Thanks to several mods, an 8K, ray-traced version of the original Assassin's Creed game presents viewers with an enhanced vision of the Ubisoft classic. To the chagrin of countless series faithful, the first Assassin's Creed has yet to receive a remaster or remake, thus, making it the only mainline entry that remains stranded on seventh-generation hardware. Why Ubisoft continues to forsake the Altaïr-starring installment, outside of the occasional in-universe crossover release, is a mystery that likely won't be solved anytime soon.
Spawned from an assassins-centric Prince of Persia idea, the original Assassin's Creed hit store shelves nearly 15 years ago in 2007. Inventive social stealth mechanics and the Third Crusade-based narrative enraptured many a player, despite the experience's various flaws. However, it was 2009's Assassin's Creed II that truly set the world on fire, giving way to a history-hopping phenomenon whose incredible growth has yet to cease. But Ubisoft's efforts in bringing older Assassin's Creed titles to newer hardware like the Nintendo Switch has fans chomping at the bit for one project, in particular - a remaster or remake of the initial entry.
Earlier this week, YouTube channel Digital Dreams (via Wccftech) uploaded an eight-plus minute video of the first Assassin's Creed adventure running in 8K on an RTX 3090 with the Beyond All Limits ray tracing reshade enabled. The footage serves as a graphics comparison above all else, highlighting the differences between the heavily modded version and the classic 2007 iteration of the game. Arguably the improvement in textures stands out the most, with the enhanced lighting proving rather impressive in its own right, as well. In some instances, though, the lighting appears a little too high contrast, especially in indoor environments that previously benefitted from the title's more muted look. Check it out in the video linked below:
Similar to other videos that present Assassin's Creed in 8K, the finer details take the cake here. Textures seem more refined and less muddied thanks to the mod, for instance. In addition, the colors of materials such as clothing and rugs are a stark contrast to the way they appear in the 2007 build. There's still something about the original color palette that withstands the test of time, however.
Hate it or love it, Digital Dreams' 8K presentation serves as the perfect showcase of why Altaïr's solo outing is long overdue for a full remake. Imagine how incredible Maysaf would look on the same engine that powers Assassin's Creed Valhalla. How would the 15-year-old Assassin's Creed improve with a few modern gameplay improvements added in for good measure? Hopefully, Ubisoft one day endeavors to find out for itself.
Source: Digital Dreams/YouTube (via Wccftech)
