Each new Assassin's Creed game is dedicated to a single period in time; it's been that way since the first game in the series. The original Assassin's Creed took place during the Crusades, Assassin's Creed II took place during the Italian Renaissance and Black Flag took place during the Golden Age of Pirating. Assassin's Creed: Unity is no different, and focuses on the French Revolution...or so we thought.

Earlier today, Ubisoft released a new trailer for Assassin's Creed: Unity, and one thing is for certain: that is not the French Revolution.

From what the trailer shows, the simulation that created Unity's version of the French Revolution has been corrupted. Instead of shutting down or crashing like a normal computer, it sends Arno from Revolution-era France to what appears to be World War II-era Paris. Arno is shown climbing the Eiffel Tower, getting chased by a warplane and taking up position behind a turret: certainly a change of pace from the rest of what Ubisoft has shown. There's no way to tell how much of this other era is in the final game (Assassin's Creed games are known for having flashbacks in separate locations from the main setting), but that being said, it'd be strange for Ubisoft to release an entire trailer for a single side mission.

Technically speaking, the Assassins' Creed games don't use time travel, so don't expect Arno to jump between different time periods, at least not in a literal sense. Everything that takes place in the past is thanks to a machine called the Animus. By entering the machine, a subject's 'genetic memories' can be read, and the simulation is created. It's much closer to The Matrix than Quantum Leap, though it's unknown how a simulation of the French Revolution can be shifted into one of World War II-era France.

Despite some controversy earlier in development, Assassin's Creed: Unity has been picking up quite a bit of steam lately. As the first truly next-gen Assassin's Creed game, Unity has a lot of potential to live up to.

It won't be long before players can see if Assassin's Creed: Unity does actually hold up to its lineage: the game is set for release on Nov. 11.

Photo: Ubisoft