Ubisoft surprises PC gamers this week by offering Assassin’s Creed Syndicate free for a limited time. Players can claim and download the stealth adventure game from 2015 at no cost until December 6, exclusively through Ubisoft’s bespoke video game launcher, Ubisoft Connect.
To grab Syndicate for free, visit this promotional link. You can immediately dive into London’s atmospheric 19th century urban sprawl even without the Connect client. However, downloading Ubisoft’s proprietary distribution platform is necessary for gameplay access.
Weighing in at around 46GB to download, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate earns praise as a franchise high point blending in charmingly refined gameplay with immersion across a richly vivid setting albeit it was released at a time when the best-selling franchise was in deep need of a reinvention. As the final mainline entry before Ubisoft went the open-world RPG route, Syndicate focuses on robust mission diversity and addictive traversal-centric parkour, the latter of which is still widely considered as a high point in the franchise due to its realistic animations and parkour.
In Syndicate, players take control of a pair of expert assassins Jacob and Evie Frye, twins battling the Templar order who have control over England’s rapidly industrializing capital. Inspired level design sees the iconic siblings deftly navigating rain-slick streets and architecturally imposing landmarks in pursuit of justice.
Syndicate’s 1868 backdrop stands out through its environment décor and the societal themes examining the costs of the world’s progress. Child labor, rampant inequality, dangerous factory conditions, and gang activity present a darker lens into often romanticized British imperialism.
While Assassin’s Creed has since expanded into sprawling ancient territories like Egypt and Scandinavia, Syndicate and its relatively restrained take on London brims with hand-crafted personality. Critics praised Ubisoft’s eye for historical authenticity through city aesthetics and supporting characters. That rich ambient immersion combines with satisfyingly snappy melee flow and stealth mobility to create an exemplary Assassin’s experience. It’s arguably pinnacle of the series blueprint – open-ended mission approaches facilitating smooth parkour, sly assassination, or aggressive skirmishing with equal aplomb.
Unfortunately, Syndicate suffered for two reasons outside of its control: the hype and subsequent failure surrounding a failed release in Assassin’s Creed Unity and overall series fatigue.
As previously mentioned, Syndicate was released at a time when Ubisoft was still busy churning out a new Assassin’s Creed a year. This all came to a head in 2014 with Unity, which became infamous for its bugs and coming after Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which is getting a remake, by the way. The success of Syndicate and Assassin’s Creed Rogue weren’t enough to save the series from imminent doom, resulting in a total reboot with Assassin’s Creed Origins. Nevertheless, time has been kind to Syndicate, with many enjoying its refined executive and the strong narrative closure to earlier Assassins-Templar storylines.
Either way, revisiting Jacob and Evie’s charismatic quest to reclaim London delivers great value, made even sweeter at a full $49.99 markdown. Since Syndicate predates Assassin’s Creed’s broader RPG transformation, its streamlined scope may better suit players wanting classic stab-happy escapism rather than sprawling stat micromanagement bloat.
Now just over seven years removed from launch, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s free distribution reintroduces a sterling, self-contained franchise chapter to new audiences. Its compelling twin leads and gloomy Dickensian ambience unrelated to wider mythology also lower barriers for casual history fans.
With Ubisoft steering recent outings like Assassin’s Creed Mirage back towards stealth-action gameplay, Syndicate is an ideal aperitif highlighting hallmark gameplay finesse before the formula enlarged into a globe-trotting fantasy feast.
Opportunistic gamers have under a week left to shore up their backlogs by claiming one of the series’ most unsung and underrated outings absolutely free of charge, courtesy of Ubisoft.
Ubisoft most recently came under fire for inserting pop-up advertisements for Mirage during gameplay. It blames the errant promotions on a technical error, but fans aren’t quite convinced. It’s highly likely that giving away Syndicate is part of Ubisoft’s way of appeasing the crowd. If this isn’t enough, Mirage is getting a free update in December. Finally, the next Assassin’s Creed game is in development over at Ubisoft Bordeaux.
