Reductive, superficial, beautiful – a historian's view of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

It may be visually striking, but King's College's Alana Harris found Ubisoft's game seriously lacking: 'If we're liberating poor children, what are we liberating them to?'

Victorian London is something we think we know. The architecture and urban planning of the era remain visible in today's 21st century metropolis, while TV programmes like Ripper Street, Jekyll and Hyde and the forthcoming festive treat, Dickensian, celebrate its culture, both high and low.

It was no surprise, therefore, when Ubisoft decided to set the latest instalment of its historical action adventure series Assassin's Creed in the 19th century capital. Following the members of a secretive assassination sect from the 12th century to the modern day, the games have already taken in Renaissance Italy and Revolutionary France; the promise of the series is that you get to explore cities and cultures at key moments in time, investigating their iconic buildings as you carry out your missions.