Synth Potato🥔@SynthPotato
I don't think Ubisoft can or should remake Assassin's Creed 1, despite it being the most requested remake right now. Because I believe inserting current AC's gameplay into AC1 would be a huge step down.
Assassin's Creed 1 is a very unique game, it stands out massively even when put up against the game right after it, being AC2.
AC1 is built around the puppeteering system, that means each body part is tied to a button, giving the game a very specific control scheme that is a far cry from the RPG-ified control scheme of current AC. The first thing a remake would need to do is not force AC1 into the current formula, but actually bring these original controls and ideas over into a remake. Otherwise, you'd lose a core part of what makes AC1 its own thing. Everything in AC1 is very deliberate, the high/low profile system has been gone from the franchise since Origins, and removing it from AC1 would mean stripping out a core part of its identity. The entire game's control scheme is built around this idea.
Parkour is very manual in AC1, climbing is slow on purpose so that you focus on the free running aspect instead. Every action is deliberate and precise. there's a real sense of mastery to the parkour, and you can easily tell a skilled player from a beginner. Current AC parkour is very much automated, especially in comparison to AC1. You cannot port current AC parkour to AC1 and have that be an improvement, it would be a step down.
You also cannot just add crouch to AC1 and expect the game to work as intended. It was not a mistake that they didn't put crouching into this game, it’s not like they couldn't do that in 2007. It was an active design choice in order to satisfy the "hide in plain sight" gameplay pillar. AC1 heavily relies on the idea of getting through stealth sections using clever social stealth and parkour. Attempting to insert current AC stealth into AC1 would dumb down the original experience's intent massively.
Another aspect that makes AC1 what it is is the mission design. AC1 is repetitive, obviously, especially as the investigation missions are basically copy and pasted throughout the game, but that was also on purpose. AC1 was designed to be more like Hitman than it was to be like AC2. Investigations would give you new insights on how you can tackle the next target. For example, you find out climbing a fountain is an easy route to escape. In a remake, Ubisoft would likely want to turn these investigations into full missions, which would turn it into an entirely new game as they'd be writing new dialogue and story arcs tied to these new missions, but as we all know from the new missions in Black Flag Resynced, this would likely mean a big downgrade in presentation and writing quality.
Modern Day is also ESSENTIAL to Assassin's Creed 1. The entire game's presentation, HUD, vibe all have this mysterious sci-fi tone to it that is very unique to AC1 in specific. Later entries definitely pulled back a bit on this, and if you remove Modern Day from AC1, you would strip out another core part of the game's identity as Desmond's story is extremely important to what every AC before Black Flag was.
The art style is also extremely unique. It’s the most oppressive feeling game in the franchise. The genuinely creepy soundtrack, combined with the most depressing cities in franchise history, makes it super unique, and I do think going off AC4's remake, Ubisoft does know how to keep a game's art style, so it’s very important that AC1 retains each city's unique colors and vibes.
Every single AC game after AC1 is much easier to remake because they already follow the usual action-adventure formula. That’s why I think they should remake the Ezio Trilogy and possibly skip AC1. AC1 is different, and what makes it unique all goes against what modern AC is. Mirage is very much a homage to AC1 with its targets and structure, and I think we all agree the gameplay of Mirage did not work as well because the current gameplay of this franchise cannot support a stealth-focused game without massive sacrifices.
An IDEAL remake for AC1 would require building an entirely new gameplay foundation that does not overlap with the RPG games. It would mean bringing back the puppeteering system, high/low profile, and an in-depth parkour system with manual control at its center. And strong writers who can expand AC1's story rather than lose out on its original tone and philosophy. I do not think Ubisoft has it in them to do all of this, and instead, we'll see AC1 be turned into a Mirage-like game, losing so much of the original's uniqueness in the process.