Assassin’s Creed III “won’t shy away from showing slavery”
Joannes Truyens May 13, 2012 - 5:42 pmNews: Matt Turner, lead writer on Assassin’s Creed III, has commented on the sensitive topic of slavery, saying Ubisoft “won’t be afraid to show that it’s there but won’t make it the focus.”
Assassin’s Creed III will be set during the American Revolution, which really means that it will technically never be set in America. “The truth of the matter is that America didn’t exist until 1783 and that’s when our game ends,” says lead writer Matt Turner in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine. “Before this point the US was just an extension of England and the Revolution was considered a civil war on foreign soil.”
This means it’s easier for Ubisoft to avoid canonising either side in the conflict, which is also why Connor is an impartial outsider. “He’s not British or Colonial and has his own reasons for being involved, his own path that happens to intersect with the Revolution. Our story is of both the Assassins and the Templars, that’s the focus of our story,” Turner continues.
The game does highlight a time period in which slavery was still in practice. Many slaves even fought in the war, as both sides promised them freedom in exchange for support. “We feel that kind of a subject deserves a certain amount attention because it’s so serious and it needs to be treated with utmost respect. We’re definitely not going to shy away from it in terms of not showing it,” states Turner.
So scalping’s out, but slavery is in. Fair enough.
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