In advance, I would like to take the opportunity to apologise if this question I have is not specific enough and violates any rules.
Earlier today, the French videogame developer and publisher Ubisoft presented footage and information for their new instalment in the Assassin's Creed franchise AC: Syndicate.
If you are not too familiar, in AC you usually play as an assassin of the Assassin Order fighting against the tyranny of the Templars with the background of a historical period, such as The Holy Land during the Third Crusade, Renaissance Italy, 16th century Constantinople, the Caribbean during the Age of Piracy, North America during the American Revolutionary War, France during the French Revolution, and others.
Now the reason for which I made this thread.
In the videopresentation, an employee of Ubisoft presents us with a view of the world of Victorian London in 1868, but how much of what he says is actually fact?
I have written a transcript of what has been said in the presentation below, the original video can be found here.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate takes place in London in 1868. The industrial revolution, in essence, is society going from almost a medieval society to the modern society which we live in today. It's an increase in productivity that's never been seen before in the history of mankind. You see transportation breaking through, and in the span of a few years enough railroads were constructed to go around the circumference of the earth. It's a world that's ruled by science, we'll see tons of progress in medicine that prolongs the lifetime of people from around 20 years old to 50 years old. It's a world no longer ruled by kings or by religion, it's a world that's run by money. This is something that completely changes society. You have the upper classes which still rule the city, because they're the ones that have the right to vote. So the fate of the lower classes was to either work hard and to die young, or to resort to something new. What the industrial era sees is the birth of organised crime, a bit as we know it today. It's really a concept that has root in the Victorian era. People would band together to try to defend their common interest in what we could call syndicates.
Again, apologies if this goes against the rules, but my thanks in advance for any responses!
The industrial revolution, in essence, is society going from almost a medieval society to the modern society which we live in today.
This is untrue. While the Industrial Revolution certainly transformed Britain, it bore almost no resemblance to the Medieval era.
It's an increase in productivity that's never been seen before in the history of mankind. You see transportation breaking through, and in the span of a few years enough railroads were constructed to go around the circumference of the earth.
This is true, but its such a general statement that it's hard to really comment upon.
It's a world that's ruled by science, we'll see tons of progress in medicine that prolongs the lifetime of people from around 20 years old to 50 years old.
This is completely untrue. While the advent of the Industrial Revolution fostered several scientific breakthroughs, pre-industrial Britain was by no means devoid of art, culture or science -- recall that Newton was born in 1642.
It's a world no longer ruled by kings or by religion, it's a world that's run by money.
This is, again, utterly untrue: there is no separation between church and state in the United Kingdom. For example, when the Prince of Wales remarried, he was obligated to receive a blessing rather than a wedding because the Church of England does not recognize remarriage after divorce. The Duke of Windsor's desire to marry a twice-divorced American woman caused the Abdication Crisis in 1937.
You have the upper classes which still rule the city
This is true. They still do even today. A vast portion of Greater London is owned by the Crown Estate and members of the peerage.
because they're the ones that have the right to vote.
This is untrue; virtually every adult male was granted the right to vote with the Reform Act 1867. This is almost a laughable claim, especially since it's an incredibly important piece of legislation. You'd think the designers would have at least asked themselves what happened in the year prior to the date their game was set in.
So the fate of the lower classes was to either work hard and to die young, or to resort to something new.
Sort of, kind of, maybe. The idea of the "self-made man" is a thoroughly American concept although the British middle class dramatically expanded throughout this period.
What the industrial era sees is the birth of organised crime, a bit as we know it today.
This isn't merely incorrect, it's an overt lie.