submitted: May 10th 2008 | by: ryoran109 | Total views: 2177 | Word Count: 1026 | |

Assassin’s Creed

Platforms: 360, PS3
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montréal
Release Date: November 15th, 2007


It’s been a long wait, and an exciting ride. Assassin’s Creed has come a long way since its debut at X06, and almost a year later, it’s finally here. And now, the million dollar question: Was it worth it? Such a simple question should be answered with an equally simple answer, so, simply, Assassin’s Creed is not so much a game, but an experience. And, like many experiences, it is one that you won’t soon forget.

Assassin’s Creed is unique in such a way that it captivates you from the moment you close the disc tray. From the Tarantino-style opening cutscene, to the climatic ending battle, you won’t be able to put down your controller. Like a good book, you’ll have to see it through to the end. And speaking of stories, Assassin’s Creed’s is extremely well done. Set in 2012, you play a bartender named Desmond, who is kidnapped by a group of scientists and strapped into a machine called an Animus. The Animus can look at your DNA and replay memories from your ancestors in 3D. The scientists seem intent on seeing a certain memory of one of Desmond’s ancestors, named Altaïr, who was an Assassin during the 3rd Crusades. Unfortunately, Desmond’s subconscious rejects the memory, as he is not used to using the Animus, so he must start a few weeks before the target memory, as Altair is tasked with the assassination of 9 key people in an attempt to end the crusades, and return the Holy Land to peace. It isn’t that simple, of course. The game has more plot twists, revelations, and shockers than a Dan Brown novel, and just as many controversial statements about Christianity. Trust me, by the end of the game, you’ll be questioning all that you know; or rather, all that you were led to believe, it seems...

One of the first things you’ll notice about Assassin’s Creed is that it is easily the most visually outstanding game of the year. Everything from the security camera-esque visuals of the science lab, to the crisp desert vistas of the Holy Land is simply perfect. The only bad thing I can say is that sometimes the game sports some very noticeable texture pop, but this is rare, and does not detract much from the overall experience.

Assassinating is an Art, and it’s a lot more complex then you think. There are 3 stages to an assassination: First stage is called the Investigation. In Assassin’s Creed, there are 3 main ways to get information. You can eavesdrop, you can pickpocket, and you can use violence to intimidate. Also, there are a few informers throughout the cities that reward you with intel if you do a job for them, which can either be running across the rooftops picking up 20 flags that he mysteriously dropped, and didn’t realize until now, or you’ll kill a few guards throughout the city who are looking for him. This all sounds interesting at first, but you have 9 guys to kill, and 6 investigation missions per guy. That’s 56 missions, and only 4 different types. After around the fourth assassination, it gets so repetitive that you’ll just want to get to the end.

Moving on, there’s the second stage, the assassination. Here you can use the intel that you gained in the investigations. Here arises another problem. You just did a lot of work to learn how to kill your target silently and professionally, but you’ll most likely end up rushing in and killing him in front of a hundred guards anyway, and that’s really frustrating. If Ubisoft wants to make you do several repetitive and boring missions that supposedly help you in your assassination, they should actually make them help you in your assassinations.

Thirdly, there’s the chase. After killing your man, there’s the inevitable pursuit sequence. This pits you against several guards as you try to escape to the local Assassin’s Bureau. That’s pretty much it.

So far, the gameplay doesn’t look all that great. Luckily, it’s the fighting that really saves this game. The combat in Assassin’s Creed is simply fantastic. Best of all, it’s really easy to get the hang of. Press X to take a swing at your opponent. If you hit X again as soon as your sword makes contact with his, you begin a combo. If you can combo several times, you get an incredibly gratifying kill. Hold RT to go into defence mode, where you can counter attack. If you Hold RT and Press X as your enemy is about to make contact with your sword, you can do a really cool counter kill. Holding RT, you can also grab break, depending on your level. Speaking of grabs, press B to grab your opponent, and flick the left stick in the direction you want to send him flying. Hold RT, and Press A and any direction to dodge your opponent’s attacks. After he swings and misses, take advantage of his momentary disorientation to strike. Overall, the fighting flows together so smoothly, and is very fun. It really saves this game from mediocrity.

The best part about this game, however, is your ability to walk through any city, and actually feel like a part of the world. As you walk the streets of Jerusalem, beggars come at you from every angle pleading for money. Troublemakers hang out in alleyways, and shove you if you’re nearby. You can eavesdrop on conversations between guards, and watch as an entire city interacts around you. Everything about Assassin’s Creed is just so realistic. From the fighting, to the historical accuracy, hell, every NPC has a different personality. And that’s no small feat. Take a look at the map, and check out the Approximate Population of your current city. Damascus had about 50,000 people at one point, and my frame rate rarely slowed. Assassin’s Creed is such a technological marvel, that it’s easy to overlook the repetitive gameplay. As I said earlier, Assassin’s Creed is an experience. And, as such, you should take the time to experience it.

Breakdown
Graphics – 10
Gameplay – 7.5
Story – 10
Sound – 9
Tilt – 10

Overall – 9.3/10

Comments