Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft | Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Previewer: Cian Ginty There used to be a bit of magic or mystic that surrounded the worlds of old 2D games, your imagination governed what laid in the world outside of your mission path. The advent of 3D games – and 3D games which tried to be too much – somewhat killed this. Assassin's Creed is one of those games that brings you back, while keeping the gameplay at the edge of today
As the name should suggest, you play as an assassin. It’s set in the Holy Land in middle east in the year 1191 AD, but there’s futuristic hints around the game - from the menu and loading systems to graphics which appear around some enemies.
“And it's about this science company trying to, Matrix-style, go into peoples brains and find out an ancestor who used to be an assassin, and sort of locate who that person is” actor Kristen Bell, in this case voice actor, let it slip to US games site IGN.
Some type of Timecop theme? However, when we went to see the game recently at Ubisoft offices outside London, they were remaining tight-lipped, saying they want some things left as a surprise, only elusively saying it’d be revealed at the start of the game.
Assassin's Creed is set in a free roaming environment with four main areas – three cities, the assassin’s enclave, and the open lands and paths of the ‘the Kingdom’ in the middle. There’s freedom of which city to go to first, and there’s freedom to jump wildly across city rooftops or to slowly walk among the people.
In the backdrop is a Crusade, the third one we’re told, and in a hidden group of assassins you’re sent on missions to kill members of both sides of the conflict for the greater good. Nevertheless, as cut scenes just before assignations will tell, moral conflict might ensue as things aren’t all that black and white.
In gameplay, there’s basically you, the civilians, the guards, more cutely aware groupings such as patrols, and your targets. Guards will for the most part ignore you unless you act up – for example, jumping around rooftops isn’t normal and the archers will literally draw their attention on you. You can attack back with throwing knifes, your sword, or your assassins’ blade – unfortunately no archery of your own.
The developers have tried to balance thing out, picket pocketing or messing around with civilians won’t get you too much trouble. The levels of danger can be lowered by, for example, hiding in plain sight in your monk-like robes, among monks or not. Patrols on the other hand may be actively searching for an assassin.
You could say the game is Hitman meets the speed and building jumping and climbing of the revived and critically acclaimed Prince of Persia games, with a dash of horse riding and open environments of Shadow of the Colossus. Although, that’s a bit of a mouth full and Assassin's Creed should stand out on its own. It’s not a bog standard stealth game, you’re not a prince, and your targets are not Colossi (at least not in size). It’s a unique and immersive game.
Assassin's Creed is out in Ireland and the UK on November 16 on Xbox
360 and PS3, the release date for PC is yet to be finalised but is due
before the end of the year. More screenshots can be viewed here.
It makes me think that Assassin's Creed has become the premiere title for the 3rd gen consoles just like how Devil May Cry was for the Playstation 2. It's a great game! I want to play it for the story, instead of just messing around with it. Well, it IS fun to mess around, but you get my drift. Hehe.
Posted by: Dalton Wordlaw | Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 09:06 PM