RPG, but rather a smaller action-adventure, which is much more streamlined and has a much shorter running time.
While Codename Red would definitely be a great role-playing game, Codename Hexe would probably be in a similar vein to Assassin's Creed Mirage. I'm expecting a smaller adventure with several self-contained locations.
I can imagine that game would be structured similarly to Assassin's Creed 3. At that time there were two big cities, New York and Boston. There were also forest areas with small towns and a nice settlement as a base.
Since a dark forest could already be seen in the teaser, this will probably also be used. That would be right dark atmosphere to further strengthen the historical template.
In order to give the game a certain verticality and thus use the well-known course elements, large and During the witch hunt, important cities such as Speyer, Innsbruck and Prague to be available.
So you would then follow a compelling story and relive one of the darkest chapters of the early modern era. The fronts would be clearly defined again and Assassins would once again take action against the power-hungry machinations of the Templars.
The idea of returning to one's own roots and choosing this period of time would also open up the possibility to bring back an old friend from the Assassin's Creed universe.
Is an appearance by AC legend Ezio Auditore possible?
If Ubisoft actually decided to focus on the Heinrich Kramer witch trials, it would indeed be not unrealisticwhen the figurehead of Assassin's Creed makes his comeback: Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
The Witch's Hammer appeared in 1484 and Heinrich Kramer died around 1505. This means that this story parallel to Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood would occur. There would definitely be room for an appearance by the legendary assassin somewhere in there.
Since Ezio actually turns into a mentor in Brotherhood, he could even be one of the people who becomes the protagonist of Codename Witch (a female playable character would be particularly suitable here) sends out at all to stop Kramer. Alternatively, he could simply intervene in a supportive manner.
As a marketing maneuver, this would be a brilliant move, especially to get the long-established fans and nostalgics on board again. Who wouldn't want to see Ezio Auditore da Firenze in action again?