Ubisoft's AnvilNext Engine Is Redefining The Worlds We Play In

Ubisoft released a new trailer today for their upcoming blockbuster title Assassin's Creed III. Unlike some of the other trailers for the game which focus on the characters or combat, this trailer's purpose was to display some of the stunning feats ACIII's game engine, dubbed "AnvilNext", is capable of.

The trailer's narrator explains how AnvilNext (named after the popular "Anvil" engine used in previous Assassin's Creed games) is capable of making players feel like their exploring a truly living and breathing world. Dynamic outdoor environments complete with various weather types, fauna, and wildlife are far more than just pretty setpieces to walk through.

Deep snow can impede protagonist Conner's journey and rain and wind can be just as hazardous to Conner's health as enemy rifles and blades. Since the game's narrative spans across several years, players will get to explore the environment during all four seasons, witnessing first-hand the shifts from spring to summer, fall and winter. 

 

Different seasons will offer the own challenges and hidden surprises; a wide impassable lake in summer becomes an easily walkable bed of ice in winter, but the heavy winter snows might bury hidden treasures more easily found in the warmer seasons. Conner's white garb allows him to blend in during the colder months but his natural agility and Native American heritage make him a hard target no matter the weather.

The climate and natural landscapes aren't the only things the AnvilNext engine helps with either. Players will get to explore not one but two fully fledged colonial cities: Boston and New York. They'll get to witness and interact with a whole multitude of various NPC's going about their daily lives and, naturally, can explore the breadth of both cities at their leisure.

Combat is a big part of the AnvilNext engine as well. The new engine is capable of rendering Conner with over a thousand new animations more than previous Assassin's Creed protagonists which affects everything from the way he moves, jumps, dives, and fights. AnvilNext is also capable of generating over two thousand individual NPC's at once, which means ACIII will boast some of the biggest battles in the series' history.

With the new AnvilNext technology backing them, I have no doubt that Ubisoft will make good on their promise to deliver one of the most action-packed and immersive games of 2012, not to mention the coolest-looking Assassin's Creed game to date. Thanks to AnvilNext, the future of game development is looking much brighter not just for Ubisoft, but for the industry as a whole.

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