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Take a 'Leap of Faith' and Dive (Literally) into Assassin's Creed Nexus VR

Sami-Jo Perruzza

Oct 17, 2023 • 4 min read

On October 3, 2023, I had a fantastic opportunity to virtually step into the world of Assassin's Creed. I was treated to an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming Ubisoft VR game: Assassin's Creed Nexus VR. During this event I got to play the game and listen to the Game Director, Olivier Palmieri, talk about making it.

Now, imagine immersing yourself in history, but with a VR twist. For it's main storyline Abstergo Industries has uncovered a way to get its hands on powerful, long-lost artifacts capable of manipulating people's beliefs. To thwart their nefarious scheme, you'll dive into brand-new narratives and embark on fresh missions with legendary Assassins like Ezio (from Assassin's Creed 2), Connor (from Assassin's Creed 3), and Kassandra (from Assassin's Creed Odyssey). From wielding your hidden blade to freely scaling and parkouring through expansive landscapes, this game is a true delight. Using the Meta Quest 2 or 3, you'll seamlessly blend into crowds, mingle with the locals, and experience the thrill of being an Assassin's Creed assassin.

Palmieri took us on a journey through the making of Nexus, emphasizing the game's unmatched immersion and the challenges of adapting it for VR. When the topic of accessibility came up, Palmieri highlighted several features:

Auto-Parkour: For those who have a hard time using certain triggers or movements, teleportation is a breeze compared to fumbling with buttons.
Vision accessibility features.
Audio accessibility features.
A handy UI menu to assist with tasks like weapon selection
Left or right-handed movement options for greater flexibility.

If you're concerned about motion sickness, they have a solve for that too. The game offers comfort settings, peripheral vision blocking, and stability options to mitigate nausea, vertigo, or fear of heights. However, if you're a seasoned VR pro, I'd say you can stick to the standard settings while stealthily navigating the story and becoming a Master Assassin.

During my gameplay session I opted for the standard settings. However, for newcomers to VR like myself, I recommend starting with the comfort mode and gradually transitioning to the standard settings. While I loved every moment of leaping around the city, after about 20 minutes, I did experience a touch of motion sickness on standard settings. On the bright side, as someone who wears glasses, I was pleasantly surprised by the Quest's headpiece's comfort. I barely felt like I was wearing my glasses at all, which was a huge question mark for me going in.

While I didn't dive into any main storylines, I got a taste of the game's movement mechanics in a small city environment. After a few minutes I got into the flow of how to move in the game and had a blast. A significant aspect that all Assassin's Creed fans will love in the VR game - taking out your hidden blade with the hand and arm motions to match.

My favorite part of the play session? Climbing walls, leaping across rooftops, and, of course, performing the iconic leap of faith. The fighting mechanics, including the movement of grabbing weapons and bombs off your belt, were also enjoyable during the session. I can definitely see why a gaming IP like Assassin's Creed would adapt nicely to VR, and I am so glad it did. As a player I felt truly free and almost invincible... Everything you'd hope to feel while playing an Assassin. For a brief moment I genuinely felt like I had taken the creed and become a Hidden One, and I'm eager to return for more immersive gameplay on release.

Thank you to Ubisoft for inviting me to the Nexus event and allowing me to play the game. If you do find yourself curious about Assassin's Creed Nexus VR - Mark your calendars! Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is set to launch on November 16. Take a 'leap of faith' and grab your copy when it does.

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed ®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew®, Tom Clancy’s The Division®, and Watch Dogs®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.