ZingJ

The stunningly detailed re-creation of Notre-Dame Cathedral in an 'Assassins Creed' game could he

2019-04-17T14:23:55Z

A fire on Monday devastated the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The structure, including its two main towers, remains intact, but its spire collapsed before firefighters could contain the blaze. French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the famous cathedral, tweeting in French: "We will rebuild it. All together."

One potential source of help in those efforts is the 2014 video game "Assassin's Creed Unity," which is set in Paris.

That's because the game, which takes place during the French Revolution, has a lavishly detailed, historically accurate depiction of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

It's actually the main centerpiece of the game's version of late-1700s Paris. Ubisoft

In the wake of this week's fire at Notre-Dame, YouTube users have started creating detailed walkthroughs of the cathedral in game. Given the game's graphical fidelity and stunningly accurate depiction, these walkthroughs offer an amazing opportunity to pore over every inch of the cathedral.

Due to the French Revolution setting, the cathedral is dressed up in some era-appropriate revolutionary signage: "La liberté ou la mort," reads a banner strung over the main entryway. Ubisoft

The game's main character, a Frenchman named Arno, is able to explore the entire cathedral, both inside and out. From the stunning interior ...

Ubisoft

... to impossible overhead shots you couldn't actually experience in real life. In fact, a signature element of "Assassin's Creed" games is the ability to climb to the very top of iconic structures.

Ubisoft

As detailed in a 2014 feature published in The Verge, Caroline Miousse, an Ubisoft level artist, spent two years poring over details of the cathedral to create as accurate a depiction as possible in the game.

Ubisoft

"I made some other stuff in the game, but 80% of my time was spent on the Notre-Dame," she said at the time.

While the effort to rebuild the iconic cathedral could benefit from the designers' work, it's unclear whether their work will be referenced.

Source: The Verge

One YouTube user's extremely thorough walkthrough offers a much deeper look at the game's lovingly detailed re-creation of Notre-Dame Cathedral — check it out below.

Ubisoft/Freak Artisan/YouTube

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyvu9OrnGackaKybq%2FArZ%2BenKKWuW61za2cq6Gfp3qiv9Kaqqyhnqh6pL7EnptmrZ6ewbp5kWlocmVk

Patria Henriques

Update: 2024-06-24