TheAssassin’s Creedseries is well-known for its thorough reconstruction of history, sometimes to the point where it starts to become an educational tool. While it has in the past struggled with Euro/American-centric choices about where to place its stories, the series seems to have an interesting relationship with Middle Eastern History. The original game took place in the Holy Land and dealt with the Third Crusade from the perspective of Syrian assassin Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad.Revelationsrevisited Altaïr but also used Constantinople as a primary setting.Originsshowed the decline of Ancient Egypt.Miragecontinued the trend by introducingplayers to the Abbasid Caliphate, an extremely influential empire based in medieval Iraq.
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The region now called the Middle Eastis full of fascinating history. Contrary to what Eurocentric teachings have tried to claim, it has repeatedly been hometo political, cultural, and technological revolutions. The Middle East is a region that has seen many empires rise and fall, many of which were centers of knowledge, scientific advancement, and trade. There are so many great settings for anAssassin’s Creedgame to choose from.
Images are taken fromSid Meier’s Civilization 6, selected based on the closest thing available to visualize each entry.
Sumeria
Oldest Civilization
Sumeria was literally the oldest civilization on record, and it had a massive influence on many of its successors. Notably, many historians believe the Greeks and Egyptians were heavily influenced by Sumerian culture. Some of their major advancements included the wheel, beer, irrigation, and the first written language. AnAssassin’s Creedgame could have a lot of fun with this setting, maybe even using it to show the origins of the Order of the Ancients. Some of the more recent games have also included a mythological aspect and Sumeria has one classic legend that would be a great inspiration—the famous Epic of Gilgamesh.
Depending on exactly when the game took place, there would be plenty of interesting historical figures to include.Miragehad the real-life poetess Arib al-Ma’muniyya, but going back into Sumeria could mean introducing Enheduanna, the earliest known female poet. Gilgamesh himself was a real king,even if he was mythologized by the epic. Sargon of Akkad could be an interesting antagonist if the game took place during his conquests.
Babylon
The Babylonian Empire
Babylon was an ancient civilization that grew out of Sumeria and, thanks to the famous king Hammurabi, would eventually conquer all of Mesopotamia. This would actually create some interesting overlap withMiragesince it would also take place in Iraq and cover a lot of the same territory. In fact, at least one remnant of the Babylonian Empire can be found inMirage. The real-life Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu, the last remnant of a great city,can be found in the desert. Imagine being able to see what that ruin used to look like. Using Babylon as a setting would also mean being able to show the famous Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World lost to history.
Babylon has a pretty complex history spanning hundreds of years and at least three different dynasties, so there are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to historical figures and events. An obvious choice would be to look at Hammurabi, a complicated figure known for both his conquests and early efforts a solid code of laws. Moving a bit forward there is also the equally-famous Nebuchadnezzar II. Yet another option might be to look at one of the tense transitional periods where Babylon was invaded and conquered by other parties.
Sythia
The Scythians were a nomadic people spread across what is now the Middle East, particularly a grassy region calledthe Steppe. By many accounts, they were fierce warriors and skilled archers who were very good at using horses. While their precise origins and the full extent of their culture are debated among historians, it is known that the Scythians were one of the few civilizations of the ancient world to actually practice gender equality. Strong warrior women were pretty common.
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This blew the minds of more patriarchal societies so much, that many historians think the legendary Amazons were inspired by interactions between Greece and Scythia.Assassin’s Creedalready has horseback and archery mechanics, and the nomadic nature of Scythian tribes could be a way to facilitate an open world.
But there is one story in particular that stands out, which would mean getting to meet a badass warrior queen from history: Tomyris. Much like Leonidas, Tomyris also stood up to encroachment by the Persian empire, except shewon. AnAssassin’s Creedgame set at this point could follow the escalating tension between Tomyris and the Persian king Cyrus the Great that eventually ends with his downfall.
Abbasid Revolution
Setting The Stage
Mirageshowed the Abbasid Caliphate as it was entering its decline, but moving back a couple of centuries would mean being able to explore how it became the rich cultural center seen in the game. The short answer is that they seized control from the previous Caliphate, the Umayyad dynasty. A combination of various social, political, and religious factors came together to build widespread discontentment towards the Umayyads, who were increasingly seen as illegitimate rulers. What ultimately brought the Abbasids to the forefront was the Hashimiyya movement, which focused on quietly inciting revolution through propaganda rather than directly attacking the Umayyads.
The way the Hashimiyya movement is often described (a loosely connected network designed to discreetly spread propaganda with the goal of perpetuating a particular viewpoint) sounds like something that would fit both the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients. The former would be taking advantage of it to help break up the Umayyad tyranny while the latter would want to infiltrate it, so they could spread their own ideas without drawing attention. Either way, the player would get to witness the fall of one empire and the rise of another, a theme that seems to be quite popular in the recentAssassin’s Creedgames.
Siege of Bagdad
Mongol Empire
Mirageshowed the beginning of the Abbasids' downfall with the Anarchy at Samarra, but what really ended themwas the growing threat of the Mongol Empire. By this point, the Abbasid Caliphate was already fractured by anarchy, and its power significantly diminished. In 1258, Ghenkis Khan’s grandson Hulagu Khan approached Bagdad with demands for an immediate surrender. The Caliph at the time, Al-Mustaʿṣim bi-llāh, underestimated Hulagu’s forces and refused. The result was a massacre that indiscriminately killed thousands, possibly millions, of innocent people and systematically destroyed a vibrant culture that had been a center of learning for centuries.
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This would actually be a logical direction for a sequel toMirage. It probably would not be able to feature Basim himself as the siege happened centuries later, but it would mean seeing how far the city has fallen since his time. The Mongols had previously been used as antagonists inGhost of Tsushima(a game often compared toAssassin’s Creed),indicating there would certainly be interest in another game exploring their conquests.
The Ottoman Empire
Golden Age
The fall of the Mongol Empire left a power vacuum until it was filled by Osman I, who began capturing and spreading his influence through the neighboring principalities. His successors continued to expand their territory, eventually taking the city of Constantinople and making it their capital. This was the start of the mighty Ottoman Empire. Like the Abbasids before them, the rise of the Ottoman Empire led to a new Islamic “golden age,” and allowed Turkey to become a major player in trade, politics, culture, and scientific advancement. Unfortunately, Euro-centric education has led to them being less widely understood by Western audiences, many of whom at most know them as historical “bad guys” responsible for blocking the Silk Road or being heroically defeated by T.E. Lawrence.
Technically, the Ottoman Empire was used as a setting forAssassin’s Creed Revelations, which took place in Constantinople. However, they have 600 years worth of rich cultural history that would undoubtedly be worth exploring in more detail.
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