If you've been following Ezio/Altair all this time, you'll be glad to see the end.
After last year's entry of Assassin's Creed with Brotherhood, I had assumed, and in fact wanted, the next game to be in 2012, as both 2009 and 2010 had AC games (AC II and AC Brotherhood). At first I had heard from a couple articles, one among them being from IGN, that Ubisoft would not be bringing us an Assassin's Creed game in 2011. And a couple weeks later, rumors surface on AC Revelations. However, my interest was renewed once I heard the game would be in Constantinople, and even more so with the release of the E3 trailer. Now that the game has been among us for almost a month, let's take a look.
Graphics: While the graphics engine is the same as the first 3 games (I, II and Brotherhood), the game still manages to pull off some pretty good looking visuals.
While there are parts that may show the engine's age, it has, for the most part, aged well. The framerate never drops, the color is nice (except for the shades of brown and gray on the buildings all/most the time) and the engine still holds up.
Audio/Visual Presentation: As always, Ubisoft is perfect in this part of the game. All of the camera angles are nice and are appropriate for each scene's context, everything is easily followed (in terms of plot detail and what's happening on-screen), the voice acting is still fantastic, with Nolan North once again offering his voice as Desmond Miles and Roger Craig Smith as Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and the set pieces/draw distance is absolutely jaw dropping. From the streets of the Galata District in Constantinople, to the Masayaf castle, and even a little bit of the new "Animus Island" (basically the section where you can play in the "Desmond" segments) you will find all wrapped in a nice package.
Story: The Story is where Assassin's Creed has excelled at since it's inception. In Ezio's timeline, he is attempting to enter Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's library where he hopes to find wisdom which will help him better understand his place in the fight against the Templars. In Desmond's timeline, Desmond has gone into a coma due to the events at the end of the previous game and the Animus is keeping his mind from merging all of his ancestors together (Altair, Ezio and himself) and he, along with Subject 16 (who is technically dead but his mental state is kept within the Animus), must relive the final memories of Ezio to separate all three entities. There is also an optional set of platforming missions Desmond can do in which you are in 1st person and must go through puzzles to get to the end of a course. These also reveal Desmond's past and present to those that don't follow his character outside the game. And lastly, in Altair's timeline, you go through multiple different levels that represent different times throughout his like, the first being before the events of the first game, the 2nd being directly after the events of the first game (the fate of Al Mualim and the results stemming from it), and the rest from after the first game when Altair is in his 60's, 80's, and 90's. This game wrapped up both Ezio and Altair's stories nicely, and it did so in a way that made me feel connected to both of them in a way I only feel with great, real people. This game convinced me that Ezio was a living, breathing human being at one point because his character is so full of life. The story remains fantastic and will have you wanting to complete it from beginning to end if you really enjoyed both Altair and Ezio.
Gameplay: The gameplay, while similar, does make up for it somewhat by adding changes here and there that enhance the gameplay.
First off, with the addition of the hookblade, it is now easier to climb, as well as faster, then the other games. It can also be used for performing long jumps on lanterns, ziplines to move about the city faster and enemies so you can go right above them to avoid fighting.
Then we have bombs, which are good for distracting your enemies, as well as killing them and maybe a couple other deadly effects. While I did not usually use them, they were a useful asset.
We also have parachutes available for purchase, in case you jump off a high place and need to be able to avoid the ground.
We also have a new mode called Den Defense, which is somewhat of a strategy type of mini game in which you defend your Assassin's Den's from the upcoming waves of enemies, using barricades, Assassin Leaders, Assassins with bow and arrows as well as pistols, and Ezio can even shoot the enemies himself. While the mode itself was a somewhat good idea in terms of variety, it felt as though it should have been more properly developed, and I hope to see it in another installment in the franchise in the future.
The Assassin Signals are still available for use, Assassins can upgrade their armor and combat abilities, and can also have their mask/hood turned on or off. Nothing super important, but still a nice touch. Mediterranean Defense also has a spin on it. In Revelations, Assassins have to fight back the Templars within Rome, and can still try to claim a city under Assassin control, so you constantly need to make sure that your Assassins are keeping the city safe. I find that this adds some strategy to it, rather than an being used purely as an option to level up Assassins.
The mission variety is also pretty nice as well. In some missions, you are tasked to assassinate a target. In others, you may assist an escort, carry a package, track an enemy, prepare a riot or attack, or explore underground tombs.
Closing Comments:
Assassin's Creed Revelations, while at first I thought was going to be just another milked game, turned out to be a very fulfilling experience and got me looking forward to the next Assassin's Creed game, whether is be next year or the year afterwards.
With great graphics, superb audio/visual presentation, a story that is interesting and immersive from beginning to end, and gameplay that while, may seem to be getting old to some, manages to mix it up enough so that it's still just as fast paced, despite Ezio's age.
I would suggest however to at least play AC II and Brotherhood before playing this game, as this game is near the end of Ezio's story, and if you're going in with no experience with either character (Ezio or Altair), it will not be as entertaining to some.
If you get the chance, play the game. It'll be worth it.