Assassin's Creed

The assassin did not hesitate to sink his retractable blade into the neck of his dangerous target. It was a calm noon in the market district in Damascus but the killing didn’t go unseen as a passerby screams in horror. Nearby, soldiers hear the woman and suddenly the assassin finds himself being chased across the market as he pushes startled people aside. Around the corner, the assassin spots a haystack and dives in as his pursuers run past him. The assassin is Altair who is on a quest for redemption and to kill those who evil men who wish to enslave those around them. This is Assassin’s Creed for the PlayStation 3 and one of the most interesting games you’ll play this year.

 
“Darn, there’s get to be an easier way to get into the Playboy Mansion.”

More of a science-fiction piece than a historical action-packed plotline, Assassin’s Creed contains a story that has interesting elements but the storytelling can be a tad confusing in places. You see, you play a young man named Desmond Miles who is brought into a futuristic testing lab where two scientists attempt to extract the memories of Miles’ ancestor who was an assassin during the third crusades. It is then that we take control of Altair who is an assassin that likes to do things his way rather than listening to wisdom of his guild’s master or their assassin’s code. This rebel assassin falls out of grace and is given a second chance by his order to eliminate nine specific targets.

Still, forget the nutty sci-fi premise; the real heart of Assassin’s Creed is Altair’s mission. It is only when we control the assassin that we get a taste of the free-roaming open world that is true to the time period. While early in the game you are restricted to a few areas, the game allows you to explore much of the game’s massive environments. You can, if you like, grab a horse and simply explore the various roads that lead to the major cities like Damascus, Jerusalem and Acre. Along the way, you’ll encounter villages, encampments and farms. You’ll see tired knights of the crusades marching past you as they search for a place to rest. You’ll see villagers going about their business and find spiraling towers to climb to get a better vantage point of your surroundings.

While the environments aren’t as massive as, say, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there is still a lot of ground to cover along the way to the major cities. Altair’s mission take place in the city limits and you will find an impressively accurate reproduction of places like Damascus. The cities are filled with people whether they’re shoppers moving through the market district, great orators speaking to anyone who will stop and listen or scholars taking a walk while meditating. It is in the cities where Altair will find his primary targets but also take care of secondary side quests that have him taking out Templars, collecting flags or rescuing good citizens from corrupt soldiers.

 
“Sorry, pal, I’m not interested and no I don’t wish my girlfriend was hot like you.” 

Altair is not only a skilled assassin who makes good use of his bladed weapons but he’s also quite nimble. Half the fun of the game is taking advantage of the assassin’s ability to scale walls, jump from rooftop to rooftop and instantly blend into certain environmental objects. Altair can gentle push people aside while walking in order not to call attention to himself if suspicious guards are around. Thanks to his acrobatic skills, the assassin can escape from pursuing enemies but if it comes down to it, he can fight using his short sword. Combat is handled rather well … although there aren’t many combo moves to spice up the sword fights.

The assassination missions are actually good, although reaching your target is a repetitive action that requires you to eavesdrop on informants, pick a pocket or two or beat an informant into telling you the whereabouts of your victim. When it comes to the actual killing, Altair doesn’t hold back. His targets include a number of evil men like a physician who experiments on the poor and infirmed. Unlike Agent 47’s hits in the Hitman series, you’ll feel that justice is truly served when you dispatch these despots and evildoers.

Graphically speaking, Assassin’s Creed is a gorgeous-looking game with detailed vistas and character models that are rendered beautifully. It’s a real treat to see a game that does environments and characters right and watching the cities bustling with life is just plain cool. Altair’s movements are also wonderfully natural as he moves around the detailed landscape and city rooftops. My only biggest complaint are the few visual glitches like the constant popping in of people or the fact that some of them get stuck between corners and start twitching like crazy.

 
And here ends the adventures of Larry, the Blind Ninja Master.

As far as the game’s sound is concerned, the game’s music is cinematic and just as beautiful as the visuals itself. The music ranges from a pulse-pounding action theme to a delightfully Middle Eastern feel that’s appropriate for the locale. The voice acting is also top notch and there’s some great dialogue scattered throughout the game. Still, it’s the game sound effects that steal the show. Whether you’re out in the open market in Jerusalem or traveling on a road near a babbling brook, there are sounds aplenty. You’ll hear shopkeepers and orators shouting and the sounds of hammers as repairs are being made somewhere. On the road to Damascus, a hawk can be heard overhead and a dog is barking somewhere in the nearby village.

Assassin’s Creed is a compelling, entertaining and surprisingly original PlayStation 3 game that will hold you captive from start to finish. Games like this are rare gems, indeed, but despite the setting and its gorgeous good looks, this game is far from being the perfect gaming masterpiece it could have been on Sony’s new console. While the PS3 version contains longer load times, this game is still one of those experiences that shouldn’t be missed by any gamer looking for something interesting and unique.

Gameplay: 8.0
The controls are actually responsive and good enough for you to take advantage of Altair’s acrobatic prowess and his stealth kills are handled well enough. Locking on to your enemy could have been handled better, though. The story is also a bit convoluted at times, which is really disappointing. Still, what other game allows you to explore a historically accurate version of the Holy Land?

Graphics: 9.0
Visually, the game looks stunning and the PS3’s graphics capabilities are put to good use. Then again, it’s hard to ignore the graphical glitches that have NPCs twitching or popping in from out of nowhere. The environmental detail is exquisite the cities are pure eye candy.

Sound: 9.0
The game’s music is hauntingly beautiful and it plays throughout the game and picks up at just the right moment. There’s an excellent voice cast as well and the dialogue actually works. Still, what steals the show are the wonderfully detailed sound effects.

Difficulty: Medium
Altair is a decent fighter who can go up against multiple enemies at once and he does it quite often in the game. Still, he can’t take a lot of damage and going up against a few Templar knights is not recommended. At least he can hide really well.

Concept: 8.0
The game’s story will have you a bit confused and the memory-time-travel-theme will make you want to skip Desmond’s segment for Altair’s timeline. There’s a huge chunk of the Kingdom to explore and many little secrets to uncover along the way. It’s also great to play an assassin who can move through the environment gracefully.

Overall: 8.0
While it’s not as brilliant as it could have been considering the game’s timeline and setting, Assassin’s Creed is an astonishing gaming experience you won’t forget anytime soon. It dances between an interesting yet confusing sci-fi theme and a historical-action game with a lot to offer gamers looking for something unique and something that deserves to be spinning in their PS3 consoles.