Assassin's Creed (PS3, Xbox 360)

Reviewed on Xbox 360 and PS3, available on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC

The game that would spawn a franchise

I have to admit, I was highly resistant to playing Assassin's Creed upon it's initial release. But after a few months, I borrowed the game from a friend, and became instantly hooked. Now, after announcing its 6th console installment, Assassin's Creed has become one of the longer game series to hit console. While each game is arguably improved from the last, the original will always be the top to me personally.

Enter the ancient world of Altaïr, a highly professional and experienced member of a group of assassins. The village where the assassins are based is attacked by the Templars - an ancient religious crusade that is bent on control over the region. Events occur, and Altaïr is charged with gathering information about high value targets, ultimately leading to their assassinations. Although this is a generalization, it summarizes the core of the game pretty well.

Restraint allows you to hide in plain sight

Stealth is a primary factor in Assassin's Creed, ranging from unnoticed to high target. Although Altaïr is more than capable of handling himself in a direct fight, the enemy is numerous and persistent. It's best to lose the enemy in the crowd, hide in a well, or run far away until your status has returned to an anonymous rating. There are a large amount of ways to hide yourself, and many of them are amusing when successful.

Enemies are numerous when discovered

But it seems there is always a downside to great games, and in Assassin's Creed, the downside comes in the form of a strange sci-fi twist. Desmond is your average guy living in modern times who is somehow related to the ancient assassin Altaïr. He is being forced by a shadowy organization to relive the memories of his DNA via some advanced machinery. This entire mini story is muddy at best, and frequently pulls away from the real game to annoy you with vague dialogue.

Scenery is gorgeous, and cities are busy

Gameplay - 9/10
There is rarely anything quite as pleasing as lunging two stories and diving your blade into the neck of an evil overlord. Stealth and assassinations are definitely the highlight to game play, with lots of side quests and things to do. Direct combat can become obnoxious at times, and the game itself begins to become repetitive after a certain point. All these points taken into account, the game still deserves a high score for satisfaction.

Design - 8/10
The visuals and sounds are high quality and fitting. The interface is smooth and carries the appropriate theme for the game. Story wise, it gets a little repetitive in the middle, but shines at the beginning and end. Cities are busy and filled with dozens of people at any time, while looking fantastic from any angle. Character personalities are general, with no real complexity. Everything with Desmond's story is pretty pointless and unnecessary in all honesty.

Replay - 6/10
After the game, there are collectibles you can run around and collect, along with achievement hunting like usual. Other than that, not much value from replaying.

Final - 23/30 Good but not perfect
Like most single player games, this game is great the first time around. The experience of hunting from the shadows and hiding in plain sight definitely feels pretty bad ass. Visuals are great and cinematic quality at almost all times. To truly enjoy this game, its best to continue with the sequels, and I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys stealth or action games.

Recommended Buying Price: No more than 20$