https://www.thegamer.com/egyptologists-assassins-creed-origins-teach-history/

Egyptologists Use Assassin's Creed: Origins To Teach History

In the premiere, Naunton described Assassin's Creed Origins as "the best visualization of Ancient Egypt."

By Jo Craig Published 24 hours ago

We've all heard of the historically accurate settings that dwell within Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise. Equipped with its own Discovery Tour, titles such as Assassin's Creed Origins really hone in on the historical experience, and its representation of Ptolemaic Egypt is being used to teach history in a new Twitch series.

Egyptologist Dr. Chris Naunton was joined by Southampton University PhD student Gemma Renshaw and associate professor of history at Missouri University of Science and Technology Dr. Kate Sheppard for the first episode of "Playing in the Past." Naunton's six-part series revolves around dissecting Egypt's history through Ubisoft's tenth title in the franchise. In the premiere, Naunton described Assassin's Creed Origins as "the best visualization of Ancient Egypt," and it ignites a new-found appreciation for Ubisoft's dedication to historical detail.

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Thebes was the first location that the three Egyptologists featured, where Naunton would compare his personal photos of the ancient city to Origins' depiction. Free reign exploration of the game followed shortly after, where the trio would bring their expertise as Naunton visually explored Egypt's history. Playing in the Past is scheduled to run up until July 15, where each episode will have different guests who discuss various pockets of Egypt - including the death and the afterlife of Ancient Egypt, craft and technology, and the people of Ptolemaic Egypt.

Ubisoft News recently asked Naunton where his inspiration for the series came from, and he admitted that he stumbled upon stills of the game whilst doing research. "What's this?... How can I get this?", Naunton remarked when he kept seeing screenshots of Origins whilst Googling images of Alexandria. Naunton and his colleagues collectively agreed that Ubisoft's reenactment was "amazing" and the Egyptologists were particularly impressed when they discovered the post-launch Discovery Tour - where they didn't even have to play the game to experience its inclusive history.

Ubisoft has also been praised for aiding children's education during lockdown, where games like Assassin's Creed offer a unique look at the history the game is based upon. During a "Keys To Learn" panel, the advantages of incorporating education within a video game was discussed, allowing children's learning to be more enjoyable - and Assassin's Creed Origins makes learning entertaining for both kids and adults.

Source: Ubisoft