Living By The Creed #3: A Discourse On Assassin's Creed II

And so we come to part three of our discussion of the Assassin's Creed series. Once again my partner in crime is Joseph Rositano from Australian videogame website PALGN, and in this particular exchange we discuss mostly mechanical inclusions: the collectibles, weapon and enemy variety and the videos of the intriguing Subject 16 character. Before we get to that I'd like to quickly apologise for the delay with this post. Life commitments on both sides meant we had to hold off for a while but the good news is everything is back on track and our discussion about Assassin's Creed II can continue. Away we go.

Need a refresher?
Living By The Creed #1
Living By The Creed #2

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Joseph: Hi Steven. Well, I have decided to take a break from the main story (though I believe I’m not too far off from completing it) and have started hunting down the various collectibles in ACII.

I hadn’t actually realised this until now but the paintings you purchase from art merchants are automatically hung in Uncle Mario’s villa. I never even noticed those blank frames in the building. It was by chance that I bought a random painting and walked past it in the foyer when I was visiting the place. I think it’s actually a pretty neat, though somewhat limited, idea. It reminds me of Luigi’s Mansion for the GameCube, how you’d turn ghosts into portraits and then be able to view them in the Gallery. I actually did a Year 12 Case Study on Roman art, so it has been interesting to see how many of the pieces reflect on mythological, historical and legendary figures – Ubisoft certainly did their research!

Another collectible I found interesting were the eagle feathers. Obviously these replace the flags from the original Assassin’s Creed, but are a little more meaningful due to the way the story is integrated. I won’t say too much as we’re planning on doing an in-depth post relating to the plot, but I actually want to collect all of them just for Ezio’s mother. I got about half of them and was even rewarded with a new weapon, which is certainly more appealing than a couple of achievement points. Also, is it just me or are the feathers easier to find than the flags were? It might be because most of them hang on ledges and are out in the open, or it could be because they’re a blinding-white colour. Either way, I think Ubisoft has balanced it out more.

The new weapon and enemy varieties have also taken my interest. While I still prefer using the tired and proved sword, I like how the hammer, axe and spear feel different and add some strategic elements to the gameplay. For example, using a sword against Brutes is next to useless. Being bigger and well-armed, Brutes are able to easily defend and knock you back. After a few encounters however, I discovered they weren’t so good at dealing with the hidden blade, so now whenever I see them I automatically switch to that weapon. It makes fights in later scenarios a little more interesting actually, particularly when you have to combat different enemy variants at the same time. Aside from the Brutes there are regular guards and enemies which are a little more agile than most; in other words if you run away they can chase you and land a blow or two. One thing I didn’t like however is how you have to go to the villa every time you want to change weapons, surely a simple visit to the nearest blacksmith would have sufficed?

Another captivating feature is the Subject 16 videos. What I like mostly is how you can be walking past a seemingly innocent building and then an info screen pops up saying one of Subject 16’s videos are there. I tend to completely drop what I’m doing and investigate it. Normally within a few minutes I can find the puzzle that unlocks the video, though there have been a few that I couldn’t locate immediately. Out of interest, what is your take on the puzzles? There’s a Da Vinci-like vibe coming from them, and they certainly have varying difficulty levels. Some puzzles, for instance, just have you highlighting where a Piece of Eden is in a photo, while others have you breaking codes and spinning circles around to complete a full painting. It almost feels completely disconnected from the main game itself, yet at the same time has that Assassin’s Creed feel to it. Of course, it does help the puzzles make revelations on how the Pieces of Eden have been passed down through various dictators and world leaders throughout history. It’s certainly a nice little side-story and makes the Pieces of Eden a little more impacting than they were in the first game.

Well, I think that will do for now. Time to go back to assassinating corrupt Italians while I let you take the floor…

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Steven: I think that, like everything else, the collectibles in Assassin's Creed II are well considered and implemented in a way that makes sense within the boundaries of the narrative, unlike the flags of Assassin's Creed, but it's also too easy to look past the simple explanations Ubisoft provided and see them exactly as they are: mechanics that mostly mean nothing to the overall experience and are provided to extend a player's time, potentially, in the game. That said, I'm a completionist so I actively seek these things out by default and, unlike other like-minded gamers, I actually enjoy chasing after hidden collectibles as I use it as an excuse to spend time in a game's world and take it all in. Assassin's Creed as a series in particular provides awesome, awe-inspiring locations that are very enjoyable to just spend time in, so the flags, feathers, treasure chests and whatever else Ubisoft decide to throw our way are definitely objects that I will pursue throughout the course of the game. While I do see these collectibles as the distractions they are, I still appreciate that the developers took the time to associate them with the characters we meet throughout our travels and the elements of play we interact with -- it just makes it more cohesive, something I've come to really admire most in the games that I play. I'm quite surprised actually that people aren't complaining about the treasure chests. To me, it feels like there are too many and as we all know a lot of people complained about the amount of flags there were to find. I suppose these treasure chests are located in easier to reach areas and are more obvious to spot than the flags, but out of the chests and the feathers it is the latter that I prefer to try and find. Lastly, I am pleased that Ubisoft tracked these collectibles via maps or information in the pause menu. It meant I was able to head to the cities in the game where I was still missing a few instead of wasting time searching an area where I had already acquired the hidden collectibles.

Being a sequel, it makes sense that Ubisoft wanted to include more weapons this time around. I remarked in our discussion of the original game that a lot of people found Assassin's Creed's combat to be too easy due to the use of the X button (360 controller) for attacking and defending. Despite this being largely true, the issue didn't bother me as I enjoyed mixing my combat up and trying to choreograph my own epic fights, making the combat more enjoyable for me personally. Assassin's Creed II's combat is undoubtedly improved but it is still too easy to rely on that X button, the enemies you face and the weapons you use varying the dynamics of combat rather than player input. While I understand that this occurs in order to benefit accessibility, I still find it an issue when it's up to the player's initiative to make combat varied and unpredictable as opposed to the game's dynamics. As you say, there are different kinds of enemies in ACII that do change things up, but I just feel the changes aren't enough. There's the sword for normal enemies, the more agile ones and even the archers on the rooftops, whilst the hidden blade is effective against the spear-wielding Brutes. It's just too easy in my view to fall into a routine that dispatches foes quickly and allows you to escape or continue pursuing your objective. But, I want to be clear here and say that I absolutely love the combat system -- the way it feels, the different ways foes can be dispatched, the animations as Ezio counters and conquers and, of course, the way it all sounds -- and I believe that it suits the needs of the game and accommodates a player's desire for the most part, it's just the ease for repetition through routine that is my sticking point as opposed to the actual act of fighting. I don't know, I guess you could say that I feel as if sometimes the combat feels artificial as a result of its accessibility, which is disappointing given how visceral and satisfying it can also be. Experimenting with the weapons, or even techniques (such as throwing dust into enemy eyes) was good fun though and I'm definitely glad some more variety was included.

Subject 16's videos were certainly interesting but they felt too abrupt and broke the flow of immersion for me a little. It's explained through the narrative well enough -- Subject 16 being the Abstergo Animus experiment before Desmond, who left messages inside the Animus' code before his untimely demise -- but it was still jarring as far as I'm concerned. Reminding you that you're in the Animus reliving an ancestor's memory isn't the problem, nor is the implication of a nearby glyph and the discovery of it, but rather the actual puzzles you work with. They're static for a start, meaning you're staring at what is mostly a blank screen so the focus can be on what you're supposed to do -- find the hidden Piece of Eden in a picture; arrange layers of a wheel to form a picture -- and once you've started one, you can't stop and save it for another time. You must complete it to continue on, which is fine when they're easy and pose a quick distraction but is frustrating when you are struggling to solve it and would like to continue playing. It's a trivial thing, to be sure, but I feel as if they detract too much from the overall experience to justify their inclusion. Like the additional weapons and enemies above, I admire the inclusion but don't find the execution to be as fleshed out as it could have been.

At the very least, the Subject 16 videos do flesh out the narrative somewhat so in a very convenient segue-way, what are your thoughts about the plot, characters and events of the game now that you've finished it?

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As implied above, our next exchange surrounds the narrative of the game and what we thought of it. Depending on the flow of conversation, we'll either wrap the series up there or have a shorter conclusion afterwards to summarise our overall thoughts about Assassin's Creed II. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts regarding what was discussed above or indeed in the series so far, feel free to jump in and have your say in the comments.

Living By The Creed #2: A Discourse On Assassin's Creed II

Welcome to part two of my mini-series covering the Assassin's Creed franchise, but mostly its recently released sequel Assassin's Creed II. Once again my good friend Joseph from PALGN is joining me, and in this particular exchange we discuss our initial thoughts about the game. We are both about halfway through and already the game has presented a wide range of topics to think about. Some of those are discussed below, but there are many more in my head. We've got a couple more exchanges after this one, but after that don't be surprised to see even more Assassin's Creed II coverage here. There just seems to be something about it that has put my mind into overdrive. Anyway, onto the good stuff.

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Steven: So Joseph, I have spent a few nights with Assassin’s Creed II, as I’m sure you have as well, so I figured it was time to discuss some of our initial thoughts and impressions of it. To change things up, I’ll go first this time.

The first thing I noticed with Assassin’s Creed II, when comparing it to the original game, is the difference in how Ubisoft have approached Ezio’s story when compared to that of Altair’s; effort has been put in to ensure that Ezio’s story is more involving and, arguably, the end result is a story that’s more compelling than Altair’s. As we discussed in our first exchange, I felt like Altair was a conduit at times for the main gameplay, with the narrative enjoyment coming from Desmond’s side of things instead. It is different here and I actually find myself interested in Ezio’s story. Part of that, I think, is how the story is introduced: the tutorials don’t just serve as explanations for the game’s mechanics; they also introduce you to Ezio’s family. More importantly, they allow you to interact with his family – from racing his brother to helping his mum as she visits a friend – and it is this short time that draws you into the overall narrative. Sure, bells and whistles aside it’s just a prelude to the main thing, but unlike the original Assassin’s Creed it does a better job of immersing you within the game, and that’s impressive.

It’s not perfect, however; these tutorial or ‘ease the player in’ missions as a whole take far too long and there are too many of them. Maybe it’s just me, but there is something wrong when 3 hours into the game, I am still being taught how to play the game or how to use a newly acquired item or skill. Sure, they’re designed to ease you into the narrative as well as new players into the mechanics, but then again, they’re not; I think it is the third mission that sees you racing against your brother, the endpoint being a marker that’s on a rooftop not far from where you begin. Despite having experience from the first game, I actually had to retry this mission because I was still getting (re)accustomed to the controls, as well as getting my bearings. The game, in my view, assumed I had played the first one and expected me to be more efficient with my skills as a result. I’ve noticed other, minor examples of this throughout so if I’m right and assumptions are being made, then that is in direct conflict with the amount of tutorial missions there are and the length they go for. Just something I observed and thought was odd.

I don’t want to discuss the characters or the narrative too much, as I’d like to play more of the game for one and I think it’s deserving of its own exchange for two, so let me change pace and mention the structure of the game as well as the design of the cities.

Another thing I noticed instantly was how easy it was to get my bearings. Maybe it’s a credit to the early mission design, maybe not, but so far it seems like the game’s cities (I’ll pause there to mention that I’ve only seen three so far: Florence, Monteriggioni and Tuscany) are designed a lot more fluidly than the ones in the original Assassin’s Creed, with more landmarks and distinctive buildings than before. It makes navigation down in the streets a lot easier which is nice because it’s not always feasible to be traveling across the rooftops. The immersion of these cities is as good as it was in Assassin’s Creed, if not better, with an atmosphere that makes them feel as if they are occupied with living, breathing people. It just exudes a sense of active, yet relaxed activity that makes them feel populated without being cramped, making it a joy to just walk around in but irrelevant when it comes to the proper meat of the game: the various missions and objectives.

There’s a lot more variety here, all of it breaking up the pace by changing things up and distracting you, and that’s a marked improvement over the repetition seen in the original. Throw in the emergent pace enacted by the player – the ability to do whatever, whenever -- and it keeps things fresh without being overwhelming. With all that said and done, however, I do get the feeling that it is perhaps a bit conservative. While I still enjoy climbing up to another viewpoint or racing across the rooftops in an allocated time, I do wonder if that style of play is going to get stale if it continues in future installments. Even the new additions such as the underground tombs aren’t as compelling as I feel like they could be. I mean, at the end of the day, all you’re doing is exactly what you can do outside: jump, climb, and run from one location to the next, usually because of a desired goal. To me, there’s not much difference between the hunt for another sarcophagus and an attempt to reach another viewpoint; one is inside, directed and a bit more passive, while the other can be approached from any angle but ultimately there is only one, maybe two ways to reach the top. Don’t get me wrong, as it is now it is enjoyable and I’m glad Ubisoft added these tombs – admittedly, I’ve only seen a handful – but if it continues in future installments then I’m not sure whether it is something I will continue to enjoy, that’s all. It just feels like what we’ve gotten is iteration on what came before – a good thing – wrapped up in a better structure that doesn’t get repetitive. Iteration is welcome, but so is innovation, and that is something I’d like to see alongside the main stuff in the inevitable sequel.

I have much more I could say about this game and it’s still only early days, but I’ll stop it there to allow you to respond and offer your own thoughts about your time with the game so far. So how are you finding it? I think it’s safe to say it’s an improvement upon the original game, but how much of one, do you think? Take it away.

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Joseph: Hi Steven. Much like you said in our previous exchange, I too seem to be noticing and liking the same things you are.

After watching some trailers for the game I immediately knew Ezio’s story would be much stronger than Altair’s. I like how the game opens up showing him as a cocky, obnoxious teenager who gets into fights and what not. But, you also get a sense of just how much pride he takes in his family – escorting his mother to the shops, looking out for his kid brother and sister, and of course the level of respect he displays for his father and older brother. I thought it made the tutorials a little more interesting as it introduced you to Ezio’s family and gave you a little more insight to their relationships, but as you said it did feel a little slow to start off with. In fact I felt the game didn’t truly pick up until Ezio had met up with his uncle, of course that isn’t to say the game was boring up until that point.

Again, I am simply enjoying walking around the environments and exploring my surroundings. The various streets and suburbs are definitely more recognisable this time around, arguably due to the inclusion of landmarks and other unique structures. If we look back at the original Assassin’s Creed, while the cities were huge and had distinguishable areas (rich/moderate/poor districts), you could easily get lost walking in the streets as everything looked the same. Churches were the same height and width, housing was identical on nearly every corner, and evening gathering spots looked like they had been recycled. In Assassin’s Creed II however, I’m seeing these marketplaces, prisons, unique housing structures such as apartments and villas, and churches that have distinguishable towers and courtyards. Ubisoft has clearly put a lot of effort into designing levels, and the result is an even more engaging experience than the original.

A few other things I’m enjoying at the moment are the economy and notoriety systems. When Ubisoft first announced these would be a component of the gameplay I was skeptical if it would suit the game’s atmosphere and setting, well, more so the economy system than the notoriety system. The economy system is a relatively minor feature actually. I mean, you’re rewarded money for completing missions, so it’s not like you have to do any mundane tasks such as chopping wood or bar tending (ala Fable II). But, I like how there’s a small emphasis on being careful how you spend your money. At the top of my head you have to restock throwing knives and poisons, as well as repair your armour, make regular trips to the doctor to heal yourself, and hire henchmen to do your bidding (I’ll touch on this a bit more later). Various armour and weapon upgrades become available later in the game, so by the time you spend your money doing the former, you won’t be able to purchase that stronger sword from the blacksmith. Or if you wanted to do it the other way around, you might not have sufficient funds to heal Ezio if you bought a new weapon. It’s not necessarily innovative to the industry, but it adds that extra element to what was already established in the original. As for the notoriety system, again it’s just a step up from the original and makes things feel a little more realistic. If Ezio committed crimes in a real-world city, chances are people would be on the look out for him. He wouldn’t be able to stay hidden for a few minutes then duck out I broad day light all fine and content with being in public view. I must admit though, I probably like the feature as it’s reminiscent of the Hitman series, only more refined.

I made a quick mention before about hiring henchmen (courtesans, thieves and mercenaries). Again, it’s something that isn’t new to the industry but adds to the Assassin’s Creed experience. I must admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for hiring the courtesans. The way they flirt with the guards, how crowds whistle and cheer as they walk by, and how Ezio is standing in the centre of the group like a pimp spending a night out on the town; it’s just plain good fun. Of course, when I’m scaling the rooftops the thieves are my companions of choice, although I have noticed they tend to be a little less mobile than Ezio and can sometimes end up a fair distance away from you -- certainly not good when you’re taking on enemy watchmen. The mercenaries are my least favourite. I don’t know why exactly, but it’s probably because they lack the style of the other two. That said, they do manage to help me out in sword fights by distracting guards long enough for me to creep up behind them and deliver a fatal blow to the neck. CLING! Got to love that sound effect.

As for your little comments about the tombs, if anything I think there aren’t enough of them. I can see what you’re trying to get at, but I actually like how Ubisoft has focused the gameplay mechanics in an enclosed environment. The tombs make the game feel a lot like a platformer, and I’m not too sure which ones you’ve explored, but quite often you have to race against a timer. An example is flicking a switch which causes doors to open, and your aim is to race through a specific route before they close. In the ones I’ve explored so far I’ve actually had to stop for a bit and think how I’m going approach the challenge. Some sections are definitely head-scratchers while others are a walk in the park, but it adds variety and is a compelling part of the game. Going by the achievement list though, it seems there are only six different tombs to explore, so hopefully the recently announced DLC will include a few more locations.

To simplify everything I’ve said, from what I’ve seen so far I am liking the minor additions to gameplay and how Ubisoft has refined some elements from the original Assassin’s Creed. I’m particularly looking forward to how the story progresses as it’s interesting watching Ezio grow from a cocky kid into a mature adult. It’s certainly an inspiring tale of manhood and revenge, which is something I’d like to touch on further in a future exchange.

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I hope you enjoyed our initial thoughts about Assassin's Creed II. In our next exchange, we will be discussing the weapons and enemies found in the game, as well as how the game implements its collectibles and the intriguing addition of Subject 16's strange videos. In the meantime, feel free to read part one of our exchange which discusses the original Assassin's Creed, and as always feel free to engage the discussion -- the more the merrier, as they say.

Living By The Creed #1: A Discourse on Assassin's Creed

When Assassin's Creed II was announced I knew straight away that I was going to purchase it. I thoroughly enjoyed the original game when I played it in the middle of 2008, but was disappointed that I never took the opportunity to write about it. My anticipation for the sequel running high, I decided that there would be no better opportunity to write about it than now, whilst writing about the sequel. Enlisting a fellow Assassin's Creed fan and my friend, Joseph Rositano, I exchanged some thoughts and discussion about the original game which you can find below. This is part one of an on-going series about the franchise.

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Steven: First of all Joseph I want to thank you for taking the time out to play and discuss the newest Assassin's Creed game with me. I know you've got a busy schedule with your PALGN work, so let me just say that I appreciate you working with me on this mini-series of posts a lot. Onto the games then, I'd like to start by discussing with you the first game in the series. What did you like or dislike about it? Did anything in particular stand out to you? How did you feel about the setting, narrative and set of characters?

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Joseph: Hi Steven, I’m glad to be on board for this Assassin’s Creed discussion.

I think for me one of the reasons the original Assassin’s Creed stood out was because I had only bought an Xbox 360 a few months prior to playing it. At the time I had barely even scratched the surface of the 360 game library, so the power of the console was still fairly new to me. Ironically Assassin’s Creed wasn’t originally on my “Want” list, but after listening to a podcast I got the impression it offered a unique experience, something which was definitely the case when I played it.

When I bought it I didn’t play it right away. To me it was a game that I was going to play when I felt like trying something new, and I was unsure if I would enjoy it or not. But the day finally came when I popped it into my disc drive, and I was instantly taken aback by the opening movie. If you can’t recall, it featured Altair running from a group of Templars and escaping them by blending in with a crowd of priests. The visuals alone made we want to dive straight into the action, but it also gave you a modest idea of how the game would play.

I’ll go a little more in-depth about my thoughts towards the gameplay a bit later, as I think now would be a good time to talk about the plot and setting. I found it interesting how Ubisoft split the game up into two stories. On one side you have Desmond who’s been kidnapped by Abstergo and is trying to work out what’s going on around him, while on the other we have Altair who starts out as a big-shot Assassin and is then demoted. Of course both parties discover there is more than meets the eye, and the stories quickly intertwine together. I actually preferred Desmond’s story to that of Altair’s. To me, Desmond was the bigger fish of the two as it was already obvious that Altair was successful in completing his mission (otherwise Desmond would cease to exist), so a lot was riding on Desmond and exactly where his place belonged. I also thought the story’s execution was tighter. With Desmond we see him do a little detective work and read emails between various Abstergo staff. It was just a little more unique than what we’re used to seeing in videogames.

As for the setting, I’ll be completely honest here and say I had no prior knowledge of the Third Crusade. History usually bores me, yet I was captivated by the world of AC. The thing that did it for me was seeing the scope of the cities and the amount of people that called it home. It was interesting to see how the poorer districts had these tatty run-down buildings while the rich districts featured large monuments that you could see from the other side of the city. Not to mention the beggars who’d ask for money or push Altair around the place. It’s amazing how crazy those times were, and it reminds me how lucky society is to be where we are today. On that note, since playing it I’ve done a little research on the Third Crusade and the countries that were featured in the game. It is inspiring to see how much effort Ubisoft went to in order to be historically accurate, and while not everything is 100%, it’s still a brilliant display.

As for the actual gameplay, I loved it. Before AC I had never played a stealth game or anything that had you walk in the shoes of an assassin, so it was quite a unique experience for me personally. I absolutely loved creeping up on guards and then striking them in the back of the neck. CLING! (I loved that sound when you used your hidden blade). I’d then walk slowly away and turned the camera around. I’d see this man suddenly topple to the ground and people started pointing at him wondering what was going on. “Who is responsible for this?!” a fellow guard cried, failing to see the smirk on my face as I high-tailed out of there. It was these moments which inspired me to purchase Hitman: Blood Money and Splinter Cell: Double Agent, the latter of which I’ve regrettably not played yet. Looking back I can see where Ubisoft potentially drew inspiration from, but it has opened up new franchises to me which is one reason why AC holds a special place in my heart.

I know a lot of people didn’t like the gameplay as the missions and combat became repetitive. I too thought it got a little repetitive at times, however, I mixed things up so that I was doing different things. I’d go for the Eagle Dive spots one minute, the next I’d collect flags for a fellow assassin who was in trouble. It prevented things from feeling redundant, but I can still see why people criticised the development decision.

Perhaps the best thing about AC was when I finished it I already knew a sequel was well on the way. I wouldn’t have to wait two years like some people to find out what happens next. I wouldn’t go back to the laboratory and stand there gawking at those symbols for hours wondering what the hell it all meant. I instead began to get acquainted with a certain Italian named Ezio, and now I’m just moments away from starting my journey with him. Being Italian myself, I’m particularly interested in the setting of Assassin’s Creed II and how stereotypical the characters will be, but I’ll save my thoughts for our next exchange. Other than that, all I can say is I’m looking forward to seeing the new direction Ubisoft has taken the series, and from what I can tell the story of Ezio looks to be far stronger than that of Altair.

And now I’ll let you take the podium and tell me your thoughts of the original game.

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Steven: Well it’s safe to say that I share a lot of your thoughts regarding Assassin’s Creed, so it’s nice to see I’m not the only one who took notice of what I’m about to speak of.

The elements of the game that stood out to me during my time with it were its mechanics, use of space and the narrative.

I have heard a lot of people describe Assassin’s Creed’s combat mechanics as being too easy or too simplistic because players could rely on the X button to win most fights. This is true and I can understand the point, but personally I thought the combat mechanics were very satisfying, so it makes me wonder if these people didn’t engage with them like I did, or if I’m just not as critical as they are? Anyway, you brought up one point as to why I found them so satisfying – the sound as Altair’s sword clashed with an opponent’s, or went in for the final blow. I found the sound effects for the fighting to be absolutely superb, to the point where they were empowering. Your description of sneaking up behind a guard or target and using the hidden blade to take him out stealthily was just plain awesome, the thud as he fell to the ground below putting the final touch on a well-executed, pre-planned attack and bringing a smile to my face. The feeling, great as it may be, never lasts long enough though as the intensity picks up and we are, as the player, required to run for it in hopes of escaping the other guards. With the first few assassinations I almost dreaded this, as I was still getting accustomed to the controls and learning the best ways to high-tail it out of there, lose their line of sight and then find a nice hiding place to rest for a while. As I did it more though, I noticed that I was gaining confidence – not just in my ability to take out my targets but with the pursuing guards, too. I found myself hanging around after an assassination, my sword ready to fight anyone who dared to attack me, and the end result was a different approach that not only worked for me, but complimented the others I had at my disposal (such as escaping and hiding). Plus, fighting multiple guards that have surrounded me, blocking, attacking and countering at all the right moments so my opponents get defeated and I remain untouched is just plain awesome. I thought it was so good that I remember thinking “damn, some other games would be better off if they took their cue from Assassin’s Creed”, but alas, it was not meant to be.

The next thing was the narrative and how, as you say, there were essentially two different stories within the same game. As soon as I realized what Ubisoft had done, I immediately thought of the possibilities they could do with it, impressed with the narrative potential they could tap into with the series. The release of Assassin’s Creed II demonstrates some of that potential, but as I’m still early into the game I will reserve judgment until after I have finished it. Delving into it a bit deeper, I agree with you – I found Desmond’s portion of the narrative to be far more interesting than Altair’s, to the point where Altair felt like a simple conduit at times. Sure, we started to find out more about him after each assassination, but even so, I just couldn’t resonate with Altair like I could with Desmond, Lucy and the Abstergo story. Perhaps that is a direct result of my assumptions of where Ubisoft could take it, perhaps not, but whatever it was Altair’s story was just not interesting to me. Whenever I was playing as him, the enjoyment came from the exploration, preparation and act of assassination – everything else was just irrelevant. Meanwhile, Desmond was gradually learning about what was going on, piecing things together bit-by-bit, aided at times by the conversations he could have with Lucy whenever another memory sequence was completed. My enjoyment of the two narratives was definitely at distinct opposites, but as a whole it didn’t bother me too much. In fact, it could even be said it was for the better, as Desmond was providing the story side of things while Altair was covering my sometimes sadistic, sometimes brutal desire to assassinate my foes. It struck a nice balance and is definitely one of the reasons why I liked the game so much.

Last we have the game’s setting. My god, the game’s setting…

I can distinctly remember the first time I synchronized my first view point in Jerusalem. Having seen it expand out below as I arrived on horseback, and being impressed with how nice it looked, I purposefully set out to climb one of the highest buildings I could find and see it from the bird’s eye view. It was, to say the least, incredible, and I remember sitting up there on that perch for ten minutes just taking it all in, slowly panning the camera to see another side of the city. It was at that moment that I realized just how detailed and incredible Ubisoft’s cities were in the game, and how their use of space was subtle but extremely effective. The best example to this point is one you have already mentioned, the difference between the districts. Walking around the poor district of say, Damascus and coming across the beggars, people struggling to make a life for themselves and the worn and torn houses was remarkable. Visiting the rich district after that and seeing gorgeous statues, monuments and the huge villas was awe-inspiring. The fact that each of the three cities contained their own unique personality was just the icing on the cake. The game’s locations were just cool places to explore, visit and most importantly, be in, and it stands amongst some other games as one of my favourites to just do my own thing and be immersed within the atmosphere.

Criticisms of the game from the majority of people were understandable. It was repetitive, the flags could be annoying and as outlined above, it was very easy to just fall back onto the ‘win’ button – the X button – and button-mash your way through the combat. My experience with Assassin’s Creed was a little different though, and those concerns didn’t really bother me at all. I broke up my approach enough that the repetition was rare; I enjoyed finding the flags as it was a nice excuse to explore and take in the environment; combat was brutal and exciting, thanks, in part, to the wonderful sound effects. All in all I’m very pleased that I was able to play Assassin’s Creed, and now, with the release of the sequel, I look forward to seeing what transpires in the continuation of Desmond’s story, as well as the introduction of Ezio’s.

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Stay tuned for my next exchange with Joseph, this time discussing our impressions of the sequel Assassin's Creed II.