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Did Ubisoft just casually announce The Division 3? It seems so

The news comes through a press release sent to several media outlets by the French publisher. It is one of the most decaffeinated advertisements…

Yes, The Division 3 is real and in development, as confirmed by Ubisoft in what is one of the most indifferent game announcements of all time. Or, at least, one of the most curious ones we remember.

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The news comes through a press release sent to several media outlets by the French publisher. In it, it is confirmed that the creative director of Star Wars Outlaws, Julian Gerighty, has been appointed as the new executive producer of the Tom Clancy’s The Division series.

Following that, in a casual manner, the press release states that Massive Entertainment, the developer of the first two installments, is “actively forming a team” for the development of The Division 3.

Currently, Massive Entertainment is leading the development of Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which is set to be released before the end of the year on December 7th.

However, this doesn’t mean you should include The Division 3 on your wishlist for 2024. It’s likely that the game isn’t even in pre-production yet, so it will be a couple of years before we see a trailer, and even longer until its release.

Additionally, The Division 2 continues to receive seasonal content updates, and it seems likely that the free-to-play game, The Division Heartland, will be released before the third installment. It’s worth noting that very little has been revealed about Heartland since its announcement in May 2021.

Nevertheless, it’s likely that The Division Heartland will become the focal point of the franchise once The Division 2’s content runs its course.

The second installment in the series is nearing its fifth anniversary since its release, so it’s not hard to imagine that its most dedicated fans might be looking for something different while they await the third major title. By the way, an update for the PS5 and Xbox Series X for The Division 2 would be very welcome.

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The Crew Motorfest is everything we wanted… and a little more

Ubisoft has just launched the long-awaited The Crew Motorfest and we have been with it for several days. Is it worth buying it? Keep reading because…

For automotive enthusiasts, today is a big day. Today, September 14, 2023, is the official launch day of The Crew Motorfest, and we, who have been playing it for several days, can assure you that it’s everything it promised to be. And a bit more.

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Ever since we saw the first trailer, the comparison with the revered Forza Horizon has dominated all the covers of the specialized press. And it’s understandable; the new Motorfest resembles Horizon from the very beginning to the very end.

The thing is, this isn’t a bad thing. Not at all, it’s fantastic: being compared to the best arcade racing game in the industry is always great news. Especially when you have a couple of aces up your sleeve, as the new The Crew Motorfest does.

A beautiful and powerful car game where driving and having fun is everything

In essence, The Crew Motorfest is an open-world racing game, much like the recent Lego 2K Drive and the mentioned Forza Horizon 5. Despite all the different types of vehicles and special events in Motorfest, most of the game involves driving fast and exotic cars on a beautiful Hawaiian island at ridiculous speeds.

And yes, there’s hardly an original bone in its body, and you’ll notice influences from many other games.

Street races with nitrous are reminiscent of Need For Speed: Unbound, taking off in an airplane and soaring through the blue skies is akin to GTA 5, and taking photos on a cliff with great views is 100% Forza Horizon 4.

The playlists are everything… and they’re pretty good

The Crew Motorfest is divided into “playlists,” which are thematic sets of events. In this sense, it sounds like any other modern racing game, but here the game lists have their own flavor and can be tackled in the order you choose, as long as you can afford the car to unlock them.

Some playlists are straightforward, like classic drift tests in a Fast and Furious-style Japan, while others are incredibly appealing, like off-road forest stretches and mountain biking, or they come with charisma, like the Donut Media-endorsed showdowns where you’ll discover who’s faster in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.

Others are clever, like the retro playlist that adds appropriate screen filters for the decade with cars from the ’50s to the ’80s, complete with a licensed soundtrack that includes Blondie and Bill Haley and his Comets.

From the car to the plane, passing through the jet ski

It’s incredible how many compelling disciplines are available in one place. The planes have two control modes, allowing novices to tilt and experts to roll freely.

Both boats and planes are affected by visible crosswinds. You can even drive last year’s Red Bull F1 car, managing its tires in closed-circuit races. The Red Bull car cannot suffer visible damage (and most cars have very mild damage), but you can play authentic destruction derbies online, with impressive deformation technology. It’s brutal.

Graphically, it’s beautiful. It’s not photorealistic, but rather stylized and idealistic, although all visual elements are realistic to some extent. The lighting is impressive, the physics of fabrics is incredible when you knock down an awning, and almost everything in the environment can be crushed or destroyed.

Hit a trash can, and the wooden slats will become misaligned. Hit it from below, and the top part will fall off. Although the usual problem persists, where circuit obstacles are so fragile that they reduce the difficulty of driving, few games have managed to combine this level of detail with truly epic draw distances and gameplay versatility.

From boat to racetrack, from the sky to off-road terrain… the game world is truly your playground, and that’s something even Forza Horizon 5, as good as it is, can’t quite match.

A racing game where driving is either too easy or impossible

Car handling is disappointingly loose for the most part, which is a shame if you want to have ultra-precise time trial sessions, although some types of vehicles respond well enough to be taken relatively seriously.

With driving aids disabled, cars tend to oversteer a lot and have difficulty drifting. That’s fine when you’re playing solo, but when you race online and see everyone disappearing down the road, playing with stability assistance and traction control makes The Crew Motorfest truly come to life.

It’s not so serious to play like a simulator but rewards smart track reading. Success depends more on reading the road and the race than on textbook cornering technique.

And although you can rewind at any time (and you will), with basic traction aids enabled, you may hardly need to rewind, making everything much more fun. My advice is to play it like a pure arcade racing game.

And now go buy it, it’s the best racing game of 2023 by far.

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Leaked Rainbow Six Siege Skin Unveils Microsoft Icon’s Fresh Look

A mythical character from Microsoft arrives in the form of a skin to Rainbow Six Siege, anticipating with this leak the expected new season of the game.

The trend for a few years now has been to gain prominence in multiplayer games through collaborations with other franchises. Fortnite is probably the one that makes the most noise in this regard, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t doing it too. Call of Duty recently caught attention for its collaboration with The Boys, and now it’s Ubisoft’s turn with Rainbow Six Siege.

A Twitter leak from user Klobrille reveals a Master Chief skin for Rainbow Six Siege. Specifically, it’s a skin for the Operator Sledge that resembles the appearance of Master Chief in Halo Infinite. Of course, there is no official confirmation yet whether this leak is real or not, so we don’t yet know the cosmetics that would come with this particular skin.

If this leak is legitimate, it is expected to be introduced with the new season, starting on August 29th with Year 8 Season 3, titled “Heavy Mettle.” This season will also include a new operator and significant changes to the ranked and quick match systems, along with a new arcade mode.

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In any case, this is not the first time Rainbow Six Siege has received character skins from other franchises or even from other companies. With collaborations featuring Nier, Assassin’s Creed, Yakuza, and even WWE, this crossover with Microsoft’s most significant franchise shouldn’t come as a surprise. However, we’ll still have to wait a bit longer for confirmation on whether the leak is real and, if so, whether it will arrive alongside the anticipated changes in Heavy Mettle.

Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

Early Access Unveiled: Here’s Your Chance to Play Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade Before the Official Release!

Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade is going to have a closed beta in early August and we’ll explain what you need to know to be able to play it.

Ubisoft doesn’t plan on slowing down with Assassin’s Creed, as the famous franchise that pits assassins against Templars in different historical eras has announced eight games in the series to be released at some point in the future, although only one of them has a confirmed release date. While we previously believed that the next major installment in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, would be the first one we could try, it turns out that’s not the case. We’ll be able to try a smaller mobile release first. However, there’s a catch: it will only be available for a limited time.

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Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade will have a closed beta starting on August 3rd. To sign up, you need to register on their website between July 17th and July 27th. If you are randomly selected from all the registrants, you will receive an invitation via email between July 27th and July 31st, provided you are located in Europe or the United States. The beta will begin on August 3rd, as mentioned before, and will conclude eight days later on August 11th. This timeframe will give us more than enough time to get an idea of the game’s features and qualities.

Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade is a game set in Ancient China, during the time of the Qin dynasty, chronologically positioned between Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Origins. By experiencing the origins of the first Chinese empire, the attacks from the Xiongnu invaders, and the flourishing of the imperial capital of Xianyang, this game has the opportunity to depict a lesser-known but vibrant and highly significant historical moment for humanity. Combined with the foundations of all Assassin’s Creed games, it becomes an enticing prospect that has captured the attention of many players. The game will be released on iOS and Android devices, although at this time, no further information regarding the official release date is available.

Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

Ubisoft Contemplates Remaking the Legendary Assassin’s Creed: Reviving the Iconic Franchise

Ubisoft would be thinking of retaking the Assassin’s Creed that laid the foundations of all the modern games in the franchise with an ambitious remake.

Despite having plenty of Assassin’s Creed on the horizon, Ubisoft isn’t resting on its laurels. Aware that fans of the franchise are always eager for more and that it’s one of the few games that even non-gamers are drawn to, Ubisoft is constantly planning their next move in the franchise. And it seems that their next step will be returning to one of their most popular installments and exploring one of the themes that has worked best for them: pirates.

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According to information from Kotaku, who claim to have had conversations with two sources close to the publisher, Ubisoft is working on a remake of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. They are enlisting the help of Ubisoft Singapore, the studio behind Skull and Bones, the company’s new IP that began development in 2013 as an expansion of Black Flag before becoming a separate project.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, the fourth main installment in the franchise, was released in 2013 and, departing from the stealth aspect, focused on the action, combat, and exploration that the series is known for today. It introduced naval combat, allowing players to embody an assassin during the 18th century in the Golden Age of Piracy. While the franchise could benefit from such a change, it also makes this remake feel a bit strange. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag doesn’t feel particularly aged. However, a version with updated graphics and some slight refinements to its gameplay elements could make it feel just as, if not more, innovative than any of the recent entries in the series.

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In any case, we shouldn’t expect this remake to arrive anytime soon. According to the sources from Kotaku, this remake is in the early stages of development, and we shouldn’t expect it to be released for at least a few years. This is partly due to Ubisoft Singapore being heavily involved in Skull and Bones, which doesn’t have a release date beyond sometime between 2023 and 2024, with a promised closed beta in August. Therefore, we’ll still have to wait to learn more about this remake, which, whether necessary or not, seems inevitable given its significance to the origins of modern Assassin’s Creed games.

Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Could it Take the Throne as the Best Game in the Series?

Assassin’s Creed Mirage was featured at the PlayStation Showcase and we got the impression that it was a return to the roots of the franchise.

The PlayStation Showcase brought us great games, but one of the most eye-catching ones was Assassin’s Creed Mirage. With a particularly striking trailer, it seems to be everything we expect from Assassin’s Creed. The parkour, stealth assassinations, climbing, one-on-one combat – all those things we associate with the Ubisoft saga, and it looks like Assassin’s Creed Mirage is bringing them back to us.

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While we don’t know all the details of the game yet, what this first gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Mirage sells us is that Bassin, the protagonist of this game, is going back to the roots of the franchise. Assassin’s Creed Mirage seems to be returning to a more classic style of gameplay. Instead of traversing an almost infinite open-world map, it appears that everything will be confined to a large but relatively contained city, where the focus will be on the mechanics that made us fall in love with the early Assassin’s Creed games: the incredible use of movement and the satisfaction of combat and executions.

This would be a welcomed change, especially because it has been a long time since we had an Assassin’s Creed game of this kind. Assassin’s Creed Origins seemed like it would bring us back to the roots, to a simpler and more contained experience, and while it is a foundational game that we all appreciate and respect, it ended up being something else. Having a game that brings back the excitement and feeling that the classics of the series were capable of generating, something that no other game or franchise has been able to replicate, would be incredible for Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

With a release date set for October 12th, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is confirmed to launch on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows. Therefore, while we still have to wait a bit to find out if our impressions and desires will be fulfilled, until then, we have faith that this will be the Assassin’s Creed game that brings the series back to its roots.

Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

The Best Steam Alternatives to Play Online Video Games

Times have changed, and gone are the days when you had to run out to the store to buy that video game you’d been itching to play for months. Online video games are on the rise, and since the launch of Steam, platforms where you can buy them haven’t stopped popping up. Although physical games are still collectors’ items, nobody can deny that the online ones are far more convenient.

Página oficial de GoG

If you’re a fan of online games but have already grown bored of the Steam catalog, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s article, we’re going to share a roundup of the top online gaming platforms out there. All are excellent alternatives to Steam, and they compensate for some of the shortcomings in Valve’s catalog. We hope you find it helpful!

GoG (Good Old Games)

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Our first pick is GoG (Good Old Games), the online platform created by CD Projekt with the goal of resurrecting classic video games and making them compatible with today’s operating systems. In short, it’s a gamers’ paradise, a place for people who have loved video games for years and want to be able to play old, sadly forgotten titles again.

The GoG catalog is simply superb. You’ll find thousands of classics that have made history in the gaming sector. The graphic adventures from Lucasarts, the Ultima saga, all the Wing Commander editions, the 7th Guest, the multiple releases of Might and Magic, all of King’s Quest, etc… And you can play them all without needing to download emulators, make boot discs, or tinker with your operating system to simulate DOS.

If you’re not crazy about old video games, don’t worry. For the past few years, GoG has been adding new games to its catalog as well. Although its name may suggest that it only has old games, don’t be fooled! You’ll actually find titles as new as, for example, Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Outer Worlds, and the catalog will soon offer Horizon Zero Dawn: The Complete Edition and Cyberpunk:2077.

One feature that sets GoG apart from similar platforms like Steam is that its games lack DRM. So, once downloaded, you can save them forever and you won’t need an internet connection to play them. In addition, although GoG has its own client to download and play its titles (GoG Galaxy), you’re not required to use it, so it’s a much less invasive experience than Steam.

If you’re one of those people who loves connecting to other users on Steam, we have good news for you: GoG Galaxy is quite similar in this respect. This client lets you connect and chat with friends, play against them in multiplayer mode and unlock trophies for all the games in your library. In fact, the only difference versus the Steam client is that GoG Galaxy is completely optional. If you want to try GoG Galaxy, you can download it below.

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In short, GoG is the perfect option for anyone who’s looking for a website to complement the Steam catalog with something totally different. Most of the games you’ll find on this site are not available anywhere else, and they’re all excellent. So, check it out today!

Origin

Origin is the online gaming platform from EA (Electronic Arts). It has been in the market for almost as many years as Steam and GoG, and its catalog is highly focused on the company’s games. So if you’re looking for a digital platform to play or find the best prices for franchises like The Sims, FIFA, or Battlefield, be sure to check out Origin.

As we mentioned, the Origin catalog is strongly centered on Electronic Arts games, which becomes obvious as soon as you visit the website. Many of the top picks and recommendations will take you to EA’s main franchises, but if you keep looking, you’ll find a pretty decent catalog of titles from other companies. So you can find the complete Batman series by Rocksteady, The Witcher trilogy, all the Assassin’s Creed titles, etc.

Compared to other online gaming stores, Origin stands out for the fact that it has embraced the online subscription model. So on the website, you can subscribe to the EA Play or EA Play Pro services, which allow unlimited use of a juicy catalog of EA games, early access to the company’s upcoming releases, discounts of up to 10% on the whole website, and rewards and exclusive content for members. You can check out its subscription system here.

To download and play games, Origin uses a client that’s quite similar to Steam. Unlike GoG, it’s necessary to play games on Origin, but it offers all of the basic features for connecting to friends and enjoying games with them in multiplayer mode. You can download the Origin client quickly and securely below.

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Origin is an online video game store designed specifically for fans of the Electronic Arts franchises. It can be a great option because of its innovative subscription system, which you can use to access a large part of its catalog for one monthly payment.

Itch.io

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Itch.io is an online video game platform designed for fans of indie games. You’ll find the most original titles, ones that are not overly commercial and that ooze with quality and imagination like no others. This makes it a truly interesting choice to complement Steam’s catalog of commercial games or GoG’s selection of classic titles.

As for its catalog, Itch.io features the cream of the crop from the indie universe. One of the platform’s strengths is that the vast majority of these titles are free, and you can communicate with the developers to help them improve their products until they can be sold. In fact, many of the indie games sold on platforms like Steam started out as free titles on Itch.io.

As for its client, Itch.io has a lightweight, useful app that you can use to organize and update all of your video games. What’s more, you can use the app to communicate with the rest of the Itch.io community and with the developers of the titles you are playing. You can download the Itch.io app quickly and conveniently below.

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Itch.io is a great website to play all kinds of games that, while less widely known, are imaginative and high in quality. It’s a real must for any indie game devotee.

Ubisoft Connect

Formerly known as Uplay, Ubisoft Connect is Ubisoft’s online video game platform. It can be considered the most recent to hit the market, as it debuted just a few months ago with the launch of Watch Dogs Legion. However, it’s essentially just a facelift of Uplay, a platform that, while popular among fans of the company, never got off the ground.

The entire Ubisoft Connect catalog is centered exclusively on the company’s games. As such, its star games are the multiple releases from Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs and Far Cry. One thing to keep in mind: if you’re planning to play an Ubisoft title, you should always use its platform. Even if the title is also available on sites like Steam, you’ll be required to have Ubisoft Connect installed in order to play it.

Like Origin, Ubisoft Connect offers an interesting subscription service called Ubisoft+. You’ll have unlimited access to more than 100 games from the company, new releases, early access, expansions, etc., for a single monthly payment. To learn more details about Ubisoft+, we suggest visiting the website here.

As for its client, Ubisoft Connect uses a similar system to its competitors. From it, you can access your games, connect with friends and take advantage of multiplayer mode. As usual, you’ll need to have it installed and be connected to the internet to play games. You can download the Ubisoft Connect client below.

Ubisoft Connect DOWNLOAD
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Ubisoft Connect is the ultimate online store if you want to play any of the company’s titles. It’s ideal for fans of Assassin’s Creed or The Division.

Epic Games Store

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To wrap up our list, Epic Games Store is the digital platform from the company Epic Games. It’s known for being the latest company to enter the online video game market and for its constant squabbles with Steam enthusiasts. And if Epic Games Store is known for anything else, it would have to be for its large number of exclusive games.

Epic Games Store opened due to the extraordinary success of Fortnite, the company’s current flagship game. And if you’re a fan of this battle royale, you know perfectly well that you need to use its client, the Epic Launcher. It’s very simple but more than serves its purpose.

If we compare the Epic Games Store catalog with other platforms, it’s quite limited. After all, this store was recently created, and its greatest asset is precisely the exclusive agreements it has for certain games. However, the Epic Games Store has an extraordinary draw: it offers one free game every week. Yes, you heard that right, every week you can get a free title just by visiting its website. You can check the latest list of free games by clicking here.

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Epic Games Store is a nice option whether you’re a Fortnite fan or you’re just looking for a good platform that, aside from offering exclusive games, has free titles you can enjoy every week.

We hope our roundup of alternatives to Steam has been helpful to you. What’s your favorite platform for downloading video games? Tell us about it in the comments section!

Basic Steam Guide: Curators, Filters, Weekly Deals, Discovery Queue…

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Notre Dame fire: The apps that could help rebuild Paris’ historic cathedral

Need to rebuild an iconic landmark that’s been struck by tragedy? Don’t worry, there could be an app for that.

As the dust begins to settle on the frenzied and emotional days that followed the tragic fire that struck the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, a plan of action is beginning to emerge. With hundreds of millions of dollars already raised to aid Notre Dame’s resurgence, and an architectural competition launched to redesign the Cathedral’s lost spire, it is clear that Notre Dame will rise from the ashes of the fire that claimed it. Will it be the same though, or is a lot of the Cathedral’s historical significance lost forever?

Well, there are apps for this exact kind of thing. Over the last few years, a number of conservation projects have been established, designed to digitally capture sites of historical importance so that they can be kept for posterity’s sake. Let’s take a look at a few of these in greater detail and see just how they could help restore Notre Dame to its former glory.

Need to rebuild an iconic landmark that’s been struck by tragedy? Don’t worry; there could be an app for that

digital and virtual representations of Notre Dame

Last year, we first reported on the Open Heritage Project, which is a partnership between Google and the non-profit organization CyArk. The Open Heritage Project uses 3D laser scanners and drone-mounted DSLR cameras to capture areas of cultural and historical significance around the world that could be in danger due to political or geographical instability. Think about the destruction of Palmyra and Aleppo in Syria and you’ll have a good idea about the types of locations the Open Heritage Project is looking to digitally preserve.

The cool thing about the Open Heritage Project is that it has digitally recreated many of the landmarks it has scanned. These can be viewed from your desktop and in some cases even walked around and explored via virtual reality technology. To give this a go, you can visit the Open Heritage Project website or download the Google Arts and Culture app.

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Unfortunately, and rather ironically, a Parisienne Cathedral wasn’t considered sufficiently at risk for the Open Heritage Project to scan. The good news, however, is that they’re not the only gunslinger in town. An organization called Mapping Gothic has also been using digital scanning technology to preserve the Gothic architectural wonders of France and they have complete digital scans of Notre Dame, which they took back in 2015.

Digital representation of scanning data taken at Notre Dame
Image via: Extreme Tech

According to Extreme Tech, the Mapping Gothic team, led by art historian Andrew Tallon, used a similar digital laser scanner and high-resolution photography method to the one described above to capture an impressive digital recreation of the iconic French Cathedral.

“The actual laser modeling is done by mounting a laser from a tripod and shooting the gallery, taking time to measure the distance between the scanner and every point it hits. Each one of these points represents a distance — by mapping millions of points from a single location, historians can measure how the building expands and contracts during the day, as well as how it shifts over longer periods of time. By combining the point cloud data generated by the laser scanner with on-site photographs taken at the same time, Tallon has created extremely accurate models of the underlying structure and design of the cathedral, and identified points where the cathedral’s masons either deviated from the original plan or paused work to allow the ground to settle.”

National Geographic did a great video on Tallon’s methods when he captured the National Cathedral in Washington:

There is no news yet about whether the Mapping Gothic scans will be used to help rebuild Notre Dame, but they are there should they be needed. Interestingly enough, however, those scans are not the only recreation of Notre Dame out there. In fact, another one allows you to walk through the historic cathedral just like you can with some of the Open Heritage Project scans. Furthermore, this other recreation even allows you to climb all over the magnificent building. We’re talking here about Assassin’s Creed: Unity.

The thing about Assassin’s Creed: Unity is that it did a great job of recreating Paris at the time of the Revolution. The game looks great and a lot of work was put into making the virtual Paris look exactly like the real one back in the day. All except for one detail. At the time the game is set, Notre Dame’s famous Spires still hadn’t been added to the Cathedral. When making Unity, however, Ubisoft decided that it was too integral to the essence of the Notre Dame everybody knows and loves today so they put them in the game anyway. This makes the Unity recreation of Notre Dame complete, in the modern sense.

Notre Dame cathedral in Assassin's Creed
Image via: Ubisoft

To build Notre Dame in the game, one particular member of the Assassin’s Creed: Unity team, Caroline Miousse, spent two years modeling the real thing. In all, it took up about 80% of the work she did on the game. According to The Verge, Miousse spent years fussing over every tiny detail, including the texture and placement of every brick, and even which paintings were on which walls. The results are quite spectacular and should be seen to be believed.

A view of Notre Dame cathedral from ACU

France wants to rebuild Notre Dame in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024. This is a very short period of time to rebuild a Gothic masterpiece and will be a tough task. As we’ve seen though, there is plenty of information available to whomever gets the job and should they wish, they’ll have all the data they need to rebuild Notre Dame exactly as it once stood, in all its former glory. On top of that, we already have both digital and virtual recreations and we can still get up close and personal to the famous French Cathedral even as investigators still try to figure out what actually caused the fire.

Google is using VR to help conserve the world’s cultural heritage

Find out how

The 5 essential Assassin’s Creed games

With over 20 games released on everything from the Wii U to the Xbox One, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series is maybe one of the most prolific franchises in gaming. With such a huge list of titles to choose from, where should new players jump in?

With over 20 games released on everything from the Wii U to the Xbox One, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series is maybe one of the most prolific franchises in gaming. The games are set in various eras of history and chronicle the age-old conflict between two ancient secret societies, the Assassins and the Templars. With such a huge list of titles to choose from, where should new players jump in? Fear not: we’ve compiled a list of the five games essential for players who are new to the series.

1. Assassin’s Creed II

The second title in the series introduces players to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an Assassin during the Italian Renaissance and perhaps one of the game’s most beloved characters. A marked improvement on the first Assassin’s Creed, this is a perfect introduction to the franchise, and perhaps one of its strongest entries. Players can explore gorgeously rendered Italian cities such as Venice and Florence while familiarizing themselves with the game’s trademark stealth mechanics, pulling off spectacular assassinations, and meeting up with historical icons like Leonardo Da Vinci.

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2. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Brotherhood is an immediate follow-up to Assassin’s Creed II, and the first game in the series to feature a multiplayer mode. In the main story, players again return as Ezio as he begins building the Assassins into a truly powerful organization. Familiar characters from the second game return, endowing Ezio with new equipment and abilities. Players can also command teams of Assassin recruits, using them to achieve an edge in combat or sending them on missions across the globe to find new weapons, armor, and treasures for Ezio to use.

3. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Black Flag is set during the Golden Age of Piracy. This time, players take control of Edward Kenway, a pirate and reluctant Assassin. Players can explore an absolutely massive map of the Caribbean, sailing from island to island as they customize their own ship and build up their pirate hideout. The ship combat is easily one of the best parts of this game. Players can attack small merchant vessels for supplies or go after larger warships to add to their fleet, and can either attack from a distance or jump aboard disabled ships for some tense swordfights worthy of “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

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4. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Industrial Revolution-era London is the backdrop for the story of brother-and-sister Assassins Jacob and Evie Frie. Players can swap back and forth between these two characters at pretty much any time, and each offers their own unique character and play style. Being one of the most modern games in the series, some distinctly-steampunk gadgets such as a grappling hook offer fun new assassination opportunities. The highlight of this game, though, is London itself. Though previous games in the series have been set in the tense confines of large cities, this game perfects that atmosphere. Exploring the city’s dark streets and beautiful architecture is one of the most memorable aspects of this entry, and nothing makes you feel more like an Assassin that pulling off a perfect silent assassination in a foggy, cobblestoned London back alley.

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5. Assassin’s Creed Origins

The latest game in the series is also one of the best. Like the name implies, this game lets players explore the origins of the feud between the Assassins and Templars against the backdrop of ancient Egypt. The combat system received a total overhaul for this title, allowing for much more fluid fights. The addition of a shield means players will have to play defensively just as much as offensively. An addition of a standalone arena mode allows this new combat system to really shine, and offers hours of additional fun while letting players fight unique and spectacular bosses and unlock equipment for use in the main story.

Assassin's Creed Origins download now
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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the latest game in the series, is slated for an October release. This means there’s still plenty of time to catch up and embrace your inner assassin. Just remember: nothing is true; everything is permitted.

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The 4 best games for jaw-dropping graphics

After a hard day’s work, there’s nothing quite like relaxing in your favorite gaming chair and blowing off some steam.

We love all sorts of games here at Softonic, but you can’t deny the pretty ones are often the most popular. Although gameplay is important, there’s nothing more satisfying than escaping to a world that looks so real you can almost touch it.

So, let’s explore some of the best CPU-taxing, motherboard-melting, graphic card-smoking games that’ll make your eyes pop.

Far Cry 5

The newest entry in the long-running FPS franchise, Far Cry 5 is already a hit with fans and critics alike. And the graphics? Well, they’re incredible.

The environments are huge, open, and lovingly detailed. The foliage and weather effects are immersive, and explosions are crisp and satisfying. The game reaches a level of photorealism many premium titles can’t match, and even better, it runs well on most systems.

Ubisoft have done a great job with this release – just don’t mess with the turkeys.

The game retails for around $59.99.

Battlefront II

Although gamers were furious with EA’s pay-to-win progression (and their obsession with loot crates), you can’t deny that Battlefront II is absolutely gorgeous. The latest Star Wars films have jaw-dropping design, and this has clearly inspired the graphics team at EA DICE.

The models are detailed, animation is fluid, and the sound design is awesome (as expected from DICE). Videos with no HUD (heads-up display) show just how slick this game looks, on the wonderfully contrasting salt and red soil of the rebel base at Crait.

It’s currently available for around $30.00 on the Microsoft Store.

The Witcher 3

The third entry in the RPG adventure series, players once again take on the mantle of monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia. The series has always been renowned for the depth of its storytelling (and uh, romance), but the latest in the franchise also has a stunning world packed with vistas to explore.

It’s the sheer breadth of different environments that also makes the game notable. From densely-packed, dirty cobbled streets, packed with people going about their day, through to vineyards and dark, deserted forests with tall pines creaking in the wind – there’s a lot to explore. The lighting effects are beautiful, too, so if the monsters ever get a bit much, you can take Roach (your horse) for a sunset stroll along the beach – just watch out for the Drowners!

It’s available on Steam for around $39.99.

Cuphead

Time for something a bit different.

In an age where “best graphics” generally means having the most photorealistic design and animation, Cuphead appears to take a step backwards. A 2D side-scroller where you do battle with boxing frogs, angry bees, and giant paranormal carrots, the game also has a completely unique art style.

Every frame is hand-sketched, inked, and painted like a living 1930’s Max Fleischer cartoon. Although it might seem like a lot of work in an age where everything can be animated so easily, the extra effort elevates the graphics way beyond a quirky gimmick to something truly awesome.

It’s also tough-as-nails, so if you’re looking for a challenge, and hanker for something a bit more retro, you’ll love this game.

It’s currently retailing on the Microsoft Store for around $16.99. Considering the amount of hours put into animating it all, that’s a steal.

Cuphead Download Now
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That concludes our round-up of our favorite games with the best graphics. Whether you like fleeing from deadly turkeys, shooting Darth Vader, chopping up monsters with a silver sword, or running around with a cup for a head, hopefully, there’s something on the list that will tickle your fancy.

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