The sixth main Assassin’s Creed title is receiving several tie-in books near its release, including an art book and a novelization.
On October 28, Titan Books will publish The Art of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. As expected from an art book, the release contains concept art spanning across all aspects of the game, ranging from character designs to locale illustrations and more. In addition, the first five-hundred copies of the book will include two exclusive art prints signed by several artists from the game’s development team.
Shortly after the art book’s release, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag will be available for purchase. This novel – written by Oliver Bowden, author of previous Assassin’s Creed novelizations – expands upon the story of the game itself by detailing the life of protagonist Edward Kenway prior to the game’s events, shedding light on how and why he became an Assassin. The book will be published in the United Kingdom by Penguin Books on November 7, and in North America on November 26 by Ace Books.
Finally, Piggyback Interactive will publish the official strategy guide for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag alongside the game’s launch. The guide will offer insight from the game’s development team, as well as information about the game’s single-player and multiplayer portions. The book will also come with a map detailing all of the game’s locations.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will be released in North America on October 29 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC. The game will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at an undisclosed date.
I wish the game interested me even slightly so I could pick up the artbook because I love artbooks. I might anyway but the setting is really “meh” for me so I’m not really interested in reading how they came up with it.
I love the setting, but it just doesn’t fit Assassin’s Creed at all.
I’m just disappointed because I was really hoping for an ancestor in China. :'( I guess the franchise isn’t ending any time soon so I’ll probably get my wish eventually but… boats are even less appealing to me than running through waist-deep snow was.
Don’t really know why you don’t think it fits, though. I guess pirates kill fairly indiscriminately but I don’t think an assassin would be too out of place there.
Well, it’s not that the setting wouldn’t fit the story or anything like that, it’s more about the gameplay. They’re focusing on sea traversal and combat, which was fun in Assassin’s Creed III… but like Den Defense in Revelations before it, it just didn’t fit the series. Assassin’s Creed is about social stealth, blending in with crowds of people to find and kill your target, and moving on rooftops if need be. Not setting sail and looting treasure. :/
Arrgh matey.
Boats were mildly entertaining in ACIII, which is about the best I can say about the entire game. So, not a selling point for me to pick up ACIV