The Jack the Ripper DLC for Assassin's Creed Syndicate could've been gruesome and fascinating, but the Victorian England expansion sadly wasted its potential. The 2015 entry in the open-world historical series casts players as Jacob and Evie Frye, a pair of twin Assassins, in 1800s London. While a DLC following the Jack the Ripper murders sounds like a perfect fit for the franchise, the standalone story campaign ruins the intrigue of the bloody figure.

Releasing shortly after the base game, Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Jack the Ripper DLC lets players control both Evie Frye and the titular murderer. The story sees Evie investigate the notorious Jack the Ripper murders, with her twin brother Jacob potentially being one of the killer's victims. Evie is used to carry out typical Assassin's Creed open-world gameplay, but at certain points the DLC also puts players in control of the Ripper himself. The historical serial killer controls similarly to Evie or Jacob, but he uses more brutal tactics and performs gruesome executions on his hapless victims. While playing as Jack the Ripper is interesting, the DLC sadly shines too much light on the elusive figure.

Playing As The Ripper In AC Syndicate Is Strange

Tracking down Jack the Ripper as Assassin's Creed Syndicate main character Evie is a perfect setup for an expansion, but playing as the Ripper himself removes much of his mystery and intrigue. The London serial killer remains one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries in history, with the real historical figure leaving five or more innocent victims in his wake. The Jack the Ripper DLC reduces these crimes to mere mission objectives, with players carrying out multiple murders themselves. While having Evie follow in the wake of the Ripper's rampage could've maintained an air of mystery around him, putting players in control of the infamous figure turns him into just another Assassin's Creed playable character.

AC Syndicate's DLC Story Ruins The Ripper's Intrigue

While some fans may feel that Jack the Ripper is the best Assassin's Creed Syndicate character to control, the expansion's story also ruins the mystery surrounding the killer. The actual Ripper's motives are unknown, but the Jack the Ripper DLC haphazardly ties the grisly criminal into the tangled Assassin's Creed lore. The expansion explains that Jack is a former apprentice of Jacob Frye who was also a patient at London's Lambeth Asylum. The Ripper's victims are explained to actually be Assassins, with Jack holding a grudge against Jacob for failing to save his mother. This explanation dramatically simplifies and perverts the story of the real Ripper just to fit the convoluted Assassin's Creed narrative.

The story of Jack the Ripper has a clear link to Assassin's Creed Syndicate, but the titular DLC sadly failed to do the killer's historical tale justice. Playing as the Ripper, rather than simply hunting him down and investigating his crimes, removes the mystery surrounding the infamous figure. The expansion's story is even more ineffective, with the serial killer's motives and story being forcibly tied into the larger Assassin's Creed narrative. An Assassin's Creed Syndicate DLC about Jack the Ripper is a no-brainer, but the expansion should've taken more care to maintain the gravitas and intrigue of the killer's story.