Skip to main content

Assassin's Creed - An Oldie But a Goody


Although Assassin's Creed, the first installment by Ubisoft to this franchise has been out for quite a few years now, there has been a lot of negative banter posted around the web about this game. I am writing this review simply to share my opinion on the matter and to try and give this game the commendations it deserves. If you were to compare this game with its sequels then sure, it looks pretty weak, but considering how long ago it was developed and how fresh the idea was at the time, Assassin's Creed is a breakthrough.
2007 was a year where first-person shooters really took off, with highly popular games such as Call of Duty 4 and BioShock being released. Assassin's Creed could have easily been pushed down gamers' wish lists in favor of these more intense shooters but because of its fresh gameplay and storyline, it earned platinum status in less than a year.
The game takes place in modern day and at the start you play as Desmond Miles, a bartender who is captured by worldwide corporation called Abstergo Industries. He is forced to relive the memories of his assassin ancestors with the help of a machine called the Animus and although he is the underlying main character, you will play as Altaïr for the majority of the game. After a small prelude, you are released into the giant free running playground and things really start to become enjoyable. Compared to other previous games of this genre, the animation and graphics are simply stunning. The recreation of historical locations is very well done and looking out across the urban vistas from eerie heights was a great experience for me. The free running is really smooth and fast paced for the most part and the stealth and fighting elements are reasonably good although a lot of work has been done to improve this in the following games.
Although the gameplay mechanics are solid, the missions were met with a negative response because of their repetitive nature. Basically, Altaïr has to redeem himself by assassinating nine targets in three cities during the time of the Crusades and each one is a Templar, sworn enemies to the Assassins. The missions consist of talking to the bureau leader in the city, gathering Intel on the target and then killing the target with your trusty hidden blade. When you look at it this way, its understandable that people could become bored, but if you actually follow the plot the missions become a bit more interesting and escaping from the scene of the crime is also good fun. Something that annoyed me though was the fact that you could only assassinate the targets with the hidden blade, which limits any creative deviation when approaching the missions. As well as this, the combat is also quite limited because all you can really do is wait for the attack and then counter, but this is partially redeemed by the impressive kill moves that the assassin can perform.
All in all, Assassin's Creed is an impressive launch title on Ubisoft's part and although there are a few shaky gameplay mechanics and small mission variety, this game has provided a massive foundation for the sequels that have been released so far. If you take this game by itself at the time it was released, it incorporates a few fresh concepts and overall is a solid third-person action game. You can get this game for dirt-cheap these days and if you like wonderfully realized open world environments to explore then this game is a bargain.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gaming Laptops - Modern Trends

Today, the young people - teenagers - have different searches or goals. Whether they are avid readers or they prefer to do homework, it's easier and more pleasant to choose a modern version of a laptop. The laptop is a faithful friend of many of us, especially those who like to play games on laptops. But first of all, it's particularly important to know what a laptop demands from all points of view; I think the most demanding part is the price. Regarding the technical side, we must have deep knowledge in order to buy it according to our needs. If you want a special design or a different brand, you should definitely know that you must be prepared with a fairly large amount of money. If not, you will have to limit yourself to the budget that you have. For those who want a gaming laptop, the design is not so important or...shouldn't be. Quality matters to them. They need a good configuration. The video card must be the best, and if you don't know what to choose, it...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Makes Stickman Games So Popular?

A vast majority of online gamers have played stickman games and most, if not all of them are drawn toward the web-based game featuring nothing else but stick figures. One may ask why this is the case, given that these games differ significantly compared to others from the graphical aspect. Stickman games feature human bodies composed of nothing but sticks, and the environment is usually also drawn to similar effect. Given that parts like teeth, hair or appealing clothes are usually non-existent in a stickman's world, it therefore shouldn't be too hard to fathom if players decide to brush the game aside and move on to other games. However, empirical evidence seem to suggest otherwise. Although most of these games involve only simple movements and are played in black and white, they are still very popular and continue to rise in status. There are actually a variety of reasons why these web-based stickman games are so well-liked. The first of these reasons is that such games ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Scope in the Arena of Game Testing

The video game industry has witnessed an upsurge like never before over the past few years. The recent recession of 2008-2009 saw the $50 billion gaming industry remain completely unaffected. Every cell phone company in the world is making an attempt to incorporate fresh and original gaming in its products. Similarly, laptops and home computers are being manufactured to support various gaming features. Not to mention, high-tech gaming consoles are increasingly becoming a rage. Playing games has become no less than an obsession for many people. To err is human; it is natural that certain slip-ups or miscalculations will be made by the game developers. When you play a newly launched game or one that has had an important update, more often than not, you will come across a few hiccups or malfunctions. One unpleasant criticism (in print, blogs, forums, etc.) about the glitch will result in huge losses to the game product companies. A decade ago, when the gaming arena was still very...
1 comment
Read more