Assassin's Creed Unity primarily begins in Paris in 1789.
The year 1789 marks the beginning of the French Revolution, the historical upheaval that forms the central backdrop for Unity. The playable character, Arno Dorian, becomes involved in the Assassin-Templar conflict as political violence and social unrest transform the city.
The game includes recognizable locations and events associated with revolutionary Paris, including the Bastille and the execution of King Louis XVI in later chronology. Its narrative follows fictional characters within a recreation of real historical circumstances.
The year is sometimes confused with 1799, when Napoleon's coup ended the French Revolution's period of republican government, or with 1804, when Napoleon became emperor. Unity begins earlier, in 1789, and follows the revolution across several subsequent years.