Assassin’s Creed Origins reinvented most of its core gameplay elements, and pretty much all of them are for the better, but not everything. Unfortunately switching between weapons and tools has used almost the same interface since Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. It was not fun to interact with then, and it’s not fun to interact with now. Assassin’s Creed only needs to look into its past to fix this problem: the weapon wheel.
Currently Assassin’s Creed relies on a quick select toggle system, and a clunky Gear menu to switch what weapons and tools the player is currently using. There are lots of issues with the current system, let’s go over them shall we?
#1 It forces the player to participate to “recall over recognize”, where the player is forced to remember what they have equipped rather than referring to a visual cue that informs them. While ACO’s “currently equipped” inventory is relatively small, there is little on screen feedback to tell them what they have equipped and what they will get if they use the quick select buttons to change their weapons or tools. This is a basic user experience violation, and instead of focusing on the gameplay, the player has to waste precious attention remembering what they have equipped with little aid from the interface. The game isn’t about inventory management, it’s about stealth and combat.
#2 It doesn’t allow the player to be adaptive. Basically the equipment you have approaching a scenario is the one you are stuck with. Going into a fort with sleep darts and are immediately spotted by five guards? Sure you can try to sleep dart anyone, but wouldn’t a firebomb help better? Though there is merit to the idea that the player should have to make choices about their equipment and the way they play, the way it is currently designed doesn’t ultimately stop the player, but rather slows them, from managing their current equipment during a fight, and makes them jump through hoops to do so.
#3 Managing current equipment can take the player out of the game world. As a result of putting not only the bows, and weapons a separate Gear screen, the tools are also on a separate Gear screen. Any time they want to switch their currently equipped items, whether in or out of combat, they are brought into an entirely new screen, removing them from the game world momentarily.
#4 Although it does allow for two tools to be equipped at once, one of them is relegated to a difficult to remember button action and can only be performed after meleeing or dodging: smoke bombs. What was once and integral part of the AC experience is now a clunky “hidden” feature that doesn’t allow for much variation, use, or utility. This also doesn’t help encourage an important part of AC’s core mechanics: escaping and evading. Although Bayek is a warrior Medjay, the Assassins have often relied on their agility, stealth, and distraction, to get them out of sticky situations. The current form of smoke bombs doesn’t allow for that.
#5 Overall this leads to a clunky and segmented experience that interrupts the gameplay overall. The tools don’t feel like a very viable way to play the game and don’t feel as important as they have in past games. While Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag through Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s inventory systems weren’t great to begin with, this overly simplified replacement arguably makes it worse.
How could the weapon wheel solve all these issues? Well pretty easily actually.
#1 The player would not longer be required to remember exactly what they have equipped at any given moment, and are able to bring up the wheel at any time showing them exactly what they need very quickly.
#2 It allows the player to be more adaptive, especially in the middle of combat. The weapon wheel can stop, or slow down the speed of the game, giving the player a bit of extra time to adapt their inventory to the current situation.
#3 This doesn’t require the player to leave the game world. Want to switch tools? No problem! Just bring up the Weapon Wheel HUD. Want to switch weapons? Sure! You still have 2 to choose from in the Weapon Wheel. While some aspects of inventory management still require an additional screen a lot of minute to minute management is easily softened via the wheel.
#4 The smoke bomb is now a normal part of your inventory and can be used for many different situations and strategies. The player can now use it before they enter the room, or easily drop it as the make their escape. The player no longer has to remember the roundabout actions to use a smoke bomb.
#5 This smooths out the game experience and keeps the player in the action more. They spend less of their attention thinking about their inventory, and less time managing it, putting the focus on the gameplay.
While the weapon wheel hasn’t always been perfectly executed in Assassin’s Creed (looking at your Assassin’s Creed III) this the best way to for players to stay within the gaming experience, and manage their weaponry and tools.
