Fan of the Month: Lisa Zaman

The Fan of the Month is an initiative to bring to light important people dear to us at Ubisoft Québec. Whether it’s a significant player, an ambassador for our brands, a talented cosplayer or an artist who’s wowing us with his/her #FanArt, we want to introduce these amazing fans through fun Q&A.

Our fan this month is Liza Zaman, an incredible portrait artist who’s specializing in charcoal/graphite. Lisa has also been part of the Assassin’s Creed Community for quite a long time now. Go have a look at her Instagram page. We promise you won’t be disappointed!

Enjoy!

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DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS.

Loquacious, animated, creative.

WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE GAME?

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. I know it’s cliché but this game really changed my life. If my best friends hadn’t introduced me to it, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I hadn’t played games for years and all of a sudden I was like “I need to play this game”. It came at the right time. I got quite sick at the beginning of 2019 and it was the perfect way to take my mind off things. The characters became my muses and that’s when my passion for art began again.

IT WOULD NOT BE A PROPER GAMING SESSION WITHOUT…

Screaming at the TV hysterically when I get killed for the umpteenth time in a fight.  I get into games and I often end up standing on the couch with my heart that starts racing. It’s hilarious.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHO ARE THE 3 PEOPLE EVERYONE SHOULD FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

There are so many people I want to recommend. Just 3? OK…

➝ @ACUnitedKingdom, one of the first groups to reach out and welcome me into the Assassin’s Creed community. Not only are the guys who run it the nicest people, but they work incredibly hard to keep Assassin’s Creed fans up to date.

➝ @ACFirstCiv, another community group that creates amazing original content such as interviews, art, webcasts and news. This group has also organized fundraising for the Italian Red Cross.

➝ Finally, it’s got to be Michael Antonakos (the man behind Alexios), he championed my work from the beginning and his continuous support means so much. Plus…. Nobody says “Malaka” quite like him!

WHAT IS THE FIRST UBISOFT GAME YOU EVER PLAYED TO?

 Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. I vividly remembered driving past a huge billboard poster of it in Central London and it called to me. I was totally useless at the game,  but I adored Ezio.

IF YOU COULD BE ANY CHARACTER OF ANY GAME, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BE?

Batman from Arkham City. I felt so truly immersed in the game, I’m a huge DC fan.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERTED ISLAND (WITH WI-FI) WITH ONLY THREE VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY. WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

➝ Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The first time I played that game, I played as Alexios. I’d go back and do it all again (with the DLC’s) as Kassandra this time though. I say that now, but I’d probably play as Alexios again. I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I adore him.

➝ Lego Star Wars the Complete Saga, purely nostalgia talking, but I could quite happily play it over and over again.

➝ Resident Evil 5. It was probably the first game I completed 100%. It scared me and I loved it. Another game that came at the right time for me and my friends. I played as Shiva and my favourite weapon was my triple-barrel shotgun. I think I spent a lot of time screaming and hiding behind pillows.

IF COULD LIVE IN ONE OF ASSASSIN’S CREED’S TIME PERIOD, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE?

Part of me wants to say Ancient Greece because I’m fascinated by history. It would also be obvious to say the Victorian era since I live in London. But I am going to go with the 15^th century in Venice.

WHAT DOES BEING PART OF THE ASSASSIN’S CREED COMMUNITY MEANS TO YOU?

I feel truly blessed, I’ve been lucky to have met some wonderful people online. I’ve also been fortunate enough to meet quite a few of them in person. I know with every fandom there’ll be clashes but I seem to have landed in with an incredibly welcoming, inclusive bunch. It’s allowed me to get my first taste of comic cons, meeting some of the voice actors, dress in cosplay, share my passion for drawing and forge new friendships.

WHAT IS THE ONE QUESTION YOU’RE DYING TO ASK A DEVELOPER?

How do you achieve the right balance between visuals, game mechanics, story, ad and world-building to make a game enjoyable, technically brilliant, and commercially successful?