Summary
- The Assassin's Creed series meticulously recreates real-world locations, such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with astonishing accuracy and detail.
- Ubisoft's attention to detail in Assassin's Creed Origins is evident in the accurate depiction of minor touches like the cobra friezes by the Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt.
- The game's portrayal of historical landmarks like Saint Mark's Basilica and the Pyramids of Giza adds to the immersive and believable experience of exploring these iconic sites.
One of the best features of the Assassin's Creed series is its painstaking efforts to bring real-world locations to life, and a direct comparison can help showcase just how well the games pull this off. Things aren't always entirely one-for-one, as landmarks in-game might need some slight tweaks like additional handholds for an Assassin to grab when climbing, but the overall likenesses are often astonishing. Unfortunately, it isn't exactly easy to get up and visit every Assassin's Creed location for the sake of the perfect side-by-side.
Some particularly memorable Assassin's Creed locations come from Italy, the setting of Ezio's trilogy, and Egypt, which is home to Assassin's Creed Origins. From ancient wonders of the world to Renaissance marvels, both feature some staggering sights that are almost as fun to behold as they are to climb. Managing either of these in real life might sometimes be out of reach, but plenty of photos of such famous works show just how meticulous Ubisoft's studios are in recreating the settings of Assassin's Creed.
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10 Cathedral Of Santa Maria Del Fiore
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is a towering landmark in Assassin's Creed 2, but the highlight of the architectural marvel is its beautiful dome. While construction of the cathedral itself began in 1296, the dome was completed in 1436, and was a truly remarkable achievement designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who was commissioned for several other famous buildings in Florence as well. The cathedral's dome was to be designed without the use of buttresses to its weight, and likewise couldn't use scaffolding on the inside during construction, lest the cathedral be unusable while the dome was built. Brunelleschi essentially built two domes, one inside the other – a technique that would be mimicked for later domes of such sizes – and invented new machines for hoisting the building materials to such heights.
9 Cobra Friezes By The Pyramid of Djoser
This frieze is a real testament to Ubisoft's attention to detail in Assassin's Creed Origins. The stepped Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is a major monument, so it's no surprise that its rendered accurately, but the cobra friezes in the complex are a minor touch rendered with shocking accuracy. Although such touches might not individually sell the game, it's the sum total of this level of care that makes the game's depiction of Egypt overall truly engrossing and believable.
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8 Saint Mark's Basilica
Saint Mark's Basilica is one of the most impressive locations in Assassin's Creed 2, with a stunning amount of detail necessary to recreate its incredible facade. With a variety of architectural influences from Middle-Byzantine to later Gothic additions, it's a staggering testament to Venice's interest in the church and arts alike. This is the third construction on the spot, with the preceding Participazio church taking damage in an uprising and the repaired Orseolo church eventually being rebuilt and expanded as a civic accomplishment.
7 Bent Pyramid
The Bent Pyramid at the necropolis of Dahshur represents an interesting transitional point between stepped pyramids and smooth ones like the pyramids at Giza. A number of different theories have been suggested to explain the angle change in the middle, from seeming instability during construction to the impending death of the Pharaoh Sneferu. Much of its outer limestone casing remains intact, making for an impressive display today despite the wear its undergone since its original foundation. The level ground that can be seen near the pyramid has been suggested to be artificially created.
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6 Giotto's Bell Tower
The real Giotto's Bell Tower might lack a perch from which an Assassin can swan dive into a pile of hay, but in all other respects the likeness is uncanny. As a part of the complex that makes up the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the bell tower is named after the second Master of the Works on the project, who spent the final few years of his life deg and starting construction on what would become an incredible achievement.
5 Roman Colosseum
As the largest Roman amphitheater ever built, the Roman Colosseum is one of the most impressive structures ever conceived and equally impressive in its appearance in Assassin's Creed 2. The Colosseum was at the height of its glory when it was first completed in 79 AD, which is many centuries before the events of the game, but it's still awesome to view in both the second game and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.
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4 Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza makes an appearance in Assassin's Creed Origins and is the site of some legendary loot. Located on the west bank of the Nile River in real life, the once colorful and beautiful monument has degraded over the years, though archeologists have restored it over the years from its prior state. Believed to be created around 2500 BC, the Great Sphinx of Giza stands as one of the oldest monuments in all of Egypt.
3 Temple Of Karnak
The Temple of Karnak is another Assassin's Creed Origins landmark that largely hasn't survived until today, but its huge open doorway on the western end remains standing, as do the bases of some proceeding columns. The nearby modern village El-Karnak takes its name from the temple complex, which is located in present-day Luxor, once known as Waset to Egyptians and Thebes to Greeks.
2 Dome Of Santa Maria Del Fiore Interior
The inside of the sanctuary in the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is no less stunning than the exterior, making full use of its extraordinary height to evoke a true sense of grandeur. In Assassin's Creed 2, of course, this is put to use for some exciting interior parkour. The game's rendition sticks to historical accuracy by leaving out the frescoes adorning the ceiling, as these were not yet painted in Ezio's time. Even unpainted, however, the dome is truly something to behold.
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1 Pyramids Of Giza
The pyramids at Giza hardly need any introduction, as few world landmarks can even come close to their level of memorability. As the only surviving entry among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid in particular is one of the most awe-inspiring locations in the world. The pyramids' depiction in Assassin's Creed renders them how they may have looked in Bayek's time, still encased in a limestone exterior, with a capstone of an undetermined material.