Topic: Assassin's Creed Series

[Darren G]

She a good actress?

Yknow. To give me a pretence to stare at her for a couple hours..

Yeah, that's why I used to spend so much time looking at Megan Fox. For her great acting (still think that she was robbed of the Oscar for transformers).

[dalarr]

I was oblivious to these games until Oddyssey. Have been spending a lot of time with AC Valhalla this winter and I’m loving it. I understand that the AC games that I’m playing are far from what the original installments are. So here’s hoping for a remaster of one of the classic games in the future.

I’m more of a Far Cry guy and the similarities in gameplay are striking.

[Flaccido Dongingo]

Played these religiously every year (except for AC III which was crap), feel they hit their peak with Black Flag which was a fantastic game, the last 3 just seem to be generic third person adventure games, and not really going for the whole "Assassin" angle, tried Origins on sale on PS4 and it was too much of a change in the AC formula for me personally, although others loved it, it's a series that's really in need of a long hiatus, but what with Ubisoft flogging their games like a dead horse don't bank on it......always wondered why they didn't make one with more recent history?, Berlin during WW2, Eastern Europe during the Cold War, or even one set in contemporary times?

[Darren G]

I was oblivious to these games until Oddyssey. Have been spending a lot of time with AC Valhalla this winter and I’m loving it. I understand that the AC games that I’m playing are far from what the original installments are. So here’s hoping for a remaster of one of the classic games in the future.

I’m more of a Far Cry guy and the similarities in gameplay are striking.

Yeah, Ubisoft do tend to use the same template between series. Ghost Recon Wildlands is another good example. It's very much a third person Far Cry for the most part, though more tactical and without the irritating bullet sponge element.

[Something Worse]

Yeah, Ubisoft do tend to use the same template between series. Ghost Recon Wildlands is another good example. It's very much a third person Far Cry for the most part, though more tactical and without the irritating bullet sponge element.

The sequel just totally flipped and became The Division. It was so bad they had to release a patch that turned it back into Wildlands

[Darren G]

The sequel just totally flipped and became The Division. It was so bad they had to release a patch that turned it back into Wildlands

  Yeah, true enough.

[Riquende]

When I started playing Odyssey, I wondered why they'd put the "this game was made by a team of all different ethnic, political etc backgrounds..." message on there. I originally figured weird Christian fundamentalists might try to argue that it's pro-Olympians propaganda. Then when all the gender-irrelevant romantic options started to appear I thought that it was getting its defence in about promoting homosexuality.

But what I really like in the game, that also make that disclaimer relevant, is that political crises are present in both Athens and Sparta, each taking a very 'now' problem and applying them separately. In Athens you see the rise of populism and the terror of the mob as Kleon looks to usurp the democratic leadership of Pericles, and in Sparta there is conflict between the two Kings, conservative traditionalist Archidamos and the progressive reformer Pausanias.

[stoa]

That message has been in there for ages. Might even have been there in the first one and it might have been because it was set in the Middle East. Don't think it really means anything to them. It's just there to prevent any backlash. Didn't really stop people complaining about various stuff like not being able to play a female character or whatever in some of the earlier games.

[blacksun]

always wondered why they didn't make one with more recent history?, Berlin during WW2, Eastern Europe during the Cold War, or even one set in contemporary times?

Ubisoft have tried to stay away from recent history because guns would play a much more prevalent role in those games and they have always said they didn't want Assasins Creed to become another shooter, there are plenty of those already.

[Darren G]

No idea what the time period is going to be, but there are leaks suggesting that the next one is going to be in India. Dunno how you lads feel, but I like the sound of that. One thing Ubisoft are great at is their worlds and with some of India's terrain and archetecture it could look spectacular.

[GiorgosCarraGoonies]

No idea what the time period is going to be, but there are leaks suggesting that the next one is going to be in India. Dunno how you lads feel, but I like the sound of that. One thing Ubisoft are great at is their worlds and with some of India's terrain and archetecture it could look spectacular.

I'd be up for that!

Although at this stage I'm just more excited for the DLC for Valhalla so I can get back into it.

[Riquende]

No idea what the time period is going to be, but there are leaks suggesting that the next one is going to be in India. Dunno how you lads feel, but I like the sound of that. One thing Ubisoft are great at is their worlds and with some of India's terrain and archetecture it could look spectacular.

The British East India Company would make a good overarching villainous entity. Off the top of my head I don't know which historical events you'd set the game around though.

[Darren G]

The British East India Company would make a good overarching villainous entity. Off the top of my head I don't know which historical events you'd set the game around though.

Yeah, I agree, the East India Company (possibly being a Templar organization/front) would be a good idea.  Either that or the British Raj itself being the villains.  Either way, ever since it was mentioned in AC Syndicate I've thought that they should do an Indian-themed game, so I'm well up for it.  Still haven't played Valhalla yet mind you, so have to get through that first.   

[J-Mc-]

Honestly wish they’d give us a more ‘linear’ style game again like the very first game.

Altair was awesome and only getting 1 game as his was criminal.

[Something Worse]

Honestly wish they’d give us a more ‘linear’ style game again like the very first game.

Altair was awesome and only getting 1 game as his was criminal.

Harder to do microtransactions that way.

[Darren G]

Harder to do microtransactions that way.

True.

I like both formats personally (the open world and more linear games) and in fairness to Ubisoft they were getting a lot of backlash and pressure from fans prior to Origins to do something else with the series, so I feel that it was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for them to a degree.

[Something Worse]

True.

I like both formats personally (the open world and more linear games) and in fairness to Ubisoft they were getting a lot of backlash and pressure from fans prior to Origins to do something else with the series, so I feel that it was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for them to a degree.

My only issue is all their games are the same now. Open world, endless side quests, soulless "deplete HP to defeat an enemy" combat - even if you stab/shoot them in the head. They are such a boring company, overall.

The worst thing about it is it's seeping into others now. That new Arkham game is another one of these. I don't mind them having AC setup like this, or The Division, or both. Throw in Watchdogs too. But it's just every game now.

[Darren G]

My only issue is all their games are the same now. Open world, endless side quests, soulless "deplete HP to defeat an enemy" combat - even if you stab/shoot them in the head. They are such a boring company, overall.

The worst thing about it is it's seeping into others now. That new Arkham game is another one of these. I don't mind them having AC setup like this, or The Division, or both. Throw in Watchdogs too. But it's just every game now.

 Yeah, difficult to argue with any of that.  It's pretty much cookie-cutter stuff at this point.  I still enjoy the Assassin's Creed games, but the vast majority of that enjoyment comes from getting to be a virtual tourist in the worlds of the past.  I think that one of the things that frustrates me about Ubisoft is that they put so much effort into building these amazing worlds....and that's about where that level of effort seems to end. 

The gameplay mechanics themselves, combat, writing et cetera are almost always without fail, "meh" in my opinion.  The end result is exactly as you state: a soul-less, empty experience for the most part. I don't think that they're terrible games, but what's frustrating is that you can see the potential there for there to be something great.  Year after year though that potential goes unrealised, which is a bit of a shame because I genuinely believe that there is the talent there within Ubisoft for them to be hitting the levels of the likes of RDR2 and TW3.     

[Something Worse]

Yeah, difficult to argue with any of that.  It's pretty much cookie-cutter stuff at this point.  I still enjoy the Assassin's Creed games, but the vast majority of that enjoyment comes from getting to be a virtual tourist in the worlds of the past.  I think that one of the things that frustrates me about Ubisoft is that they put so much effort into building these amazing worlds....and that's about where that level of effort seems to end. 

The gameplay mechanics themselves, combat, writing et cetera are almost always without fail, "meh" in my opinion.  The end result is exactly as you state: a soul-less, empty experience for the most part. I don't think that they're terrible games, but what's frustrating is that you can see the potential there for there to be something great.  Year after year though that potential goes unrealised, which is a bit of a shame because I genuinely believe that there is the talent there within Ubisoft for them to be hitting the levels of the likes of RDR2 and TW3.   

Agree 100%

[Ed-Zeppelin]

Although I do enjoy the Ubisoft games on the whole, have Valhalla up next, I agree they are now very much templates of each other with tweaks on top.

I remember reading, on Eurogamer I think, an article about this issue. It referred to the level creator that was included with one of the Far Cry games and suggested that Ubisoft had effectively included the toolset with the game that they use to make the games themselves. It explained why they are all so similar.

Very much agree about the joys of being a virtual tourist - especially these days where we can’t go much further than the local supermarket!

[blacksun]

The British East India Company would make a good overarching villainous entity. Off the top of my head I don't know which historical events you'd set the game around though.

There's some talk that it would be them and the Dutch East India company at loggerheads and the hero is caught between them, if they made it into a fistful of dollars type storyline that might be fun

[Garrus]

Picked up Origins for cheap and have spent a couple of hours on it. I knew that it was a big change from the older games but it still takes a lot of getting getting used to. The world looks great but I'm not sure I'll ever get used to thinking I've stealthily assassinated a powerful enemy only for him to turn around and finish me in two blows. I wish they'd have kept the inventory/weapons/armour simplified like in previous games as there seems to be a massive emphasis on looting which I'm not a fan of.

[Crimson]

Picked up Origins for cheap and have spent a couple of hours on it. I knew that it was a big change from the older games but it still takes a lot of getting getting used to. The world looks great but I'm not sure I'll ever get used to thinking I've stealthily assassinated a powerful enemy only for him to turn around and finish me in two blows. I wish they'd have kept the inventory/weapons/armour simplified like in previous games as there seems to be a massive emphasis on looting which I'm not a fan of.

The game is huge and there is basically an endless supply of weapons and armor. I wish they would have kept it at a minimum, with more customization options for a limited stack of items, as well as some "legend gear" that was hard to get. I'm waiting on the new Xbox, so haven't bought Valhalla yet. Is it different there?

[blacksun]

The game is huge and there is basically an endless supply of weapons and armor. I wish they would have kept it at a minimum, with more customization options for a limited stack of items, as well as some "legend gear" that was hard to get. I'm waiting on the new Xbox, so haven't bought Valhalla yet. Is it different there?

Nope its more of the same, its how the series has developed, people want more RPG than the originals provided so the games have moved with that.

[Craig Mac]

Finally got around to playing a few of these games, finished origins and nearly done with Odessy. While I have enjoyed them I have seen a lot of people saying they are very different in story and gameplay to the older assassins creed games. Before going on to play Valhalla I would like to see what a few of the older style games are like but I have no idea where to start. I have seen the ezio collection available on PS4 is this a good place to go to get a taste of the older style games before having a go at Valhalla. I’m on PlayStation and PC.

[GiorgosCarraGoonies]

Finally got around to playing a few of these games, finished origins and nearly done with Odessy. While I have enjoyed them I have seen a lot of people saying they are very different in story and gameplay to the older assassins creed games. Before going on to play Valhalla I would like to see what a few of the older style games are like but I have no idea where to start. I have seen the ezio collection available on PS4 is this a good place to go to get a taste of the older style games before having a go at Valhalla. I’m on PlayStation and PC.

Aye, the Ezio collection would be good.

AC2 was a beast of a game back in the day.

[Something Worse]

The first two Ezio games are great. The third one was a fucking chore.

I'd say try and get AC2 and Black Flag alone if you can find them cheap (or just get them off a torrent if you have a decent PC). That would be the best experience. I was thinking about this the other day and I have AC2 as probably a top 5 all time gaming experience for me. Just the coolest game with the coolest story and I was so into it.

[Darren G]

Yeah, AC2 was boss. I can't help bit wonder what happened to that level of writing quality. AC2 had a good narrative and dialogue whereas in the games since (with the exception of Black Flag) the quality has been on a constant downward spiral in that respect.

[Something Worse]

Yeah, AC2 was boss. I can't help bit wonder what happened to that level of writing quality. AC2 had a good narrative and dialogue whereas in the games since (with the exception of Black Flag) the quality has been on a constant downward spiral in that respect.

The games got wider and wider so the storytelling is thinner I'm guessing. Nothing beats a linear story for quality.

[Garrus]

AC2 was insanely good, wasn't it?

Never saw that leap in quality coming after the first game.

[Darren G]

The games got wider and wider so the storytelling is thinner I'm guessing. Nothing beats a linear story for quality.

I can see how it would be more difficult, but Witcher 3 and Red Dead managed it ok.

Going back to AC2, I think that one more thing worth mentioning was the score, which remains one of the best in gaming to this day in my opinion.  It added so much to the ambience in that game.

[Something Worse]

AC2 was insanely good, wasn't it?

Never saw that leap in quality coming after the first game.

I replayed it a few months ago for the first time and it was just an absolute pleasure. Even knowing what was to come in terms of the story.

[dalarr]

This game has also opened my eyes to how diverse and interesting England really is. I want to see a couple of the in-game locations with my own eyes: Long Man, Ashdown Forest, Stiperstones. I have never really thought about how far back the history of England goes. Are there still Roman sites aside from Hadrian’s Wall?

[Craig Mac]

The first two Ezio games are great. The third one was a fucking chore.

I'd say try and get AC2 and Black Flag alone if you can find them cheap (or just get them off a torrent if you have a decent PC). That would be the best experience. I was thinking about this the other day and I have AC2 as probably a top 5 all time gaming experience for me. Just the coolest game with the coolest story and I was so into it.

Thanks I’ve ended up ordering the collection off eBay for a tenner, at the latest price can’t really go wrong.

[Something Worse]

Thanks I’ve ended up ordering the collection off eBay for a tenner, at the latest price can’t really go wrong.

Great call, don't think you can go wrong at that price.

Not sure how you play games but I'd say AC2 is worth doing all the side missions and exploration and such. Less so the vase with the other two IMO.

[Fabulous_aurelio]

Great call, don't think you can go wrong at that price.

Not sure how you play games but I'd say AC2 is worth doing all the side missions and exploration and such. Less so the vase with the other two IMO.

You'll certainly enjoy them. AC2 was a gem, as was the following Brotherhood.

Black Flag is also enjoyable and probably up there with the best of them in the series.

Odyssey has been my favourite so far, by a long shot as well. I had accepted that they were different games to the original concept, but man that game is beautiful.

I love the combat, the arcs of certain characters, the mix between real day and the mythical. The thing I loved most though was the exploration and visiting places that you didn't need to due the story not touching a lot of the map. Though you'd uncover mostly nothing.

Valhalla is a different animal with the world quests etc, but I'm really enjoying it.

That Randvi... Phwoar.

[Riquende]

Odyssey has been my favourite so far ... The thing I loved most though was the exploration and visiting places that you didn't need to due the story not touching a lot of the map. Though you'd uncover mostly nothing.

I've just started the first DLC and it has you going into Macedonia, Achaia and (I assume) Messenia, which are the 3 mainland areas that didn't have any of the main story in them (except maybe 1 or 2 of the cultists that needed killing).

[Barefoot Doctor]

Started Valhalla the other day and finding it a real chore so far. Not long arrived in England so hoping things pick up from here. Think part of the problem is I don’t find this era half as interesting as Ancient Egypt or Greece, but the reviews are strong so I’m sure before long I’ll be loving it.

[Fabulous_aurelio]

Started Valhalla the other day and finding it a real chore so far. Not long arrived in England so hoping things pick up from here. Think part of the problem is I don’t find this era half as interesting as Ancient Egypt or Greece, but the reviews are strong so I’m sure before long I’ll be loving it.

Stick with it as it does really get better. I think it looks beautiful which kept me going as I wasn't immediately hooked like I was Odyssey.

Potter about, do some of the world stories. It does get better as you start levelling up and the map opens up.

[GiorgosCarraGoonies]

I loved Valhalla (97 hours to finish it, have done a reasonable amount of side stuff but still loads to do).

I love the viking stuff though.  More than the Greek and Egyptian stuff, even.