The Use of the Assassin

Presenters

Andrew J. Shapland, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, Amy Jenkins – Le Guerroué, Ubisoft, Romain Fascialé, Ubisoft, and Felicity McDowall, University of Oxford

Abstract

The exhibit Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth and Reality took place at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford between February and July 2023. It was the first major exhibit to focus on the archaeological site of Knossos, covering the site’s mythology, discovery, and subsequent excavation. It featured more than 200 objects, over 100 of which were on loan from Athens and Crete. Alongside these was a bespoke four-minute film from Ubisoft’s 2018 video game Assassin’s Creed Odyssey that showcased a digital recreation of the Palace of Knossos, as reimagined in the fifth century B.C.E. This extract, filmed inside the game, took the visitor on a tour of the Palace and finished in the Labyrinth below. Subtitles were added to the film in order to explain the comprehensive research carried out by Ubisoft’s research unit, historians, and external experts that was used to recreate Knossos in the game. The film was adjacent to the section of the exhibit that explained the reconstructions of the Palace by its excavator, Sir Arthur Evans. These concrete reconstructions were also partly a reimagination of the site as it might have looked in the classical Greek period. This parallel meant that the game raised important questions about reconstructing ancient sites, whether virtually or physically. It also proved popular with visitors, many of whom found the scenography and details of the reconstruction compelling. An evaluation of the exhibition with over 1000 visitor responses, and observation of visitor behavior, was carried out. This paper will review this visitor data about the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey film in order to gauge its impact. It will provide a case study for the use of a video game in a museum exhibit about the ancient world. The presenters will also reflect on the process of collaborating between a museum and a video game company.