What May Have Been...

Assassin's Creed will forever be a game that divides the people who play it: on one hand you have a game that is truly unique and will stand out for many to be one of the only original games of this generation. On the other side will be those who denounce the title because of its' repetition and its' inability to follow through with many of the concepts introduced in the beginning of the game. It is a game that YOU must play for yourself in order to decide which side of the fence you are on; you cannot just read reviews or listen to others who have played the game and form an opinion YOU must experience Assassin's Creed firsthand to make up your mind. With that said this review will offer insight into what you can expect from this odd beast of a game.

Assassin's Creed is a spectacular game to play, not just graphically (though it is arguably one of the best looking games of this generation) or in terms of the amazing audio but in the way Altair moves, the way the crowds behave as if they were real people, the way that the cities all feel alive; this is as close to a trip to the Holy Land as you'll get without being in the Holy Land (and having a time machine if you want the full 12th century experience). The controls are also fantastic, though they are a little unorthodox they are simple to grasp and intuitive to use - it makes guiding Altair a blast and grants the player a real connection to the lead as EVERYTHING he does is a direct result of what you've input into the controller. Where the game will divide though, is in the mission structure and its repetition will ultimately make-or-break your enjoyment with the title.

Each assassination has you completing the same tasks: you receive a target, make your way to the local Assassin's hub in the city of the target and then are sent out to follow leads (eavesdropping on certain citizens; pickpocketing others; learning guard's shifts from fellow assassins - who also require you to complete tasks for them before they give you the information, and its mainly collecting flags, even if you LOVE the game, you can't deny these are stupid diversions...). These are all optional however and simply increase the odds of success when going in for a kill; you can just find the target and kill them which would decrease the repetitive nature of the game (though, it does increase the difficulty as there are more guards stopping your escape). This structure may not seem all that bad, and during the first two (maybe three) assassinations its barely noticeable, but this is the set up for EVERY mission and the difficulty (and frustration) only increases as time goes on as beggars, drunks, and the mentally handicapped are introduced and become EXTREMELY aggressive and target only the player when the enter the NPCs' vicinity which in turn alerts the guards who then seek you out. This can potentially ruin 20-30 minutes of careful stalking or a set up of a perfect get away and this is where the game falls apart for many; it tends to feel like the game is actively working against you and not simply ramping up the difficulty. Gathering information and assassinations don't get particularly more difficult as the game goes on (the location of the targets however does become pretty unique in some locations reminding you of why the game can be so special) it merely becomes more frustrating, which, depending on your tolerance, or ability to overlook these shortcomings may ruin the game for you.

Occasionally there are moments of true greatness: climbing the cathedral in Acre; chasing an escaping (and very loud) target through the streets of Jerusalem. These moments have the potential to make you forget about the repetition and missteps that the developers took. For some however, these moments will only serve to highlight the weaknesses and faults of a game that stands out amongst a crowd of sci-fi shooters and plastic instruments - It is truly a game that will be hailed by some and condemned by others.