Assassin's Creed brings new level of innovative gameplay to the Sandbox genre and players will enjoy the new experience.
Genre: Action
Developer: Ubisoft
System: PC
Total Score: 83/100
Value Score: 8.3/10
• Story: 10/10
o Assassin's Creed's storyline is very original and amazing like no other game. You originally play as Desmond Miles, who is a descendent of a order of Assassins who know a terrible secret that the company Abstergo who is secretly under the influence of the Templars is trying to find out. They kidnapped Desmond Miles to uncover the secrets left within the past through a machine called the Animus which allows a user to relive the past of his ancestor through manipulation of the genetics of a person. While inside the Animus the player will play as Altair who is the main assassin in the game, you will be forced to slay 9 evil men who hold the secret that the Templars are after and ultimately uncover the truth.
• Characters: 8/10
o Assassin's Creed's characters arent as colorful as other characters of other games, but they do seem to hold a interesting point of view considering the fact that most of the game takes place in steed of historical events. You will be playing as Altair who is pretty much a bad ass persona Assassin who thinks he can do anything but learns that he is far from perfection, he not only refines his skill as an assassin but refines his character, you will go through different trials and tribulations meeting a strange array of characters who at first seem oddly placed within the game but follow through the storyline's path. In terms of NPC characters, they are no different from what you would see in a typical GTA game.
• GamePlay: 9/10
o Assassin's Creed is pretty much action oriented but also dwells in stealth action. The game plays in a Sandbox type of style similar to GTA, you can easily travel around cities and certain locations. You can climb rooftops, buildings and towers. You can blend with people to cover your tracks or to get through certain obstacles. There are about 3 cities in which the game will mostly take place: Jerusalem, Damascus and Acre. Within each city, you must activate missions from the Assassin Bureau, find view points and activate them to see a wider area of the map. Rescuing citizens will allow you to find allies who will help you from pursuing soldiers. You can also do mini missions such as Race challenges, flag collecting challenges or escort missions. You mainly do interrogations and pickpocketing to advance in the storyline, once you complete at least 3 of the missions, you can head back to the Bureau to start the assassination mission where you will be forced to see a storyline scene involving the victim and surrounding characters, and then afterwards you must go for the kill and escape afterwards back to the Bureau without being under the watchful eye of the soldiers. There are about 7 memory blocks in total with each giving you about 1-3 assassination missions, you will also be able to converse with the two characters outside the Animus and read the messages. Once you complete a mission and return to the main city you originally started in, you will be upgraded with a new weapon feature or health meter. Throughout the game's view points, saving citizens and such , you will be awarded a DNA sync point, when it gets to the maxed which is 15, your Sync health meter will increase.
• Graphics: 8/10
o Assassin's Creed was released right around the time when the current gen was starting, due to the fact it was in design between the two generations, you can see a mixture of the two generations within the game. Some say it looks like it should of been released on the Xbox and PS2, while others welcome the release on the PS3 and Xbox360. However since we are reviewing the PC version, graphics wise it could differ depending on your graphics card. You will notice that NPC characters will have drawn faces similar to a GTA III style or something you would see in a WWE game. Only the main characters who play a major role in the game will actually have full fledged facial features. The game's environment at first may seem a bit bleak and bland, but it is necessary due to the storyline's dark tone and time.
• Sound: 10/10
o Assassin's Creed consists of several made noises, clashes and sound effects. You will notice a great detail of effects depending on your actions, from the grunting of your attacks to the final breath of your victims, from the clashing of swords towards the climbing of the buildings. This game contains alot of vocal acting, as many of the NPCs will talk about 90% of the time and there is barely any text for you to read unless they are instructions or messages you read off of the animus. The game also consists of amazing voice work as well which players will enjoy along with the revolving storyline.
• Music: 7/10
o Assassin's Creed music isnt as vibrant as most games, one can say its similar in number of tracks as a typical Resident Evil game. The music within the game consists of several orchestral dramatic tones which players will gain a beat of suspense when they hear the song playing during a duel or a battle. Much of the music is calm as well depending on what you were doing whether it was an assassination or escaping from pursuing soldiers. Music isnt really a strong point as you would need all the silence you can get from background to see what and who you are facing as a obstacle within a mission.
• Length: 7/10
o Assassin's Creed is divided into memory blocks, there are about 7 in total, some of them consists of you killing 1, 2 or 3 targets before progressing through another. You will be going back and forth towards many of the areas of the three major cities, and depending on which block you are, some areas will be restricted or changed. Assassin's Creed should take you at least 20-25 hours to finish the main storyline, however more can be achieved if you are bent on collecting flags and completing all of the missions, view points and the rescue of citizens.
• Replay Value: 4/10
o Assassin's Creed's main weakness would be its replay value, as you wont get much from replaying the game nor do you unlock any special level or ability. You can go back and attempt older missions and memory blocks, but there's nothing more to that.
• Player Value: 10/10
o Assassin's Creed is an enjoyable new game where people who are fond of conspiracies will surely enjoy the amazing storyline with a twist. Players will also enjoy the amazing unique gameplay and the different views of places which are based upon actual real life locations. Any person who is a fan of Action, stealth or sandbox games will surely love this game and will be glad to add it to their collection.