The level of unrest in the Middle East is at an all time high, armed guards patrol the streets crushing insubordination swiftly and fatally. Leaders of the land rule with an iron fist as they strive to create a better world. A lone figure moves like a shadow through the crowd, he stretches out his fingers inches from a guards back and plunges his blade through the man’s spine. Its 1191AD and it seems little has changed over the last millennia.
This is the world of Assassins Creed an Action-adventure offering from Ubisoft Montreal wherein you take the role of Altair an arrogant but talented assassin living in the Holy Land. Conspiracy and treachery are ripe as Templar Knights hope to use this chaotic time for their own advantage. Your leader a skilled, aged assassin called Al Mualim sends you on missions to assassinate nine historical figures from the times. Before you can take blade to throat you must gather information on your targets by listening into conversations, pick-pocketing locals and finding fellow assassins in the towns that know more about the area. Even before this information can be gathered you have to build a map of the area by climbing the tallest buildings and having a look around.
The places you travel to kill are incredibly detailed with the cities of Masyaf, Acre, Damascus and Jerusalem being modelled using descriptions in ancient texts, archaeological references and historian’s knowledge to make it as accurate as possible. Almost any building can be climbed on either to run across rooftops avoiding the guards or just to be jumped off into a handy nearby hay cart. The historical accuracy isn’t perfect though with every city being within a 10minute horse ride of each other, though personally I prefer this to a week long ride.
The game doesn’t take too long to become repetitive though as you gather information on each of your nine targets you do the same routine of a few pick-pockets, overhear a conversation, then kill the target, report back then repeat. Even when fighting the guards, depending on which blade you have drawn depends on which animation you see when you perform a killing blow and there is a limited selection. Although it may just be my blood lust but I can quite happily stay in an area attracting attention and kill anyone that dares challenge me for a few hours before I get bored which is more than can be said for Grand Theft Auto 4. When you do get tired of killing and need to get away you can slip into the crowd using the games “social stealth”. Act as everyone else does and you won’t get noticed. This sounds great but it has flaws. If you bow your head you slip by as a scholar and no-ones the wiser, if you don’t bow though instantly the cry of “Assassin!” echoes through the markets. Even when you haven’t killed anyone in the area you’re an assassin and they all know. If you break the guard’s line of sight though you can hide in the many piles of hay that are scattered around the city and continue with your mission after they’ve gone.
This game has been given some very favourable reviews from many big names and the majority of them are right, this is a very good looking enjoyably game that can be repeatedly picked up and played even after completion. It’s not perfect though and since it was released last November I’d suggest buying a second hand copy instead of paying more for a new game when I consider just how repetitive it is.
I have to finish now before I repeat myself too much but go find yourself a good deal and start taking steel to flesh.
