Assassin's Creed: History is your (glitched) Playground - Games

Last AC thread has been dead for a long time, thought I'd make a nice OP so we can talk about our mixed feelings regarding this series and the upcoming game. Yet somehow I feel complied to make it noob-friendly, so here goes a quality OP (or not?) [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2a/Assassin%27s_Creed_Logo.svg/1200px-Assassin%27s_Creed_Logo.svg.png[/t] [B]General plot:[/B] The technology that allows us to relive history is here. Thanks to the revolutionary device called the Animus, anyone can relive the precise memories of their ancestors... or someone else's even. Dive into ancient times, discover the past from an immersive point of view, unravel its secrets... and witness history itself, in the writing. [B][U]The (Noteworthy) Games[/U][/B] [B]Assassin's Creed[/B] (2007) Time period: Third Crusade (late 12th century) Location: Near-East (Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/ac1_ss6_full_164892.jpg[/t] Technologically impressive for its time, the first game gives you a large playground spanning three cities and more as you discover the inner machinations of these bloody crusades. As an assassin, you have a lot of freedom to decide how to approach your target, though your tools are very limited in this game. The story is one of the most thought-provoking in the series, but the missions are unfortunately quite redundant. [B]Assassin's Creed 2[/B] (2009) Time period: Italian Renaissance (late 15th century) Location: Italy (Florence, Venice) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/ac2_s_031_venice_thiefgolure__6_154603.jpg[/t] The first game in Ezio's trilogy, in which you get a glimpse of how Italy led Europe into a new age of enlightenment and artistic beauty, though it remains a cruel society to live in. A vast improvement on the first installment's gameplay, in terms of variety and fun. The story lacks some of the subtlety of the first game, but Ezio's tragic life remains quite touching. [B]Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood[/B] (2010) Time period: Italian Renaissance (early 16th century) Location: Italy (Rome) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/SS_03-RomeOnHorse-FULL_164623.jpg[/t] This time, Ezio brings the Assassin brotherhood to new heights and takes on the infamous Borgia family, the Pope himself. Less fleshed out story-wise though still an interesting period set, the gameplay is the same as the previous games with a few added things, but the missions don't lack in variety or epicness. [B]Assassin's Creed: Revelations[/B] (2011) Time period: Renaissance, not so Italian anymore (mid 16th century) Location: Turkey (Istanbul) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/acrev_media11_full_165326.jpg[/t] In this last part of Ezio's story, he finally leaves Italy for Constantinople, and explores the conflict between the Ottomans and the Byzantines struggling for power. The gameplay remains largely the same as the two previous games, but the game suffers from being too small and too short. [B]Assassin's Creed 3[/B] (2012) Time period: American Revolution (late 18th century) Location: America (Boston, New York) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/ac3_ss2_169480.jpg[/t] The Assassins had quite a bad time during the American revolution, which you will relive the main events of. One of the most ambitious games of the series, it received poor press because of its rushed state at release, and the gameplay is still today severely lacking in some parts. The impressive retelling of most of the revolution is however well presented for the most part, and the story can prove to be quite immersive... for some. [B]Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag[/B] (2013) Time period: Golden Age of Piracy (early 18th century) Location: Caribbean (Nassau, Havana, Kingston) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/ac4_ss3_full_165228.jpg[/t] Making the naval combat from the previous game one of its main features, AC4 is the best pirate simulator to date. For the fans of the series, it might be a bit bare-bone. But sailing and conversing with some of the greatest pirates to have ever lived makes up for it. A huge, very fun game all around. [B]Assassin's Creed: Unity[/B] (2014) Time period: French Revolution (late 18th century) Location: France (Paris) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/acu_ss9_164480.jpg[/t] Despite being solely set in Paris and Versailles, Unity appears to be an extremely complete database of the events that surrounded the (very) bloody French revolution. Arguably, this is also the best looking game in the series so far, with impressive graphics technology and a fantastic art direction. The only problem is that this entry, like 3, was clearly rushed. The gameplay is thus extremely unpolished and buggy, but mostly very, very repetitive. As for the story, it is decent but breaks no new grounds. [B]Assassin's Creed: Rogue[/B] (2014) Time Period: Seven Years War (mid 18th century) Location: America (New York) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/acrogue_ss2_164031.jpg[/t] Originally acting as a prequel to 3, eventually Rogue will cater to those who enjoyed 4 the most since it uses the same gameplay and naval combat. While the exploration is one of the best in the series, the story and main missions are rather forgettable despite a few brilliant moments. [B]Assassin's Creed: Syndicate[/B] (2015) Time period: Industrial Revolution (mid 19th century) Location: United Kingdom (London) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/ubicomstatic/en-US/global/media/ACS-media-SS-2-big_202191_202329.jpg[/t] Syndicate follows in the footsteps of Unity, but this one's gameplay is polished enough to be enjoyable, thank God. One of the novelties is the ability to switch between the two twin protagonists (probably a fad that GTA 5 initiated, now forgotten). Story-wise, it's very reminiscent of AC2 in the way the world is portrayed and how you will meet some of the most famous people of the era at random. [B]Assassin's Creed: Origins[/B] (2017) Time period: Ptolemaic Kingdom (mid 1st century BC) Location: Near-Orient (Giza, Memphis, Cyrene, Alexandria) [t]https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/resource/en-us/game/assassins-creed/ac-origins/ac_media_screen-pyramidSlide_ncsa.jpg[/t] Possibly the most ambitious Assassin's Creed game to date. I'm not gonna make any assumptions, it releases in one month, we'll see how it is. Things it's better not to talk about: - The First Civilization - Assassin's Creed Liberation - The movie But hey, everything is permitted, so do it if you want. [I]All screenshots were gracefully provided and photoshopped by Ubisoft[/I]

I would like to brag that I had very high elo in brotherhood and revelations multiplayer. I think I was in the top 200 for deathmatch and wanted for a couple of months. This is my greatest achievement I worked very hard at it. Also the multiplayer was underrated.

I suppose it's a good thing this thread just popped up again. I just purchased 2 - Rogue a few days ago cus I saw they were on sale on Humble Bundle :v:

[QUOTE=Gunzers6;52712034]I suppose it's a good thing this thread just popped up again. I just purchased 2 - Rogue a few days ago cus I saw they were on sale on Humble Bundle :v:[/QUOTE] Do tell us what you think. It's hard to be disappointed with 2, and Rogue is pretty fun too especially if you haven't played 3 or 4 before.

[QUOTE=Loadingue;52712043]Do tell us what you think. It's hard to be disappointed with 2, and Rogue is pretty great too especially if you haven't played 3 or 4 before.[/QUOTE] Oh I've played 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3 already, just don't have them on PC and thought replaying them would be nice to see how they've aged. 4 and Rogue are new to me though. Brotherhood was actually the first game I ever 100%'d back on my PS3. I enjoyed it a lot.

Also I hope you guys don't mind me being not too impartial in the OP, I tried to write in a way that most people can still agree to it. I may not very flattering towards some games but I am an immense fan of this series. [editline]24th September 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Gunzers6;52712046]Oh I've played 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3 already, just don't have them on PC and thought replaying them would be nice to see how they've aged. 4 and Rogue are new to me though. Brotherhood was actually the first game I ever 100%'d back on my PS3. I enjoyed it a lot.[/QUOTE] Rogue is basically 4.5, so it's probably better if you haven't played it. But if you enjoy Rogue a lot, definitely check out 4. I'm replaying Rogue myself at this very moment.

[QUOTE=Loadingue;52712049]Also I hope you guys don't mind me being not too impartial in the OP, I tried to write in a way that most people can still agree to it. I may not very flattering towards some games but I am an immense fan of this series. [editline]24th September 2017[/editline] Rogue is basically 4.5, so it's probably better if you haven't played it. But if you enjoy Rogue a lot, definitely check out 4. I'm replaying Rogue myself at this very moment.[/QUOTE] What's your opinion on Syndicate? I was considering grabbing it while it's on sale but idk I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on it.

Now this is the perfect place to tell everyone to play/replay Assassin's Creed 1 again with the mini-map turned off which makes the game way more organic and apparent that the missions were designed originally with this in mind. Hell you can play it with your entire HUD off for maximum immersion if you know the controls well enough since health is unnecessary and the amount of throwing knives available is accurately displayed on Altaïr (although it does seem to break between chapters and receiving new gear, requiring a restart of the game). And some few notes on that: - The added side missions in the PC Director's Cut version do not work with the mini-map off and really show the decline towards mission design of "travel to this exact point of the map and activate mission/cutscene trigger and very arbitrary mission fail-states". - The original investigation missions provide very useful information on your target, while the added informant challenges in the Director's Cut rarely if ever provide anything useful. - The time you spend exploring the map finding information on your target provides you good knowledge of the cities and a mental map to form routes for your parkour escapes. - To make the most fun out of fights (and fall in love with the fighting system); play as aggressively as you can, use all your tricks (throws, guard breaks, combo attacks, throwing knives and tactical appliance of the hidden blade on enemies that have fallen on the ground or not paying attention), try to end fights as fast and as dirty as possible. - Assassin bureaus always have a dome with shiny green tiling, which is easy to recognize from a distance. - Patience, mindfulness and situational awareness are your friends for a perfect assassination.

[QUOTE=Gunzers6;52712056]What's your opinion on Syndicate? I was considering grabbing it while it's on sale but idk I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on it.[/QUOTE] If you don't know Unity, then it's going to be quite a change in terms of gameplay. Also the fact that you're entirely confined to one city, though it is quite huge. In terms of fun, it's definitely one I'd recommend the most out of the entire series. [editline]24th September 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Marbalo;52712539]Rogue remains the only Ass title that I enjoyed. I didn't even like the first or the second one or whichever one is considered to be the 'best'. Rogue had just the right amount of plot elements (at the absolute minimum) and had a fantastic feeling of freedom and personal accomplishment. I only wish they focused more on the whole pirate thing instead of shoehorning their absolutely godawful ANIMUS plotline at every possible turn, Desmond, and everything else that's connected to that stupid overarching plot. I always thought that Assassins Creed as a series and brand would work twice as better if it weren't for all the future tech relieving your ancestors memories mumbo-jumbo. Just a straight up semi-historically-accurate game that's entirely self-contained within its set time period would have been much more coherent and accessible, but I guess that ship has sailed a long time ago.[/QUOTE] 1 did the whole past-and-present-relation pretty smartly, but it had become extremely redundant from the second game and afterwards. Also you can see Ubisoft are sometimes struggling with finding a good excuse for the present sections to be there at all ("hey there's some weird stuff in that ancestor's memories, maybe live his whole life and see what exactly?")

2 and brotherhood are probably the games I remember most fondly, especially brotherhood. But I bought 3 and black flag back on one of the steam sales and intent to play through them once I beat 2,brohood and revelations. While I don't really care much for the assassin templar storyline I just love the historical setting these games use.

All of Origins promotional maerial so far has looked great but I'm just waiting for someone to confirm to me the side content isn't shit. Did anyone bother even watching the movie?

My absolute favorite Assassin's Creed still remains the first one. I totally agree on the criticisms about the repetitive gameplay formula, but it really hit the best story chords as far as I'm concerned, to the point that even the contemporary sequences were interesting and welcomed. Assassin's Creed II is the close second, and I still consider it one of the best sequel improvement in the entire videogame history. I enjoyed all the games after those to wild various degrees Brotherhood and Revelations didn't exactly convince me at all, because I felt Ezio's story was already perfectly summed up in II, and the setting was already done as well. Also, the two games were the first to introduce the more questionable elements of the franchise noawadays anyone knows (recycled hystorical settings, barely improved gameplay, questionable and McGuffin's driven hystorical plot, intrusive contemporary sequences). I'll always have a soft spot for Assassin's Creed III, because it was one of the first games I played on a proper PC and featured a story angle too akin to the first game, on top of an hystorical setting I really liked. I liked Unity better than most, especially for the gameplay novelties of it, but don't get me wrong: it was still a low point for the series as a whole, even for me. Syndicate was a nice attempt to basically produce a good Unity and address the complaints from the previous games, and I still regard it as a genuinely good game, but at the same I understood the studio's decisions to took a hyatus to produce Origins. I think I'll wait for more news about it, pretty much like anyone else

Literally all the problems of the franchise would have been resolved if they weren't trying to release one every year. If they can put the time and effort in then these games can be special

[QUOTE=Takuat;52712738]All of Origins promotional maerial so far has looked great but I'm just waiting for someone to confirm to me the side content isn't shit. Did anyone bother even watching the movie?[/QUOTE] I watched it, It's got some nice setpieces scenes, and music in some areas, the parts involving the ancestor are more interesting than the modern parts, main protagonist is in a Templar Animus Facility like you were in AC1, but it's more like a prison, where the detainees are allowed social time and eat in a cafeteria.

Somehow unpopular opinion among most people, but AC3 is my favorite. The story and setting simply take me like very few games, and I absolutely love all the characters, especially Achilles and Charles Lee. The actors are all just fantastic, and I love the soundtrack too. [video=youtube;wkqF6it84yo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkqF6it84yo[/video] I think Lorne Balfe's score is actually a perfect mix between the influence of Hans Zimmer and Jesper Kyd, who were both his mentors. [editline]24th September 2017[/editline] Revelations' soundtrack is also underrated and underused in the game itself.

I replayed the original a while back and maybe it's because Ezio is so likable but Altair is a fucking [I]awful[/I] protagonist. He's an arrogant tool whose switch gets flicked from 'total fucking douchebag' to 'pretty cool dude' all of a sudden towards the end. Also, the amount of 'if that is what you wish' being replied to with 'it is' was some groanworthy bad writing.

[QUOTE=Loadingue;52712909]Somehow unpopular opinion among most people, but AC3 is my favorite. The story and setting simply take me like very few games, and I absolutely love all the characters, especially Achilles and Charles Lee. The actors are all just fantastic, and I love the soundtrack too. [video=youtube;wkqF6it84yo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkqF6it84yo[/video] I think Lorne Balfe's score is actually a perfect mix between the influence of Hans Zimmer and Jesper Kyd, who were both his mentors. [editline]24th September 2017[/editline] Revelations' soundtrack is also underrated and underused in the game itself.[/QUOTE] Honestly I think most of the shit 3 got was down to the fact that franchise fatigue had majorly set in by then and it didn't do enough different. If they had pushed the release back by 6 months to a year and polished it in that time then maybe the sentiment would have been different.

Daily reminder that they released Unity and Rogue on the SAME DAY.

[QUOTE=EliaMoroes;52712834]My absolute favorite Assassin's Creed still remains the first one. I totally agree on the criticisms about the repetitive gameplay formula, but it really hit the best story chords as far as I'm concerned, to the point that even the contemporary sequences were interesting and welcomed. Assassin's Creed II is the close second, and I still consider it one of the best sequel improvement in the entire videogame history. I enjoyed all the games after those to wild various degrees Brotherhood and Revelations didn't exactly convince me at all, because I felt Ezio's story was already perfectly summed up in II, and the setting was already done as well. Also, the two games were the first to introduce the more questionable elements of the franchise noawadays anyone knows (recycled hystorical settings, barely improved gameplay, questionable and McGuffin's driven hystorical plot, intrusive contemporary sequences). I'll always have a soft spot for Assassin's Creed III, because it was one of the first games I played on a proper PC and featured a story angle too akin to the first game, on top of an hystorical setting I really liked. I liked Unity better than most, especially for the gameplay novelties of it, but don't get me wrong: it was still a low point for the series as a whole, even for me. Syndicate was a nice attempt to basically produce a good Unity and address the complaints from the previous games, and I still regard it as a genuinely good game, but at the same I understood the studio's decisions to took a hyatus to produce Origins. I think I'll wait for more news about it, pretty much like anyone else[/QUOTE] Though now in hindsight they did do a shit-load of baffling design choices in the transition to AC II. The thing that fixed the gameplay repetition, was changing to a much simpler mission design format. And for some reason they made the combat more passive by removing several offensive moves, adding more defensive moves and making the enemies less aggressive, so much so that they gave the player a taunt button.

Idk exactly why but revelations might be my favourite. The set pieces were really well executed, they revamped notoriety in a sensible way, bombs and zip lines were a lot of fun and tonally it brought a nice conclusion to Ezios journey. The general lack of a modern plot also definitely helped.

I just realized the very first game released almost 10 years ago. You gotta hand it to Ubisoft, the amount of effort and talent they've poured into these last 10 years is colossal.

I really enjoyed 1 and 2 but after that I experienced pretty severe burnout. I put a couple hours into Brotherhood, Revelations and AC3 but none of them hooked me. I haven't been able to enjoy any entries in the series since then. I keep hoping that the next game will bring back that spark of love for the franchise but it just hasn't happened. Maybe Origins will be the one to reignite my interest, who knows.

is the thread title referring to Animus anomalies or literal game glitches?

I just started playing the first Assassin's Creed with the intent of playing through the whole series. [QUOTE=Takuat;52712738] Did anyone bother even watching the movie?[/QUOTE] I just watched it the other day. I think, for me, it does well to introduce the concept of the animus, but its greatest shortcomings are with the past elements and explaining the Apple of Eden. Most of the movie takes place in the modern day explaining the Animus and what it does. So much so, that Callum's ancestor, Aguilar, is little more than a set piece for action scenes. Likewise, the Piece of Eden in the film has very little, or poorly explained, explanation and serves only as a McGuffin (the only display of its power is at the end and it's only a small light show, no mind control or whatever). It's not the worst possible film based on a video game, but it doesn't exactly to the genre any favors either.

[QUOTE=artDecor;52715168]is the thread title referring to Animus anomalies or literal game glitches?[/QUOTE] Yes.

Since I've been re-playing the Altaïr & Ezio games in a streak now. I want to ask you guys what you've though of the 100% sync parameters that were introduced in Brotherhood? Personally I'm not a fan and I'm glad that they were removed. One of them left me puzzled when that long ass tailing mission where you have to tail Micheletto and steal the costumes he gives to his men had the parameter of "use your assassin's to kill all targets" and the second last targets got killed by my assassins using throwing knives and the game did not count that as my assassin's killing them. Assassin's Creed III and its DLC had some infuriating 100% syncs, with the cherry on top being that the 100% sync reward in AC3 was laughably bad (Altaĩr's robes, with no physics, over glossy material and at least a few holes in the model). Also on a totally different topic. It's kinda funny how Rebecca says that her Animus is better in every way, but it's Animus elements in it are pure white. So when playing late or with dim lights one has to keep one's eyes closed to avoid the painful brightness. How could they flipflop with getting that right and wrong so much :v: The animus is at its best when its elements are in a darker shades of blue.

Depending on one game to another, the full sync goes from reasonable to frustratingly useless. Good full sync: optional objectives give tips on how to best accomplish your mission, or in the most fun way possible. Bad full sync: optional objectives restrict your tactical opportunities or force you to do the whole mission in an unfun way. [U]Fuck[/U] "do not be detected". Brotherhood is also annoying because mid-missions auto-saves don't record your sync progress. If you fail the optional objective, you have to restart the whole mission every time.

[QUOTE=Loadingue;52715486] Bad full sync: optional objectives restrict your tactical opportunities or force you to do the whole mission in an unfun way. [U]Fuck[/U] "do not be detected". Brotherhood is also annoying because mid-missions auto-saves don't record your sync progress. If you fail the optional objective, you have to restart the whole mission every time.[/QUOTE] It's even better when the in-game explanation for full sync is that you're doing it the way it historically happened. That means that the "real" Ezio, who could've offed his target with the crossbow/poison dart/gun in 5 seconds, opted instead to put in needless work & risk to assassinate 5 guards from a bale of hay before going on & clubbing his main target to death.

Just some miscellaneous thoughts as I play through the series again: [U][B]Arno and Napoleon[/B][/U] I think one of the biggest missed opportunities in Assassin's Creed Unity was expanding on Arno and Napoleon's relationship, especially when the latter rises to become emperor. We know they would remain allies for some time, given that the end takes place several years after the climactic fight, so it would have been an interesting direction if Arno was helping Napoleon's rise to power, assassinating political opponents and Templars alike (and, perhaps, unintentionally splitting the Assassins). By the time Arno realizes his mistake, Napoleon has declared himself Emperor and has been utilizing his Piece of Eden to solidify his rule. I mean, it's one thing to have historical figures interact with the player character, but when that player character is friends with a man whose rule would be of concern to the Assassin's ideology, it almost requires some more information. With some creativity, they could expand on Napoleon in Assassin's Creed Origins in a similar manner as the segments in Syndicate where you play as Lydia Frye in 1916 London. Wherein you assume the role as a descendant of Bayek in Egypt during Bonaparte's expedition to retrieve the Piece of Eden Arno sent after the Dead Kings DLC. That being said, I would be disappointed if they did not revisit the time jumps again. It's a good way to visit new time periods, see new characters, and expand the overall mythology of the series. [U][B]Assassin Recruits and Templar Agents[/B][/U] Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system is lauded by all and if there's any game that could adopt a similar system with ease, it would be Assassin's Creed (Shadow of Mordor, after all, [I]is[/I] essentially Assassin's Creed in Middle-Earth). They already seem to have all their building blocks for a Nemesis system brewing as far back as Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Instead of Uruk-hai, you have a menagerie of unique Templar Agents who rise through the ranks and become stronger if you're unable to assassinate them. Syndicate did have the Templar leaders of districts, but this would expand that idea so that the regular soldiers can rise in the Templar ranks. Likewise, your Assassin recruits would also rise through the ranks and as they do, they can be assigned to an Agent to find weaknesses and help you to assassinate them. The recruits would be more akin to those in AC III who had a lot more identity than those in Brotherhood and Revelations.

[QUOTE=-Ben_Wolfe-;52719909]Just some miscellaneous thoughts as I play through the series again: [U][B]Arno and Napoleon[/B][/U] I think one of the biggest missed opportunities in Assassin's Creed Unity was expanding on Arno and Napoleon's relationship, especially when the latter rises to become emperor. We know they would remain allies for some time, given that the end takes place several years after the climactic fight, so it would have been an interesting direction if Arno was helping Napoleon's rise to power, assassinating political opponents and Templars alike (and, perhaps, unintentionally splitting the Assassins). By the time Arno realizes his mistake, Napoleon has declared himself Emperor and has been utilizing his Piece of Eden to solidify his rule. I mean, it's one thing to have historical figures interact with the player character, but when that player character is friends with a man whose rule would be of concern to the Assassin's ideology, it almost requires some more information. With some creativity, they could expand on Napoleon in Assassin's Creed Origins in a similar manner as the segments in Syndicate where you play as Lydia Frye in 1916 London. Wherein you assume the role as a descendant of Bayek in Egypt during Bonaparte's expedition to retrieve the Piece of Eden Arno sent after the Dead Kings DLC. That being said, I would be disappointed if they did not revisit the time jumps again. It's a good way to visit new time periods, see new characters, and expand the overall mythology of the series.[/QUOTE] I assumed they had a big DLC planned for Unity that would deal with that. There's just too much between the two characters, and there would be no better opportunity. Unfortunately, I think that after the release, Unity received such bad press that Ubisoft decided to cancel any planned DLC in development and move on to Syndicate. It's a shame, Dead Kings did a lot to rectify some of the main game's biggest problems. [editline]26th September 2017[/editline] Unity released in November 2014, Dead Kings in January 2015. They cancelled the Season Pass purchases pretty quickly, before Dead Kings was released. There [U]must[/U] have been more planned. I'd love to know what exactly.