Is Assassin's Creed Syndicate an “off year” release?

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the first in the series to be helmed outside Ubisoft Montreal. Does that make it skippable? Assassin's Creed Syndicate, like Unity and Black Flag, presents a standalone narrative. Although there are ties to the ongoing meta-narrative (including lots of intriguing detail for those hardcore enough to sort through audio files and