Customer Rating: 
Summary: When assassinations become chores
Comment: There's certain games where getting to the end is part of the sheer immersion and interest in the
story that you'll just keep playing and playing until you're done and even that might not stop you
thanks to achievements, trophies, bonus costumes and endings or new weaponry. But then you have
Assassin's Creed, a game you want to finish yet find yourself growing less and less amazed by the
game yet you'll still play it for extended periods of time anyway. Well I love Ubisoft's Prince of
Persia trilogy, this game merely gets a "like": too good to be awful but too flawed to be really
amazing which is what the game feels like it should be.
Story: You play as Altair, an
assassin living in the 12th century. When Altair breaks the rules of his brotherhood, Altair is
stripped of his ranks and most of his abilities (in other words, you've been "Metroided") and is
tasked in assassinating 9 men which will help situations with Catholic and Muslim forces. But the
real reason why he's being tasked will be revealed later in time...far later.
Graphics:
There's games with great art design then there's technologically superior games with pristine
graphics and full use of lighting, shaders and the like. Compare a game like Okami to Gears of War
for instance. Assassin's Creed is a game that really has both as the world is completely well
designed and it does feel exactly what 1191 should feel. From the look of the towns to the large
number of civilians to the amazing views you get when you climb view points as well as the character
animation on Altair and this is quite a great game to watch.
Sound/Music: The music in
the game is serviceable by means that it works within the game but on occasion I barely notice it
and prefer to hear the ambiance of the town like civilian chatter and the like. Of course then again
you'll frequently hear the same voice despite being in a different street or town as the last time
you hear it and while it's not as if Ubisoft can record 50 variations on the same "thank you for
saving me" parts, hearing another person saying the whole city will hear of my sacrifice can get
grating. Not to mention Altair's rather odd American accent though the rest of the cast like the
actual targets are good.
Gameplay: In a way the game feels like it wants to be a
"something for everyone and anyone" kind of game. You have stealth kills which never get old,
especially to those crazy lepers who keep wanting to throw me and only me everywhere or the women
who follow me and give them money (which you don't make by the way). You have action when you're
caught and have to fight off sometimes a dozen enemies who never seem to rush you and even take
their time before they do some pose in a "boy we're gonna get you good!" way. And then there's the
sandbox where you can take on various missions which really only resort to interrogation where you
follow somebody and beat em up for info, pickpocketing people for their letters or eavesdropping on
people by sitting on a bench. I admire the developers wanting to do more than one but unfortunately
they just don't do all 3 in a great manner.
One thing you'll find also with the game is
how repetitive it is. Here's your oft-occuring formula for the game: climb down from your mountain
base every single new mission, travel or zap instantly to your next time, visit the town's
assassin's bureau for who to take on next, climb tall buildings to build up your map and key
missions/quests to take on, do them, go back to the bureau for your go-ahead, go to target, see
cutscene of their plan, kill them (and hear their go on and on about their plan and reasons for it)
fight or run away from enemies as you make your way back to the bureau. That's it and this is for
around 9 targets and sure some games have a noticeable similarity in how you progress but there was
always at least some change-up or variety but this is just the same stuff in more than one city and
nothing else.
However on the other hand I still wanted to get through to the end
mainly cause the game felt so interesting that even if I didn't understand the story, I at least
wanted to see more of it. Randomly stabbing people is fun in a "I swear I'm not homicidal but this
is fun" kind of way and the downloadable patch makes the framerate/freezing problems of before
all-but-non-existant but still, this is a game that wants and really needs to be more than what we
have.
Irrelevant sidenote: google the producer Jade Raymond...the woman is
gooooorgeous.
Customer Rating: Summary: Foucault's Pendulum (HD Gaming Style) (Spoiler alert!)
Comment: For those who are or were students of medieval history, in particular, the crusades era, will find
this game a tremendous blast. This game is part Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Solid
with historical context. Initial tutorial practice may seem a little overwhelming, but once you get
the hang of it, it's a real joy. This is where the Ultima series should be heading, instead of
limping out on a lame last entry.
As for the story. This is where the fun begins for
the history buff. The plot twists are so convoluted, I can attest it to being the gaming version of
Umberto Eco's equally convoluted 1988 novel, Foucault's Pendulum. The identities of the
assassination targets in the game alone, warrants research in their historical but yet vital roles
during the Crusades and as well as their "mysterious" disappearance cum death (no thanks on your
part, as an
assassin)
Even though the story takes place in the present with a
mysteriously dubious company abducting the protagonist, Desmond Miles, a bartender for a scientific
experiment. With elements of Darwinism thrown in (our ancestor's memory is embedded into our DNA
code), using Sci-fi technology, they are able to access one of Miles' illustrious ancestors, a
certain Altair, the earliest incarnation of professional assassins. He is under the command of Al
Mualim (who I suspect may be the fabled Old Man of the Mountain).
Through the course
of the game, Altair is given 9 targets to eliminate, all connected for a single purpose. The Knight
Templars figure largely in this game and also in Eco's novel. Both features loud conspiracy theories
and also suggest that that the Knight Templars still exist till this day. Both game and novel also
speaks of a certain valuable Templar treasure that holds the key to world domination.
/>It is inevitable that a sequel will be made from this game, judging from its healthy sales figure.
I suspect the only way a sequel can go from there, is to involve Altair in the search of other
fabled Templar treasures like the Lost Ark of the Convenent, the Holy Grail, Mary Magdalene
bloodline, or even the events of the 4th crusade.
A worthwhile game. You wouldn't be
disappointed by it.
