One Of This Years Graphical Achievements
The thing I like most about Assasins Creed is that Ubisoft tried something different. Sometimes different works really well and sometimes it absolutely bombs. Luckily for this release different worked, and worked well, then surpassed working at all and took over my Xbox console for a month.
Does it take a month to finish? Technically no, but there are enough secondary objectives entrenched in the game to keep you playing if your goal is 1000 gamerscore. The main story is set somewhere around the 3rd crusade in 3 locales which all have a similar but unique feel to them and sends the master assasin Altair into these locations to hunt down and assasinate key figures in the game. Slave traders, tyrants and military leaders are some examples of the type of "evil" you will encounter throughout the game. As much fun as the actual assasinations are the build up to these main plot points are blocked by these repetitive "investigations" which give Altair the information he requires to take down his target. These tasks and a few other things such as AI issues and the suspicion levels are some of the reasons this game is not perfect. The main story is difficult to follow off the hop and the ending is downright confusing but gives Ubisoft a window for an obvious sequel.
The gameplay itself is nearly flawless. Combat annimations are unique and really fun to watch, the movement over rooftops, climbing and other "parkour" elements are fluid and the landscape is generally glitch free.
Once again Ubisoft has developed a strong graphical game but this game is particularily beautiful because it is so unique and different it really is the first of its kind. Skylines are vast and the communities look realistic. The rich part of Jeruselum looks like a different city compared to the poor part and the terrains between cities vary from grass, to sand to walkways and rivers everthing looks in its place.
Outside of a hard to follow story early in the game and a really confusing ending I would recommend Assasins Creed to anybody who is tired of the same old "oh theres a guy in front of me I better shoot him" games or to anybody who just wants to witness a surefire contender for Game Of The Year.