[230917]Why the Aztec Empire Would Be a Perfect Setting for an Assassin's Creed Game

https://gamerant.com/assassins-creed-aztec-religion-mythos-isu-empire-perfect-setting/
As Ubisoft gets ambitious for Assassin's Creed games with different settings and time periods, the Aztec Empire has great potential for a future game.

With Ubisoft outlining an ambitious scope of upcoming Assassin's Creed projects that will visit all sorts of regions and time periods, one well-known and distinctive era of history that a future Assassin's Creed game could feature could be the Aztec Empire. Given the Assassin's Creed series has a soft spot for history's most memorable periods, such as the Renaissance, the American Revolutionary War, and the Industrial Revolution, it's likely that Ubisoft will continue this with future Assassin's Creed games. As such, the Aztec Empire would be the ideal setting for Assassin's Creed both for its historical significance and the storytelling opportunity it could offer.

But while the Aztec Empire might visually appear closer to the likes of Ancient Egypt and Assassin's Creed Origins, the empire actually began towards the end of the Middle Ages meaning an Aztec-inspired game would take place parallel to Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Though this might mean the overarching story of the Assassin's Creed franchise would need to be adapted for another game taking place halfway around the world during this period, the Aztec Empire has creative potential. Between Aztec gods and myths to the distinct architecture and craftsmanship, Assassin's Creed would be right at home in Mesoamerica.

Aztec Religion and Mythos is Perfect for the Isu


Since the most recent Assassin's Creed games have leaned more into the fantastical side of science fiction with players often battling with mythical creatures of the era, the Aztecs have an abundance of legendary monsters and gods that could serve the same purpose. Coincidentally, some of these mythical creatures can also tie into the broader narrative that Assassin's Creed has regarding the Isu, the First Civilization, and the constant cycle of destruction on Earth. In particular, the Aztec's creation mythology of the Five Suns aligns perfectly with this, providing Assassin's Creed the opportunity to adapt various Aztec deities such as Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli, Tlaloc, and more as Isu.

The Aztec pantheon goes much further than a few of its central deities, which would give an Assassin's Creed game set during this period the breathing room to freely adapt its mythology as required. Even historically the Aztec religious doctrine remained flexible when it came to differing beliefs, as many were subsumed into the broader belief system so long as Huitzilopochtli was officially recognized in minority faith. As such, the Aztec Empire could be incorporated into the Assassin's Creed lore as surviving Isu build a new civilization in the region per this mythos until the Spanish conquest brings Templars to the empire's doorstep.

Adding Aztec Flair to Assassin's Creed's Weapons and Gear


Similar to weapons and tools inspired by their time period like Assassin's Creed 3's Native American tomahawk or the trident from Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the Aztec Empire has its fair share of gear that could be added to the Brotherhood's arsenal. For the traditional stealth elements of Assassin's Creed, devices like the Aztec death whistle could become a signature tool to distract enemies and cause them to either leave or investigate the area. Meanwhile, unique weapons such as the Macuahuitl would make for interesting additions to Assassin's Creed for their distinctive look and as a balance for close-quarters combat.

In fact, the Aztecs were widely known for using obsidian to make their tools and weapons, which means many of Assassin's Creed's most iconic weapons like the Hidden Blade could have obsidian variants introduced if a game was set during the empire. Historically the Aztecs also used many of the weapons Assassin's Creed uses throughout the series, including axes, shields, spears, and dart guns—or blowpipes as they are called in the games. With designs that take after traditional Aztec craftsmanship with feathers, decorative stones, and animalistic imagery from snakes to birds, an Assassin's Creed game set during the Aztec Empire could be its most visually unique.

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随着育碧对不同背景和时间段的《刺客信条》游戏的雄心勃勃，阿兹特克帝国在未来的游戏中拥有巨大的潜力。

育碧概述了即将推出的《刺客信条》项目的雄心勃勃的范围，这些项目将访问各种地区和时期，未来的《刺客信条》游戏可能会以一个众所周知且独特的历史时代为特色，那就是阿兹特克帝国。 鉴于《刺客信条》系列对历史上最令人难忘的时期（例如文艺复兴、美国独立战争和工业革命）情有独钟，育碧很可能会在未来的《刺客信条》游戏中延续这一点。 因此，阿兹特克帝国将成为《刺客信条》的理想背景，因为它具有历史意义，而且它可以提供讲故事的机会。

虽然阿兹特克帝国在视觉上看起来更接近《古埃及》和《刺客信条：起源》等游戏，但该帝国实际上始于中世纪末期，这意味着一款受阿兹特克风格启发的游戏将与《刺客信条 2》和《刺客信条兄弟会》平行发生。 尽管这可能意味着《刺客信条》系列的总体故事需要改编为另一款发生在这一时期的游戏，但阿兹特克帝国具有创造潜力。 从阿兹特克神祇和神话到独特的建筑和工艺，《刺客信条》在中美洲可谓家喻户晓。

阿兹特克宗教和神话非常适合伊述人


由于最新的《刺客信条》游戏更倾向于科幻小说的奇幻一面，玩家经常与那个时代的神话生物作战，阿兹特克人拥有大量可以达到相同目的的传奇怪物和神灵。 巧合的是，其中一些神话生物也可以与《刺客信条》中关于伊述、第一文明和地球上不断的毁灭循环的更广泛的叙述联系起来。 特别是，阿兹特克人的五太阳创世神话与此完美契合，这为《刺客信条》提供了将各种阿兹特克神灵改编为伊述的机会，例如羽蛇神、维齐洛波奇特利、特拉洛克等。

阿兹特克万神殿比它的一些中心神走得更远，这将为这一时期的《刺客信条》游戏提供喘息空间，根据需要自由调整其神话。 即使在历史上，阿兹特克宗教教义在涉及不同的信仰时仍然保持灵活性，因为只要维齐洛波奇特利在少数信仰中得到正式承认，许多信仰就会被纳入更广泛的信仰体系中。 因此，阿兹特克帝国可能会被纳入刺客信条的传说中，因为幸存的伊述人根据这个神话在该地区建立了新的文明，直到西班牙的征服将圣殿骑士带到了帝国的家门口。

为《刺客信条》的武器和装备添加阿兹特克风格


类似于受其时代启发的武器和工具，例如《刺客信条 3》中的美洲原住民战斧或《刺客信条奥德赛》中的三叉戟，阿兹特克帝国拥有相当多的装备可以添加到兄弟会的军火库中。 对于《刺客信条》的传统潜行元素来说，阿兹特克死亡哨子等装置可能成为分散敌人注意力并导致他们离开或调查该区域的标志性工具。 与此同时，Macuahuitl 等独特武器因其独特的外观和近距离战斗的平衡而为《刺客信条》增添了有趣的内容。

事实上，阿兹特克人因使用黑曜石制造工具和武器而闻名，这意味着如果游戏以帝国时期为背景，那么《刺客信条》中许多最具标志性的武器（例如袖剑）可能会引入黑曜石变种。 历史上，阿兹特克人也使用过《刺客信条》系列中使用的许多武器，包括斧头、盾牌、长矛和飞镖枪，或者游戏中所说的吹管。 以阿兹特克帝国为背景的《刺客信条》游戏的设计借鉴了阿兹特克传统工艺，包括羽毛、装饰宝石以及从蛇到鸟的动物图像，在视觉上可能是最独特的。