Assassin's Creed

Assassin’s Creed for PC and PS3 is an action game focusing on stealth. As it's creators have previously developed Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, it isn’t surprising that both games have much in common.

Plot

The game takes us to the age of The Third Crusade, led by British king, Richard the Lionheart, showing the events that took place in the Holy Land at the time. We play as Altair, a member of the mysterious Order of Assassins, an organization that cares neither about political nor religious affairs and doesn’t take anyone’s side in the war. As Altair ibn-La'Ahad, a very talented but arrogant young man, who, after a failure brought upon by his disobedience, we have to regain our place in the community by proving our understanding of the code that binds the assassins as a brotherhood. Our quest leads us to uncovering secrets that could change the fate of humanity.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Assassin's Creed for PC and PS3 is somewhat similar to the Hitman series, albeit set in medieval times. Each mission follows the same scheme: we are given a target, approach it without drawing attention, eliminate the person we were ordered to, and safely escape from the crime scene. This doesn’t sound complicated, but looks much better in practice. Our hero spends a lot of time sneaking from one inconspicuous hiding place to another, performing backbreaking acrobatics, and fighting. The problem of controls has been resolved interestingly: some actions (like climbing, jumping, blending in with the crow and hiding in the shadows) are performed with one button. Just press it and Altair will take care of himself (e.g. scale a roof while swiftly avoiding some obstacles or mixing with the group of monks without being noticed). Combat, however, requires more dexterity: the duels are dynamic and focus on deadly counterattacks. Dodging, which we perform by waiting for the right moment just before our enemy strikes, is exceptionally useful. In most cases we are given the choice: we can avoid the guards stealthily or cut our way through with a sword. The latter is more spectacular, but risky, and takes more time.

An important part of the gameplay encompasses interactions with NPCs. We perform our tasks in lively cities filled with people, and how we treat their residents can have a huge impact on our mission. For example, jumping down from the roof right in the middle of the crowd will meet with suspicious reactions. Some of the people might run away, while others will point their fingers at you, which can bring the whole matter to the attention of the guards. We can go sail through the crowded alleys slowly and gently, or force our way through, violently pushing aside anyone standing in our way. Sometimes people will let us through themselves out of respect, sometimes they will attack us. We are an assassin, however, and gathering unnecessary attention from others is rather ill-advised.

Last updated on 07 November 2024