Assassin's Creed

CnC

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Famitsu just gave this game a 37/40. One point less than Mario.
http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5251069024/m/7361030306
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/assassins-creed-nabs-37-40-from-famitsu/

My hype for this game just kicked in. Thoughts?
 

CnC

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Walter said:
No denying that it looks awesome. But how's it play?

I'll find out in a few weeks, I suppose. I was feeling iffy towards it when I saw some recent demos where the AI looked pretty dumb. Guards would just stand around waiting for their turn to get offed.

This score's encouraging in that regard.
 

Uriel

This journey isn't ov--AARGH!
Meh,

I wait for a few years when I finally get up to speed with this current "next-gen" and buy it before it becomes a "Greatest Hits" or whatever it is you chaps call it over here.
 

Aazealh

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It's good to see it's apparently as good as the various trailers and demos made it look. I'll certainly be looking forward to play it, whenever I get the opportunity that is.
 
A good Famitsu score, but I'm leery. My hype was a bit watered down when I saw the game being demo'd by the dev team at (E3?) this year and there was a tremendous amount of slowdown and despite promises otherwise the events seemed very scripted and less open. However, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and wait on for a few more reviews, if things look like they've gone for the best than I'm in on it.
 
Ummm.... isn't the fact that it's compared to Halo 3 reason enough to disregard the review?

I've been following Assassins creed's progress for several months. I was more excited at the beginning I have to admit. Basing the premise around the third crusade I reckon is a really good idea, and the story made around it seems promising as well. The demo of Altair moving from one side of the map to another while climbing around was pretty impressive, in fact it seems one of the best features of the game will be the characters ability to move around.

Don't know how higher expectations I have for the overall game itself though. For one the sword use looks like no skills will be necessary. Judging by the complicated movements he pulls off when attacking, previous experience tells me this is very possibly one of those games where you don't need much timing or accuracy to kill people, more just press the attack buttons randomly and the character will do the rest. Anyone who played games like Enter the matrix will know what I mean.
If that's the case console fans will still enjoy it, but PC gamers will not be so easily satisfied.

BTW from a marketing standpoint, it was a really good idea to make that game producer Jade Raymond as their poster girl for a lot of the games advertising. With her gaming development backround in addition to her body, gamers are all obsessing over both her and the game. Sad but true. :guts:
 

CnC

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hehe. Easy there, sparn. While not getting too much into it, I think Halo is a good game and deserving of its score in famitsu.

The combat concerns me too. But i hope its a situation where if you're in combat to begin with, you fucked up. We'll see when the rest of the reviews come in.
As for Jade Raymond, I'd be more peeved of I felt her place in the spotlight was completely undeserved, but it seems like she knows her shit. So again, we'll see when the reviews come in but I don't see any more reason to be more harsh on her than on people like Cliffy B, the DOA guy (who's name escapes me), American McGee, etc.
This sort of thing can be found in any aspect of the entertainment industry, really.
 
The combat is based on timing and positioning. You've got your main hand weapon and then your free hand to grab. Basically you wait for your enemy to attack a lot of times to dodge them, throw them off balance, and then move in for the kill. Not to mention its one hit kills so its not gonna be a cake walk if the AI is super aggresive (especially in higher difficulties).
 

Pesmerga

This is going to be one hell of a party
Wow 37/40 it's very very good i didn't expect that. This game will definitively be in my PS3 when it comes out.
 
CnC said:
hehe. Easy there, sparn. While not getting too much into it, I think Halo is a good game and deserving of its score in famitsu.

The combat concerns me too. But i hope its a situation where if you're in combat to begin with, you fucked up. We'll see when the rest of the reviews come in.

Sounds like you're hoping for a Thief like game. I never played any of the Thief trilogy myself, but I hear they're awesome. Hopefully I'm wrong about it and they'll be a great play.

As for Jade Raymond, I'd be more peeved of I felt her place in the spotlight was completely undeserved, but it seems like she knows her shit. So again, we'll see when the reviews come in but I don't see any more reason to be more harsh on her than on people like Cliffy B, the DOA guy (who's name escapes me), American McGee, etc.
This sort of thing can be found in any aspect of the entertainment industry, really.

Haha I wasn't being sarcastic, if I was one of the game producers I'd vote her to be the games poster girl, gaming guys love her. Hell, my gaming nerd side can't help but feel a little drawn into the AC advertising she does. But yeah I'd feel differently if she was a airhead.

HawaiianStallion said:
The combat is based on timing and positioning. You've got your main hand weapon and then your free hand to grab. Basically you wait for your enemy to attack a lot of times to dodge them, throw them off balance, and then move in for the kill. Not to mention its one hit kills so its not gonna be a cake walk if the AI is super aggresive (especially in higher difficulties).

We'll see.


BTW newish vids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZwHDW7DUAs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBIsBjBNDT4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFyl7d2cqRY
 

CnC

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Sparnage said:
Sounds like you're hoping for a Thief like game. I never played any of the Thief trilogy myself, but I hear they're awesome. Hopefully I'm wrong about it and they'll be a great play.

I have played Thief. I did like it, yes. I would think a stealth mechanic would be inherent in a game called Assassin's Creed. We'll see.

I pre-ordered it, in any case.

EDIT: Game Informer just gave it a 9.5:
http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/4D2C55EC-834E-467D-A88A-6D79E78B595A.htm

Unfortunately I don't trust these guys' reviews that much, but I hope they're right.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Unfortunately I don't trust these guys' reviews that much, but I hope they're right.

I think they usually give pretty accurate ratings. But I think to really get the best out of the game you need a hi-deff tv with 1080p, which I don't have. Makes me want to hold off on playing the game until I get a nice tv. My opinion on heavenly sword changed dramatically when I saw it on my friends plasma. I didn't think it would but I was blown away the second time.
 

CnC

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Viewer beware: 1up's review has a spoiler in the first paragraph. They thought the game was "OK" (7.0), but I don't really see how the inclusion of the spoiler aids the review. Bummer.

Gametrailers gave it a 9.1
 

CnC

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Okin said:
This game is one of the main reasons I bought a PS3 besides MGS4 and that I love my old PSX.

Well it looks like IGN doesn't like it either (EDIT: 7.7 -not TOO bad, I guess). Man this is getting some strange fluctuations in review score. :judo:
Guess it boils down to how much you trust that famitsu score.

All seem to like the controls. IGN doesn't like the story or the quests, while Gametrailers likes it but thinks the AI is retarded. 1up finds fault with almost everything and all find it repetitive.

I'll still get it, because I still like the premise and all the reviewers say the free-running is fun. Also I'm kinda sick of shooters.
 

Aazealh

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CnC said:
Well it looks like IGN doesn't like it either (EDIT: 7.7 -not TOO bad, I guess). Man this is getting some strange fluctuations in review score. :judo:
Guess it boils down to how much you trust that famitsu score.

Damn... Even though that's not awful, I can't help but be a little disappointed, the game was really promising... Oh well, be sure to tell us what you think of it whenever you get it!
 

CnC

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Aazealh said:
Damn... Even though that's not awful, I can't help but be a little disappointed, the game was really promising... Oh well, be sure to tell us what you think of it whenever you get it!

Yea 7.7 isn't really "cancel my order"-bad. But it is a major bummer considering the excitement I had for the game. I'm baffled by the conflict between IGN and Famitsu.

And I think it's almost a given that Game Informer is either clueless or being bribed. I'll see when the game arrives. :serpico:

EDIT: Gamespot just gave it a 9.0. ...I'm so confused. :judo:


Well, I killed a man last night before bed...

So far I'm liking it. Climbing and free running is very fluid. They have a very powerful animation system so it's clear that the Prince of Persia team is behind it. Facial animation and character models don't fare as well, with some faces looking downright ugly. It's odd that in the 4 years since Half Life 2 (coincidentally the game I'm leaving to play this), very few people treat these two points with the same level of care.
Graphics are gorgeous. You actually do stop and stare when you encounter your first city, it really is breathtaking. They've really nailed down the lighting. Really, quite beautiful.
Those who played PoP: Sands of Time will remember the cool way in which the story was delivered, masking gameplay elements with narrative like when you die, the narrator would say "No, wait. That's not right. Let me start again." Well it's sort of similar here. Gameplay elements like lifebars, tutorials, checkpoints, cutscenes are done in a very clever way that makes sense in the context of the story.

It's not completely flawless, the secondary element to the "duality" story theme has yet to be fleshed out, and actually is kinda boring atm (I'm trying to refrain from spoilers). While the story is interesting, I'm finding some of the dialogue to be particularly bland. While the voice actors seem capable, their delivery is lacking. Generally the sound is very good, with the sounds of the city really immersing you in your environment. Some of the crowd voices seem compressed, tho, to me. The person giving a speech in the town square or the guard accusing a man of pickpocketing can be a little muffled.

This is feeling like a solid 8-8.5 at the moment. I've just started so we'll see if that changes.

---EDIT: Further along---
I'm about a third the way in and I'm still liking it. I'm starting to get a hang of the free-running mechanic a bit better so navigating the rooftops is becoming quite a blast. It's actually a very well designed environment, with archer posts guarding the higher points in the city I need to get to.
Combat is subtle but effective. Despite IGN's review saying otherwise I've found you can't really button mash your way to victory. Its more timing based rather than combo based. Guards definitely do not just sit there and wait their turn to die. They usually attempt to surround you and close the distance so they can get a bunch of quick attacks. You usually counter this by attacking them to get them to back off and break their circle so you can get enough distance to successfully counter those that attack you. After a while it becomes even more complicated as some guards can grab you and throw you to the ground (you learn to counter-grab, too, after a while).
You can't take on the whole city, again, despite what I've heard to the contrary. Guards are generally faster than you on foot, so dispatching the immediate number and taking to the rooftops is always better.
Something I've had a lot of fun doing is helping out the citizenry when the guards are harassing them. I wish they had a bit more variety to the animations and sounds coming from these occurances, because they can be quite funny to watch them loop the same animation while saying canned lines like "Theif! I'll have your hand for this!" or "Stop! I've done nothing wrong!". After sitting and watching the guards push the guy/gal around even they seem to pick up on the fact that nobody's helping the guy. The guard will sometimes chirp, "Hey, this is amusing!" The fun kicks in when you draw your hidden blade and dispatch the first and second guard before the rest even know what hit them. You can fluidly take out up to 3 (or at least that's my record) before the first one finally collapses on the ground and the rest realize what has happened. Quite cool.

Apparently from now on the guards are going to be more sensitive to my presence, so this should be more challenging. This more of an 8.5 now.
 
Started playing it this morning. Ironically, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I honestly thought to expect more of a letdown after the fluctuation of reviews between the 7s and 9s/10s (that "point" gap is a major "the hell?"). I do have a few problems with the game, namely the tutorial of "gentle push" had me frustrated over a simple issue of "tap vs hold button". I can easily see the game getting repetitive, but in all honesty I find that an over used word and a bit "redundant" in terms of its application, given there isn't a single game I can think of to shift its entire engine/mechanics halfway in to form an entirely different venue or premise. Obviously its how much of a bad/good thing a person can take, but personally nothing about AC has yet to strike me as extremely negative in that regard.

The one aesthetic standpoint the game falls flat on is Altair's voice. I really have no idea where they were going with this. Everyone else has a very noticeable "eastern" accent, where as Altair's is a dry and stoic American delivered performance. I wouldn't say the guy's a bad actor, he's just noticeably out of place. The only concept I could come up with which would allow such is Desmund's role in everything or if there is actually more sci-fi involved than what we know. Otherwise, its a pretty bland choice for a voice.

The graphics are quite stunning, being a jawdropper with the likes of BioShock/Crysis for me. The gameplay mechanics themselves are very PoP-based, and personally I enjoy combat a great deal which feels very realistic/balanced and less over-the-top. All and all its a pretty solid title, but until I play more I can't feel right giving it any sort of grade/score.
 

Femto the Raven

The location of agony? The human soul.
Just bought it last night, and couldn't put it down. I agree with your critiscms CnC, but that doesn't stop the game from being a very satisfying 9 five hours in. I could handle the ugly faces better if I wasn't so dissapointed by that plot point you mentioned. Otherwise, graphics are wonderous, freedom feels grand, and oh, the gameplay! So far so good.
 

CnC

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Yea I'm finding a lot of parallels to Crackdown in this game. If you're playing it just to grind through the story you'll probably be more down on it, or at least quicker to call it repetitive. However, if you just sit back and enjoy the experience you'll find a lot of fun to have.

I've taken down 6 of the 9 targets and I'm kind of apprehensive about finishing it (I don't feel any rush to end the game). I enjoy finding all of the high points in the city (I dare you to climb the church steeple in Acre and tell me it wasn't awesome), and doing all the side quests. Free running plays a lot like a racing game, where instead of timing button presses you hold down a button and pick your path for the best getaway.

Couple of things I think they should do, should they decide to make a sequel:
-Make the fights more challenging earlier on, and make them harder later on. It gets harder, but still manageable even at this later stage in the game. I think its smart to make the combat more rhythm and timing based, but they could make it so that more guards attack at once which could make your position more important (killing two birds with one stone, as both elements were criticized in the reviews).
-Make the climbing more of a puzzle than it is. For the taller structures there are some that pose more of a challenge to scale than others (sometimes its archers stationed near it, sometimes its just hard to find that first place to start) but for the most part once you're on your way up, there's little to stop you. PoP did a good job with some of its environment puzzles so why not just bring more of that into this game? The racing elements with free running are as tight as ever, but the climbing is too easy imo.
-Make flag collecting mean something. Aside from going for the achievement, theres little point to collecting flags. Its fun to do, but I wish they would mean something. Even in crackdown the orbs did something.
-Give me more targets. There's so much potential for extended replayability if they would add more assassination targets. Not the main targets, but more of the targets that are given to you for side missions. Occasionally a fellow assassin will ask for help in taking out some smaller targets in exchange for info on your main target. This is tons of fun. Even without the reward of info on the main target, give me some targets to take out with a time limit or around the city. You could add more a puzzle element if your target is accompanied by a patrol of soldiers or on a hard to scale tower or something. It could even be a silly quest like taking out all the beggars in a district (which is fun to do anyway). Theres a lot of potential here so I think they should do something along these lines. Imagine a scenario where your target is on a rooftop but you have to make it look like an accident (find a way to sneak up on him and push him off the roof).
-Hell, I'll even take races. Even though I hate them in almost every other "sandbox" game, I'll even take some free running races. Why not show the other assassins in training how it's done by schooling them in the right way to escape the guards (perfect set-up for racing). Or perhaps first one to take out their respective targets and make it back to the bureau wins.

One thing AC has in spades is potential. I hope these things are added in a future release of some sort.
EDIT:
And it looks like it's fairly successful, so it might just see a sequel. So thats good:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30777
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
CnC said:
And it looks like it's fairly successful, so it might just see a sequel. So thats good:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30777

I think that article just covers UK charts though, so in itself it doesn't mean much.
 
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