On the 30 May, at the Southbank Centre, we could at last experience the Symphonic Adventure around the Assassin’s Creed franchise. It was a deep and emotional delve into the world and times of each of the games through images and music. Live Report.
In this modern venue, the screen above the orchestra shows a captivating animation, perfectly summing up Ubisoft’s star franchise’s aesthetics. These video games hold a special place in my life; put simply, I’ve played them all. And fully. It’s with different expectations from the Elden Ring Symphonic Adventure that I approach the concert.
THE PROGRAM
Created for the 15th anniversary of the series, this show premiered in Paris in October 2022. In London, with the addition of Mirage to the program, it’s in the presence of some composers in the auditorium that the London Contemporary Orchestra and Kingdom Choir, led by Adrián Ronda Sampayo – a specialist of the genre and discovered for the Elden Ring concert – will play. The composers are a guild, a brotherhood of their own, and among them are Sarah Schachner, Jesper Kyd, Lorne Bafle, Mike Georgiades, Brian Tyler, Brendan Angelides, Einar Selvik, Elitsa Alexandrova, Chris Tilton, The Flight, Ryan Amon, and Austin Wintory.
For Assassin’s Creed, it’s impossible to do a full game. Because, like many others, one game goes far beyond three hours, and because it’s a whole franchise that we want to go through. It means hundreds and hundreds of hours. So, how do we do it? Ubisoft has decided to give each game its part, making them rather equal in timings, and play the most important tracks.
THE JOURNEY
The concert opens with a new track, Assassin’s Creed Symphonic Adventure, created for this specific show by Jesper Kyd, one of the saga’s legendary composers. Then, it’s divided into two acts, each holding two parts. The idea is to go through the whole story chronologically, going through time by starting with the Antiquity in Greece with Odyssey, and ending up in Victorian London with Syndicate.
After the next game’s teaser (Shadows, out mid-November), the actors Abubakar Salim and Alix Wilton Regan, respectively Bayek and Aya from Origins, are introducing the evening. Warm and friendly, they will even come back for a couple of lines between their characters, on their game’s section. It’s a peculiar instant, emotionally impactful for some, and probably pretty intriguing for others.
EMOTIONAL BOND
The majority of the audience here does know the games. Especially the first two – where Altair and Ezio Auditore are the main characters. If some might have been moving around a lot (and I’d have preferred less movement in and out of the auditorium), these two sections are grabbing the entire audience’s attention. Because it triggers the nostalgia of the first release. And the track Ezio’s Family is played. It’s a particularly powerful track that has been, since it’s been created, closely associated with the saga.
From Odyssey to Origins to Mirage (the latest released) to Valhalla, the past is moving along the modern quest of the game – often forgotten, here pushed forward and used as a connective link between the games. When Altair and Ezio show up, we enter the second part of Act 1, the Quest for the Truth. So, really, why are they the two main characters that captivate the audience so much?
Altair was the first released, and he brought with him an innovative game, from its storyline to its gameplay. As for Ezio, it’s because he is not the main character of one but three games – II, Brotherhood and Revelations. Playing the character throughout his life from birth to death, and witnessing, playing a part with the most important times of his quests and adventures… it’s getting personal and implicates the gamer like no other film or other game in the saga. They could not replicate the same feeling. The orchestra goes bigger, wider in its notes, images flowing through the best bits of his life. Once that peak is reached, it’s clear it’s the best moment for an intermission. Will there be a section able to match this? I’m uncertain.
SECOND ACT
For Act Two, we reach the coasts of the Americas with Black Flag, III, and maybe the less well-known, Rogue. The last part will therefore be made of Unity, set around the French Revolution, and Syndicate, the most modern setting they’ve got. It’s also where the production makes us laugh most. If Black Flag is enjoyed as much as Ezio’s story for its epic dimension and navy fight dynamics, III did take me aback – its live potential hits hard and shows more power than in-game. Rogue links up America and France beautifully thanks to the cutscenes. The games are coming together smartly, and the visual edits are limpid.
Of course, it feels even more true for any of the players in the auditorium, as each story is incredibly condensed. But the show stays fluid and immersive. Here, only a few images are from the gameplay itself – there are some, but a lot less than for Elden Ring. Most images are actually from teasers – always incredibly smooth – and come clashing with the older games’ graphism. There is a clear gap between Mirage, which precedes the very first game with Altair. And it raises many questions for a remastered version of the latter – which would be largely deserved.
To me, this show is a success, especially when considering the time constraints and other huge choices a production of this scale means. The best visuals and the most emblematic instants are displayed. There is room to complete it with upcoming games, but is it a good idea? After all, most players, we’ve seen it, are here for certain specific titles. The focus they gain is speaking volumes. As to confirm it all, for the encore, the orchestra plays Ezio’s Family once more.
Without anything on the screen, the emotion of this track is still poignant. This is a piece that players love and cherish, which has become the foundation for the rest of the franchise. And it is also an incredible first step, unique and unshakable, towards classical music for those not yet into it. Sounds and lights, cutscenes and live music are perfectly synchronized. The experience could be even more immersive, yet is already pretty close to perfection.
