Authenticity and the Desire to Roam

I couldn't help but notice that the front cover of the Guide section of my Saturday Guardian was taken over, well replaced, with a front and back cover advertisement feature for Ubisoft's new offering Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. In the ad, Ubisoft are at great pains to emphasis the degree of historical authenticity in this new outing for Master Assassin Ezio, based in Renaissance Rome, with a street plan based on contemporary mapping and impressively detailed models of key historic buildings.

The game looks fantastic, and its historical leanings are interestingly discussed by the Gardian's game blogger Keith Stuart.  Much kudos goes to Ubisoft for authenticity, and for choosing a less than obvious historical setting.

I have to say that, personally, the opportunity to end the lives of numerous virtual antique Romans doesn't thrill me, but the opportunity to wander around the lushly detailed city model has me reaching for my wallet.  The sheer thrill of exploring these detailed virtual worlds never leaves me, can I be the only one who loads up multi-player mode just to stroll in solitary wonder a recreated world all my own?  Perhaps. There is something here about leaving behind the urgent, violent narrative drive of the typical FPS and subsiding into the freedom of  exploration and open ended discovery.

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