Topic: Assassin's creed.

[Cobra951]

He says that IGN gave it a low score because they were rushing through it etc. While that may be true, it is entirely possible that the reviewer for IGN, Hillary, just didn't like it for purely gaming reasons. I mean it is one thing to disagree with a reviews content and the reasons a reviewer gives, and another to attack the reviewers motives or whatever. It is just a little immature I think. 

Why immature?  He expressed his thoughts clearly and he backs them up with personal experience.

I don't know who's right and who's wrong.  That's the bitch of it.  All I can say is that this game looks like something I'd really enjoy, and those who like it do so for the same reasons I would like it.  It's not going to be a no-brainer like Mario Galaxy.  I'm going to have to take a chance.

[iPPi]

IGN is so contradictory nowadays.

They have UK and AU reviews as well.

IGN UK gives it 6.5
IGN gives it 7.7
IGN AU gives it 8.7

What the fuck are they doing?

[Pugnate]

hahaha..

Why have so many IGNs? It is ridiculous. It is a website, not a magazine.

[gpw11]

I'm fairly certain it's been like that way for years now, or at least the last year or so.  It kind of makes sense, since all three regions have different release dates and often get slightly different versions of games because of that.  Beyond that, keep in mind that review scores are basically just trying to give something completely based on opinion some sort of tangible rating.  I have no problem with scores all over the place as long as they're explained well.

[iPPi]

Well I picked up the game and so far I'm having a blast.  Absolutely beautiful visuals and really fun gameplay.  The scale of the game is pretty amazing as well.

[MysterD]

hahaha..

Why have so many IGNs? It is ridiculous. It is a website, not a magazine.

When did anything IGN made really make much sense...?

[Cobra951]

This game is freaking awesome.  That's my impression after about 90 minutes of play time.  It features: (1) a fully realized world, with gorgeous visuals for both the world and the characters within it; (2) terrific smart control, where your actions are context-sensitive in a generally intuitive way, (3) strong story elements, with good voice acting, and cutscenes which not only are engine-generated, but even allow you some control within them (you can walk within a limited area, and can pan the camera to a limited extent).  After getting a bit of practice, and "finding your legs", you'll be doing all sorts of acrobatics, running around, merging with the crowds, riding a horse (Zelda, move over), and of course killing whoever you want.  People in the world react in scarily realistic ways to your actions.  The modern-day part of the tale I could take or leave so far, but I can see how that premise makes the rest of it easier to present and develop.

So I guess according to some reviewers, I'll be in gaming heaven for about the first half of the game, then I'll get bored with the repetition.  We shall see.  If the first half is at least 5 hours, though, the enjoyment will be on a par with so many recent short games, at the very least.  I don't believe I'm going to stop liking the game halfway through, though.  I just don't see how that's possible.

[JacksRag(e)]

This game affords me so many chances to look accidentally cool.

[iPPi]

This game is amazing.  Definitely worth playing, and I am having an absolute blast just freely roaming around the cities.  The kingdom is vast and the cities are large.

[Quemaqua]

Stop tempting me, damn it.  I'm not made of money.  In fact, I'm made of a lack of money, which is far less useful.

[Cobra951]

I've played a bit over a third of the main storyline now.  Tonight, I started trying to quit the game at about 11.  At around 1:30 AM, I succeeded.  I'm a sucker for owning an expansive world like this.  I've gotten much better at the mechanics.  After 15-20 hours of running and jumping all over rooftops, walls and alleys, it's finally getting easy.  This game rewards practice, and that also includes combat.

There are so many actions that are possible.  There are 3 speed ranges for moving on foot, and another 3 for a horse.  That is, the stick is analog, so you get a variable speed range that way.  Then you can hold down the high-profile trigger and go into a jog or trot range, and the A button changes meaning from blend to sprint or gallop range under high profile.  All actions happen faster in high-profile mode, and you attract more attention.  When in a sword fight, this trigger then enables a defensive mode, and you can perform several different moves in response to an attack, like block, break a hold, and counter-attack.  The face buttons correspond to different parts of the body.  X and B are the hands, with X being the weapon hand and B being the free hand.  A is legs/feet, and Y is head.  Which action these body parts take depends on whether you're fighting or not, and on whether you're in low-profile or high-profile mode.  There are special attacks you can make with the sword, depending on how long you hold the X button, and whether you time a 2nd tap on X at the right time, when the sword hits the enemy.

In short, there's a lot of depth in the gameplay.  I didn't even touch on all the acrobatics finesse.  They did a fantastic job of giving you a lot of control, but it does take practice to get good at it.  Frantic button mashing won't do.

The environments are fabulous.  The cities are functional works of art, and they are huge.  Figuring out how to navigate it all is entertainment enough by itself.  Add all the populace, the decent AI, the long dual story, the professional voice acting, and the good atmospheric music which changes with locale and the urgency of your situation, and the result is magic.  Repetition?  Well, yeah.  Hey, just stop saving citizens and doing more than 2 investigations per assassination if it bothers you.  Don't collect flags.  Don't scale every eagle-marked viewpoint.  These things are mostly optional, although they will increase your lifeline, and fill in the map.  (Think leveling up in RPGs.)  The flags give you nothing other than achievements.  Personally, I love doing it all.  I'm in no rush.  This is a game to fill weeks of your time, not a couple of days.  There's too much here to plow a straight line to the end.

[Quemaqua]

My God.  Cobra, you just sold me on this completely.  You know what my favorite part about Crackdown was?  Jumping around buildings, climbing stuff, and finding all those little hidden orbs.  I love stuff like that.  Repetition?  Who cares!  I just want to run around and explore and have fun doing crazy acrobatics.  What you say here sounds absolutely blissful to me, especially since I know it isn't a quick fix that ends too quickly.  I need this.

[iPPi]

Yea the game has a lot of stuff to do and it's just a complete blast to do them.  I'm nearing the end of the storyline.. I believe I'm on the 7th assassination now, but have been completing all the objectives.

The only thing I haven't done really is gone looking for flags.  The world is massive, and looking for 100 flags per city does not seem like that much fun, but when I do see them I do go and pick them up, even if I have to kill 20 guards to do it.

[Pugnate]

Cobra your thoughts solidify the position of that PA blog. This doesn't seem like the sort of game you want to rush through.

[Jedi]

Cobra speaks the truth... it has a lot of polish, the visuals are great, and nothing beats killing a man with your hidden blade in the middle of the road and just walking away.... 

[Pugnate]

and nothing beats killing a man with your hidden blade in the middle of the road and just walking away....

You've had experience outside of the game, haven't you?

[Cobra951]

Cobra your thoughts solidify the position of that PA blog. This doesn't seem like the sort of game you want to rush through.

Definitely.  And the thing is that I rushed through making my post about it, because it's late, and  I feel lazy.  I could fill another page with what I didn't post.  Moving about is an art.  There are impressive smarts built in, but you are in control.  The game very seldom frustrates by making your alter ego perform something you didn't ask for.  If you decide to jump to your death, you will.  The smarts only kick in over a narrow range.  The stealth angle is a lot of fun.  Nothing beats sneaking up on a guard, then putting his lights out with a hidden dagger in an eyeblink.  You move around town slowly in crowds until all hell breaks loose, then you're sprinting down alleys with a loud posse at your heels.  You grab a ledge and up to the rooftops you go, followed by the more determined enemies.  Out come the blades, somebody gets thrown off, and you find a hiding place to dive into until all calms down.

I mean, really, what do people want out of this medium?  Is it another case of too much hype that got it in hot water with some critics?

[gpw11]

I need this.  From your perspective, how would the control scheme adapt to a pc?  Do you think the gamepad would actually be more ideal? 

[iPPi]

The controls work brilliantly on the Xbox360 controller.

Generally speaking, every button controls a certain part of your body.  You have X, which controls your armed hand such as your sword, throwing knives, and your hidden blade; B, which controls your unarmed hand to push people aside or tackle them; A, which controls your feet, such as sprinting and jumping; and Y which brings the camera up and opens up the first person view mode.  If you have a full 'health' bar, it opens up 'eagle view' which shows you who's friendly, who's not, and who's your objective.

I'd say that on a keyboard it's doable, but it may take some getting used to at the start.  The gamepad is probably more ideal for this game.

[Pugnate]

You have X, which controls your armed hand such as your sword, throwing knives, and your hidden blade; B, which controls your unarmed hand to push people aside or tackle them

You just sold me this game. One button for each hand is just very cool.

[Cobra951]

I need this.  From your perspective, how would the control scheme adapt to a pc?  Do you think the gamepad would actually be more ideal? 

Yes, iPPi answered that well.  Plus dual-analog works well in this kind of game, with left stick for motion and right stick for unencumbered look.  The only thing I wish for is a blend toggle.  You have to hold 'A' to be least conspicuous, and that makes looking around at the same time awkward.  If you think about it, the face buttons are laid out like a human stick figure: hands (X, B), head (Y) and feet (A).  The D-pad selects one of the weapons or fists directly.  (No rotating through menus.  Once you know the layout, just push.)  The right trigger is the high-profile "shift" key.  The left trigger locks on targets.  The left shoulder button toggles chase cam when you're being chased.  (It shows you more or less from the perspective of the attackers.)  'Start' pauses.  'Back' brings up the map.  RB isn't used that I know of.

Oh, and one of the stick buttons whips the camera right behind you.  I think it's the right one.

[gpw11]

Interesting. That's good to know, but I wonder how my original (s-type) gamepad will fair.  I mean, everything is pretty much the same except for the black and white buttons being on the face instead of as triggers.  That could kill it.

[MysterD]

The controls work brilliantly on the Xbox360 controller.

Generally speaking, every button controls a certain part of your body.  You have X, which controls your armed hand such as your sword, throwing knives, and your hidden blade; B, which controls your unarmed hand to push people aside or tackle them; A, which controls your feet, such as sprinting and jumping; and Y which brings the camera up and opens up the first person view mode.  If you have a full 'health' bar, it opens up 'eagle view' which shows you who's friendly, who's not, and who's your objective.

I'd say that on a keyboard it's doable, but it may take some getting used to at the start.  The gamepad is probably more ideal for this game.

Is there lots of platforming???

Is there lots of the rooftop jumping???
Or lots of jumping in general??

[Cobra951]

D, watch IGN's video review, but ignore the whiny reviewer.  Just mute it, and get the picture.

I think the Xbox controller would work OK, if only the PC version were out.  Didn't that get delayed into next year?  You have 2 shoulder triggers, which is all you need.  The left shoulder button on the 360 controller is used to toggle the chase camera.  You don't need to hold it, so it's OK if it maps to the Black or White face button.  I seldom use this function myself.

[MysterD]

If the PC controls ain't so hot, I'm sure X360 Controller for Windows -- as long as it supports it -- would and should be fine.

[Quemaqua]

Well Cobra, I have joined your little group.  Thanks for making me buy things on credit that I shouldn't be buying.

I'll post impressions as soon as I have some to post!   

EDIT - I am relieved on multiple levels.  Firstly, the game is awesome.  I suspected it would be, but you never know these days.  Secondly, the game isn't so good that my mind will be completely removed from The Witcher with no hope of returning.  In other words, to a degree I can see where the IGN reviewer was coming from.  I don't think I really agree after putting in several hours, but at the same time, the game does fool you initially into thinking it may be more next-gen than it actually is.

Still, it's a total blast, and that initial blow-you-away factor is huge.  I consider the first 45 minutes I spent with the game to be practically life-changing.  I love the "plot twist", which isn't a plot twist but rather an unadvertised facet of the story, and I think the little interlude segments so far (well, I've had one, but it's neat that you can "get out" from the game and get into the "other" part at any time) are brilliant.  This is a piece of living art, no question.  The cities look absolutely jaw-dropping, and moving around them is a joy.  I could have hoped for a few more control ideas instead of making everything quite as automatic as it is, but there'd be no way to achieve the sense of speed otherwise, and it makes you feel really badass and fast almost effortlessly (until you do something totally stupid like run off a high all with nothing below you  or plow into a group of passersby completely by accident).

So yeah, I'm feeling good about the purchase.  I know this is a game I'm going to want to take my time with an explore thoroughly, even if just to marvel at what is truly some astounding scenery (fuck I wish this thing didn't auto-letterbox on my SD display), but at the same time, I know I won't have trouble putting it down for a while to pick it back up again, which is good considering my current addiction to The Witcher and my sincere need to finish that.  I really should have just waited, but curiosity about AC was just too hard to quash, plus the freedom will be a nice change of pace when I need it.

[Pugnate]

This is one of the advantages of not owning a 360. You don't want to buy games for something you don't have.

[Cobra951]

You don't want to buy games for something you don't have.

Then Mario Galaxy came out.  *Sigh*
[/ot]

At first, I thought the modern-day storyline was unnecessary, but as the game has progressed, it's drawn me in too.  Make sure to look for conversation and investigation opportunities there whenever something new happens.

I played till the wee hours again, unable to stop until I was really tired out.  While some things do repeat quite a bit, and the beggars are a sad mistake, the main plot line has stayed fresh and exciting for me.  Each assassination has been a gripping, different experience.  Each major step along the way puts you into a new section of the world, where navigation is not simply a matter of repeating what you already did.  The world does not feel like cookie cutouts of the same few molds.  There's always something new to figure out how to climb or circumvent, or leap across to keep things interesting.  The AI has kicked into a higher gear now too, and while I'm much stronger and much better at fighting and running away, I continue to have close calls.  It's getting harder to get out of sight and into a hiding spot.  When I manage it, it's seconds before 6 guys come pouring over the walls and run by.

I'm glad you like it.  I'd feel terrible if I steered you wrong.

[MysterD]

This is one of the advantages of not owning a 360. You don't want to buy games for something you don't have.

Exactly.

I'm waiting the PC version of Assassin's Creed, which is due in 2008.

[Quemaqua]

This game feels very console-happy to me.  I don't mean just in terms of control, but just design.  It's got a huge world to explore, it's very platformy in some ways, and there's tons of little things to collect.  Those kinds of games fit better to me on a console because I don't necessarily always want them installed, but I like to break them out now and again just to run around and blow off steam.  This game is going to do nicely in that regard it seems, and it's got a cool story and such to boot!

Going to play more tonight since I most likely won't give more time to The Witcher until the weekend when I can devote more time and obsession.

EDIT - I am beyond impressed.  This is truly what a free roaming world should be.  The details at times are absolutely astounding.

Also, those interested in the music should check out this thread over at CheapAssGamer.

[Cobra951]

Thanks for that link to the soundtrack.  The track numbers seem to indicate that some of them are missing.  This is very cool, though.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, it isn't complete.  There's also another track if you follow the thread a bit further, something IGN was hosting.  It turns out to be a decent amount of music in the end, even if it isn't complete.  I suppose they'll be releasing an official disk to buy or something on iTunes or whatever.

[Cobra951]

Yes, I found Jerusalem Horse Ride a couple of days ago at IGN.  I posted a link on the 5-top-soundtracks thread.  Then I found both Jerusalem tracks at Jesper Kyd's site.  They're 320kbps MP3s.  I want the music that plays when I get in a huge fight and I'm taking damage.

[iPPi]

I'm nearing the end of the game... at the 9th and final assassination.  The story outside of Altair's world is getting quite interesting as well. 

[Quemaqua]

This game totally blows my mind.  The amount of artistic ingenuity is jawdropping.  While I can understand that eventually doing some of the mission types might become repetitive, this game has changed the way I view games.  Seriously.  Even if there was no fucking game here at all, it would be impossible not to be amazed and stunned at much of what's been done here.

I have to agree with Kevin VanOrd for once: this is a game that you'll talk to people about, even people who don't play games.  I talked about it at length with my mom today and told her that I had to show it to her the next time she happened to drop by.  Anyone that's ever been interested in the holy land, in that period of history, or in that culture absolutely must see this.  Even if the game part doesn't interest you, and even if you acknowledge that a lot of it really boils down to window dressing, it's so good that such points are totally irrelevant in the face of what's been accomplished.  It has to be seen to be believed, and not only that, but played.  Videos did absolutely nothing to convey to me what I'm seeing on my screen as I go on.

[Pugnate]

No you mean to say the game sucks, and I shouldn't want to buy a 360 for it! That's what you mean... right?

[Quemaqua]

Heh, you can wait for it on PC without fear, Pug.  It will be just as awe-inspiring in a few months as it is now, trust me.  This isn't a flash in the pan.

[iPPi]

Finished it up yesterday.  Brilliant game that I had a blast playing over the last 2-3 weeks.  Yes some of the investigation missions were repetitive, but the open world environment, and the compelling storyline makes this game pretty damn good.

I'll definitely be playing this again looking for templars and the flags.

[MysterD]

Heh, you can wait for it on PC without fear, Pug.  It will be just as awe-inspiring in a few months as it is now, trust me.  This isn't a flash in the pan.

Despite reviews that been all over the place, I am highly looking forward still to the upcoming PC version of Jade Raymond's baby!!!

Can't wait for 2008, when it drops!!

[Cobra951]

Finished it up yesterday.  Brilliant game that I had a blast playing over the last 2-3 weeks.  Yes some of the investigation missions were repetitive, but the open world environment, and the compelling storyline makes this game pretty damn good.

I'll definitely be playing this again looking for templars and the flags.

I noticed last night that you had finished.  You got all the harder accomplishments too, except the flags.

I'm poised to take on the 6th assassination next, in Acre.  The rich section of this city has the most fun, er, vertical challenges yet.

Que, you know I agree with everything you said.  The reason I'm only this far after playing the game so much for 2 weeks is that I've spent so long just exploring and watching what is happening.