Assassin's Creed

In addition to contextual "puppet string" controls, Altair's actions can also be modified with the "emotion" trigger. In a large crowd, squeezing the right trigger down while moving allows the player to vary Altair's shove strength; tap the trigger slightly and he'll nudge a peasant to the side, but squeeze it hard and he'll angrily shove the poor soul to the ground.

The Environment

Assassin's Creed's environment is probably Ubisoft's most spectacular accomplishment. The development team is authentically recreating (with the help of a period historian) an entire kingdom. A fortress, three cities, and the countryside surrounding each have been confirmed as playable locales, and all have been modeled to exacting specifications.

Altair begins his journey of redemption in the Syrian fortress of Masyaf, home to the Hashshashin order. The game's trailers have already provided a glimpse at the seaport city of Acre, recently captured by Richard the Lionheart. Damascus, jewel of the Saracens, is the desert home to a predominantly Arab population, while Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, is the city at the very heart of the Crusades. The regions are huge, breathtakingly beautiful, and almost completely interactive.

The Wrap-Up

Assassin's Creed is set to be released early next year on both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. If you'll be an owner of both systems by then, bear in mind that while the PS3 version will undoubtedly have crisper graphics, the team working on the 360 version is placing special emphasis on stronger AI routines and lots of achievements. In addition, the 360 controller's vibration feature will allow players to literally "feel" for handholds on walls as they're climbing. Whether or not the PS3 controller's motion sensor will provide for interesting control alternatives has yet to be announced.

There is, at least, one sure truth: Assassin's Creed looks to be a transcendent game, one that could simultaneously redefine the stealth genre and generate a new franchise. Ubisoft already has plans for sequels if the game is successful. We'll be sure to keep you fully updated as Q1 2007 approaches

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