Twist and clout
Hand-to-hand combat deploys a similar ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach: Ezio able to disarm assailants, round on them with a diverse assortment of armaments and even flip over their backs by harnessing the aforementioned hook blade. The problem is, despite such diversity, it’s all too easy to simply wait for an assailant to strike and then counter - et voilà, instant kill.
Burn the Captain's logs
Multiplayer is also home to the instant kill, though Revelations' further online development over its predecessor mean that's not a problem. The surprisingly robust online options varying the central theme of sneaking up to your target, dispatching them and melting away.
'Simple Deathmatch' mode, for example, becomes a game of cat-and-mouse where each player is tasked with felling just one target. The idea, to assassinate your particular target while watching your own back, an intriguing tactical battle. Variants on capture the flag, team deathmatch and 'tag, you're it' provide further diversion and then there's the obligatory leveling up where extra skills can unlocked.
Hoof it up
Verdict
Despite my veritable tirade of negativity in parts of this review, Revelations remains a dramatic and exhilarating experience at its best. It’s just hard to ignore the fact that this could have easily been released as a cut-price expansion of Brotherhood. What’s more, the overblown plot makes this latest ‘assassin-'em-up’ all but inaccessible – not to mention an illogical choice – for those looking to take up the series afresh.
Shake Monsieur
If you’re a series veteran and are actively relishing the prospect of many more hours of the same, then step this way. If you’re a newcomer you might as well start with the bargain bin Assassin’s Creed 2. And if you’ve tired of the formula, then wait with the rest of us to see what real revelations Assassin’s Creed 3 might have in store. A future world setting? You know it makes sense. ®
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Assassin's Creed: Revelations
COMMENTS
honestly..
I've loved the whole series, Brotherhood was a brilliant game. But, this mini-tower-defense thing is utterly crap and takes you right out of the game you're playing. It's bolted on, it jars, the execution is appalling, boring and just plain irritates.
Ubisoft could do with a patch to disable that crap for those that would rather just get on with playing the game they thought they were buying.
Oh, and Ubisoft - your code to allow me to play online is SHIT. I pay my xbox live subscription to enable online play, so stop trying to screw anyone who dares buy the game second-hand. You grasping little wankers. This is how it works in the real world, and just because you feel you deserve a cut because I've finished your game and someone else wants to buy it doesn't entitle you to another slice.
You don't see me paying Ford a chunk when I buy my car secondhand, do you ?
Funny Guy.
Maybe I'm hoping that a cancer will relieve us of YOU.
Will be getting eventually
Still need to finish the side missions in AC2B before it grabbed me and forced me to complete the story first.
First was good but very repetative, artwork very good, some graphics (for early game) astounding, but suffered severe frame rate drop & screen tearing.
Second was a lot better, stlll has the same clunky controls as now, but texture pop in is more prevelant. I still remember running along a clear street then a load of baddies materialised straight in front of me.
Second part 2, better engine, not quite as clunky, but getting too many games.
Second part 3, will buy eventually. Doesn't sound that special.
I still have a huge pile of games I haven't got my moneys worth out of. Yet I do not feel the need to replay AC single player much, did half the first one again until I discovered Uncharted.
They are not shy with the fact that game is very much designed to be played with a controller. For £30 you can get a wireless xbox controller for PC and it'll transforms many games from "meh" to "woah, so *this* is what everyone is talking about".
Imagine how bad xbox players must think the Command and Conquer games were, but you'd never be allowed to tell a PC gamer anything like that because the C&C games were excellent. They were never designed with controllers in mind however and likewise Assassin's Creed is fully aimed at controllers and not a keyboard and mouse.
Think yourself lucky...
...I read it as 'Arse Angel'. So there.
