Echoes of History

Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Benjamin Hall For the past few weeks, we have investigated the history behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey . In this episode, Matt Lewis joins historian and video game writer Holly Nielsen to step into the Animus and uncover how history and gaming interact. Holly speaks exclusively to Benjamin Hall, World Director of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ,...

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey immerses players in the mythology of Ancient Greece. In particular, they can walk in the footsteps of Theseus through the Labyrinth and come face to face with the mythical Minotaur. Commonly associated with the maze-like Knossos palace on Crete, how much of the myth is rooted in reality? Prof Nicoletta Momigliano guides Tristan Hughes through the pathways between myth and...

Assassin's Creed Odyssey lets players spend time with renowned philosopher Sokrates - but it also lets us meet his surprisingly younger and outspoken wife, Xanthippe. Sources are clear that Sokrates valued her independent mind and argumentative nature. This raises the interesting question, to what extent was Sokrates’ worldview influenced and shaped by Xanthippe’s honest companionship? Prof Michae...

Assassin's Creed Odyssey puts us at the heart of the expansive conflict that occurred when Athens went to war with Sparta: the Peloponnesian War. Guest host Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk to recount the causes, events and legacy of this pivotal war in the ancient Greek world. Click the link to watch this episode on YouTube . Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you...

Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Jeffrey Yohalem For the past few weeks, Matt Lewis has investigated the history behind Assassin’s Creed Syndicate . In this episode, Matt joins historian and video game writer Dr Holly Nielsen to step into the Animus and uncover how history and gaming interact. Holly speaks exclusively to Jeffrey Yohalem, Lead Writer on Assassin’s Creed Synd...

Assassin's Creed Syndicate recreates Scotlland Yard, the famous home of the Metropolitan Police Force, and lets players explore its overcrowded nooks and crannies. Today we return to Matt Lewis and Dr Jonah Miller as they put a magnifying lens to the history of both Scotland Yard as a place, and on the policemen and detectives that worked within it. How and when did the Metropolitan Police begin?...

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes players to Victorian London. This was an age of massive social change through technological innovation and cultural exchange, as the industrialised British Empire extended around the world. Perhaps the greatest symbol of Britain’s power and influence at this time was the Great Exhibition and its iconic venue, the Crystal Palace. Tom Furber, Research Fellow at the L...

Assassin's Creed Syndicate incorporates technology into its gameplay and story more than any other game in the series. Its setting in Victorian London represents the culmination of a remarkable period of British history known as the Age of Invention. Or does it? Did the Age really end, and are we still living in it? To help Matt Lewis get to grips with the vast and fascinating Age of Invention, he...

Assassin's Creed Chronicles India begins in the glorious Amritsar Summer Palace, and allows players to climb, jump and fight over its rooftops against the spectacular backdrop of the capital of the Sikh Empire. The Palace was the brainchild of Ranjit Singh. To help conjure the experience of visiting the Summer Palace, and to understand its wider significance, Matt Lewis is joined once again by Dav...

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India puts players in the heart of the Sikh Empire in 1841, at a time when only the Sikh Empire remained unconquered by the British. Perhaps inevitably, this decade witnessed the bloody Anglo-Sikh Wars. These conflicts would ultimately determine the fate of British power in India, and by extension, the power of Britain worldwide for the next century. To shed light on t...

Of the many empires that have risen and fallen throughout history, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India draws our attention to one of the mightiest and most short-lived: the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. One man is considered essential to the Empire's formation and success: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a self-taught, one-eyed warrior who commanded the respect of the British Empire. In this episod...

5. Assassin's Creed Shadows Review Assassin's Creed Shadows is now available to play! Matt Lewis had advanced access to the new game and stepped into the shoes of a samurai and shinobi in medieval Japan, armed with the knowledge he's gained about Japan's legendary warriors from this special series. He's joined by historian and video game narrative designer Holly Nielsen, who brings her experience...

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives us the chance to explore the places where history occurred. One such place is recreated in remarkable detail: Azuchi Castle. Built by Oda Nobunaga as his ultimate stronghold, not only was its site of huge strategic significance, but it revolutionised Japanese castle-building and lent its name to a new era of Japanese history: the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Professor Ole...

Chasing Shadows 4. Warfare Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and shi...

Assassin's Creed Shadows introduces us to some of Japan's mightiest historical leaders. Yet, "beside every great man is an ever greater woman". One of the women behind the great unifiers of this era was Lady Nene. Wife of Toyotomi HIdeyoshi, one of the highest-ranking men in Sengoku Japan, she arguably wielded as much political sway as her husband…  Matt Lewis is joined once again by Lesley D...

Chasing Shadows 3. Weapons Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and shi...

Assassin's Creed Shadows transports players to a formative period in Japanese history - the Sengoku era, when warlords vied for control of Japan, and new technology changed samurai warfare forever: the introduction of matchlock guns.   Nate Ledbetter joins Matt Lewis to recount the events of the celebrated Battle of Nagashino - and to present a new perspective on the battle that saw samurai t...

Chasing Shadows 2. Politics Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and sh...

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to visit the imperial capital of medieval Japan. But today, we're heading to a mountain lying just northeast of the capital: Mount Hiei, a sacred site that was protected by a powerful army of warrior monks.   Dr Chris Harding, Senior Lecturer in Asian History from the University of Edinburgh, returns to help Matt Lewis understand what life was...

Chasing Shadows  1. Culture Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai a...

In the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows , the legendary Hattori Hanzo embodies both samurai and shinobi warriors, and earned himself the nickname "The Demon". How did Hanzo reach such legendary status? And what does his story tell us about the loyalties of samurai and shinobi in Sengoku Japan? Joining Matt Lewis to answer these questions and more are Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, authors of Ninja Att...

Assassin’s Creed Unity puts players right into the Parisian streets where the bloody events of the Reign of Terror occurred, and gives us the chance to see the gruesome guillotine up close. But were public executions all there was to the Terror? How did such a notorious period come about? And what lessons can we learn from it today? To answer these questions, Matt Lewis talks to returning gue...

Assassin’s Creed Unity allows us to confront one of the most controversial men in history: Maximillien Robespierre. What made him such a successful leader, yet so despised by his followers? To get a better understanding of the man behind so much death, Matt Lewis speaks to Dr Ruth Scurr from the University of Cambridge, author of Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolutionaries . Echoes of...

Notre Dame is arguably the world’s most famous cathedral and has watched over the Parisian skyline since its construction in the Middle Ages. But we are lucky that it remains standing at all. Dr Emma Wells joins Matt Lewis to reveal how Notre Dame acquired this symbolic status. How was it built? And how did the French Revolution nearly destroy it? Click the link to watch this episode on YouTu...

Assassin’s Creed Revelations lets us meet a young Suleiman before he became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and long before he became “the Magnificent”.  Matt Lewis is joined by Prof. Giancarlo Cassale to explain how Suleiman earned his epithet, and how the game’s presentation of him compares to reality. Click the link to watch this episode on YouTube . Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, b...