News: Lucy (and presumably the Animus) are back.
Ubisoft has announced that Kristen Bell (and her character Lucy Stillman) will return to the Assassin's Creed franchise when Asassin's Creed II is released on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this November. With Bell's return, the question of whether the time-bending plot of the first game and the Animus would return has more or less been answered. For those with long memories, it was Bell herself who inadvertantly revealed there was more than meets the eye to the plot of the first Assassin's Creed.
Naturally, everyone involved is thrilled that the winner of the "Hottest Newcomer" trophy at the 2007 Spike Video Game Awards is returning to the series (and yes, that is a picture of Kristen Bell dressed up in Princess Leia's gold bikini):
"Kristen Bell is a talented actress that brought the depth and emotion necessary for the mysterious role of Lucy for the first Assassin's Creed video game. She breathed life into her character in a way that deepened the gaming experience,Ф said Patrice Desilets, creative director for Assassin's Creed II. "She did such a fantastic job for this character that, for me, Kristen Bell is Lucy Stillman and no one else can play that role.Ф
"Being a part of the first Assassin's Creed video game was an amazing experience. Video games is such a creative entertainment medium, and to be able to see and play myself as a video game character was surreal,Ф said Kristen Bell. "As an actress, it's both challenging and rewarding to play a complex character with this great mysterious background. I'm very happy to be Lucy once more, and I look forward to fans discovering more about her - they will be pleasantly surprised.Ф
We'll have more soon.