Assassin’s Creed is based on a the Hashshashin or Assassins, a religious group of Ismaili Muslims, thought to be active in the 8th to 14th centuries as a mystic secret society specializing in terrorizing the Abbasid elite. The group transformed the act of murder into a system directed largely against Seljuk Muslim rulers that had been persecuting their sect. Assassins were meticulous in killing the targeted individual, seeking to do so without any additional casualties and innocent loss of life, although they were careful to cultivate their terrifying reputation by slaying their victims in public, often in mosques. Typically they approached using a disguise; their weapon of choice a dagger, poison, bows and other weapons that allowed the attacker to escape.
The video game is set in Damascus, Acre and Jerusalem during the Third Crusade (1191 AD). The player takes on the role of Altair, who unfortunately carries a heavy American accent, which takes immediately away from the setting and surroundings. Stripped of weapons and trust from his Creed, he sets out to assassinate nine individuals to regain his status. Unfortunately, Ubisoft Montreal didn’t leave the storyline by just by telling a tale set in the Holy Land; instead they added an unnecessary and unexciting 21st Century twist to the plot.
The gameplay is intriguing for several hours, but becomes repetitive all too quickly. The player must – as the title implies – assassinate. Kamikaze actions or just brute force may lead to success. However, Assassins Creed is more fun when played as a stealth game, in which enemies are carefully approached, surroundings explored and an escape plan is made before the assassination takes place. The game offers several side quests, but other than for Achievement Points, these are not really worth playing.
Do to the violent nature of the game, we recommend Assassins Creed for players ages 14 years and older. The ESRB rated the game M for Mature 17+.
Assassins Creed offers great visuals and is fun for several hours. In true Hollywood fashion the story does not conclude and a sequel is under development.
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on December 6th, 2007 at 2:11 am
I was so excited about this game, but when I actually got to play it, I cried myself to sleep.
Not really, but you know. Hah! I played the PS3 version of the game and it was full of bugs that rendered the game unplayable! On top of that, I thought it was too similar to Prince of Persia, one of my favorite franchises.