Assassin's Creed Hands-on Preview

Like A Bird

What bothered me most of all was the apparently confused way that these futuristic elements were combined with natural ones which fitted more with the game's perceived time period.

On the one hand the mini-map in the bottom left is updated by taking Altair to a high spot and letting him look out over the city, which in theory would bring an excellent sense of urgency to the game as the information could quickly become outdated. However, this doesn’t happen because the mini-map isn’t just a map which Altair updates. It’s a GPS system which tracks the movements of those who Altair watches.

There are a few areas though where the unneeded technological elements don’t quite permeate through and players are left with some more appropriate elements of game design. There are multiple factions throughout the city for example, such as monks and vigilantes who can be swayed to Altair’s side by performing some of the 100 sidequests.

Befriending certain groups will yield certain advantages for Altair. Impress the local gangs for example and you’ll find a gang member will help you out in combat. Help out the monks and you’ll be able to blend in with them as they roam throughout the city and into areas normally forbidden to you.


My favourite feature of the gameplay though was the use of birds to highlight possible escape routes. A flock of birds sat on a ledge or rooftop will often signify that below is a bale of hay which Altair can leap to if he needs some cover. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re running through a castle being pursued by a group of guards then the birds are an excellent way to indicate a quicker path without forcing it down the players throats. It’s also the type of thing you might miss, meaning that you’ll really have to keep your eyes open if you want to stand a chance.

Conclusion

Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of Assassin’s Creed. I went along to this preview having played the game a little before but I hadn’t really spent any substantial length of time with it and was still wrapped up in the hype. Like most gamers, my original thoughts had been that Assassin’s Creed was a peerless title which I would come away praising for it’s presentation and wit.

Yet, after having spent a number of hours with the game both hands-on and hands-off, my opinions are radically different from what I expected them to be. Chatting with Alex and Patrice buoyed me up with admiration for the considerable amount of work and thought that had obviously gone into the game – four years in total, including developing the custom engine – but even with that admiration I was still concerned by the game itself.


The graphics are excellent, though the game could perhaps do with a touch more AA in my opinion. The art design and animations are flawless and the overall look of the game is both believable and enthralling. The controls are simple and effective and though the effect of large crowds wasn’t as massive as the game's hype has suggested, it’s still a nice touch to a possibly-great game.

In fact the only real problem is the futuristic-bend on the story. On its own it would be forgiveable, but it manages to pervade itself through into absolutely every aspect of the game. Flashing clouds of binary for loading screens, streaming symbols in the middle of combat and invisible walls dotted with pseudo-scientific emblems – these are the elements which could ruin the game's otherwise fantastic set-up.

A lot of this could of course change dramatically over the next few months. These futuristic elements could be toned down or removed. It’s even possible that they could be so well explained in the full version that they turn from weak points to indispensable and innovative game elements.

But I’m sceptical of that possibility and I for one am going to be watching Assassin’s Creed very closely as the release date creeps forward out of the shadows. It’d be a horrible shame for this awesome game to stab itself in the throat by trying to be something it isn’t.