2012
This was the most mixed AC game I have ever played. I didn't know if i liked it or hated it until the very end of the DLC. The answer is...I liked it overall but it has A LOT of issues. Let me explain.
First the good:
- Naval missions and naval locations were awesome! Ship combat, visiting old temples and ship graveyards while captaining the Aquila was so cool.
- Finally having animals and children so now cities feel even more alive.
- Combat took a bit to get used to but felt great after a while. The weapon variety was great and the inclusion of smoke bombs, poison darts and specially Shao Yun's ROPE DART! Hanging redcoats in trees with these was badass.
- Really liked the "Prologue" plot twist of having played as a Templar the whole time. Also loved Haytham during the whole game. Can't wait to read Forsaken!
- Loved the homestead missions and Achiles's death and funeral. These were the most human and emotional missions in the franchise yet and I found it a very welcome change of pace.
- Hunting was fun to a point. The game asks a bit too much of hunting to do all the logbooks and side activities but in short amounts it's very fun to explore the frontier or the homestead and parkour around the trees.
- Really liked how similar Desmond and Connor were. Not only because they are relatives but also because they were pawns in a system they cannot change even if they tried. Pretty depressing though.
- The dynamic weather system and day and night cycle were great additions to the franchise and visually worked great with all the main locations.
- The DLC (specially the powers) was so fun to play and a great ending to Connor's story (for now). Great final boss fight against King George. Loved how creative it was and AC needs to experiment more with alternate universes.
- Personally loved the Modern Day sections and we got to see the amount of cool shit Desmond learnt to do during his time in the animus. Also him sacrificing himself to save the world was a very fitting end to his "redemption" arc. Obviously would have liked to see more of him and maybe become Master Assassin but it was a very heroic way to die.
- Connor was fine as a protagonist. He was the Batman of the franchise and even though he was a bit more generic than Ezio and Altair, his strength and care for the people he loves and protects made up for it. His arc during the DLC was also really interesting to see and made his character even more badass than he already was in my eyes.
Now the bad:
-The amount of content in this game is overwhelming. There is just too much. The map sizes were too much, collectibles were too many, side missions were too many, even the tutorial was too long. The 40hours it took me to finish it felt like 80. I even had to do multiple breaks during the months it took me to finally finish this game. Too much of everything and probably the developers were in a lot of pain making this never-ending game. Not even counting the DLC. Yikes.
- The crafting and trade systems were a little too overly complicated. However, crafting weapons and upgrades for Connor were at least a bit cool to do.
- This was the most buggy AC game I've played 100%. The amount of bugs this game had were too many to count. Enemies got stuck, Connor got stuck, graphics and lighting also had troubles, some music didn't play during cutscenes and even during the Tyranny of King Washington DLC I've fought against texture-less enemies. Horribly disappointing.
- I found this game's codex quite boring and even I, a history buff, didn't care to read many of them relating to battles or buildings.
- I also feel that parkour got a bit downgraded compared to revelations. Movement is more automatic and "accessible" and it tended to bug out a lot more than previous installments. Even AC1...
- Characters other than Haytham, Connor and Aquiles didn't feel interesting enough to me especially compared to AC2 and Brotherhood.
- I did feel that they tried to retread a lot of what AC2 already did in regards to the revenge story and the apple's corruption during Tyranny of King Washington.
- I didn't like parkouring and exploring New York nor Boston. They didn't feel interesting enough specially after having played in Constantinople and Italy. Everything was sort of plain and visually the game mostly delivered only in the Frontier and even then it was too much with not enough to do. However I have to say that with the DLC powers I did have a lot of fun exploring Washington's New York, but that's mainly because I could just fly anywhere, if I had to parkour like in the main game I maybe wouldn't even have finished the DLC honestly.
- "FUCKING HORSES CAN'T GO THROUGH ANYWHERE. JUST JUMP, JUST DO IT. STOP BUGGING OUT PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU." (Me the 3543 times I needed to use the horse in the frontier on in the homestead.)
HOLY SHIT THIS REVIEW IS LONG.
TLDR: Lot of good, Lot of bad. However they really tried to change it all up and this is certainly a step in the right direction for future games to improve upon all the foundation that this game did to change up and modernize the Ezio formula.
3.5/5 = A game with a lot of balls in regard to how much they tried to do in only one entry. A lot of misses obviously (mainly all the bugs that plague this game) but I'm glad I played this. Now onto the next adventure...
First the good:
- Naval missions and naval locations were awesome! Ship combat, visiting old temples and ship graveyards while captaining the Aquila was so cool.
- Finally having animals and children so now cities feel even more alive.
- Combat took a bit to get used to but felt great after a while. The weapon variety was great and the inclusion of smoke bombs, poison darts and specially Shao Yun's ROPE DART! Hanging redcoats in trees with these was badass.
- Really liked the "Prologue" plot twist of having played as a Templar the whole time. Also loved Haytham during the whole game. Can't wait to read Forsaken!
- Loved the homestead missions and Achiles's death and funeral. These were the most human and emotional missions in the franchise yet and I found it a very welcome change of pace.
- Hunting was fun to a point. The game asks a bit too much of hunting to do all the logbooks and side activities but in short amounts it's very fun to explore the frontier or the homestead and parkour around the trees.
- Really liked how similar Desmond and Connor were. Not only because they are relatives but also because they were pawns in a system they cannot change even if they tried. Pretty depressing though.
- The dynamic weather system and day and night cycle were great additions to the franchise and visually worked great with all the main locations.
- The DLC (specially the powers) was so fun to play and a great ending to Connor's story (for now). Great final boss fight against King George. Loved how creative it was and AC needs to experiment more with alternate universes.
- Personally loved the Modern Day sections and we got to see the amount of cool shit Desmond learnt to do during his time in the animus. Also him sacrificing himself to save the world was a very fitting end to his "redemption" arc. Obviously would have liked to see more of him and maybe become Master Assassin but it was a very heroic way to die.
- Connor was fine as a protagonist. He was the Batman of the franchise and even though he was a bit more generic than Ezio and Altair, his strength and care for the people he loves and protects made up for it. His arc during the DLC was also really interesting to see and made his character even more badass than he already was in my eyes.
Now the bad:
-The amount of content in this game is overwhelming. There is just too much. The map sizes were too much, collectibles were too many, side missions were too many, even the tutorial was too long. The 40hours it took me to finish it felt like 80. I even had to do multiple breaks during the months it took me to finally finish this game. Too much of everything and probably the developers were in a lot of pain making this never-ending game. Not even counting the DLC. Yikes.
- The crafting and trade systems were a little too overly complicated. However, crafting weapons and upgrades for Connor were at least a bit cool to do.
- This was the most buggy AC game I've played 100%. The amount of bugs this game had were too many to count. Enemies got stuck, Connor got stuck, graphics and lighting also had troubles, some music didn't play during cutscenes and even during the Tyranny of King Washington DLC I've fought against texture-less enemies. Horribly disappointing.
- I found this game's codex quite boring and even I, a history buff, didn't care to read many of them relating to battles or buildings.
- I also feel that parkour got a bit downgraded compared to revelations. Movement is more automatic and "accessible" and it tended to bug out a lot more than previous installments. Even AC1...
- Characters other than Haytham, Connor and Aquiles didn't feel interesting enough to me especially compared to AC2 and Brotherhood.
- I did feel that they tried to retread a lot of what AC2 already did in regards to the revenge story and the apple's corruption during Tyranny of King Washington.
- I didn't like parkouring and exploring New York nor Boston. They didn't feel interesting enough specially after having played in Constantinople and Italy. Everything was sort of plain and visually the game mostly delivered only in the Frontier and even then it was too much with not enough to do. However I have to say that with the DLC powers I did have a lot of fun exploring Washington's New York, but that's mainly because I could just fly anywhere, if I had to parkour like in the main game I maybe wouldn't even have finished the DLC honestly.
- "FUCKING HORSES CAN'T GO THROUGH ANYWHERE. JUST JUMP, JUST DO IT. STOP BUGGING OUT PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU." (Me the 3543 times I needed to use the horse in the frontier on in the homestead.)
HOLY SHIT THIS REVIEW IS LONG.
TLDR: Lot of good, Lot of bad. However they really tried to change it all up and this is certainly a step in the right direction for future games to improve upon all the foundation that this game did to change up and modernize the Ezio formula.
3.5/5 = A game with a lot of balls in regard to how much they tried to do in only one entry. A lot of misses obviously (mainly all the bugs that plague this game) but I'm glad I played this. Now onto the next adventure...
2001
WHAT A REVOLUTIONARY GAME! IT CHANGED GAMING FOREVER!
And those are all the good things I can say about this game.
In 2024, this game is just mediocre.
The story is bland. Some characters are interesting but none are fleshed out enough to be memorable. Radio music was alright but very limited amount of songs available. Mission structure was repetitive and some were just irritating and difficult for no reason. Cars also broke with the slightest breeze. No planes, no bikes, no choppers.
It's the base of what's to come so at least that's something.
Now onto Liberty City Stories...
And those are all the good things I can say about this game.
In 2024, this game is just mediocre.
The story is bland. Some characters are interesting but none are fleshed out enough to be memorable. Radio music was alright but very limited amount of songs available. Mission structure was repetitive and some were just irritating and difficult for no reason. Cars also broke with the slightest breeze. No planes, no bikes, no choppers.
It's the base of what's to come so at least that's something.
Now onto Liberty City Stories...
Well shit.
Chronicles China was such a delight to play and such a breath of fresh air after playing Revelations...
This was not.
First the good: Art style was unique, music was mostly pretty cool and the sniper sections were fun to do.
Now the bad: The voice acting in this game is one the of worst I've ever heard in a videogame. All guards sounded bored and with the same tone of voice and Nikolai's was in my opinion the worst of all. All of his cutscene performances felt like he was learning how to read out loud. Anastasia's was the only one I'd say was serviceable. The story was forgettable and predictable (they straight up copied The Last of Us in its final act). It felt unoriginal and Anastasia nor Nikolai were likeable at all. The game was way more restrictive in terms of gameplay than China and it felt repetitive and frustrating from beginning to end. Shao Jun's inclusion in this story didn't feel worthy nor necessary.
This game felt like a chore to play and didn't feel like a worthy successor to China. It helped fill in some information regarding the comic The Chain's events but other than that felt like a waste of time.
At least it was better than the DS games i guess...
4/10.
Chronicles China was such a delight to play and such a breath of fresh air after playing Revelations...
This was not.
First the good: Art style was unique, music was mostly pretty cool and the sniper sections were fun to do.
Now the bad: The voice acting in this game is one the of worst I've ever heard in a videogame. All guards sounded bored and with the same tone of voice and Nikolai's was in my opinion the worst of all. All of his cutscene performances felt like he was learning how to read out loud. Anastasia's was the only one I'd say was serviceable. The story was forgettable and predictable (they straight up copied The Last of Us in its final act). It felt unoriginal and Anastasia nor Nikolai were likeable at all. The game was way more restrictive in terms of gameplay than China and it felt repetitive and frustrating from beginning to end. Shao Jun's inclusion in this story didn't feel worthy nor necessary.
This game felt like a chore to play and didn't feel like a worthy successor to China. It helped fill in some information regarding the comic The Chain's events but other than that felt like a waste of time.
At least it was better than the DS games i guess...
4/10.
FINALLY! A GOOD 2D AC GAME!
After playing Altair's Chronicles and Discovery, my expectations were very low for this one. I loved this game!
The art style was amazing, the animations smooth, Shao Yun was great as a protagonist and China was amazing to explore. The stealth was fun, combat thankfully was pretty much optional but the times I've had to fight enemies even if it was a bit stiff it was easy and the combat finishers looked good. Music was also spectacular and loved it's rendition of Ezio's family for Shao.
Very solid entry and enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would!
7.5/10 = Ezio would be proud.
After playing Altair's Chronicles and Discovery, my expectations were very low for this one. I loved this game!
The art style was amazing, the animations smooth, Shao Yun was great as a protagonist and China was amazing to explore. The stealth was fun, combat thankfully was pretty much optional but the times I've had to fight enemies even if it was a bit stiff it was easy and the combat finishers looked good. Music was also spectacular and loved it's rendition of Ezio's family for Shao.
Very solid entry and enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would!
7.5/10 = Ezio would be proud.
Finally we have arrived at the end of Altair and Ezio's saga!
First the good: LOVED the ending, teared up like a lil baby and very emotional seeing Ezio talk to Desmond. The hookblade was great fun and the rare Templar Lairs and Secret locations were great to explore. Also really enjoyed the soundtrack and Ezio and Sofia's romance was cute, charming and really well made.
Now the bad: Never truly connected to Constantinople and it's politics. The architecture was beautiful and the city was very lively but i couldn't connect to helping the brotherhood control this city as much as i did and enjoyed doing it in Rome. Altair's missions felt a bit hollow especially after reading The Secret Crusade which I 100% recommend and made me care so much about Altair's final chapter in his life.
HOW DARE THEY SKIP MALIK'S DEATH WTF?! THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW MALIK'S SON!!! Didn't quite like Altair's new VO and think Bloodlines's VA would have done way better. Most of the game felt rushed and story-wise felt hollow until the ending. I didn't enjoy the villains all that much and the tower defense part of the game was too simplistic and unbalanced. Codex was for the first time in this franchise very boring for me to read and Shaun was desperately needed. Bombs were..alright? Didn't hate their inclusion but were quite forgettable in my playthrough.
In my personal opinion this game is saved by it's opening CGI cutscene, it's ending and Ezio and Sofia's romance. The first person sections regarding Clay and Desmond were pretty fun and interesting. The assassin recruiting mission were much better than in brotherhood as well so that's a plus.
In summary: it's not a great game but made me cry and I really appreciate that. 6/10
(PLEASE READ SECRET CRUSADE TO HAVE THE BETTER VERSION OF ALTAIR'S MISSIONS IN THIS GAME)
First the good: LOVED the ending, teared up like a lil baby and very emotional seeing Ezio talk to Desmond. The hookblade was great fun and the rare Templar Lairs and Secret locations were great to explore. Also really enjoyed the soundtrack and Ezio and Sofia's romance was cute, charming and really well made.
Now the bad: Never truly connected to Constantinople and it's politics. The architecture was beautiful and the city was very lively but i couldn't connect to helping the brotherhood control this city as much as i did and enjoyed doing it in Rome. Altair's missions felt a bit hollow especially after reading The Secret Crusade which I 100% recommend and made me care so much about Altair's final chapter in his life.
HOW DARE THEY SKIP MALIK'S DEATH WTF?! THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW MALIK'S SON!!! Didn't quite like Altair's new VO and think Bloodlines's VA would have done way better. Most of the game felt rushed and story-wise felt hollow until the ending. I didn't enjoy the villains all that much and the tower defense part of the game was too simplistic and unbalanced. Codex was for the first time in this franchise very boring for me to read and Shaun was desperately needed. Bombs were..alright? Didn't hate their inclusion but were quite forgettable in my playthrough.
In my personal opinion this game is saved by it's opening CGI cutscene, it's ending and Ezio and Sofia's romance. The first person sections regarding Clay and Desmond were pretty fun and interesting. The assassin recruiting mission were much better than in brotherhood as well so that's a plus.
In summary: it's not a great game but made me cry and I really appreciate that. 6/10
(PLEASE READ SECRET CRUSADE TO HAVE THE BETTER VERSION OF ALTAIR'S MISSIONS IN THIS GAME)
What a great game! Great story and amazing Soundtrack.
What an unbelievably shocking ending. Great Modern Day Parts (especially with Shaun not being such an asshole anymore)!
Loved how combat was so much more fluid compared to II, however, I felt it got dumbed down a bit and way easier compared to I and II.
Ezio's arc from being the Prophet to the Leader of the Assassins was amazing and greatly done. Also Claudia's arc was really great to see as well! Finally some character development for her! Having all the guilds available was so fun too. Cristina's missions were amazing and probably my favorite part of the game and destroying Da Vinci's machines was so so much fun.
This game definitely felt like the true 3rd act of the Ezio story.
8.5/10 Amazing game and had so much fun with it.
Now it's time to end Altair and Ezio's story once and for all.
What an unbelievably shocking ending. Great Modern Day Parts (especially with Shaun not being such an asshole anymore)!
Loved how combat was so much more fluid compared to II, however, I felt it got dumbed down a bit and way easier compared to I and II.
Ezio's arc from being the Prophet to the Leader of the Assassins was amazing and greatly done. Also Claudia's arc was really great to see as well! Finally some character development for her! Having all the guilds available was so fun too. Cristina's missions were amazing and probably my favorite part of the game and destroying Da Vinci's machines was so so much fun.
This game definitely felt like the true 3rd act of the Ezio story.
8.5/10 Amazing game and had so much fun with it.
Now it's time to end Altair and Ezio's story once and for all.
I can't believe I'm gonna say this... Discovery is worse than Altair's Chronicles.
This could have improved so much on the first one. However it does not. The only thing i feel they improved upon is the new 2D animation and some of the combat and parkour animation was pretty cool.
The story was dull and I absolutely hated having to spend time with Colombus. Spanish medieval culture wasn't explored at all, voice acting was really mediocre even though at least it actually has VA in contrast to Altair's Chronicles.
The combat and stealth felt clunky and repetitive. No hidden blade, no Ezio beard, no abilites from AC2 or even Altair's Chronicles other than throwing knives. Camera also sucked.
Altair's Chronicles might have also sucked but at least tried to do something. This seems soulless.
I am frustrated, this game could have been so much better and explored so much. Hopefully when it's the chronicles trilogy's turn they will finally learn from their mistakes and actually make a 2d platformer actually worth playing...
3/10
This could have improved so much on the first one. However it does not. The only thing i feel they improved upon is the new 2D animation and some of the combat and parkour animation was pretty cool.
The story was dull and I absolutely hated having to spend time with Colombus. Spanish medieval culture wasn't explored at all, voice acting was really mediocre even though at least it actually has VA in contrast to Altair's Chronicles.
The combat and stealth felt clunky and repetitive. No hidden blade, no Ezio beard, no abilites from AC2 or even Altair's Chronicles other than throwing knives. Camera also sucked.
Altair's Chronicles might have also sucked but at least tried to do something. This seems soulless.
I am frustrated, this game could have been so much better and explored so much. Hopefully when it's the chronicles trilogy's turn they will finally learn from their mistakes and actually make a 2d platformer actually worth playing...
3/10
2009
WOW! Just...WOW!
What an incredible game. From start to finish. It improved in absolutely everything over it's predecessors. Story, Characters, Lore, Soundtrack, Animations, Combat, Atmosphere...
-Absolutely loved the narrative structure throughout (The amount of years it takes for Ezio to fully get his vengeance)
-Loved the cities (My favorites were Firenze and Venezia).
- The humor was great and the drama and conspiracy was captivating since the moment Ezio's father and brothers meet their demise.
I even collected the damn feathers, that's how much i LOVED this game.
The ending was absolutely amazing: The fourth wall breaks, Desmond kicking ass, Ezio kicking the pope's ass...
MASTERPIECE = 9.5/10
What an incredible game. From start to finish. It improved in absolutely everything over it's predecessors. Story, Characters, Lore, Soundtrack, Animations, Combat, Atmosphere...
-Absolutely loved the narrative structure throughout (The amount of years it takes for Ezio to fully get his vengeance)
-Loved the cities (My favorites were Firenze and Venezia).
- The humor was great and the drama and conspiracy was captivating since the moment Ezio's father and brothers meet their demise.
I even collected the damn feathers, that's how much i LOVED this game.
The ending was absolutely amazing: The fourth wall breaks, Desmond kicking ass, Ezio kicking the pope's ass...
MASTERPIECE = 9.5/10
Another very mixed spin-off game for this amazing saga!
First the bad: This game is REALLY buggy. The parkour and camera control are irritatingly frustrating.
Now the good: The cutscenes were really well made, the new Voice Actor for Altair is amazing and I personally prefer this voice over the original AC 2007 one. The new combat finishers are great and that there are finally ground finishers with the sword and dagger is fantastic. Counter attacks with the hidden dagger?!! Also fantastic boss fights!
The story was fantastic and I loved how it continued Maria's story arc. Loved Altair's philosophic scenes writing in his diary and it's great that even though this is sort of a spin-off game it's a direct sequel to the original game.
5.5/10
Altair's trilogy is finally over. Now it's time for a little renaissance.
First the bad: This game is REALLY buggy. The parkour and camera control are irritatingly frustrating.
Now the good: The cutscenes were really well made, the new Voice Actor for Altair is amazing and I personally prefer this voice over the original AC 2007 one. The new combat finishers are great and that there are finally ground finishers with the sword and dagger is fantastic. Counter attacks with the hidden dagger?!! Also fantastic boss fights!
The story was fantastic and I loved how it continued Maria's story arc. Loved Altair's philosophic scenes writing in his diary and it's great that even though this is sort of a spin-off game it's a direct sequel to the original game.
5.5/10
Altair's trilogy is finally over. Now it's time for a little renaissance.
2007
I have FINALLY played and finished this iconic videogame!
I loved it! The atmosphere, music, moral dilemmas... Loved Altair's redemption arc, his relationships with the other assassins and of course his conversations with Al Mualim and the Templars he had to kill.
I found the overall sequence pattern quite repetitive with it's activities and sometimes the parkour system got me a bit frustrated.
Loved the ending and I am so excited as it's the true beginning of what seems to be quite an adventure.
7/10
P.S quite interested on what happened to Adha but I'm not very hopeful...
I loved it! The atmosphere, music, moral dilemmas... Loved Altair's redemption arc, his relationships with the other assassins and of course his conversations with Al Mualim and the Templars he had to kill.
I found the overall sequence pattern quite repetitive with it's activities and sometimes the parkour system got me a bit frustrated.
Loved the ending and I am so excited as it's the true beginning of what seems to be quite an adventure.
7/10
P.S quite interested on what happened to Adha but I'm not very hopeful...
This is my first Assassin's Creed review on backloggd so let's do this!
This game was a very mixed bag for me. I loved how fun some of the level layouts were. I love how cheesy this game was at times (looking at the siege camp infiltration mission). I love how this game used the crossbow, the use of disguises, some of the puzzles and even the stealing and interrogating minigames. Some of the music was cool though obviously low quality.
Now the bad...
The boss fights were laughably easy. Basilisk wasn't convincing as a villain and was pretty much a little b*tch during the whole game. The depth perception of this game with it's pixelated graphics were incredibly frustrating most of the time. It's almost a third person side-scroller beat em up. It was very ambitious in it's design and I applaud that even though it failed most of the time at it's delivery.
This game felt at times like they tried to directly adapt AC1 instead of creating a prequel to it. I am referring to the plot structure and mission objectives.
The whole 3rd act was rushed and Adha's arc was the one most affected by this. And it's a true shame. None of her previous relationship with Altair is shown. Their importance to each other. Nothing. Just her needing rescuing. I think I would have cared more for her rescue and the subsequent cliffhanger ending if I knew who she was other than "The Chalice". None of this is ever explained. What her actual powers are... did she already know this?
This game would have benefitted so much from a codex or document collectibles instead of the "skills" feature.
I liked what this game tried to achieve with the little time and resources they had but I can't stop thinking that this could have been better...however let's look at the bright side: It's also more Altair...
3.5/10
Now it's time for the game that truly started it all... AC1.
This game was a very mixed bag for me. I loved how fun some of the level layouts were. I love how cheesy this game was at times (looking at the siege camp infiltration mission). I love how this game used the crossbow, the use of disguises, some of the puzzles and even the stealing and interrogating minigames. Some of the music was cool though obviously low quality.
Now the bad...
The boss fights were laughably easy. Basilisk wasn't convincing as a villain and was pretty much a little b*tch during the whole game. The depth perception of this game with it's pixelated graphics were incredibly frustrating most of the time. It's almost a third person side-scroller beat em up. It was very ambitious in it's design and I applaud that even though it failed most of the time at it's delivery.
This game felt at times like they tried to directly adapt AC1 instead of creating a prequel to it. I am referring to the plot structure and mission objectives.
The whole 3rd act was rushed and Adha's arc was the one most affected by this. And it's a true shame. None of her previous relationship with Altair is shown. Their importance to each other. Nothing. Just her needing rescuing. I think I would have cared more for her rescue and the subsequent cliffhanger ending if I knew who she was other than "The Chalice". None of this is ever explained. What her actual powers are... did she already know this?
This game would have benefitted so much from a codex or document collectibles instead of the "skills" feature.
I liked what this game tried to achieve with the little time and resources they had but I can't stop thinking that this could have been better...however let's look at the bright side: It's also more Altair...
3.5/10
Now it's time for the game that truly started it all... AC1.