Finished up my replay of the trilogy. Revelations is definitely the weakest overall game but my god it’s so special. What it lacks in its design or side content it makes up for in droves with its story. The character work, the theming, the philosophy, the conclusion of it all. I’m honestly still shocked an AC game with a story this good even exists. The fact they managed to tie up Ezio, Altair, 16 and answer so many questions while still having us on the edge of our seat for where it was going to go next is just so impressive, this game really is special.

Constantinople is also super immersive and well designed as a city to wander through. I think I believe in so many ways it’s the best city design since AC1. The tight streets, the dense environments, it makes a change from the often huge and empty piazzas and wide streets of Florence, Venice and especially Rome.

The greatest open world I’ve ever lived in, and I really mean lived. This game creates the experience of truly existing in a virtual space. Whether that’s to head into town and speak to the locals, buy new gear, hunt animals in the snowy mountains, bond with your horse or spend hours upon hours fishing. RDR2 captures a certain level of immersion that is both captivating and alienating to different people yet that’s the price of creating something with such a level of feel artistic integrity. And that’s to say nothing of the story, character and themes all of which are some of the strongest in the industry or any industry for that matter. They took a beloved game, and made a prequel that ultimately bolsters the original thing while also superseding it in every single capacity. A true masterpiece.