Ubisoft is bringing the classic Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection to the Nintendo Switch next month. The story of Italian aristocrat-turned-assassin revolutionary Ezio Auditore da Firenze first began in 2009’s Assassin’s Creed II and was told across a trilogy of games that many fans consider to be among the best in the long-running Assassin’s Creed series. Throughout this ongoing saga, players explored the era of the Italian Renaissance and met up with iconic historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci in Assassin's Creed as Ezio rose among the ranks of an ancient order of Assassins and uncovered the machinations of the sinister Templar organization.
In addition to Ezio's saga of conspiracy and revenge, the three games present in Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection expanded on the journey of Ezio's descendant Desmond Miles, who used a high-tech machine called the Animus to tap into the memories of his ancestors in order to train himself for the ongoing battle against the Templars in the year 2012. These three games brought several gameplay advancements to the formula of the original Assassin's Creed, such as the ability to wield two of Ezio's signature wrist-mounted hidden blades and refinements to the series' stealth-based assassination gameplay. Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection was originally remastered for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One back in 2016, and recent rumors have suggested that the collection would be coming to the Nintendo Switch as well.
Earlier today, January 11, Ubisoft North America posted a trailer for Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection on Nintendo Switch, with a release date marked for February 17. This collection will contain all three Ezio-centric Assassin’s Creed games (Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations) along with the two short films, Assassin’s Creed Lineage and Assassin’s Creed Embers. Additionally, players on Switch will be able to enjoy an assortment of new features like Handheld Mode, HD Rumble, a touchscreen interface, and optimized HUD.
Watch the trailer on YouTube here.
The Assassin's Creed series has changed significantly since the days of the Ezio games, phasing out the story of Desmond and shifting gameplay formats to a more RPG-like approach as the franchise expanded into settings like ancient Egypt and Greece. The most recent installment, 2020's Assassin's Creed: Vallhalla, put players in the role of a Viking leader named Eivor as they worked to build a new home for their colony in what is now known as the British Isles. Ubisoft has released two major DLC expansions for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, with a third one titled Dawn Of Ragnarok set to release in March.
The Ezio series is still highly regarded among Assassin’s Creed fans, and now these players will be able to take Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection with them on the go on Nintendo Switch. This upcoming collection provides plenty of gameplay hours thanks to its three massive-sized open-world adventures and two connecting short films, making it a great intro into the ever-expanding Assassin’s Creed universe for Nintendo Switch owners.
Source: Ubisoft North America/YouTube