I generally like the RPG games, but I never realised how much I missed being back a big city until playing this, and man Baghdad is just stunning. It's such a breath of fresh air for the franchise and I hope Ubisoft make more titles like this in the future.
While it tries to be a 'return to form' and a 'love letter to the franchise', which I think they actually did fairly well with a limited scope/budget, it's clear the engine really isn't designed for a game of this type anymore. Basim still feels stiff and slow, owed to its roots as a Valhalla expansion and combat is still floaty and spammy even with basims limited health and stamina pool, though combat has never been particularly great in any AC.
Stealth also takes a big hit with the removal of the cover system from Unity/Syndicate meaning you never quite know if you're hidden around that corner or not. The whole "social stealth" aspect still isn't quite there yet as well as the continuation of the skill tree which really has no place in a game like this and just trivialises so many of the encounters, I'd honestly recommend not using any skill points.
The mission structure can be kinda confusing and dull at times, it's a lot of reading pieces of paper to unlock a clue to then go find another piece of paper which leads you into killing one of your targets which is where the game is at it's best. Following Unity's "black box" mission formula the game gives you a variety of ways to kill your target, some more scripted than others, giving you a lot of freedom in how you approach killing someone, it's very hitman light which is a step in the right direction, and I'd love to see it get expanded on further in future games.
There's a lot to complain about this game and lots of stuff I don't love, god Basim is just awful, but I generally really like it a lot? I'll be the first to admit I'm a sucker for Assassins Creed, always have been and always will be, and it really does feel bring me back to when AC was simpler, more focused, even with its flaws. I'd say bordeux has done a pretty good job at achieving what they set out to do, and I'm excited to see what they can do without being so tied to Valhalla.
While it tries to be a 'return to form' and a 'love letter to the franchise', which I think they actually did fairly well with a limited scope/budget, it's clear the engine really isn't designed for a game of this type anymore. Basim still feels stiff and slow, owed to its roots as a Valhalla expansion and combat is still floaty and spammy even with basims limited health and stamina pool, though combat has never been particularly great in any AC.
Stealth also takes a big hit with the removal of the cover system from Unity/Syndicate meaning you never quite know if you're hidden around that corner or not. The whole "social stealth" aspect still isn't quite there yet as well as the continuation of the skill tree which really has no place in a game like this and just trivialises so many of the encounters, I'd honestly recommend not using any skill points.
The mission structure can be kinda confusing and dull at times, it's a lot of reading pieces of paper to unlock a clue to then go find another piece of paper which leads you into killing one of your targets which is where the game is at it's best. Following Unity's "black box" mission formula the game gives you a variety of ways to kill your target, some more scripted than others, giving you a lot of freedom in how you approach killing someone, it's very hitman light which is a step in the right direction, and I'd love to see it get expanded on further in future games.
There's a lot to complain about this game and lots of stuff I don't love, god Basim is just awful, but I generally really like it a lot? I'll be the first to admit I'm a sucker for Assassins Creed, always have been and always will be, and it really does feel bring me back to when AC was simpler, more focused, even with its flaws. I'd say bordeux has done a pretty good job at achieving what they set out to do, and I'm excited to see what they can do without being so tied to Valhalla.