Reviews
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Assassin's Creed
By Russ Capasso
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
After delivering us the gem that is Rainbow Six: Vegas, expectations were high for the boys at Ubisoft Montreal to deliver us another precious stone with Assassin's Creed (“AC”). There was a lot of hype when this game was announced. From the controversial story line (whether it actually was or not is up to the gamer, but I figure any game that has a religious overtone will always be controversial because that's what religious people do, they controvert), to the game play and execution (no pun intended). Now I don't want to get too deep into the details of the story because I don't like the idea of having to put in [Spoiler Warning] labels in a review. You might stop reading. If you haven't already, I'd be surprised. Let’s just say when you pop the disc in you'll double check the game and make sure you have the right one. So all I'll say about the story is this: yes, you do play an assassin in medieval times, but with a twist. Along that note there is a great article by a fellow 8bitreviewer in the Rants sections which can be found here. He has an interesting point about games and plot lines, which I don't think I completely agree with him on Assassin's Creed but interesting none-the-less and definitely worth a read. Ok, now that's out of the way, let’s dissect this sucker.
“You Look Marvelous…”
I want to start with the most obvious, and probably most amazing, element of AC, the graphics. Sweet lord, this game is just plain beautiful. The large landscape shots and small details like mold on the side of Churches to the shift of daylight with the passing of clouds are simply amazing and smooth. I have yet to see another game that looks this great, but then again I haven't even touched a PS3 yet, so who knows. The characters are detailed, movements are smooth, and fight animations are just plain out cool as shit. If anything it's worth picking up just for that. Yes, they are that good.
The sound effects and music are pretty good, but are by no means the highlight of the game. They could be mediocre and you honestly wouldn't really care, unless you're a pain in the ass that is. The music is well timed to heighten intensity and is appropriate for the period of the game, and the sound effects of clanging swords to a horse's gallop across grass add to the game’s feeling of realism. The only negative that comes to mind when discussing the sound design is the awareness alarm. Essentially, when you are doing badass stunts and running on a roof (which is 90% of the game) you are drawing attention to yourself and it pisses the guards off. When they have finally had enough of your shenanigans they decide to kill you and you are alerted by a loud annoying beeping sound that persists until you escape, hide, or kill all of those bastards. It is easily the most annoying part of the game and makes playing it next to a sleeping girlfriend almost impossible.
The Open World Is Yours
I'm a big fan of open world play. I love it. I think it’s the greatest invention since wireless controllers, and that is one thing that AC has, an extremely open world environment. I’ve finished the game and am still in the thralls of exploring the cities. AC encourages replay ability by allowing you to jump to different parts of the story once you’re done. That’s the great thing with the open world I can visit in between gaming droughts. The open world aspect could also be seen as one of AC's downfalls. The game is very repetitive, as you have no doubt read on countless other gaming sites. You go to a city, pickpocket some people, eavesdrop, save a citizen (only if you choose) interrogate someone, then assassinate someone. This raises the question was having different missions and some depth to them sacrificed for the open world? I mean I think that could be done, it was with some game called Grand Theft Auto.
So at first I was a little disappointed with that. It felt like Ubisoft Montreal was thinking, “well this game looks awesome, we have a pretty interesting story line, so we don't have to really develop the missions.” A good portion of the missions are optional. You’re required to do the main assassination, and occasionally get some intelligence. The assassination process itself is pretty awesome. As the game progresses you “level up” with new weapons and skills so with well timed Action button hits when fighting a large group of guards you'll do various combo kills and finishing moves. It’s very cool, and very satisfying when done correctly.
What I'm getting at is this, I don't really give two flying shits about AC being repetitive. Jumping around rooftops and scaling buildings and fighting guards with some kick ass moves is fun as hell. I know, I did it for about 9 hours straight, and even though there is a repetitive feel and I think Ubisoft Montreal are aware and will address these problems in the eventual AC 2.
Artificially Intelligent
Now that this generation of development is finally hitting its stride and some systems, ah hem, slowly getting past there bricking issues and red rings, gaming is moving to a new level. Systems are more powerful, games are becoming more expansive, and this brings on new avenues of development for the different aspects of a game. One of which is AI. Having good or bad AI can make or break a game. AC's AI is good, but like all games there are holes that will have you going, “Really? You aren’t even going to check the haystack? I mean, it’s right there! Just stick your sword in and see if a deadly assassin says, ‘ouch’.” When attacking a group of guards though it is nice to see they have some kind of tactic. It’s not just one guard attacking you then the next. They move around you and close in on you like a nicely choreographed but poorly directed movie.
You Can’t Control Me! Oh…Wait That Feels Nice.
I like what they did with the game play in AC. One thing I give Ubisoft Montreal credit for is their high level of creativity when it comes to character control. In AC, you can do a lot with the standard four buttons. This is accomplished through each of the four having a second function by holding the right trigger. When the trigger is pulled, the buttons go into a kind of “action” mode which allows you to jump, climb and so on. This is great because you can quickly jump back and forth to this “action” mode, making it all very seamless. The control scheme in this game should be applauded. It takes extraordinary complex platforming and boils it down to a very accessible format allowing new and old gamers to enjoy it equally.
Random Conclusion...that really has nothing to do with the game.
In today's world, games are scrutinized a bit more than any other form of art. This is likely attributed to their shear complexity. So many elements make up a game. Graphics, game play, AI, story, multi play, depth of character, depth of mission, variety of missions, etc. So for a game to really make it today they have to be pretty good in all aspects. If a game lacks in any area it's subject to possible flop status (I still love you Shadowrun). So with that kind of weight being put on developers, pressure to bring something great to the table is high. People tend to get caught up with one negative that stands out. With AC, that could be the story, which really isn't that bad and is kind of creative. It could also be the repetitiveness of the game play. I feel if a game is generally fun to play then the story tends to take a backseat. Example: Tetris. But that is up to the gamer and what they look for in a game. When Ubisoft releases a game I have a fanboy-like confidence that it will be good and fun. That confidence was reassured with Assassin's Creed.
Review brought to you by [8bitreview.com]
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