5 Unanswered Questions We Have After Ubisoft’s 2018 E3 Conference

Where is Splinter Cell?

Splinter Cell was such an obvious call for the 2018 E3 Ubisoft conference, right? Just a few months ago, Ghost Recon Wildlands players were able to play a mission based around Sam Fisher and the Splinter Cell universe. On top of that, Ubisoft has been pretty open with their desire to bring the beloved stealth franchise back–not to mention how lacking that genre is right now, especially with the Metal Gear Solid franchise seemingly dead, or at least out of sight for the time being.

It would have been so perfect.

Imagine this: Ubisoft finishes their conference with all of the developers on stage (which is what happened). Then, all of the lights go out. The room is pitch black. Suddenly, the sound of night vision goggles turns on. You know, that sound. Finally, the once-black screen lights up with a glowing triangle of green lights. Following that, a date, or even a release year. Anything, really.

Ubisoft wouldn’t even need to tell us. We would know. Splinter Cell is coming back.

Sadly, that didn’t happen. Instead, the conference just ended. No Sam Fisher. No Splinter Cell. Because of that, we’re left wondering what exactly is up with this very franchise. Many assumed the next entry was due out very soon, but if Ubisoft was unwilling to announce it during their E3 show, and Splinter Cell is certainly an E3-announcement type of game, this game might be further along than we think. This is sad to hear, but a good game cannot and should not be rushed.

Ubisoft, take all of the time you need, but please, when you at least have a release year, let us know. We want it, nay, we need it. 

How Far Along is the Development of Beyond Good & Evil 2?

Last year at E3, Ubisoft surprised their most dedicated fans with the announcement that not only was Beyond Good & Evil 2 real, but that development had begun. Little did we know that when they said development on the title had begun, they quite literally meant it had just begun.

It’s been a full year since that announcement and we might be no closer to playing the game than we were last year, or maybe we are closer. It’s something Ubisoft failed to explain this year at E3. We might have received some hints, though.

Following a new trailer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt took to the stage to announce that his entertainment production company, HitRecord, and Ubisoft were working together to bring all sorts of assets into the game. Simply put, HitRecord has $50,000 to pay any number of different artists who submit their art pieces, songs, and more to the company. If the asset is good enough, or rather, well-received by the company, said asset will be used in Beyond Good & Evil 2. Of course, these artists will be compensated for their work. How much each asset receives is still up in the air, though. Anyway, if Ubisoft is not only asking for help adding art to the game, but also has the time to wait for these assets to be created and then sent, it might be safe to bet that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is a ways off.

Furthermore, if you watched the new trailer, you know Jade from Beyond Good & Evil makes an appearance. Last year when the sequel was announced, it was announced as a prequel set long before the events of the first game. If that’s true, why was Jade in the trailer? Maybe the prequelization of the title wasn’t well-received, or maybe Ubisoft changed their minds, but regardless, if Jade is in the game, it can’t be the same prequel discussed at E3 in 2017. This indicates that the title likely changed directional paths somewhere in between E3 2017 and E3 2018. A drastic change in development, which this could potentially be, can easily set a game back years. Is that what happened to Beyond Good & Evil 2? Naturally, we want to play it as soon as possible, but we also want what we play to be great, so if the team needs more time, fans should be pleased at their decision to take the time to make the game better.

Regardless, none of these questions posed were answered during the 2018 E3 Ubisoft conference which leaves us wondering how far along this game is. Maybe we’ll find out next year. 

Is Beyond Good & Evil 2 a Next-Generation Game?

As previously mentioned, Beyond Good & Evil 2 not only made a potentially drastic change in the game’s story, and thus its development, it’s also asking artists so submit art assets, music and more to be used in the game. Making these assets will take time, especially considering many of these potential artists aren’t professionally-paid like those Ubisoft currently employs, and on top of that, Ubisoft and HitRecord will have to take the time to comb through all of these submissions and determine which deserve a spot in their game.

What I’m trying to say is that what Ubisoft is trying to do with Beyond Good & Evil 2 is going to take a long time. This generation is coming to a close. It turns five this year, and many are expecting to hear about the next generation of consoles in 2019. If that does happen, 2020 seems the likely year for the release of these next-gen consoles. 2020 seems way too early for Beyond Good & Evil 2’s release, which begs the question: what consoles is Beyond Good & Evil 2 releasing on?

Sure, it could be this generation, but if development continues years from now, what’s to say this game doesn’t drop on the Xbox 2 or the PS5? We truly don’t know, and Ubisoft failed to say or show anything indicating when Beyond Good & Evil 2 will make its way into the hands of players around the world. 

What Does the End Game in Skull and Bones Look Like?

Skull and Bones is shaping up to be the pirate game–well, that is, if you completely ignore that there is virtually no combat that doesn’t happen while controlling a ship and as far as island exploring, the game relegates that to cutscenes–and if the end game content is great, this game could live on to be the pirate game for years to come.

Why? Skull and Bones is a PvE-PvP naval combat pirate game that will see players working together to take out ships and plunder their loot, or cross swords, or rather cannons, in an attempt to take each other out.

In any games-as-a-service game, which is what Destiny is and what Skull and Bones is shaping up to be, the end game makes or breaks the title. The most motivated players will finish the main game in just a few days. What is Skull and Bones doing to keep those players in its world? In Destiny, those who finish the story mode still have a world of things to discover: crucible matches, raids, loot and more. In this regard, what will Skull and Bones do? During the Ubisoft conference, we were informed of some of the things we can do while playing, but we weren’t necessarily informed of what content is available at this or that point of the game.

While many are enticed by the world of piracy and everything else Skull and Bones has to offer, what this title is going to do in the end game is still a question we have after Ubisoft’s E3 showcase. 

What Makes Assassin’s Creed Odyssey an Assassin’s Creed Game?

If you haven’t finished Assassin’s Creed Origins, I would suggest you reading stop here.

Last chance: I am about to spoil the very end of Assassin’s Creed Origins.

Assassin’s Creed Origins was an exceptional entry in a series that was quickly approaching stale–for many, it was already that. Origins not only reinvigorated interest in the franchise, it fundamentally changed the series for the better. Assassin’s Creed is now an RPG, and a really good one at that. It’s giant, too. Sure, previous entries were large, but the Origins map is massive. Origins also took us to a time earlier than ever before in the series: Ancient Egypt. Above all of that, though, the series detailed the very origin of what is now the Assassins Brotherhood, or the Assassin Order.

In some of the game’s final moments, Bayek is saying goodbye to Aya, and saying goodbye what might be for good. While doing so, Bayek leans down to pick up an eagle skull that lay on top of the beach he and Aya stand on. When he picks up the eagle skull, what’s revealed underneath is the logo, or insignia, of the Assassin Order.

Shortly after that reveal, Bayek and Aya discuss the Brotherhood, its purpose, how it works and more.

During the 2018 E3 Ubisoft conference, we learned that Odyssey takes place 400 years before Origins. What does this mean? Well, for starters, it means that the Assassins Brotherhood wasn’t even close to existing at the time when Odyssey takes place.

This lines up with what we’ve seen of the game so far, too. The now-famous hidden blade of the standard assassin is nowhere to be found in anything we’ve seen of Odyssey. It appears to have been replaced by the Spear of Leonidas. Will the hidden blade make an appearance in Odyssey? We simply don’t know, but when it releases on Oct. 5 later this year, we are sure to find out.

This brings us back to the original question: What makes Assassin’s Creed Odyssey an Assassin’s Creed game?

We don’t necessarily know. Sure, it plays like an Assassin’s Creed game–looks like it too. But, without the hidden blade or the Assassin Order, or hell, even Assassins, can we call Odyssey an Assassin’s Creed game?