How Did They Make “Assassin’s Creed: Origins”? We Took Your Questions to the Game's Makers

Ubisoft Montreal’s Creative Director, Jean Guesdon, answers your questions. Yes, yours.

The latest instalment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Origins, has finally arrived, and this time, it’s taking us back to Ancient Egypt.

But how does a game like this even get made? And why is it set in Egypt? And what's with those dudes with the dog heads?

Student Edge members asked their most pressing questions about this hotly-anticipated game, and we passed them along to Jean Guesdon, Creative Director of Ubisoft Montreal. Hey, it's the least we could do.

Check out Jean’s answers to some of our fave questions below!

Assassin’s Creed now follows characters through all aspects of modern and ancient history. How did the decision come to deviate from the beautiful renaissance era? (Sarah, 17, VIC)

"It’s been our dream to explore Ancient Egypt for a while now. This is the birthplace of modern civilisation and it was home to a society and culture that still triggers fantasies and mysticism today. We also knew that Ancient Egypt was one of the most desired settings requested by players and franchise fans and we are so happy we’re able to bring that to life through Assassin’s Creed Origins." 

What dictates each game’s setting? Does it have to be rich with cultural significance or historical density or famous faces? (Jack, 26, WA)

"In order to choose a new setting, we always consider several aspects to make sure we pick one interesting one. First, we want to set each game in a ‘pivotal moment of history’. This needs to be a defining moment that had important consequences on the evolution of the world, ideally with known and interesting historical figures. But we also pay attention to the geography of the world and the potential in terms of gameplay and narrative."

What was the most interesting historical fact or quirk you discovered whilst researching for the series? (Andrew, 16, NSW)

"It is amazing to take a look at the depth of the Egyptian culture of that time. It lasted for millennia! Recreating the iconic locations of Ancient Egypt really made the team fantasise. We have been struck by the richness of their religious beliefs and by all the culture that surrounds it; from medicine to incredibly detailed metalworking."

Are the character designs based off real people or do you just use facial characteristics? (Rebecca, 21, WA)

"When designing characters, we study how people of the time were dressed so that our characters ‘fit’ into the time period. The crowd in general is definitely based on actual clothing of the time and for our main protagonist we also want him/her to fit within our Assassin’s Creed lore to create connections that make them part of the Brotherhood (red stash, white floating cloak, hood et cetera). About the facial modelling, we create characters from scratch and we make sure that their main facial characteristics are close to the ones of the actor that will play the role. This is important to have a good 'transfer' from the capture of the face of the actor to the 3D model."

What subjects do you need to be good at in school so you can make games? (Nickolas, 13, WA)

"My path is a bit special as I first studied in mechanical engineering before specialising in industrial design and new product development. The important thing to understand is that making video games is a collective effort that requires a lot of different trades and specialties. So, you can join the video games industry being an artist, an animator, a designer, an audio specialist, a programmer, a manager... and I’m forgetting a lot. There are a lot of opportunities so don’t be shy, and if you want to make games, just go for it."

Assassin’s Creed: Origins is now available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Photo: Ubisoft