Assassins Creed – Completed

When first gazing upon the white clad individual slowly pushing himself through a crowd, then breaks into a sprint jumps through the air landing squarely on his targets chest ejecting a blade from his palm. Well let’s just say it made me giggle. Not to be a huge spoiler since this happens in the first 5 minutes, but this game does not take place in the dark ages. It takes place in a machine that essential unlocks your family history from your DNA. To me this is a great concept in which many games in the future could use. My thought is it takes away the realism, because you are playing someone who is essential playing a game. Also sets the basis for knowing you’re in an unrealistic environment. Let’s see a judge not laugh when some kid goes crazy and blames it on assassins creed, it would just be silly (not to mention don’t bring a knife to a gun fight har har har).

This game has some really great features which I hope to briefly touch on most of them. First off is the combat system, you have many options such as ranged throwing knives, stealth kills with palm blade, sword attacks that include counter attacks. One thing I would like to point out is combo attacks really suck. The system for them seems so flawed compared to the ease of use in the rest of the game. It occurred to me that perhaps the attacks might be more difficult since they are a killing blow. But honestly every other attack including single button pushes for stealth and ranged kills are also killing blows. The idea is that when your sword clanks another’s you press the attack button again. This initiates a killing blow to your opponent and is easy enough to do in practice, but very frustrating in a real fight.

Now if you get frustrated with games that wont let you jump on a dumpster because its “just to high” aka the programmer cant set environment limits creatively. This game will be a blessing and a curse. You can run up walls and if there is the slightest edge you will be able to hang on. You can and will climb builds to be able to see the span of the city. It’s almost like playing a sandbox super hero game, leaping from roof tops and such (can someone please make a Tick mod?!!?). But then you go on and play other games and there seems to be a 2x4 in your way which disables your ability to move forward. Makes you think back to the good ol days of being all terrain in AC.

Game was 8 out of 10 for me. Graphics are awesome, achievements are a challenge but not overly tedious (at least the ones I got). But the game is repetitive, only have a few different scenarios which to play out (pickpocket, eves drop, kill someone, save a citizen).