Rushmore0Miles
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Assassin's creed chronicles as a trilogy is one of my all-time favorite entries into the AC catalog.
Understandably shunned by most mainstream fans of the series for being so radically different yet nevertheless fully within Ubisoft's wheelhouse, the games are a departure from the open-world RPG style assassin's creed games and a return to Ubisoft's roots in the prince of Persia games.
Chronicles feature 2.5D mostly linear levels, testing the player in tight counter-combat, and stealth tactics.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles continues with India,
This entry subtly improves upon the basic mechanics in a number of ways, and on the whole is my favorite in the trilogy.
It tightens the controls and introduces some much needed additions to basic stealth and movement.
Arbaz is a better character right out of the gate, though the story is nothing exceptional here either, it is at least more engaging with a motivation we can relate to at the end.
Every part of gameplay is better emphasized in India by its sprawling and partially non-linear level design.
Several sections have you going around large vistas in any order you choose, stealthing through these sections is an incredible rush.
India has stripped out the combat option from China and now focuses fully on stealth; You can still kill enemies and enter combat but it is no longer a way to get high scores in any category.
I personally believe this change is a positive one, with the additions to stealth such as non-lethal take-downs, pick-pocketing, and ricocheting projectiles;. it feels like this game has matured in it's stealth focus and demands you to do the same.
The linear segments in India feel more confident and less like simple running levels, the worlds themselves are more vibrant and full of surprises.
The two sniper sections aren't the best but they're a neat change of pace.
As for the new tailing missions, I get finding these frustrating, I sure did my first time playing.
On replay however I've realized how easy these are once you recognize the power of your tools, I got to the first tail with a full pouch of smokebombs and ended up getting ahead of the guy.
similarly during the final segment, nothing says you can't smoke bomb your way past the searching circle.
India to me feels like a massive improvement upon China, a game I already liked plenty. It's an often demanding but highly rewarding stealth game that really speaks to me as a fan of games like thief and dishonored.
If you decide to only play on of the chronicles trilogy let it be this one.
Understandably shunned by most mainstream fans of the series for being so radically different yet nevertheless fully within Ubisoft's wheelhouse, the games are a departure from the open-world RPG style assassin's creed games and a return to Ubisoft's roots in the prince of Persia games.
Chronicles feature 2.5D mostly linear levels, testing the player in tight counter-combat, and stealth tactics.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles continues with India,
This entry subtly improves upon the basic mechanics in a number of ways, and on the whole is my favorite in the trilogy.
It tightens the controls and introduces some much needed additions to basic stealth and movement.
Arbaz is a better character right out of the gate, though the story is nothing exceptional here either, it is at least more engaging with a motivation we can relate to at the end.
Every part of gameplay is better emphasized in India by its sprawling and partially non-linear level design.
Several sections have you going around large vistas in any order you choose, stealthing through these sections is an incredible rush.
India has stripped out the combat option from China and now focuses fully on stealth; You can still kill enemies and enter combat but it is no longer a way to get high scores in any category.
I personally believe this change is a positive one, with the additions to stealth such as non-lethal take-downs, pick-pocketing, and ricocheting projectiles;. it feels like this game has matured in it's stealth focus and demands you to do the same.
The linear segments in India feel more confident and less like simple running levels, the worlds themselves are more vibrant and full of surprises.
The two sniper sections aren't the best but they're a neat change of pace.
As for the new tailing missions, I get finding these frustrating, I sure did my first time playing.
On replay however I've realized how easy these are once you recognize the power of your tools, I got to the first tail with a full pouch of smokebombs and ended up getting ahead of the guy.
similarly during the final segment, nothing says you can't smoke bomb your way past the searching circle.
India to me feels like a massive improvement upon China, a game I already liked plenty. It's an often demanding but highly rewarding stealth game that really speaks to me as a fan of games like thief and dishonored.
If you decide to only play on of the chronicles trilogy let it be this one.
Assassin's creed chronicles as a trilogy is one of my all-time favorite entries into the AC catalog.
Understandably shunned by most mainstream fans of the series for being so radically different yet nevertheless fully within Ubisoft's wheelhouse, the games are a departure from the open-world RPG style assassin's creed games and a return to Ubisoft's roots in the prince of Persia games.
Chronicles feature 2.5D mostly linear levels, testing the player in tight counter-combat, and stealth tactics.
The trilogy concludes with Russia... and oh boy this one is tough...
The story to Russia is the most fleshed out of the three, both main characters feel fairly lifelike and the plot isn't half bad, I never played these for the story, given these games are side-stories within a larger AAA franchise I was never expecting much; but nonetheless Russia does deliver. The world and gameplay within all have a strong oppressive feeling to them which goes really well with the plot, you're on the run, everyone has betrayed you, the whole game is a mad dash to escape Russia as everything goes to hell. Both characters must find strength they didn't know they had to escape the night.
Visually this is the most striking of the three titles, the stark posterization is reminiscent of sin city and historic Russian propaganda. There's no mistaking the grey world for lazy design here, it really does look incredible, there are a small handful of repeated areas but you won't notice it at all until the final section, this game really looks gorgeous.
Finally we have to talk about the gameplay... this is where things get a bit unfortunate, Russia feels rushed to say the least. There are a handful of really great new ideas but there barely used since in this installment you spend almost the entire game getting railroaded from one linear section to the next. There's a grand total of three sections that honestly let you make choices, everywhere else you get one option and it almost always feels like the brute force way.
The problem here is Anastasia, while she is an interesting character, they made the choice of separating tools and helix with Anastasia getting the latter of the two.
Every one of her segments with the exception of the sniper escape level, feels claustrophobic.
You get one, insanely demanding path through all her levels, and it's always at least a little painful.
I've defended to the hilt that the deaths in the past two games are almost never cheap, I cannot defend this on however, many deaths really are. Far too many times you fail for reasons you cannot possibly predict or prepare for.
When you're not being railroaded (literally at several points) from timed levels, chase segments, or those unforgivable broken machine gun escapes; it's either obnoxiously tight stealth segments where you aren't even allowed to be spotted, or searchlight spam.
The few segments that do give you genuine agency are incredible, and despite how frustrating this game can be, it is all the more rewarding to beat; at least until the last mission which is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ joke.
it's a shame because there's a lot to like here, but just as much (if not more) to be disappointed by.
Orelov's kit is really clever, they've tied everything into his sniper and included a good deal more of those sniper sections to boot, not the most interesting stuff in the world but not offensive either, and it feels cohesive so I did ultimately enjoy it all.
This is the most recent setting of any AC game so it feels appropriate to have an emphasis on guns, and it's done in a way that makes thematic sense for the assassin/templar conflict.
The emphasis on air ducts, better use of the 3d with multi-plane infiltration, and electricity allowing you to completely turn an indoor environment to your advantage; are all great additions. I just wish the game spent more time focusing on these sections, and far less on the chases, and timed crap.
Finally I have to acknowledge bugs, there are plenty in this one.
I recall virtually zero bugs in the past two titles so it's pretty baffling how common they were in this one. I found orelov's position slowly shifting inside of cover with each takedown during the train segment, likely because the train is genuinely moving (or at least some feature is included to make things like smoke move along the outside).
I also found the detection on boundaries fairly unreliable, and worst of all: enemies would frequently turn around within their pathing in seemingly unintended ways resulting in some sections being near impossible for a shadow gold run.
By the end I still did manage to complete the game on shadow gold so it does basically function, just not as smoothly as the first two installments did which is a damn shame.
On the whole Russia is the hardest to like of the three, as someone who truly enjoyed the concept of Chronicles I still found plenty to enjoy, but I'll admit I was far more frustrated than I'd ever allow myself to be with any other game of this length.
It was too short to be this inconsistent.
I can't know for sure without a good deal of research but I get the feeling this installment was rushed out, the big open ended sections of India almost certainly took more time and effort than the linear levels in Russia. There's less to design and test if you only program one solution, and less to animate if you keep locations tight. The literal train segments almost certainly saved a lot of time and effort. I don't want to believe laziness or an unreasonable deadline made this game what it is, but I find it hard to come up with a better reason for it.
So why, given all its faults, do I still recommend this game?
Truth be told I just really do love that core concept, and by the end I still do feel like I had fun despite everything. I enjoyed Chronicles as a trilogy for all its highs and lows, and feel that if you enjoy any part of chronicles you can and should enjoy all of it.
If for no other reason, I recommend this game because I think you should support this kind of game design, it's different, and worthwhile.
TLDR:
Russia is the weakest of the trilogy, but if you liked the other two, definitely still give it a try.
Understandably shunned by most mainstream fans of the series for being so radically different yet nevertheless fully within Ubisoft's wheelhouse, the games are a departure from the open-world RPG style assassin's creed games and a return to Ubisoft's roots in the prince of Persia games.
Chronicles feature 2.5D mostly linear levels, testing the player in tight counter-combat, and stealth tactics.
The trilogy concludes with Russia... and oh boy this one is tough...
The story to Russia is the most fleshed out of the three, both main characters feel fairly lifelike and the plot isn't half bad, I never played these for the story, given these games are side-stories within a larger AAA franchise I was never expecting much; but nonetheless Russia does deliver. The world and gameplay within all have a strong oppressive feeling to them which goes really well with the plot, you're on the run, everyone has betrayed you, the whole game is a mad dash to escape Russia as everything goes to hell. Both characters must find strength they didn't know they had to escape the night.
Visually this is the most striking of the three titles, the stark posterization is reminiscent of sin city and historic Russian propaganda. There's no mistaking the grey world for lazy design here, it really does look incredible, there are a small handful of repeated areas but you won't notice it at all until the final section, this game really looks gorgeous.
Finally we have to talk about the gameplay... this is where things get a bit unfortunate, Russia feels rushed to say the least. There are a handful of really great new ideas but there barely used since in this installment you spend almost the entire game getting railroaded from one linear section to the next. There's a grand total of three sections that honestly let you make choices, everywhere else you get one option and it almost always feels like the brute force way.
The problem here is Anastasia, while she is an interesting character, they made the choice of separating tools and helix with Anastasia getting the latter of the two.
Every one of her segments with the exception of the sniper escape level, feels claustrophobic.
You get one, insanely demanding path through all her levels, and it's always at least a little painful.
I've defended to the hilt that the deaths in the past two games are almost never cheap, I cannot defend this on however, many deaths really are. Far too many times you fail for reasons you cannot possibly predict or prepare for.
When you're not being railroaded (literally at several points) from timed levels, chase segments, or those unforgivable broken machine gun escapes; it's either obnoxiously tight stealth segments where you aren't even allowed to be spotted, or searchlight spam.
The few segments that do give you genuine agency are incredible, and despite how frustrating this game can be, it is all the more rewarding to beat; at least until the last mission which is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ joke.
it's a shame because there's a lot to like here, but just as much (if not more) to be disappointed by.
Orelov's kit is really clever, they've tied everything into his sniper and included a good deal more of those sniper sections to boot, not the most interesting stuff in the world but not offensive either, and it feels cohesive so I did ultimately enjoy it all.
This is the most recent setting of any AC game so it feels appropriate to have an emphasis on guns, and it's done in a way that makes thematic sense for the assassin/templar conflict.
The emphasis on air ducts, better use of the 3d with multi-plane infiltration, and electricity allowing you to completely turn an indoor environment to your advantage; are all great additions. I just wish the game spent more time focusing on these sections, and far less on the chases, and timed crap.
Finally I have to acknowledge bugs, there are plenty in this one.
I recall virtually zero bugs in the past two titles so it's pretty baffling how common they were in this one. I found orelov's position slowly shifting inside of cover with each takedown during the train segment, likely because the train is genuinely moving (or at least some feature is included to make things like smoke move along the outside).
I also found the detection on boundaries fairly unreliable, and worst of all: enemies would frequently turn around within their pathing in seemingly unintended ways resulting in some sections being near impossible for a shadow gold run.
By the end I still did manage to complete the game on shadow gold so it does basically function, just not as smoothly as the first two installments did which is a damn shame.
On the whole Russia is the hardest to like of the three, as someone who truly enjoyed the concept of Chronicles I still found plenty to enjoy, but I'll admit I was far more frustrated than I'd ever allow myself to be with any other game of this length.
It was too short to be this inconsistent.
I can't know for sure without a good deal of research but I get the feeling this installment was rushed out, the big open ended sections of India almost certainly took more time and effort than the linear levels in Russia. There's less to design and test if you only program one solution, and less to animate if you keep locations tight. The literal train segments almost certainly saved a lot of time and effort. I don't want to believe laziness or an unreasonable deadline made this game what it is, but I find it hard to come up with a better reason for it.
So why, given all its faults, do I still recommend this game?
Truth be told I just really do love that core concept, and by the end I still do feel like I had fun despite everything. I enjoyed Chronicles as a trilogy for all its highs and lows, and feel that if you enjoy any part of chronicles you can and should enjoy all of it.
If for no other reason, I recommend this game because I think you should support this kind of game design, it's different, and worthwhile.
TLDR:
Russia is the weakest of the trilogy, but if you liked the other two, definitely still give it a try.
2007
This is the best puzzle game ever made.
2004
HL2 is an overrated shooter, not as good as HL1 and aged poorly... but it also released with an engine called source...
Source was the single greatest physics engine ever created. Everything good about games that has come since this game exists BECAUSE of this game. no way around it.
Source was the single greatest physics engine ever created. Everything good about games that has come since this game exists BECAUSE of this game. no way around it.
2000
This is the game that made me like jrpgs
it is also a perfect example of why they are bad.
this game is only good because of the characters. the gameplay is still bad on the face of it...
it is also a perfect example of why they are bad.
this game is only good because of the characters. the gameplay is still bad on the face of it...
2005
super unique platformer
Assassin's creed chronicles as a trilogy is one of my all-time favorite entries into the AC catalog.
Understandably shunned by most mainstream fans of the series for being so radically different yet nevertheless fully within Ubisoft's wheelhouse, the games are a departure from the open-world RPG style assassin's creed games and a return to Ubisoft's roots in the prince of Persia games.
Chronicles feature 2.5D mostly linear levels, testing the player in tight counter-combat, and stealth tactics.
Now onto China specifically:
Chronicles China follows Shao Jun, a Chinese assassin who is one of the very last in her order, on a quest for revenge with a precursor artifact in the mix.
The story is sub-par to say the least, but nonetheless the characters are interesting and aesthetically it all works very well.
The world is doused in gorgeous muted watercolor, the whole thing feels very polished visually, stylized just enough to be somewhat timeless.
The core of what makes it all so memorable to me is the gameplay, separated into three categories: combat, assassin, and shadow.
The game scores you for consistency but ultimately favors stealth above all else.
I appreciate that the game offers you plenty of reward for playing your own way, allowing newer players to have plenty of fun brute forcing the harder levels, but still rewarding players for mastering the main stealth gameplay as is intended to be front and center.
Much like the classic AC games Chronicles is going to require discipline and calm more than anything, patience is absolutely king here.
Stay on top of your tools and master the basic pathing of enemies and you'll find yourself not just acing levels, but actively getting through sections without having to retry before long.
For me it was on my second playthrough that it really started to click, I haven't gone all the way to 100% shadow but I'd say I'm at about 80-90%
The primary gameplay levels are broken up with running levels that allow the game to breath and showcase some neat 2.5D action setpieces, the first one of these at the moody port gives way to the bustling city which introduces social stealth.
The whole thing has a solid flow and pace that culminates in a very engaging final sequence atop the great wall.
China stands out among the trilogy as being the only one that encouraged brute force, this can seem like a slightly rushed or underdeveloped idea but I personally believe it was a good way to introduce players to the gameplay concept.
Chronicles is a stricter and simpler game than typical Assassin's Creed games so for the first entry to offer players a more obvious solution without slamming the door on them seems wise to me.
The combat is fairly similar to AC counter-combat and so can be understood perfectly well without much explanation.
All thing's considered Chronicles is unique for an AC game but if stealth focus is something you like I strongly recommend you give it a try, just don't go in expecting something that isn't here, this is not an AC RPG.
Understandably shunned by most mainstream fans of the series for being so radically different yet nevertheless fully within Ubisoft's wheelhouse, the games are a departure from the open-world RPG style assassin's creed games and a return to Ubisoft's roots in the prince of Persia games.
Chronicles feature 2.5D mostly linear levels, testing the player in tight counter-combat, and stealth tactics.
Now onto China specifically:
Chronicles China follows Shao Jun, a Chinese assassin who is one of the very last in her order, on a quest for revenge with a precursor artifact in the mix.
The story is sub-par to say the least, but nonetheless the characters are interesting and aesthetically it all works very well.
The world is doused in gorgeous muted watercolor, the whole thing feels very polished visually, stylized just enough to be somewhat timeless.
The core of what makes it all so memorable to me is the gameplay, separated into three categories: combat, assassin, and shadow.
The game scores you for consistency but ultimately favors stealth above all else.
I appreciate that the game offers you plenty of reward for playing your own way, allowing newer players to have plenty of fun brute forcing the harder levels, but still rewarding players for mastering the main stealth gameplay as is intended to be front and center.
Much like the classic AC games Chronicles is going to require discipline and calm more than anything, patience is absolutely king here.
Stay on top of your tools and master the basic pathing of enemies and you'll find yourself not just acing levels, but actively getting through sections without having to retry before long.
For me it was on my second playthrough that it really started to click, I haven't gone all the way to 100% shadow but I'd say I'm at about 80-90%
The primary gameplay levels are broken up with running levels that allow the game to breath and showcase some neat 2.5D action setpieces, the first one of these at the moody port gives way to the bustling city which introduces social stealth.
The whole thing has a solid flow and pace that culminates in a very engaging final sequence atop the great wall.
China stands out among the trilogy as being the only one that encouraged brute force, this can seem like a slightly rushed or underdeveloped idea but I personally believe it was a good way to introduce players to the gameplay concept.
Chronicles is a stricter and simpler game than typical Assassin's Creed games so for the first entry to offer players a more obvious solution without slamming the door on them seems wise to me.
The combat is fairly similar to AC counter-combat and so can be understood perfectly well without much explanation.
All thing's considered Chronicles is unique for an AC game but if stealth focus is something you like I strongly recommend you give it a try, just don't go in expecting something that isn't here, this is not an AC RPG.
2016
I hit a bear with a stick till it died.
Sequal? to cloudpunk. it's an expansion that really just doubles the narrative of the original with some new areas and new characters.
The visuals are stunning, the gameplay hits this really deep niche for me, and the new characters are way more likeable, they even rub off on the walking talking putrid anus that is Rania.
The visuals are stunning, the gameplay hits this really deep niche for me, and the new characters are way more likeable, they even rub off on the walking talking putrid anus that is Rania.
2020
amazing game, ruined by a god-awful protag, and some asinine politics.
the DLC on the other hand is a masterpiece.
the DLC on the other hand is a masterpiece.
2020
I like this more than hl1
1999
I aint gonna defend it, it's fucking weird.
but i like it.
do you like stupid min/maxing?
do you play with a wiki on your first run?
do you like one-shotting final bosses first try?
play this game
but i like it.
do you like stupid min/maxing?
do you play with a wiki on your first run?
do you like one-shotting final bosses first try?
play this game
Black Flag 1.5... couldn't put it any better.
Sure the story is mind-numbingly incompetent but frankly this game was made by the literal D team... I'm dead serious.
The AC liberations guys made this one and frankly I'm a sucker for their work.
They know how to make a character compelling even if they don't know what to do with that character.
and they have a thing for visual narrative which I'm also a sucker for.
The world is just so captivating. I couldn't bring myself to explore black flags world because i found it repetitive and unrewarding. Rogue put all its eggs into collectathon and world narrative. I actually scavenged the stupid templar armor in this game and that's saying a lot.
Sure the story is mind-numbingly incompetent but frankly this game was made by the literal D team... I'm dead serious.
The AC liberations guys made this one and frankly I'm a sucker for their work.
They know how to make a character compelling even if they don't know what to do with that character.
and they have a thing for visual narrative which I'm also a sucker for.
The world is just so captivating. I couldn't bring myself to explore black flags world because i found it repetitive and unrewarding. Rogue put all its eggs into collectathon and world narrative. I actually scavenged the stupid templar armor in this game and that's saying a lot.
I've started liking this game a lot less on replays but it's still part of the masterful ezio trilogy. Classic AC is infinitely better than anything that came after revelations, but this one is fighting with two arms tied behinds its back.
The worlds and level design does no favors to the improved gameplay. tell me, if we went to all the trouble improving freedom of movement and climbing, why do we spend so much fucking time on a horse that rides like ass?
Still... this is the one that introduced reactive stealth in a MAJOR way. So much replay value in the assassinations etc...
great story, amazing multiplayer (shame it's probably dead by the time you're reading this)
and frankly without this game we wouldn't have had my all time favorite action game.
The worlds and level design does no favors to the improved gameplay. tell me, if we went to all the trouble improving freedom of movement and climbing, why do we spend so much fucking time on a horse that rides like ass?
Still... this is the one that introduced reactive stealth in a MAJOR way. So much replay value in the assassinations etc...
great story, amazing multiplayer (shame it's probably dead by the time you're reading this)
and frankly without this game we wouldn't have had my all time favorite action game.
2016
Play it modded