- Aug 29
- 5 min read
Reverse 1999 X Assassin’s Creed Review
Written by Declan Rose
If you follow the Let's Talk Assassin's Creed account on BlueSky, you will have noticed many posts from me regarding a newly launched collaboration between Assassin's Creed and the time-traveling gacha game, Reverse 1999. But why have I been so excited over a collaboration?
This isn't your typical collaboration seen in other mobile or major live-service titles such as Fortnite. Usually, you can buy a skin that resembles the crossover character. Only small parts of the core gameplay are changed to reflect the crossover. In Reverse 1999, they captured a slice of the respective Assassin's Creed games they have licensed for their crossover.
Service titles like Fortnite, for example. In most live-service titles, players can buy a skin that resembles the crossover character, and only a fraction of the core gameplay is changed to reflect the crossover. In Reverse 1999, they captured a slice of the respective Assassin's Creed games they have licensed, Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
In this article, I'm going to cover both story and gameplay mechanics, covering the crossover, starting with Assassin’s Creed II and Ezio Auditore.
The first part of the event that went live earlier this month features Ezio Auditori in 1476. Titled La Primavera Di Firenze, which roughly translates to Spring in Florence. This is a perfect name to represent the story’s themes. And yes, you read that right; there is a story, one that actively captures the magic of the game, but the heart of Assassin's Creed. And I think that's the part I want to cover first, as the story is very unique. It takes place during the time when Ezio had only recently become an assassin.
In Reverse 1999’s narrative, the main character, Vertain, and Mr Apple (yes, an actual apple) Step into a laboratory experiment called “The Stage in the Rain”, Reverse 1999’s version of the Animus. They’re transported to a simulated version of Earth's history where the Assassin and Templar conflict is a major part of the world's history and heritage.
During their adventure, Mr Apple, who for some reason, is now gold, is captured by the Templars, who, with the unwilling assistance of Leonardo da Vinci, who sought the legend that the apple could unlock the treasure inside the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, and like a true superhero, Ezio arrives in just in time to save both Mr Apple and Leonardo. And so I'm not taking too much time discussing the story or other gameplay. I will condense it down to the main point.
Over the course of chapter 16, the trio of Ezio Entertain and Mr Apple discover that the treasure the Templars seek is none other than the hidden artwork painted by painters who were unpaid for their work and forced to stop work by the church. This discovery leads Ezio to a painter whose latest work was none other than a family portrait of the Auditories before their death. This heart-warming ending to a mystery played well for the game's themes and narratives, but it also pays homage to Ezio's life and unwavering friendship with Leonardo.
After I finished the story, I felt this could have easily fit into AC2 as a simple side story, as it captures the Templars' lust for power.
Outside the story, the feeling of Assassin's Creed is still felt through the second gameplay mode and Ezio himself. In Ezio's character screen, we are given two of his most iconic outfits. The first is the standard Assassin's robes, the second is a very niche deep cut for fans, and that's the armour of Altair.
What is cool about this outfit is that after the siege of Montenegro villa, the armour is lost and not just from the game world, but also media, and it's not an outfit we ever see Ezio wearing in transmedia or crossovers. So to see it used as a secondary outfit really does help sell the idea that this event is more than just a simple crossover, but also a connection between two worlds.
This is also reflected in his skills, as each character gets three skills, two attacks and an ultimate, and Ezio's two attacks not only reflect his speed and strength as an assassin but also a gameplay mechanic from AC2. The first attack is a fast sword strike, and the second is a counterattack that puts Ezio in a defensive stance. And when he or any ally is attacked, he will counter the attack, dealing high damage.
This sets Ezio up as a high-damage dealer that can attack fast and counter any threat. His ultimate is where it gets more interesting. Most characters gain a status known as moxie to charge their ultimate. Moxie is only earned through characters using their attacks. But Ezio instead has a synchronisation bar, and when it reaches 100% synchronisation, he launches a 5-attack ultimate. 4 of the attacks are either a rain of arrows or a brotherhood member attacks with an
axe.
This stage feels very akin to the Brotherhood mechanics we see later on, and even though this game is set primarily around AC2, it's really great to see more connections to the other Ezio titles. The last part of the ultimate is Ezio launching an air assassination, and never gets old to see an air assassination. A gameplay mechanic that is iconic as the franchise itself.
After you have finished the story, you also unlock a second game mode, one that feels more like a tabletop game, as you move disc-shaped pictures of Ezio and other predetermined characters across a board to complete objectives.
But what truly stands out about this event is that each mission you complete earns you florins, which you can spend upgrading the Monteriggioni Villa.
You start with unlocking the mansion, but then expand to locations such as a blacksmith, doctors and church. With each upgrade, your characters get passive boosts that allow them to complete some of the board missions more easily. And other than doing the event to unlock florins to upgrade the villa, it also unlocks locations from the game and characters in a bio format that uses art from the games.
To help teach you about the game. But this also unlocks different narrative highlights for Ezio that showcase Ezio's life and journey. So you're getting more than just a gameplay loop, but a history in the game and its lore.
Overall, this event has been an Assassin's Creed fan's dream come true. Not only did the game developers create a user interface and character model/abilities to highlight the style of Assassin's Creed, but they also took care to capture the story and feeling of AC.
I believe it is very unique for a mobile game crossover and one that acts as both a nostalgia trip for fans, but a gateway into the games for newer fans. And the journey is far from over, as soon Alexios and Kassandra will join the game with their own story and gameplay elements, and I will be diving in day one. Hopefully, create a second article around them, both delving into the event.
By Declan Rose (Let's Talk Assassin’s Creed) @letstalkac.bsky.social
If you enjoyed this article, then be sure to follow Scholars of the Creed on Twitter for more content on the art, history and science of the Assassin's Creed Universe. Safety and peace be upon you.