'Assassin's Creed Unity' trailers explore narrative and gameplay

A pair of trailers for October release "Assassin's Creed Unity" delve into the historical setting of the French Revolution and the new tricks taught to a seven-year-old series.

A pair of trailers for October release 'Assassin's Creed Unity' delve into the historical setting of the French Revolution and the new tricks taught to a seven-year-old series.

As is in keeping with the franchise penchant for the impressive recreation of historical periods, the developers of 'Assassin's Creed Unity' have the task of rebuilding a late 18th-century Paris.

'Inside the Revolution' provides the context needed to understand how huge and growing inequalities between rich and poor created a system in which a popular revolution became unavoidable.

But in true 'Assassin's Creed' style, there is more to it than real-world scholarship can provide, with the series bent on telling a conspiratorial narrative about the puppets behind the revolutionary throne: Assassins, Templars, and apparitions of godlike beings from ancient-future civilizations -- though these aspects have been increasingly minimized in more recent installments.

In terms of minute-to-minute action, the Gameplay Trailer steps in to highlight a few new additions to the franchise.

Swordplay is more closely modeled to the deadly dance of fencing, while main character Arno is equally adept with boots, pistol, and the Assassin's hidden blade.

A new method of architectural ascent and descent makes it easier for players to scale buildings in either direction, while interiors are more seamlessly connected to the city's streets, making shortcuts and surprise attacks more viable.

Arno, like the 18th century's scowling Franco-Batman, tells viewers of his own motivations in search of vigilante justice although, as far as 'Unity' is concerned, broad daylight is the favored battleground in his Old World Gotham.

And like the 'Saints Row' series, 'Assassin's Creed' now has web-based character customization, allowing players to mix and match their own Arno ahead of time, encouraging them to unite in boosting his commercial success come launch day.