I didn’t know that the 2024 Olympic Games were starting today. Or that they were being held in France. So I was particularly surprised when the opening ceremony looked like a scene from a classic Assassin’s Creed Game.
Apparently, so did everyone else. The opening ceremony of this year’s games, which began in Paris on July 26 and ran until August 11, featured everything you need to know about French culture, including soccer star Zinedine Zidane, a beheaded queen and a seemingly mysterious revolutionary-era figure in a hood jumping from rooftops. All that was missing was a huge baguette
This is how people reacted to the Halloween Spirit version of a Assassin’s Creed Protagonists appear at the international sporting event:
Assassin’s Creed Publisher Ubisoft – a French company – seemed to have made a surprise appearance of its history-defending killer in a a few posts earlier todayone winks at the official Olympic account and another shares a trailer for Assassin’s Creed Unityset in France during the French Revolution. It’s not yet entirely clear to what extent this was a direct homage to the country’s video game heritage or if it was a vague gesture toward a brand activation.
“We were impressed by the opening ceremony and very proud to see that Assassin’s Creed
While it’s always a nice surprise when gaming gets recognition in real life, not everyone was impressed with the opening ceremony in general. The budget Olympics became a trending topic in various parts of social media. Online viewers criticised the fact that the event was not held in a stadium and felt more like a low-budget Eurovision than a Hollywood Super Bowl halftime show.
I am not in a position to judge. Perhaps these skeptics would have thought differently if the assassin had jumped from a restored Notre Dame Cathedral onto a giant hay cart.
If you are longing for a holiday you cannot afford because of the Olympic Games in France, Assassin’s Creed Unity isn’t the worst alternative. Notoriously buggy at launch, the game now plays great, letting you explore some of Paris’ most famous landmarks in between plenty of grisly (but necessary) murders. It costs $30 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but you can also rent it for a paid month of PS Plus Extra or Ubisoft+, both of which are under $20.
