Regarding the Assassin's Creed series, after experiencing it through the memories of his dreams, John had already planted numerous foreshadowing elements while developing Red Alert.
From the iconic image of a hooded assassin in white robes leaping from the top of Notre Dame Cathedral, to the mysterious Golden Apple artifact held by the mustached character in Red Alert: World War, traces of Assassin's Creed had already been quietly woven into the expansion's narrative.
Although most players had no idea what these Easter eggs truly represented, John knew exactly what they meant. Because he had already decided what his next major project would be. And as for which chapter of Assassin's Creed to adapt first, he already had a clear answer in mind: the legendary life of the master assassin Ezio Auditore.
From emerging from the Assassin Tomb beneath the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and climbing to the highest point of Florence to gaze upon the city below as a young man, to later standing atop Castel Sant'Angelo as a seasoned veteran who had witnessed decades of history, Ezio's journey perfectly embodied the spirit of the franchise. This was a game built around history.
Of course, artistic liberties were unavoidable. Every historical game altered reality to some degree. In some games, players could act as kings managing economies and shaping nations. In others, they could become legendary generals commanding armies across battlefields.
But Assassin's Creed was different; its greatest strength lay in immersion. The seamless combination of free-running parkour, vertical exploration, stealth assassinations, and historical role-playing created an experience unlike anything else. Players weren't merely controlling a character; they were stepping directly into history itself.
To put it simply, Assassin's Creed was never just a game about assassins. Stealth kills, hidden blades, the conflict between the Brotherhood and the Templars, even the overarching narrative, all of those elements served a larger purpose. History was the true protagonist.
If players wanted to experience the Renaissance up close, they could play Assassin's Creed.
If they wanted to live through the American Revolution and explore colonial New England, they could play Assassin's Creed.
If they wanted to command a pirate ship in the Caribbean and challenge the Royal Navy amidst storms and naval warfare, they could still play Assassin's Creed.
From revolutionary Paris to the magnificent civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, the series allowed players to witness entire eras firsthand.
More importantly, unlike the world contained within John's dream memories, the historical timeline of this reality diverged after the Industrial Revolution, creating even more possibilities for adaptation and expansion. Naturally, these historical settings formed the core appeal of Assassin's Creed and were one of the primary reasons for its worldwide popularity.
However, its success wasn't built on history alone. The series possessed a uniquely striking visual identity.
The hooded assassin attire.
The hidden blade concealed beneath the sleeve.
The elegant yet purposeful walking style.
The breathtaking rooftop parkour.
The fluid combat animations.
The blending of reality, mythology, and conspiracy.
Combined with modern 3A production values, stunning graphics, advanced lighting systems, and cinematic presentation, these elements created an unforgettable visual impact that immediately captured players' attention.
For a 3A title, appearance mattered. After all, if a game couldn't attract players at first glance, why would they take the time to appreciate its deeper themes?
As for the competitive sandbox project he had planned afterward, John wasn't in any hurry. For now, his focus remained entirely on Assassin's Creed, so he began drafting the GDD.
The detailed level designs and gameplay systems only received brief outlines for the time being. Instead, the majority of the document focused on the game's overall direction, historical themes, narrative structure, and major story beats.
At the same time, John emphasized another principle regarding character design: the protagonist had to be cool. Whether it was a charismatic young assassin or a battle-hardened veteran in the style of BIG BOSS from Metal Gear, the main character needed to leave a strong first impression. Players should want to become that character the moment they saw them, not feel repelled by an intentionally unattractive design.
Every game produced by PixelPioneers Games, with a few exceptions such as Binding of Isaac and the faceless protagonist of Outlast, featured memorable protagonists with strong visual appeal.
Some developers claimed that making characters less attractive helped players focus on gameplay and immerse themselves more deeply in the story. John had always found that argument rather baffling.
Regarding the Assassin's Creed GDD, even with the assistance of his dream memories, many elements still required extensive revision and reinterpretation. After all, the original games in those memories had been constrained by the technology available at the time. Some mechanics weren't omitted because they were unsuitable; they simply couldn't be implemented effectively.
Now, with modern technology, many previously impossible ideas could finally become reality. Determining which features should be expanded, which systems should be redesigned, and which concepts deserved further exploration were all questions John needed to answer.
And it was precisely these challenges that allowed him to keep improving. As he considered how to integrate Ezio's entire trilogy into a single cohesive game while deciding which portions should be streamlined or removed, John gradually completed the framework of the project.
After finishing the primary design document, he stretched lazily, organized the files, and sent them to the writing team. Their job would be to further develop and refine the story, while his role would be to oversee the process and review the final results.
Once the files had been sent, John's attention shifted elsewhere. His gaze landed on the dog curled up beside a bowl nearby. Walking over, he reached down and rubbed the dog's head affectionately.
"Poor little guy," John sighed dramatically. "You must be starving."
Hearing his voice, the dog immediately perked up. With a pitiful whine, it rubbed against John's leg before turning toward a large cabinet nearby, the place where Luna stored its dog food. The meaning couldn't have been clearer.
Unfortunately for the dog, John remained unmoved. "I can't feed you."
He patted the dog's head. "If you end up getting too full, then I'll be the one going hungry later."
The dog froze while John laughed and turned away, leaving behind a thoroughly bewildered canine as he headed toward the Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain project team.
Inside the studio, footage from the Snake Eater DLC played across a massive screen. Luna sat in front of it with a notebook in hand, repeatedly pausing the video, jotting down notes, and recording potential issues for revision. The cinematic sequence itself lasted only about ten minutes, but with constant analysis and review, the process stretched to nearly half an hour.
"How does it look?" Noticing John's arrival, Luna pointed toward the screen.
At that moment, the scene showed The Boss lying amidst a sea of crimson flowers.
"It's outstanding," John replied without hesitation.
The visual presentation truly exceeded expectations as every frame looked like a scene from a blockbuster film. All the content had already been completed.
"So when are we launching it?" Luna asked excitedly.
Although she hadn't been responsible for designing the gameplay or writing the core story, every cinematic cutscene in the DLC had been directed and supervised by her. She had every reason to be proud of the final result.
"It can go live as soon as testing is finished," John said. Then he smiled. "But before that, I need your help with a new project."
"A new project?" Luna blinked. "Assassin's Creed? But didn't you already hand that over to Martel's team?"
John shook his head. "Not Assassin's Creed."
"Then what is it?"
"A completely different game." A faint smile appeared on his face. "A fantasy game."