Assassin's Creed (PC) Review

From the title screen up to the moment one enters the actual game, things feel a little weird. The UI goes bonkers, the visuals glitch, and generally things are a mess. Then suddenly the view changes. The robed figure that was supposed to be the player character, the crowd of medieval folk around him, the large ancient city - it turns out that everything was a lie. You are just a modern man in a modern world, strapped to a high-tech chair that, well… basically reads your genetic memory, and lets you "remember" the life of your ancestor, in essence living his life in the best VR set available besides the one used in The Matrix. It seems that while Ubisoft could simply make a generic action-adventure with a middle eastern theme and call it a day, it did so much more.

Divided between two parts, the story begins with Desmond Miles, a young bartender captured by the multinational conglomerate known as Abstergo, who must extract important info from his very genetic code. When he sits in the 'Animus' he becomes Altair Ibn-LaʼAhad; member of the order of the Assassins, tasked with killing nine high-ranking officials in the cities of Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem. An alternative history with a sci-fi twist that won't be spoiled here, Assassin's Creed pits a re-imagined version of the Order of Assassins against the Templars, with both factions working behind the scenes in order to change the world, with the Assassins working towards freeing the people from its oppressors, while the Templars try to force order upon everyone.

At the core of the series lies the clash between two ideologies. The Assassins want to bring "peace in all things" by using violence against only to those corrupt officials who threaten the free will of the people. The Templars want to do pretty much the same, but their own brand of peace comes in the form of order no matter the cost. While no title delves exactly too deep into this theme, it's definitely what turns Assassin's Creed and the majority of the subsequent iterations into something more than the generic action-adventures these would otherwise be. It's great seeing the protagonist, a master Assassin, trying very hard to come to terms with the fact that his enemy is actually similar to his own brotherhood; an order that wants to help, just one whose methods are questionable. It helps a lot that the writing is of very good quality - amongst the best that can be found in the franchise.

Altair is great as a protagonist. Rather than a boring boy scout, or an edgy anti-hero, he is a more complex mix of various ingredients. Beginning his quest as someone blinded by his arrogant overconfidence in his skills, he slowly learns what it means to be humble, and in essence starts seeing things more clearly, while keeping a great deal of his feisty spirit. The biggest letdown is his ancestor Desmond Miles - not so much because he isn't as complex (or cool) as Altair, but mostly because his parts deal with the whole freedom-vs-order subject in a way that's not as interesting - mainly through the "villain" monologuing. The final nail in the coffin of Desmond's "chapters" is the ending, which takes place in his modern era, and is unbelievably disappointing, even for the cliffhanger it's supposed to be.

It's important to note that while not exactly at the forefront, the plot, with all its flaws, is actually the saving grace of what is a somewhat average title. Why? Well, here's a look at the first mission: Altair is given a target in the city of Damascus. He must travel there by going through a somewhat empty region called 'the Kingdom' that mostly serves as a means to explain the basics to newcomers. The real fun begins once inside the city. Before sinking his blade in the throat of his enemy, Altair can perform various investigations which can be seen as mini-quests - pickpocket a map, listen to a conversation to gather info, or "interrogate" someone to get said info by force. Once done one can approach the target and think about how its ties with the world of the living will be cut.

The whole process is quite fun, and it is spiced up with some additional tasks (that completionists will particularly enjoy), like climbing up high towers to "unlock" additional tasks on an area, gathering flags, saving poor civilians from aggressive guards, and more. The most entertaining aspect, however, is the way Altair can move around. For starters he can climb almost everywhere as long as a surface isn't totally flat, and there's something for him to grab. Even better than this are his parkour skills, the so-called Free Running ability that has always been an integral part of the franchise, and which lets him gracefully run across rooftops, casually jumping from platforms and narrow, wooden planks or poles, with the whole thing not requiring much skill from the player who just moves the analogue stick forward.

So, you've learned how to Free-Run; you've spent half an hour unlocking towers, collecting flags, and saving civilians; you've mastered the badass art of fighting more than three guards at once (piece of cake, by the way); you've discovered how to move through the crowd, gently pushing bystanders, and hiding in plain sight. After all that work Altair finally decides to approach his enemy and stick his hidden wrist blade at his flesh. Awesome? Sure! Wanna do it eight more times? Before answering know that each subsequent mission is pretty much the same thing, with little to no variation, and just a small "upgrade" in the form of higher damage for your two weapons, more throwing knives, and minor things like that. It's basically the exact same thing again and again, just a tiny bit harder - travel to a city, do the same three-four tasks, approach target, kill him, run away. The repetition is unbelievable.

Many have described Assassin's Creed as a proof-of-concept kind of deal rather than a fully realised video game, and it's definitely a correct statement. The general premise, the idea behind it is undoubtedly fantastic… it's just that the execution is severely lacking. It was clear from day one that this held great promise, which is no wonder it became the success it did after the much better sequel hit the shelves. In the end, what ultimately kills Assassin's Creed, and the reason for how repetitive it is, is that it's not really a tactical, stealth-centric game. Unlike, say, Hitman, Thief, Deus Ex, and countless other examples where you are free to approach a problem in a variety of ways, here your options are severely limited. In conclusion: an important piece of gaming history, and with one of the best settings for an Assassin's Creed instalment, but one can safely pass this by and go straight to the true classic that is Assassin's Creed II.