Simply a "Must Play" game for any owner of a 360, PS3 or PC.
Gameplay: 9.5
If the next consoles are setting the bar of what is to come by Assassin's Creed, then gamers are in for one heck of a half decade. The control scheme is easy enough to pick up and while mastering it will take some time the gamer is presented with so many options they can easily choose which weapons and techniques to favor. The controls are quite responsive and allow you to climb even the tallest of structures with just a few simple movements of the left analog stick and rarely a jump or two. The only controls issues I have noticed so far are a slightly annoying camera that repositions itself in awkward angles after large jumps and the tendency for Altair to jump just to the right or left of a post in the water despite careful pre-jump alignment. I have spent a good hour trying to learn how to properly line up jumps over posts in water and still tend to take a bath now and then. In the grand scheme of things, this is a stealth game and while reliance on brute force can get you through parts of the game you can quickly see how using even the basic stealth measures will help tremendously. Combat is still quite enjoyable if you do opt for a more forward approach but nothing gives quite the same satisfaction as stealth killing a usual hard to fall Templar. The world in which you get to explore is quite large and offers literal hours of quality play time if you decide to be a perfectionist and seek out the 400+ flags in the game. The flags themselves serve as an interesting saving feature as each time you pick one up the game automatically saves. There are other instances where the game will save for you, but keep in mind that there are no true "save points" (except perhaps the few Assassin's guilds in cities) in the game that you can always rush to. In fact, leaving the game while in the main Kingdom will simply plop you down in the smack middle of the Kingdom upon reentry. So keep in mind to carefully choose where you exit the game as you may not appear back in the same place when coming back in. Also keep in mind that any guards you kill will return in full force when you return the game after having left the memory, quit the game or turned off the console. So be sure to complete that assassination attempt before quitting for the day if you have diligently cleared guards for your escape. Missions can get difficult with timed operations and performing tasks while staying undetected from your many enemies. The missions are generally quite easy to find on your own but always remember to check every nook and cranny of a city for hidden sources of information. Perhaps the best feature of Assassin's Creed is that even when you do mess up (such as throwing oneself off the story of a large building onto the street as opposed to the preferred bale of straw), the game will pick up at the closest save point you last triggered and you are free to attempt the same feat of agility, battle or assassination yet again.
Story: 9.5
I have found that actions games are rarely sources of great stories. They tend to have decent enough stories to get you through the game, often end well enough to make you feel satisfied for having played it but never quite amount to something worth thinking on to much. Assassin's Creed breaks from this trend by creating likable characters, a mysterious plot and a story line that just keeps the gamer glued to the screen and wanting to know what happens next. While you can easily miss out on hidden pieces of the story, both in Altair and Desmond's story lines, the game does a good job of not leaving out critical story points that are needed to move the game forward. If you are able to find the hidden story points, the game is further enriched by drawing you deeper into the mysteries they continue to answer. If you have not heard the rumors about the ending I won't spoil anything about it here. It is one best left up to each player to surmise for themselves how good it is.
Graphics: 10
It is easy to see why Assassin's Creed was nominated for so many graphical awards. From the main characters to the NPCs walking the streets and the foreground all the way to the distant horizon background everything is just stunning. Every now and then you might notice a small graphical glitch and they become more apparent the longer the longer your PS3 has been running (I imagine the heat from hour long gaming runs becomes an issue for the graphics processors). Be sure to take advantage of the free moving camera and even multiply camera angles (simply hit one of the main four controller buttons in various scenes) in the many movies and panoramic views. As expected, the presentation in hi-definition (1080i for me) is hard to beat as the graphical quality is simply amazing.
Sound: 10
An action game with an impressive story is one thing, but one that combines it with great sound effects and a moving musical score is extremely rare. The music makes a profound impact on the locations you are in. Cities tend to have a musical score that reflects the governing body or the district you are in and they flow in and out with varying emphasis. The sound effects are as real as any movie set to the same era of time. The voiceover acting is a great touch and there are rarely any disappointing performances that I have come across. The screams of guards being tossed into bodies of water or over a large tower are the best touch I have heard in a long time. If you can take advantage of a digital surround sound system while playing this than be sure to do so as it only enhances the experience.
Tilt: 10
I know many gamers would find the option to turn off blood displayed as a useless feature. For gaming parents like me who have young ones in the house this little feature allows for gaming in a room with the little ones without fear of exposing them to adult content. While there is still a heavy amount of combat and of course violence (in the form of assassinations) the lack of blood significantly tones down the brutality of it all and even the stealth kills look even more subtle. The game is quite easy to get into and you can also walk away from it for a few days (more like force yourself away from it) and still come back days later and pick up from where you were thanks to the in game markers leading you to your next required action. The number of required actions needed to perform to move through the story is actually quite small. So for those who would rather play through fast and ignore lengthier game objectives that option is there. For those who do want a lengthier game, the search for flags alone will keep you playing for hours on end.
Overall: 9.8 (10)
The few flaws in this game alone make it a solid buy and I'm not the least bit ashamed to say that it is a 10 overall. I normally only give a 10 to games that provide hours of initial enjoyment and can then bring it back again on later play through. Assassin's Creed can do just that as various story options can be played out in different orders, you can choose to perform various actions differently and the world you are give is just so large and immersive you can spend days just enjoying it alone. If custom content packages were to be released for this game later it could further increase the worth and replay ability of this game, but I doubt if such content has even been considered. Even if you're not a fan of action games, this may be the one game to pick up if only to say you did play it. The ability to play it from many different strategies, take part in an immersive story and be exposed to some of the best graphics to come to the next generation consoles make Assassin's Creed a class-ic in the making.