Fans of Assassin's Creed will have a way to channel that devotion for their franchise in the form of a newly announced set of books which will tie into the game and reveal more about the story and creative process behind the development process. IGN is reporting that two separate books will be available; a novel and an art book.
The first book Ubisoft announced for Assassin's Creed 4 is a novel focused on the earlier life and career of the game's protagonist, Edward Kenway. The novel will be out November 26, and be published by Ace Books. This book will arrive almost a month after the game's release date for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U on October 29. PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of the game are also expected. The novel will focus on how Edward "became one of the world most deadly pirates and was drawn into the centuries-old battle between the Templars and the Assassins."
The official art book for the game will be released on October 28, with a special edition also being available. The first 500 copies of the art book will come in a special slipcase and have two special concept art prints signed by the artists included. The art book will show how the artists conceptualized the nautical world of Assassin's Creed 4, and show their ideas on how to bring the Caribbean islands of the seventeenth century to life for the game.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is hardly the first video game to get the novelization treatment. Indeed, many popular series spawn their own novels, and sometimes even inspire a long-running series of novels. In particular, the Halo and Gears of War franchises have several books dedicated to expanding the universe of the games and give fans more information about their favorite games.