Assassin's Creed is part of
UbiSoft's exciting gaming franchise set in 1191A.D. where the
third Crusade has torn the Holy Land apart. With an ancient
assassin's guild steeped in mystery, they plan on halting this
battle by targeting both sides of the conflict. Mixing elements
of Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell, this title
features battles, puzzles and mystery which will definitely make
this one of the most memorable games of 2007. With that said,
hamers are transformed into the role of Altair who as part of
his heritage has the chance of changing the tides of history.
The first thing you will notice
about Assassin's Creed is how visually rich the game is that
will leave you awing in wonder as you gaze around the gaming
environment. Whether you're on the city streets, working your
way through the throng or perched high atop a View Point, the
majesty of your surroundings rarely fails.
Ironically the story of Assassin's
Creed does not always take place in the Middle Ages, rather, you
are a seemingly normal guy living in present time but through an
advanced form of memory recall and a deeper purpose lacing the
proceedings, you relive your days as an assassin many centuries
ago.
At first, the main character
appears to us as a brash, over-confident yet very competent
individual who doesn't adhere to the "Creed" and early on, we
see how this rashness costs him his life and why he must be
"reborn" in order to set things right.
Throughout the course of your
adventure, you will unravel an admittedly loosely woven mystery;
all the while exploring one of the most fully realized virtual
worlds in video game history. The key to success centers on your
ability to blend in, investigate, and ultimately come to grips
with who you are in both the past and present.
During the initial hour of the
game, your character will be stripped of your weapons,
abilities, and typical assassin skills after that "rebirth" we
just mentioned and you're forced to start over as a novice.
As you progress, you will earn back
what you lost, and it won't be long before you are a dangerous
yet silent individual, one who has no fear of heights and an
inherent ability to blend in. You will have access to a sword,
short blade, throwing knives, and that nifty hidden blade
mounted on a tiny spring on your wrist. The best part of the
game is using your stealth which is monitored by a meter and
allows the gamer to do some great maneuvers.
Interesting enough, Altair exhibits
unbelievable climbing ability, a way of moving with ease through
crowds, the typical combat training, and special stealth skills
like Pickpocket and Eavesdropping. If he needs to, he can engage
multiple enemies at once, save citizens in need and even attack
from horseback.
Most of these abilities get regular
use as you complete the nine main and various side missions that
make up he game. You'll use Altair's observation skills
frequently, climbing up high structures to get a lay of the
land, pick pocketing for information and listening in on
conversations. Along the way, you ascend old buildings and move
across loose boards, simply by holding the correct buttons down
while moving with the analog stick. Needless to say, a very
sturdy gaming engine from start to finish.
Graphically, Assassin’s Creed is an intoxicating experience on
the PlayStation 3 and really showcases the power of the console
plus the amazing abilities of the developers.
One
of the first thing’s you will notice in Assassin’s Creed are the
majestic gaming environments with an insane amount of attention
to detail that are complimented with real-world lighting
effects. Of course, the star of the game are the characters
themselves that have been extremely well animated and contain
some extremely realistic textures. The modelling of the
characters move with a human-like fluidity, especially as they
interact with the gaming environment and of course the battles
which are thoroughly enjoyable.
To
compliment the fantastic graphics of Assassin’s Creed is the
musical score that sounds like it has been taken directly from a
Hollywood soundtrack with its orchestral triumphant glory that
goes hand in hand with the gameplay.
Ubisoft should be applauded with this game as once again,
another one of their title contains exceptional voice acting
with nothing sounding too forced or contrived… just only a few
occasions but it’s almost not even worth mentioning. The title
contains some great background ambience which assists the gamer
in getting lost in this world and match that with some great
sound effects and you really need to play this title LOUD
to really experience this 21st century work of art.
The only drawback of this title is
how damn huge the game is which almost makes you feel like an
ant in a giant world. However... the attention to detail is
amazing as your character interacts with the environment making
this stealth action adventure game a true piece of modern day
art. Amazing! Pawn your family, sell your car... just get this
game now!
