One of France's most popular national monuments, the Notre Dame Cathedral, was struck by tragedy this week when a massive fire erupted along the building's roof. The exterior damage was significant, and the building's middle spire eventually collapsed despite the best efforts of firefighters.
While the inferno has been extinguished now, the effect its devastation will have on the French community will remain for months and years to come. The building's restoration will not be an easy task (though perhaps not as difficult as some may imagine), and game publisher Ubisoft has decided to lend their aid in the form of a €500,000 donation.
This donation will go to Paris' restoration experts, and while it will likely be a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money it will take to fully reinvigorate the Cathedral, it's a nice gesture - not to mention a great way for Ubisoft to generate some positive PR.
If you're wondering why Ubisoft of all companies is donating to the restoration efforts, the answer comes in the form of Assassin's Creed Unity. The open-world title takes place in Paris, and allows players to explore the city in its entirety - they can even climb up Notre Dame itself.
To open that experience up to as many people as possible and pay "virtual homage" to the monument, Ubisoft is giving away Unity for free on PC for a full week. There's no catch here, other than the fact that you'll need to download Uplay. As long as you snag the game within the giveaway period, it will be yours forever.
If solo experiences aren't your thing, drag your friends along and enjoy Unity's 4-player coop modes instead.
