Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone is a Vietnam War-era adventure that's well worth checking out

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise is one that continues to grow, and devoted fans are always excited to see where the series is taken next.

First released in 2007, while not perfect, the original Assassin’s Creed starring Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad was an ideal starting point for a franchise that would soon become one of Ubisoft’s more profitable.

Since its initial launch 16 years ago, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has evolved into an absolute mammoth in the video game industry spawning many sequels, comic book and novel adaptations, a movie and much more.

There's even a live-action Netflix series on the way. However, that particular production may be a troubled one with its screenwriter and director Jeb Stuart, departing earlier this year. One of the strongest assets of this franchise, at least from a storyline perspective, is that it can pivot into any direction with near-endless possibilities in any given historical time period - whether it be ancient Egypt, Greece, Anglo-Saxon or as with the upcoming mobile game, Assassin’s Creed: Jade, ancient China. This brings us to the topic of the day, and it’s in regards to the series being set during the Vietnam War.

Published by Les Deux Royaumes, Assassin’s Creed: Bloodstone is a two-part graphic novel written by Guillaume Dorison and illustrated by Ennio Bufi.

The story of Assassin’s Creed: Bloodstone takes place in 2017 in Japan, Tokyo. It follows the tale of Tomo Sakagawa, who relives the memories of Alekseï Gavrani, a former hitman of the Soviet Union, turned member of the Assassin Brotherhood. Gavrani was hired by the CIA during the Vietnam War, to investigate World War II historical figure, Boris Pash.

“Tomo is one of the youngest members of a Japanese Assassin cell. More of a hacking technician than a seasoned fighter, Tomo identifies a massive misuse of data operated by a clinic in Switzerland,” reads the Bloodstone synopsis.

It continues: “His investigation makes him follow the footsteps of another cell of Assassins that seeks to carry out a project initiated during the Vietnam War. Exploring the memories of Alekseï Gavrani. An assassin employed by the CIA during the Cold War. Tomo discovers the experiments of a certain Boris Pash…”

Fans on Reddit have been discussing Assassin’s Creed: Bloodstone, and some hope that this graphic novel will one day be adapted into a video game release.

“If AC ever goes to Vietnam, I’d rather it be set long before the war. There’s so much Vietnamese dynastic history that people don’t really know about,” said that1guysittingthere. “I would love to see an AC set in Vietnam, but hundreds of years ago. Maybe in the 13th century, when they were fighting against the Mongols,” added Rusiano.

“Splinter Cell, but Assassin’s Creed I’m in, I love any history around the Vietnam War,” expressed an excited Lildak98. “I think it would be awesome to mix in the gunplay and stealth of Splinter Cell but also throw in some classic assassin weapons and gadgets plus setting up traps and tree traversal.”

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodstone - The Complete Collection is available at all good book and comic stores.

In related news, the next entry in the video game series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage was in attendance at the most recent Ubisoft Forward event and it promises to give fans a pure dose of 2007 nostalgia. Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be released for PC, PlayStation and Xbox on 12 October 2023.