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Posted by: Ayen Nov 19 2007, 01:18 PM

I would've put this in the COD4 thread, but since this is a different game, I felt it deserved it's own thread.

So I've had a lot more time to play Assassin's Creed, and boy am I glad I did. What I originally took as clumsy and slightly bothersome finally revealed itself as one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.

You play Altair, one of the Hashashin, a secret assassination organization, during the Crusades. Throughout the game, you're stripped of your rank and your weapons and have to get them back through progressing the story. Each weapon and ability holds it's usefulness, and you'll find yourself using them all over and over again.

You're tasked with assassinating nine men, divided into three cities, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre. These people all actually died or disappeared during the Crusades, so it's not hard to see why Ubisoft Montreal chose this time period. These assassinations will require patience, timing, and skill to accomplish. I'll get to that later.


Controls

Controls are tight, and easy to understand. All the buttons correspond to a part of Altair's body. The Y/Triangle button works for Altair's head, the X/Square and B/Circle buttons function his arms, and A/X work his legs. Rarely will you come across a situation where the controls give you a problem. I doubt you ever will.

Camera

Camera is fully controllable during the entire game, excluding cutscenes, where Altair is still movable, and the camera centers around you and the general target. Nothing missing here, everything is perfect.

Graphics

If I had to sum it up in one word, the only one that would fit would be Phenomenal, though that's a bit of an understatement. What you see in-game is what you see in cinematics, and this isn't a bad thing. Here's a screenshot of what jumping is like in-game, though static images don't do the game justice.


The graphics are unparalleled, and I don't think anyone can really disagree with that.

Sound

The entire score is astounding. Walking transfers to battle seamlessly through sound. The second you aggrovate a guard, the place turns into a battlefield, and the pounding music gets your heart racing.

As far as normal sounds go, it doesn't get much better than this. Everyone sounds real and lifelike, what more could you ask for. The only person I could see as unrealistic is Altair, but an explanation is given for his lack of accent.

Story

Though not my favorite storyline, it definitely keeps you interested. There is surely a twist revealed in the first five minutes, but it's nothing game-breaking. If you don't at first, you'll learn to love it.

Characters

Altair comes off as one of the most badass characters you'll ever see. His arrogant attitude, while at times unreasonable, allows you to relate to him a lot more. His partner's in death-dealing, who you don't really come across too often, are also very lifelike, holding their own qualities.

Guards make up most of the enemies you'll fight, and while their AI isn't spectacular, it doesn't leave you bored. The archers and footguards will keep you running, fighting, jumping, and killing until your fingers bleed. Even then you won't want to put the game down.

There are also Templar, the elite of the guards. While these guys don't mean imminent death, they always give you that "Oh hell, I've really got to be careful now" feeling.

Gameplay

General Travel is always fun. Leaping from rooftops, climbing up buildings is fluid and fast. Never before has a game allowed you to scale a building so easily, and still looked so well while doing it. Leaping from roof to roof never gets old, and you'll find roofs serve as a good vantage point, and a great place to fight on.

Fighting is also very intuitive. There is really only one attack button, along with a Grab button. This doesn't go to say that combat is simple, or boring. Fighting is one of the many exciting parts of this game. Countering an attack by breaking someone's arm, then slashing them in the back is quite possibly the best way to kill someone. Fighting is all based on timing, and it's still very easy and very fun. Animations here are also just as fluid as the rest of the game.

Now on to the best part, Assassinations. You'll get the okay for your target, and then go find them. You'll then take part in a cutscene, showing this person worthy of their demise. After the cutscene, it's time to do your job. Whether you choose to stealthily approach them, mixing in with the crowd or scaling the rooftop near them, or chase them down is your own choice. Digging your wrist blade, or whatever weapon you choose, into your enemy leaves you to return back to base, with one small problem. You're not the guard's #1 problem. You have to escape, or fight your way out. You'll have to utilize sharp turns and high buildings to be able to shake them off.

In short, Assassin's Creed is one of the best Action-Adventure games I've ever played. If you get the chance to play it, play it for a few hours, the first won't leave you satisfied, the next will have you tied to the 360 or PS3 for weeks.

I've left some bits out, but...

Comments?

Posted by: Animosity Nov 19 2007, 01:28 PM

Ok, so my brother bought this game last Tuesday(since I am away at college and the Xbox 360 is at home) Anyway, I went back home this weekend to play it and I have to say:

It is the most amazing game ever!

I could not put it down all weekend. It is the first true display of next gen console power. Simply amazing. It gets an 11/10 in my book!

Posted by: preownedguitar Nov 19 2007, 01:30 PM

Oh nice, I was thinking about getting this game. Might have to go pick it up now!

Posted by: spdalton Nov 19 2007, 01:36 PM

It's out in New Zealand on Friday. I've got it on preorder.
Can't wait
It really does look incredible.

Posted by: Eat-Sleep-andJam Nov 19 2007, 01:43 PM

The thing is IGN ( The site I trust for my game reviews) said that Assasins Creed could have been a great game but instead has a foggy storyline and a ever so repetitive sense of gameplay. I was going to get this game till IGN gave it a 7.7/10. Well on the other hand Game Informer gave it a 9.5/10.


I dont know who to trust but you got me interested. I bought Call of Duty 4 instead of this game, very happy with it.

Posted by: Hemlok Nov 19 2007, 01:48 PM

I can't wait to see how games look in another 10 years.

Posted by: Goliath Nov 19 2007, 03:16 PM

The game is cool, for sure. i've only made it through the first 2 assassinations so far and it seems pretty neat. The game plays very much like the Dead or Alive fighters in the sense that countering your opponents attacks are the best way to fight (using your short blade, of course).

The animations are pretty brutal, but I disagree with you on the best kills.

It's a tie between high profile assassinate (your guy jumps on the target, knocking them down and pinning their arms to the ground as he very elaborately brandishes his wrist blade (almost like wolverine) and drives it home, then leaps off his target to his feet.

But I still think number 1 is: right handed guard swings his sword down at you, Altiar spins to his left (leading with his right shoulder), to which he slices the hamstring of the guard, dropping him to his knees. Without hesitation you raise your short blade in the air and drive it home, to the base of their spinal column.

My complaints in this game are : Beggars. I hate them. You get penalized for assassinating them if they pester you (which they do), and the mentally handicapped guys that will ALWAYS spaz out on you and break your cover and throw you into guards.

Combat is fairly intuitive, but you have to learn some principles of crowd control. Of course it always helps to get a couple of stealth assassinations in on a group of guards, thinning their numbers before attacking.

Running around like spiderman is pretty cool/fun.

Posted by: The Uncreator Nov 19 2007, 04:09 PM

i just beat it last night,

WOW!!
One of the best storys and endings ever!! one of my top 5 games easily, i cant wait for the next one.

Ayen, wait through the credits, there is an achievement if wait through them. and when you leave the Animus for the last time, when your walking around, press Y, i wont tell you what you see, but its pretty creepy

Yeah i agree

Posted by: Ayen Nov 19 2007, 08:20 PM

Yeah, IGN's review was really quite harsh. IGN Australia gave it an 8.8 I believe, Gamespot gave it an 8.7, and Gamepro gave it 5/5. All in all, it's at least worth a try.



I have a good system for this. I call it the 3-Strike approach. Strike one, they come up to you. Strike two, they get in your way. Strike three, "No you don't understand! I have nothing!". Immediately following Strike three is a Wrist-Blade to the stomach, triggering an intense chase. As for the psychos, I figure if they touch me, I'm allowed to put them out of their misery. If the guards don't like that, I guess I'll deal with them.




Will do Uncreator, I'm curious to see what it is... . By the way, you should draw something of Altair! It's a hell of a lot of work, but I know it'd come out great, knowing your skill.

Posted by: The Uncreator Nov 19 2007, 10:39 PM

god i havent drawn anything in WEEKS!!

School and work are keeping me from it, but i actually have a sketch of Altair already, its just him standing, but i want one where he is taking out a Templar

Posted by: SLASH91 Nov 19 2007, 10:48 PM

That's what I heard to, Except I got my info from Gamespy. They gave it three and a half stars out of five. I also know a guy who has it and he said that what really dragged it down was how every misson you had to just like sit on a bench and eavesdrop before you could go kill. Sounds real repetitive, but definitely a rent.

Posted by: Ayen Nov 19 2007, 10:53 PM

The eavesdropping isn't at all as repetitive and tedious as they make it seem, in fact it's fun. All you have to do is get there, sit for a minute, and go back, doing whatever you wish between the bench and the base.

Posted by: SLASH91 Nov 19 2007, 10:55 PM

So you can basically just screw around jumping between buildings as much as you want, and can you assassinate the target basically any way you want- like in the Hitman games?

Posted by: Ayen Nov 19 2007, 11:08 PM

Yeah, that's about right. You can kill civilians (though it isn't recommended), you can murder a random guard, then stick around and fight or run, etc.

Posted by: The Uncreator Nov 20 2007, 01:30 AM

the whole idea is, you kill when you want, how you want, just because there is the assassination icon on your map, doesnt mean you have to go directly there, you could go to a different city if you wanted

Posted by: Animosity Nov 20 2007, 02:03 AM

It's Grand Theft Auto: Crusades Edition, with much better graphics. Everything is free roam, you can do almost ANYTHING you want. Whether it be climbing up buildings, assassinating prominent citizens, killing guards, pick pocketing people for extra throwing knives, or even crashing merchant stands by running through them. You can do it all!

Posted by: Ayen Nov 20 2007, 02:05 AM

With the exception of getting busted! Even when you're surrounded, the route to escape is still there, and it's never out of reach.

But why run, when you can stay and be a one man army?

Posted by: The Uncreator Nov 20 2007, 05:44 AM

Yeah, if you have XBOX360, try to get the achievement where you kill 25 guards in a single fight

I got that, and the last 10 minutes in open conflict at the same time, took me ten minutes to kill 25 templars apparently

If you want to try, the best place is the crusaders camp outside of Acre, cant miss it

Posted by: Ayen Nov 20 2007, 06:54 AM

I'll check that out, I didn't get a chance to play today.

By the way, can you go back and replay old missions? As in, go back to the first assassination and just re-do it? I don't have the game on me to test that.


Edit:

Looking back at that sentence...

25 templars in 10 minutes? WOW! It usually takes me a while to find one or two, the second I get the chance I'm heading over to Acre!

Posted by: Ayen Dec 30 2007, 10:54 AM

Finally! I have another game to add to my list of games that I've beaten. While the ending wasn't too great in my opinion, I sure love the questions it leaves you with. It seems the next game may take place in Japan. By the way, Uncreator, what was so creepy? I went to my room and pressed Y and all that happened was the credits rolled.

Also, Andrew could you please move this to Electronic Entertainment? It's a pain I know, but the board doesn't have too many threads as it is.

Edit: I forgot to get the achievements for throwing the beggars and for lasting 10 minutes in conflict, but I'll leave those for later.

Posted by: preownedguitar Dec 30 2007, 11:03 AM

I beat this game as well, he's talking about the wierd red writings on the floor in the room with the animus. I didn't think it was the end of the game at that point. I was hoping to get to fight in the modern world. Its a great game and I can't wait for the sequel.

Posted by: The Uncreator Dec 30 2007, 01:38 PM

The creepy part when you use "Eagle Vision" when you look on the wall above your bead, and there are a bunch of weird symbols and writing, and your character, Desmond Miles, makes the comment that it could be blood.

Seems like someone used there own blood to write those for future assassins who came there to be tested on or whatever.

Posted by: kevin-riff-after-riff Dec 30 2007, 02:50 PM

we was playing on that game last night at my friends house lol such a funny game, we manage to kill a group of guards (4 of them) by throwing knives at their faces then "blending in" straight after and repeat the process without any alert thingies on the top triangle thingie

Posted by: Ayen Dec 30 2007, 07:52 PM

Oh shoot, that was blood!? Wow, now I see why that was so creepy. I thought it was just some marker or something.

And thank you whoever (it just occured to me that we have more than one mod) moved this to the right forum.

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Dec 30 2007, 08:22 PM

That would be me

Posted by: Ayen Dec 31 2007, 12:09 AM

I thought it would be, thanks Andrew!

Posted by: stratman33 Jan 4 2008, 09:46 PM

ya i beat the game, i loved it

Posted by: Goliath Jan 5 2008, 04:11 PM

i traded this in for mass effect and am glad i did. mass effect is incredible. ac was cool but repetitive, mass effect has more meat on it.

Posted by: The Uncreator Jan 6 2008, 03:18 PM

Assassin's Creed is pure genious.


Mass Effect though, is just on a level above perfect!

Posted by: Sabbz Jan 16 2008, 06:18 PM

The wife and I splurged a bit last week and bought a new XBox 360 and some games. We got Guitar Hero 3, Mass Effect, BioShock and Assassins Creed. Out of all of them, AC is easily the best. I can barely put the damned thing down.