Sunday
Nov252007
Review: Assassin's Creed
Sunday, November 25, 2007 at 2:56PM 
In the last generation of console gaming, a French developer, famous for their work on tactical shooters like the Tom Clancy game series, took a leap of faith and decided to try something new: the revitalization of a classic franchise. The franchise turned out to be Prince of Persia, a classic side-scrolling adventure loved by NES gamers, and the trilogy that followed the revival was a huge success. For the next generation, Ubisoft decided to take another leap of faith while still keeping its feet grounded to its experiences, creating an entirely new intellectual property that is a spiritual successor to the Persia series.
But is Assassin's Creed a grand enough experience to dethrone royalty or does the Prince still stand supreme? Read on and find out...
Click to read the full review
Weaving a Tale
If there is one thing Ubisoft Montreal is well known for its creating an extremely intricate story, and Assassin's Creed is nothing short of an excellent example of what they can accomplish. In fact it has the potential to be one of the greatest fables they've ever conceived. To even reveal what happens in the first five minutes to a newcomer is a crime however, so I won't spoil it for you. Suffice to say you will certainly enjoy learning about those weird computer effects you've seen in all the previews for the game. Suffice it to say though is that Assassin's Creed utilizes storytelling elements that are rarely used in television and film nowadays. Not because the type has died out but simply because it’s a potentially risky one to take for those mediums of entertainment. It works perfectly however for video games as this title demonstrates.
The majority of the game players take on the role of Altair, a member of an assassin guild living in the middle of the Third Crusade in the year 1191. The Knights Templar, long time enemies of the assassins, are in search of a treasure and Altair is assigned to prevent it. He gets in over his head however and fails, leading to the death of a fellow assassin, the dismemberment of another, and even so much as leading the enemy to the assassin's fortress. For this colossal failure he is demoted back to novice status and stripped of all his weapons.
To earn back his status in the guild he must assassinate nine different targets; each one contributing to the escalation of the Third Crusade in their own way on both side of the conflict. They hide among the people of the three prominent cities of the time and area: Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem. In order to achieve his goals Altair has to infiltrate the city the target is in, gather intelligence, attack and kill ánd make a successful escape.
Assassin's Creed is an example of an enticing story that has great potential for the future. The only conceivable flaws are that you want a lot more than is given and, if anything, the ending is quite abrupt. While this is a perfect set-up for the next game in the series, it would have been nice if the game had a bit more closure.
Sword: Apply Directly to Forehead
Assassin's Creed succeeds in its story as much as in its gameplay. Playing as Altair, you will find him able to do almost anything you can imagine doing via free running. Utilizing a simplified yet intricate control design, players use the face buttons to work corresponding body parts. The end result is extremely intuitive and very easy to use. The controls are divided into two types of play: low and high profile. When in low profile, Altair blends into the crowd, walking and gently pushing through groups of people without attracting the attention of the guards. In high profile players can engage in free running, combat, and having Altair shove his way through the crowd; though this action certainly grabs the attention of the local guards.
When given your target's name and general location by your master in Masyaf you must traverse the over world to your target which is, to say, very expansive. The size and scale of it is outstanding, going so far as to give you the same feeling you once had when you first journeyed into Liberty City in GTA III. In-between the cities are plenty of villages and army checkpoints so unless you want to be chased throughout the countryside by the enemy its best that you maintain a low profile in these areas. Thank goodness you are granted the ability to ride a horse, lest you be forced to travel the way on foot. After having visited each city you can warp between them if you wish, which is a big advantage if you don't want to take the ten to fifteen minute journey in-between them.
In order to get close to your target though, you must start with gathering information. When you first enter your target's city you are confined to the district area he is in and any other district you've visited before. Within that area you must complete several different tasks in order to learn as much as possible. These tasks can include eavesdropping on a conversation, pick pocketing an enemy, interrogating informants for information, or assisting other assassin guild members in menial labor. Optional tasks, such as high viewpoint spots, allow you to get a better look of everything in the general area on your radar. Rescuing civilians from harassing guards will earn you helpers should you be chased. If anything however, it gets a bit repetitive as each mission has you doing these tasks. But once you have a certain amount of tasks completed you can report to the local assassin's bureau to get permission to go after your target.
Once you are granted permission the game sees its biggest highlight. Stalking your true target is a thrill in itself and never gets old. At first you are treated to the sight of the target doing either a speech in front of a crowd for example, before you can move freely and actually get close. Seeing the reaction of the guards as you close in ramps up everything, while the music suddenly picks up and everything around you goes to hell. As you drive your blade into your target you are treated to a cinema of him, in his lasts moments, conversing with Altair as he asks to learn more of the targets connection to the other eight. When you exit the cinema you are most often surrounded by guards and you can either fight or flee at this point. Reporting back to the local bureau without you being followed yields your reward: the return of a rank and ability taken from you at the beginning of the game.
Bring a Knife to a Sword Fight
Combat in Assassin’s Creed, while awkward at first, is very imaginative and fun. Battles are designed to play in rhythm, as counterattacks have you attacking just before the enemies blade strikes while you can also parry and dodge their attacks. “Combo” execution kills are a bit difficult to pull off at times but reward you with a gruesomely realistic scene of Altair making sure his enemy won’t be getting back up off the ground. Once players gain the ability to utilize counterattacks however it can be a bit of a game breaker, as all you have to do is simply wait for the enemy to attack and press a button at the right instance. Some battles can last well into ten minutes with dozens of enemies at all times, but for a majority of the game combat isn’t necessary to achieve your goals. Still, you won’t find yourself not wanting to fight the enemy too often as it is still quite fun.
Assassin's Creed’s only true flaw is in its replay value. As this is a single player game you can't engage with others online or even share scores. You cannot restart the entire game over without having to create a new profile, but once the credits have rolled you can select any mission section you wish, which really helps when item hunting. The collectable portion will extend the gameplay if you are truly dedicated and want your achievements, but it’s not worth going after for the average player.
Architects of a Crusade
As stated before, Ubisoft is well known for quality presentations, and Assassin’s Creed is certainly no blemish to that reputation. The world of the game is fantastic in scale and damn near awe-inspiring when you first visit a new city. Each of the cities is created using the original building plans of the era, with a few artistic licenses used along the way. The grand scale of the cities, while nowhere near the size of what you’d experience in games like Grand Theft Auto and the like, are still robust and completely believable given the time and place the game occurs in. Each location captures the feel one would expect from the city, with evangelicals on corners spouting about the enemy, Saracen or Crusader, while rallying the crowd with their rhetoric. Beggars stand on street corners crying out for anything they can get their hands on and harassers line the backstreets ready to cause trouble should you innocently pass by.
And speaking of crowds, Assassin’s Creed certainly has a huge population. Complimenting the size of the cities, the world feels truly alive when you immerse yourself in a crowd of dozens of civilians as they go on about their daily lives. The crowd control system built into the game allows you to maneuver throughout it almost without getting hung up, though it can occasionally happen. Crowds will actively chastise you should you use high profile movements and the like. The sheer numbers of the crowd are complimented by the number of unique models. Not too often will you find the same model in the same area, which is a very welcome sight since previous games with large crowds (i.e. Dead Rising) have the same model used many times within the same area all throughout the game.
The audio portion of the game is fantastic, especially when listening in 5.1 surround sound. Hearing everything from the bustle of a busy marketplace to the clash of swords is extremely enjoyable. The music of the game is excellent as well, especially when in combat against your assassination target. Even the dialogue is fantastic with a grand mix of English and Arabic everywhere throughout the game. Lip-syncing is well done here, though there are occasions where you do feel like you are in a badly dubbed Japanese monster movie.
We Carry On
Assassin's Creed is an excellent example of what a next generation action adventure game should be. The gameplay is solid, the graphics are great and its audio is hard to compare to any other game in the genre. While the game does end quite abruptly, it is however a perfect set-up for a sequel and I'm certain I'm not the only one really anticipating one. Lets just hope we don't have to wait another three years before we get it.
Graphics: 9
Sound: 10
Interface: 5
Replay:9
Gameplay: 9
Stability: 9
If there is one thing Ubisoft Montreal is well known for its creating an extremely intricate story, and Assassin's Creed is nothing short of an excellent example of what they can accomplish. In fact it has the potential to be one of the greatest fables they've ever conceived. To even reveal what happens in the first five minutes to a newcomer is a crime however, so I won't spoil it for you. Suffice to say you will certainly enjoy learning about those weird computer effects you've seen in all the previews for the game. Suffice it to say though is that Assassin's Creed utilizes storytelling elements that are rarely used in television and film nowadays. Not because the type has died out but simply because it’s a potentially risky one to take for those mediums of entertainment. It works perfectly however for video games as this title demonstrates.
The majority of the game players take on the role of Altair, a member of an assassin guild living in the middle of the Third Crusade in the year 1191. The Knights Templar, long time enemies of the assassins, are in search of a treasure and Altair is assigned to prevent it. He gets in over his head however and fails, leading to the death of a fellow assassin, the dismemberment of another, and even so much as leading the enemy to the assassin's fortress. For this colossal failure he is demoted back to novice status and stripped of all his weapons.
To earn back his status in the guild he must assassinate nine different targets; each one contributing to the escalation of the Third Crusade in their own way on both side of the conflict. They hide among the people of the three prominent cities of the time and area: Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem. In order to achieve his goals Altair has to infiltrate the city the target is in, gather intelligence, attack and kill ánd make a successful escape.
Assassin's Creed is an example of an enticing story that has great potential for the future. The only conceivable flaws are that you want a lot more than is given and, if anything, the ending is quite abrupt. While this is a perfect set-up for the next game in the series, it would have been nice if the game had a bit more closure.
Sword: Apply Directly to Forehead
Assassin's Creed succeeds in its story as much as in its gameplay. Playing as Altair, you will find him able to do almost anything you can imagine doing via free running. Utilizing a simplified yet intricate control design, players use the face buttons to work corresponding body parts. The end result is extremely intuitive and very easy to use. The controls are divided into two types of play: low and high profile. When in low profile, Altair blends into the crowd, walking and gently pushing through groups of people without attracting the attention of the guards. In high profile players can engage in free running, combat, and having Altair shove his way through the crowd; though this action certainly grabs the attention of the local guards.
When given your target's name and general location by your master in Masyaf you must traverse the over world to your target which is, to say, very expansive. The size and scale of it is outstanding, going so far as to give you the same feeling you once had when you first journeyed into Liberty City in GTA III. In-between the cities are plenty of villages and army checkpoints so unless you want to be chased throughout the countryside by the enemy its best that you maintain a low profile in these areas. Thank goodness you are granted the ability to ride a horse, lest you be forced to travel the way on foot. After having visited each city you can warp between them if you wish, which is a big advantage if you don't want to take the ten to fifteen minute journey in-between them.
In order to get close to your target though, you must start with gathering information. When you first enter your target's city you are confined to the district area he is in and any other district you've visited before. Within that area you must complete several different tasks in order to learn as much as possible. These tasks can include eavesdropping on a conversation, pick pocketing an enemy, interrogating informants for information, or assisting other assassin guild members in menial labor. Optional tasks, such as high viewpoint spots, allow you to get a better look of everything in the general area on your radar. Rescuing civilians from harassing guards will earn you helpers should you be chased. If anything however, it gets a bit repetitive as each mission has you doing these tasks. But once you have a certain amount of tasks completed you can report to the local assassin's bureau to get permission to go after your target.
Once you are granted permission the game sees its biggest highlight. Stalking your true target is a thrill in itself and never gets old. At first you are treated to the sight of the target doing either a speech in front of a crowd for example, before you can move freely and actually get close. Seeing the reaction of the guards as you close in ramps up everything, while the music suddenly picks up and everything around you goes to hell. As you drive your blade into your target you are treated to a cinema of him, in his lasts moments, conversing with Altair as he asks to learn more of the targets connection to the other eight. When you exit the cinema you are most often surrounded by guards and you can either fight or flee at this point. Reporting back to the local bureau without you being followed yields your reward: the return of a rank and ability taken from you at the beginning of the game.
Bring a Knife to a Sword Fight
Combat in Assassin’s Creed, while awkward at first, is very imaginative and fun. Battles are designed to play in rhythm, as counterattacks have you attacking just before the enemies blade strikes while you can also parry and dodge their attacks. “Combo” execution kills are a bit difficult to pull off at times but reward you with a gruesomely realistic scene of Altair making sure his enemy won’t be getting back up off the ground. Once players gain the ability to utilize counterattacks however it can be a bit of a game breaker, as all you have to do is simply wait for the enemy to attack and press a button at the right instance. Some battles can last well into ten minutes with dozens of enemies at all times, but for a majority of the game combat isn’t necessary to achieve your goals. Still, you won’t find yourself not wanting to fight the enemy too often as it is still quite fun.
Assassin's Creed’s only true flaw is in its replay value. As this is a single player game you can't engage with others online or even share scores. You cannot restart the entire game over without having to create a new profile, but once the credits have rolled you can select any mission section you wish, which really helps when item hunting. The collectable portion will extend the gameplay if you are truly dedicated and want your achievements, but it’s not worth going after for the average player.
Architects of a Crusade
As stated before, Ubisoft is well known for quality presentations, and Assassin’s Creed is certainly no blemish to that reputation. The world of the game is fantastic in scale and damn near awe-inspiring when you first visit a new city. Each of the cities is created using the original building plans of the era, with a few artistic licenses used along the way. The grand scale of the cities, while nowhere near the size of what you’d experience in games like Grand Theft Auto and the like, are still robust and completely believable given the time and place the game occurs in. Each location captures the feel one would expect from the city, with evangelicals on corners spouting about the enemy, Saracen or Crusader, while rallying the crowd with their rhetoric. Beggars stand on street corners crying out for anything they can get their hands on and harassers line the backstreets ready to cause trouble should you innocently pass by.
And speaking of crowds, Assassin’s Creed certainly has a huge population. Complimenting the size of the cities, the world feels truly alive when you immerse yourself in a crowd of dozens of civilians as they go on about their daily lives. The crowd control system built into the game allows you to maneuver throughout it almost without getting hung up, though it can occasionally happen. Crowds will actively chastise you should you use high profile movements and the like. The sheer numbers of the crowd are complimented by the number of unique models. Not too often will you find the same model in the same area, which is a very welcome sight since previous games with large crowds (i.e. Dead Rising) have the same model used many times within the same area all throughout the game.
The audio portion of the game is fantastic, especially when listening in 5.1 surround sound. Hearing everything from the bustle of a busy marketplace to the clash of swords is extremely enjoyable. The music of the game is excellent as well, especially when in combat against your assassination target. Even the dialogue is fantastic with a grand mix of English and Arabic everywhere throughout the game. Lip-syncing is well done here, though there are occasions where you do feel like you are in a badly dubbed Japanese monster movie.
We Carry On
Assassin's Creed is an excellent example of what a next generation action adventure game should be. The gameplay is solid, the graphics are great and its audio is hard to compare to any other game in the genre. While the game does end quite abruptly, it is however a perfect set-up for a sequel and I'm certain I'm not the only one really anticipating one. Lets just hope we don't have to wait another three years before we get it.
Graphics: 9
Sound: 10
Interface: 5
Replay:9
Gameplay: 9
Stability: 9
Overall: 9
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