Microsoft has announced a new partnership with Ubisoft to launch the first ever Assassin’s Creed gamin title on the modern web with HTML5, 3D WebGL graphics and JavaScript. The Assassin’s Creed Pirates web-based experience is available today for free play in five languages worldwide.
The gameplay is based on the popular iOS Assassin’s Creed Pirates (ACP) game and allows you to step into the shoes of Alonzo Batilla, a young captain, racing his ship through the Caribbean seas, evading mines and other hurdles, amidst searching for treasure.
The ACP game demo was designed from the ground-up for the modern touch browser, and is developed using the Babylon.JS open source framework that allows developers to build interoperable 3D games like this one. Microsoft claims that the recent updates to Internet Explorer 11 offer better 3D performance, enhanced touch capabilities, and improvements to WebGL, which makes ACP a great game for the Web.
“When Assassin’s Creed Pirates was released on mobile, it received good praise for its groundbreaking visuals. We wanted to see if a game like this could be possible on the web. It's difficult to really know where web-gaming is headed, but we can be sure that Babylon.JS and Internet Explorer today, in terms of gaming, are great platforms to demonstrate its potential.”- François Bodson, Studio Manager
Unlike most games built for Web, ACP does not require a fixed screen resolution. So, whether you are using an 8-inch Windows tablet or a 24 inch desktop with a mouse, ACP with IE11 adapts your browsing experience by detecting your Windows device and input type. Also, the game works well in split screen mode, and you can (pretend to) work and race the ship simultaneously.
It’s of course an engaging game, and each time the game is launched, a variation of the original scene is delivered with changes in the weather and time of day giving you a new experience each race. Race your ship through an obstacle course and compete with pirates around the world to obtain the highest score.
Unfurl the sails, and give it a spin here at race.assassinscreedpirates.com. Maybe, you’d also want to pin the game to your Start screen for a quick steer when you have a few minutes to spare.
Thanks, Mohamed, for the tip!
