Assassin's Creed

Quaunaut

<div class="IPBDescription">Take your time.(Potential spoilers)</div>Just wanted to get a thread going on this, as I'm completely floored. Freerunning is brilliant. The combat is pretty fun(if simple). The world is very realistic, beautiful, and completely immersive.

The story is nothing short of insane. Bioshock's story was remarkable for everything it did for you- this will be remarkable for everything it lets you think for yourself.

Anyone else finding the story to be the most attractive part of the game? I can't believe just how much it causes you to think when you aren't playing.

Rover

Only played the first 2 hits, as I'm doing all sidequests and roaming around quite a bit as well. For me, it's the freedom in the city, not the story.

Quaunaut

<!--quoteo(post=1660772:date=Nov 16 2007, 02:28 AM:name=Rover)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rover @ Nov 16 2007, 02:28 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1660772"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Only played the first 2 hits, as I'm doing all sidequests and roaming around quite a bit as well. For me, it's the freedom in the city, not the story.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yeah, thats how it was for me with the first two too. The story took over at Hit #6.

Paranoia2MB

This game made my PS3 decide it shouldn't "find the correct hard disk." Though I found it it right on the side. -.-

Two year warranty at Best Buys ftw. lol

I want to play some War Hawk too which is 23780570235 > than Halos imo.

Epidemic

I give this a F for failure on the simple grounds that the PC version isnt out yet.

Quaunaut

Okay, so, overall, the game is brilliant. The story is brilliant, the gameplay is brilliant, heck, even the combat later on gets brilliant- but I must say, a fight near the end(<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>the dozen or so guards before Robert</span>) was so frustratingly bad that I wanted to kill someone. You go the entire game playing stealth, and all of a sudden its an action game. Sorry, but no.

puzl

I played through the third hit today. I like how the game is modular with each assassination ranging from between 1.5 and 2.5 hours depending on how much of the 'side quests' you want to do. It makes it very suitable to pick up when you have a spare couple of hours. Overall I really like the game so far. Free running is great fun, and is getting more challenging as you move up to the more advanced districts. The combat isn't the best part of the game, but it still is rewarding if you pull off a lot of counter attacks and use the hidden blade at the right time.

The cities are great fun to explore, it really is a very well presented world and the story so far has been well done.

semipsychotic

I hear that the game gets repetitive, but that will only be a problem in certain cases. Pickpocketing, intimidating, and eavesdropping can only get you so far in terms of gameplay variety, but if you suspend disbelief, buy into the story, and here's the big one, let yourself roleplay at least a bit, you'll have fun. Every game ever published takes advantage of roleplaying--without the graphics and sound, games are essentially just pressing buttons on cue. Assassin's Creed's incredible presentation is a hint that pressing buttons on cue is not the mindset you should be in while playing this game. After all, playing the role of an assassin is beneficial to your performance. While preparing for the first hit, <span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>you overhear people complaining about children playing on the beams of the souk during an eavesdropping mission. If you treat that as vital information rather than "press Y here, next objective," the game becomes much more deep: I took advantage of those beams to plot an escape route before jumping in and giving Tamir a thorough stabbing. I followed my plan and was out of there after only having to fight Tamir and push two guards aside. After that, I thought "Damn, that's how assassinations should go" rather than "har har easy next qwest."</span>

I wonder how moddable the game will be when it's released for the PC. It would take some titanic effort to match the art team's work, but maybe someone is willing to throw new twists in the old cities.

Quaunaut

Personally, one thing I'd like in a Mod is perhaps a timed-kill mode. Going from the hangout, to the kill, and back, going for best time. Also, city races. Lord, city races would be awesome.

Svenpa

Oh I'm a naughty exploiter. If you "gentle push" people you can do so a infinite times without getting any alert. So when there are rooftops and cliffs nearby I tend to push guards and civilians over the edge, without anyone even looking the same direction.

Any combat tips? I think I heard you could be able to break someones neck after you have hit him with a strong sword slash, and throwing knives, do I need more then one to actually get to throw em? There's no "looting your stuff back" after throwing one? I've also noticed you can punch and kick while going up/down ladders, it feels much better then slashing them up (which is waaaaay to easy, at least now. Probably beaten 18 knights surrounding me with only counter attacks).

Overall it's awesome but needs as said some roleplaying to have fun all the way through. I miss the #1 hit city tho, it was much more pleasant then the gray murky castle.

Quaunaut

<!--quoteo(post=1661155:date=Nov 19 2007, 07:31 AM:name=Svenpa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Svenpa @ Nov 19 2007, 07:31 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1661155"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Oh I'm a naughty exploiter. If you "gentle push" people you can do so a infinite times without getting any alert. So when there are rooftops and cliffs nearby I tend to push guards and civilians over the edge, without anyone even looking the same direction.

Any combat tips? I think I heard you could be able to break someones neck after you have hit him with a strong sword slash, and throwing knives, do I need more then one to actually get to throw em? There's no "looting your stuff back" after throwing one? I've also noticed you can punch and kick while going up/down ladders, it feels much better then slashing them up (which is waaaaay to easy, at least now. Probably beaten 18 knights surrounding me with only counter attacks).

Overall it's awesome but needs as said some roleplaying to have fun all the way through. I miss the #1 hit city tho, it was much more pleasant then the gray murky castle.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

You can still "Gentle Push" 'cause the guards aren't on the lookout too much. By the 2nd time you visit Damascus, you aren't gonna touch the guards without serious worry, and by 3rd you're getting chased nearly the moment you get on a Rooftop. They get REALLY agressive.

As for combat tips: While counter-kills are good and all, they are only insanely good in the first half- after that, you really do need to begin practicing your timing for main attacks, counter-kills, and grab-counters. Just wait til you get to the 3rd city and they start using combos against you- if you don't counter the first, you're gonna get owned. And later, the Templars hit so hard that blocking their hits still hurt, the only thing that doesn't is countering.

You can throw Knives til you're out- you probably just haven't gotten them yet. No, you can't loot it back, BUT, look for fatter guys on the street, target them, and pickpocket 'em- each has several knives. Or, go back to Masyaf.

In general, the game starts out easy as hell and gets much, MUCH harder as time goes on. Your 9th 'kill'(I won't spoil it here) requires a ton of setup around the kill area, a ton of planning on how you're going to handle it, and then near perfect execution.

Also, you return to each city 3 times. In terms of fun, I'd list 'em like this: Jerusalem #1, Acre #2(the gray castle), Damascus #3(this one never really gets too interesting to me, beyond my first time there).

I finished it a bit earlier tonite, so here comes the fun.



#1: Story finishes out very, VERY nicely. Altair certainly learns how to be a real Assassin, and follows the 3 Tenets pretty closely. And the "Real World" story tells quite a bit, but then ends, setting up the sequels nicely. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the only Assassin's Creed where 95% of the game is in the past- probably 50/50 in the future.
#2: The gameplay doesn't get repetitive, it gets repetitive on paper- yes, in each town you can interrogate, pickpocket, eavesdrop, and do mini-hits/time-limit collections. Thing is, the towns are so varied, even just within themselves, that the amount of stuff you do is nothing short of brilliant. Where your first time doing a mini-Assassination its pretty easy(not much more than getting behind them and stealth killing), by the 3rd you're tailing them closely and nailing them at perfect times, and then quickly having to get out before some guard freaks.
#3: Combat fixes itself by increasing the difficulty later. It eventually becomes a TON of fun, very enjoyable- taking on 10 guys feels like a practice in restraint and guesswork(the good kind- picking up on the way soldiers move before they strike).
#4: The ending is still bogus, gameplay wise. Where you practice the entire game being stealthy and being as invisible as possible, then running away and etc, suddenly the ending is all combat all the time. Its fun, but it feels like I'm being thrown from my element.

Overall, I'd give it a high 9. Nearly perfect, and ######ing brilliant. I'm gonna do the same thing with this as I did in GTA too- piss off cops/guards just so they'll chase me and spend my time running. Tons of fun figuring out fast ways around the city.

Also: WATCH TIL THE END OF THE CREDITS, MMK!? THE WORLD TURNS 100% SANDBOX!

Svenpa

Thanks Quaunaut, I guess I was in a bit of a hurry to throw questions though <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> They were explained not much further from where I were.

I don't think most people have figured it out but you can fight regular battles with the wristblade/assassination knife. Firstly, you need to engage battle the normal way (which makes Altair auto draw his sword) then pull out the wristblade. Now you can fight with dodge and counter attacks but not blocks, obviously. It's a bit buggy however, doesn't quite respond unless you have the specific attacker targeted. The counter moves are always finishing the attacker and their much more gruesome, not to talk about how awesomely badass it looks.

I'm currently at my second time in Damascus, can't say the guards are much whinier then before, I'll see if Jerusalem is any different. I mean, sure they are on to you as soon as you get on to a roof but all they need is a push and your anonymous again.

Oh, and I almost cry out in laughter every time I hear a templar shout his gibberish at me.