Patrice Désilets Returns With 1666: Amsterdam, But Its Surprise Demo Leaves Players With More Questions Than Answers
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Désilets has finally revealed a playable demo for 1666: Amsterdam, but an AI asset controversy and a confusing three-era structure have left players with mixed feelings.
Few titles carry a production history as turbulent as 1666: Amsterdam. Originally conceived over a decade ago by Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Désilets at Ubisoft, the project survived a bitter corporate breakup, a lengthy legal battle, and the founding of a brand new studio, Panache Digital. After years of waiting and an intervening detour with Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, the game finally emerged during Summer Game Fest with a surprise early access launch window and a playable prologue. For a community that has followed this journey for over ten years, it should have been a moment of pure celebration.
Instead, the rollout hit immediate turbulence. Shortly after the prologue went live, players noticed telltale signs of generative AI in promotional materials and in-game art assets, triggering a swift and vocal backlash from the community. Panache Digital quickly issued an apology and confirmed that the upcoming early access release will scrub out any AI-generated assets, but the damage to the launch momentum was already done. Compounding the issue, the prologue itself landed to a mixed reception on Steam, leaving cross-platform players genuinely puzzled about the actual gameplay loop and structural identity of the title.
Part of the confusion stems from the prologue's structure, which splits its runtime across three distinct eras, namely 1666, 1999, and the present day. Players step into the shoes of Noa, a supernatural Collector wielding dark, glitching abilities during the historical segment, before jumping forward to investigate a family mystery within a grand university library. While the atmosphere is dripping with the occult intrigue that Désilets originally promised, the current slice of the game offers minimal interaction and zero combat, leaving the community waiting to see how these ambitious time-jumping mechanics will actually function when early access arrives later this year. You can read the original reporting over at Eurogamer.
Tags: 1666 Amsterdam, Patrice Désilets, Panache Digital, PC Gaming, Industry News
Original article: Eurogamer