The plot is set in a
fictional history of real world events and follows the centuries-old struggle between the
Assassins, who fight for peace with free will, and the
Templars, who desire peace through control. The story is set in
Paris during the
French Revolution, the
single-player story follows Arno Dorian in his efforts to expose the true powers behind the Revolution. The game retains the series'
third-person open world exploration as well as introducing a revamped combat, parkour and stealth system. The game also introduces
cooperative multiplayer to the
Assassin's Creed series, letting up to four players engage in narrative-driven missions and explore the open-world map.
Assassin's Creed Unity received mixed reviews upon its release. Praise was aimed towards its visual upgrades, multiplayer-oriented format, complex protagonists and the design of the main missions. The overarching narrative received a positive response overall. While it was criticized for being too predictable at times, the emotional heft and the moral intricacy of the story were praised. The largest part of criticism was drawn towards the game's lack of gameplay-innovation, unrefined controls, and numerous graphics issues and other
bugs upon release. Because of the high amount of initial bugs, Ubisoft issued an apology; season pass sales were suspended, current season pass holders were offered a free digital copy of one of several recent Ubisoft games, and announced that the game's first
downloadable content called Dead Kings would be made available for free.