Lost Ubisoft Masterpiece: The Hidden Fusion of Elden Ring's Dark Fantasy with Wind Waker's Whimsical Adventure

Highlights

Immortals Fenyx Rising's canceled sequel aimed for a more realistic and serious tone, influenced by Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda.

The sequel was planned to be distinct, offering immersive exploration, tracking animals, and traversing through wind. Ubisoft Quebec aimed to create a game that stood out by including extensive exploration, a nonlinear storyline, and granting players freedom. However, the project was ultimately terminated.

According to leaked gameplay details, Immortals Fenyx Rising's upcoming sequel was planned to be influenced by Elden Ring. Ubisoft Quebec had intended to make a major shift in style and tone, with the graphics becoming more realistic and the overall tone more serious. While drawing inspiration from The Legend of Zelda, the gameplay was intended to lean more towards Elden Ring. However, despite these plans, the sequel was ultimately canceled.

The first Immortals game stood out in the crowded open-world action game subgenre. Although it drew inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it had notable differences. Ubisoft Quebec incorporated their familiar open-world guidance systems to streamline exploration and made use of heavy-handed narration, giving the game a less serious tone. Additionally, the combat system featured intricate combos, adding complexity to the gameplay.

According to Axios, leaked details concerning the scrapped sequel of Immortals Fenyx Rising shed light on the fact that the forthcoming game would have taken a divergent path from its predecessor. While retaining its essence as an open-world action game, Ubisoft Quebec had planned to relinquish certain Ubisoft conventions in favor of an immersive and arduous exploration experience akin to Elden Ring. Players would be required to track animals, navigate by means of constellations, and employ the wind for traversal, discarding extensive quest markers and compass-based guidance.

Drawing comparisons to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is inevitable when examining the canceled sequel. The Polyesian backdrop of the Immortals sequel would have encompassed multiple islands, taking inspiration from Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. Besides utilizing wind, players would have also been able to use other elemental powers and engage in shape-shifting.

Ubisoft Quebec clearly intended for the sequel to Immortals Fenyx Rising to differ significantly from other open-world games in their portfolio. The game was designed to offer extensive exploration, a branching narrative, and a high degree of player freedom. In fact, there were even discussions within Ubisoft Quebec about releasing it as a standalone game rather than a direct sequel. However, the ambitious nature of the project ultimately led to its cancellation, as the cost of fully developing the game became a significant factor.

Ubisoft Quebec has shifted its development focus to Assassin's Creed Red and undisclosed projects after the shelving of the Immortals sequel. This strategic move by Ubisoft aims to prioritize franchises with proven success, as Immortals Fenyx Rising was deemed too risky. Fortunately, Ubisoft Quebec intends to integrate the ambitious ideas from the Immortals sequel into the Assassin's Creed franchise.