Now The Boss has to admit that he approached the last of the Assassin’s Creed titles with both excitement and disappointment. The game promised to be a fantastic addition to the already thriving fanboy following; however if you’re like The Boss, you like some time to digest previous renditions and savour what has come before, in order to build up a salivating hunger for what’s to come.
We’ve been somewhat starved of the ‘build up’ to this final release due to being a little rushed through the releases, and if you’re like The Boss, you might think ‘another notch in the bedpost for Ubisoft aready?’. I know it’s been a year between releases, but amongst all of the spin offs, the franchise has barely had a chance to breath.
In case any of this has put you off at all, STOP! Before we delve into the world of Ezio, let me begin by telling you this is a fantastic game. Ubisoft obviously know when they’re onto a winner and have continued to build on an already excellent platform. After a brief intro to our hero’s back story, the boss will tell you why…
For those of you who are new to the series, Assassin’s Creed is set in a stunning landscape, with an underlying necessitation of survival, creating a glorious juxtaposition. Set in 2012, for the past three years we’ve been following the passage of Ezio Auditore and been reliving the memories of assassins who once used his city as a parkour playground, questing to find the answer to the mystifying Apple of Eden. As of late, it would appear as if Ezio Auditore has been losing touch due to a disabling case of reoccurring flu (The Boss doesn’t like to point his cigar-like fingers often, but he’s looking at you BIRDS).
With a career to be proud of, and countless hours spent being subjected to the sharp end of a sword by a plethora of gamers, this promised to be the last game of Ezio’s sterling career. So will the conclusion to the feisty Italians life end with the fireworks we’ve been hoping for, allowing him to hang up the sword and whip out the pipe & slippers with pride?
It would be very easy for The Boss to be mistaken in thinking Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is essentially Assassin’s Creed: v2.1, and at a first glance, it could be very easy to fall foul of this rouse. The main gameplay remains predominantly unchanged, with satisfying silent slaying on the cards, and devilish precision in the ensuing rooftop-ballet Ezio effortlessly performs. The story as well, is a natural progression on from where we left our hero last time round. Evident issues flagged up in Assassin’s Creed II still rear their ugly head from time to time, squeezing a sigh out of The Boss.
This however is something we’ve all come to love in a strange way. Like a wide-eyed three-legged cat that gives you ‘that look’. How could you not want to take it home? Ubisoft had a good recipe; they’ve added a few ingredients, being careful not to change the flavour too much, but Revelations has certainly left a couple of new aftertastes. This time, we’re carelessly shifting through the streets ofConstantinople, with slanted roofs, superb mosques, busy streets and all round glorious architecture, stimulating your senses to sample at your leisure. Locals’ audible ramblings can be heard discussing your most recent deeds, and providing assistance to those in trouble, using your unique skill set, gave The Boss a genuine sense of satisfaction finally being able to really connect with this soulless character. Couple this with the sensational melodic score, and it’s clear to see why this has remained such a highly-acclaimed franchise.
New additions to this family favourite recipe include bombcraft and Tower Defence. The bombcraft provides a welcome tempo change to the adrenalin fuelled ‘rooftop hopping’ we’re so accustom to; assembling them from bits found all across the city and creating a new avenue to kill, hurt, or distract enemies proves a gratifying and purposeful pleasure. The tower defence ‘mini game’ (triggered when there’s a threat on Assassin’s territory by the Templars) was fun, although felt like it was dropped in for the sake of bolting on some new content. These add ons are not really required to fulfil your quest, but more a welcome break from the ‘norm’ of Assassin’s Creed gameplay, and although clearly in their infancy, perhaps a glimpse of possible inclusions in games to come? The multiplayer engine has additionally returned as a triumphant masterpiece, and will no doubt extend the life of this game when you’ve extinguished the streets ofConstantinople.
All in all, it’s easy to get caught up in the little niggles that we’ve become so sensitive to as a gaming society, but take nothing away from Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. It’s a lovingly-crafted game, which will at times have you edging ever closer to the edge of your seat, occasionally landing an excited heap on the floor when it all becomes too much.
The Boss Says: some of the new ingredients are a little chewy, but the recipe is still Michelin class, so whip out a fork and devour with pleasure.
