Witch Trials

1666: Amsterdam’s  title alludes to the demonic Number of the Beast, and it’s a fitting association given the hell it has endured to see the light of day. The game has bounced between studios and was even at the center of a years-long lawsuit. Before the occult action-adventure game launched in PC Early Access in August, I traveled to the real-world Amsterdam, Netherlands, to play an extended demo. Boasting cool gameplay ideas and an intriguing story, I now understand why its creator, former Assassin’s Creed mastermind Patrice Désilets, so passionately believes in the project.

A Tumultuous Love Affair

Patrice Désilets was one of Ubisoft’s star creative minds. An employee at Ubisoft Montreal since its founding, he first gained widespread recognition as the creative director on the acclaimed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. He followed this success by playing an essential role in creating what would become Ubisoft’s flagship franchise: Assassin’s Creed. Désilets was a key figure in the franchise’s early years; he directed Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed II, and served as a primary writer on Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. It was during this heyday that Désilets visited Amsterdam on a family vacation. After stumbling upon a particular building in Rembrandt Square bearing a marker reading Anno 1666, the spark of an idea to make a game set in the city during the 17th century was ignited.