Yesterday Jeffrey Yohalem (Scriptwriter and designer for AC2 - Glyphs and Animus Database - Lead Writer for Brotherhood, The Lost Archive, the Revelations Multiplayer, the AC3 Multiplayer, Lead Writer for Far Cry 3 and Child of Light) participated as a guest in the latest episode of "The Assassin's Den" podcast with Loomer and Gabe Graziani.
As it often happens during his interviews, Yohalem revealed some very interesting information to the community (some of which made us get back on the hype train for future games) and has simultaneously clarified some doubts regarding the Assassin's Creed Unity DLC, Dead Kings, for which he worked as Lead Writer.
On this page you will find a list of the information and the most interesting content from the podcast so that it can be more usable for everyone.
Yohalem said that the movement of the Piece of Eden of Dead Kings fits in the timeline indicated in his work on the Glyphs of AC2.
The Piece of Eden in this Dead Kings IS one of the Apples. According to Yohalem, the size may be different, but "the function is an Apple" remains an Apple in terms of features. When Yohalem on Twitter had stated that it was not an Apple he actually did not want to answer the question. It is to avoid misdirections, therefore, that he erased his tweet.
Yohalem said "Maybe I'm giving away stuff again but like... The Apple goes to Egypt and then Napoleon goes Egypt and that's when Napoleon's rise occurs" and "(the Apple) is the one that Napoleon has, if you look through the Glyphs puzzle timeline".
Yohalem further explained that the sequence of events was as follows: Napoleon in the Tuileries Palace discovers the Key to the Vault that can be seen in Dead Kings, he can almost get the Piece of Eden but then Arno finds it first. He sends it to Egypt and at this point Napoleon travels to Egypt and retrieves it.
According to Yohalem Arno knows how to use the Apple because, having been part of the Brotherhood, he is aware of the Pieces of Eden.
Even Yohalem confirms that "Al Mualim" means The Teacher / TheMentor.
Yohalem would not comment on "Lady Eve", wanting to leave it as a secret for now.
The original story structure in Unity was created originally by Yohalem along with Sylvain Bernard, Gaelec Simard and others (in the period immediately after Brotherhood) and not by Amancio, who joined the team of the project only later. Similarly Yohalem jumped off the project after writing the basic structure of the story, to work on a Child of Light.
It was Yohalem who made sure during the development of Unity that the object stolen in the Tuileries Palace could not be seen while Napoleon grabs it.
Yohalem said that often during the development of Unity it was discussed whether to end the game with a happy ending or in tragedy, as it happened. There has been much debate in the studio about whether or not to kill Elise, but also about whether not to kill Arno in the ending.
The opening sequence about Jacques de Molay had originally to be part of something bigger. The fact that it ended up "distilled" in its current form in the final version of the game is due to Amancio.
The script of Dead Kings had to be limited to only 15 pages and in the end was even shorter, and this has meant that necessarily some scenes or lines were cut. For example, when you see Leon venting his frustration by swordfighting with a tree, the actions of the character (and therefore of the actor from whom the mocap was made) have managed to compensate for the original lines that were to represent his state of mind.
The character of Leon comes from one of the initial ideas for Unity, in which there was a little thief that was partnered with Arno. The idea also planned that there would have been a relationship between the two which would have developed during the course of the game.
The appearance of the fake Elise in Dead Kings had to be part of something bigger. Arno would have to see (or believe to see) Elise several times during the development of the plot of the DLC, chasing her and trying to get her back until the final scene in which Arno is in the dark and in the water (before entering the Temple ) and in which he would have said goodbye to her, thanks to Leon, who would become - and became, along with Paris - the new motivation to which Arno feels to devote himself.
In the ending of the DLC there should have been a scene (which was cut) between Arno and the Elise that he would have chased for the DLC, after Arno had put Leon to bed.
The name of Leon is a reference to Léon: The Professional (the film by Luc Besson), in which a hardened assassin takes care of a little child, just like in Dead Kings.
When asked "Would you ever consider being the Lead Writer for a main title again?" Yohalem answered with "It may happen sooner than you think ... Let's say that I've considered it and that I'm past considering it." And to the question "What is your dream AC location?" Yohalem answered with "Victorian London is a pretty good dream location".
Does that last comment by Jeffrey Yohalem suggest that he will be the Lead Writer for Assassin's Creed Victory? If this proves to be true, we are going to be so happy about that!!
What do you think of this interview? Let us know in the comments, and stay synchronized!
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