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I should say I'm an Assassin's Creed fan. I fervently defended the uniqueness of the first game, Assassin's Creed, which was ultimately revealed to be a bit of a mess compared to the stellar Assassin's Creed II. When Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood hit the scene, I initially saw it as a stalling tactic instead of releasing "AC 3", with some multiplayer slapped on, but I ended up loving that one too, and the MP, while needing some execution improvements, was refreshingly unique.
When Revelations finally rolled around, I was actually excited about both learning more of the Desmond/Ezio story and also seeing a cleaner, more user-friendly multiplayer experience. I picked up a copy of the game on Black Friday for $35 and have played the game a good amount, both SP and MP, since. Here are my thoughts, starting with the singleplayer:
GRAPHICS 8/10
Graphics are about on-par with what they were in AC:2, with some improvements in the facial movements during the cinematics. The game still runs the same engine as AC:2 and Brotherhood, so combat and climbing and crowd movement look almost identical. The new city, Constantinople, is different from the Italian cities but I think it doesn't quite show off the graphics like Rome or Florence from prior games.
GAMEPLAY 7/10
As I mentioned, climbing, combat and moving with the crowd is mostly the same as prior games, which isn't a bad thing necessarily. There are some new movement features, such as the grappling claw and (by proxy) the zipline. Nothing to write home about. Combat and crowd have the added factor of bombs, but as some have already pointed out, they are not exactly essential to Ezio's arsenal. 1-2 recipes are all that you'll need for most of the game. It can be interesting to use some of the other bomb types in various scenarios but again, in terms of combat experience, they aren't that fascinating.
The new gameplay additions come in the form of a tower-defense minigame as well as contracting recruited assassins and remotely controlling territory (I believe it's called the "Mediterranean Defense" minigame). These, honestly, I could do without. I liked the mission-style usage in the past game as a way to level up your recruits and score a bit of extra cash while you collected flags/chests and whatnot, but the new minigames just put too much pressure on you to keep up with what's going on. Tower defense is pretty lame; honestly I'd rather just go down on the ground and melee combat my way through attackers. Overall, I can appreciate UbiSoft wanting to expand their game but I would have done without the new minigames.
STORY 8/10
I don't want to give anything away. You'll have needed to play Brotherhood to really understand what is going on. The actual pacing of the story depends on your playstyle, but I myself found it adequate and in the same overall tone and style of the previous 2 games.
SOUND 9/10
Sound quality stays at the usual levels of excellence from the prior games. In my experience the voice actors do a good job all around, and the game's sound effects are solid too.
REPLAYABILITY (SP) 5/10
A low score here shouldn't be unexpected. Replayability from the single player perspective is mostly the same as it was with the prior games. You're free to roam the city, cause chaos, do the minigames and side missions as you please once the campaign is finished. Is it as fun? In my opinion, not really. I'd rather move on to another game, but that's just me; to each his own.
MULTIPLAYER 9/10
Here's where the game moves from a 3/5 star to a 4/5 star. The multiplayer is a great experience. Unless you've played Brotherhood, I guarantee you will not have tried something like this before. The multiplayer is completely unique and mostly involves trying to trick other players. Reflexes and coordination is almost secondary to how strategy and deception in this multiplayer; can you make other players think you are just an NPC (a computer controlled character), while figuring out which of the characters walking around on your screen is your player target? That's the gist of multiplayer and, while I can understand it's not for everyone, I find it to be a blast.
The good news here is the MP is MUCH more streamlined than it was in Brotherhood. There is an XP system much like most MP games these days (MW3, BF3) allowing you to level up and spend points unlocking and upgrading abilities to suit your playstyle. I'll admit there's a bit of a learning and leveling curve; high level players will have significant ability advantages over starting players, but the game can still be a lot of fun.
New MP game modes like Deathmatch, Assassination, and Corruption add even more depth to the multiplayer experience. I bought this game mostly for the multiplayer. If it sounds like it's something you're into, I'd heartily recommend giving it a shot.
OVERALL 7.5/10 (4 stars)
As I mentioned I bought this game for $35. November and October had heavy hitters in the video game world, and this game not only warranted a buy in my mind but the multiplayer has it as the #2 or #3 game that I'm playing now (behind Battlefield 3 and Skyrim depending on my mood). The fact that it can pull some of my interest and playtime given the other games out there should say something about Revelations.
However, I realize that the appeal of this game to me, personally, may not be something shared by all gamers. Would I pay $60 for this game? No. I would, myself, be happy to have paid $45, maybe even $50. For someone unsure about this game, I would wait until a $40 price point. For fans of Brotherhood, particularly of the multiplayer, however, you are probably like me and would be content with a $45 price tag.
I hope my review was helpful. Feel free to ask me any followup questions in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
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ACR finalizes Ezio Auditore's last journey in the AC Trilogy.
Individual reviews are very mixed. My opinion is that it's awesome and what weaknesses there are (features that I'm not crazy about) aren't enough to spoil my love of this game.
Some of the issues people have can just be ignored by not using things or altering what you do in the game to counter-balance it.
There are 2 aspects to this game for newbies to AC on the one hand it's the end of a trilogy and since AC is story intensive, it's important to get the backstory to understand what's going on, so I'd recommend picking up the previous 2 games if interested.
At the same time, the Missions and gameplay are not as difficult as previous versions making it a nice intro to new AC gamers less of a learning curve.
NEW ADDITIONS:
The HOOKBLADE for faster climbing, hook and run maneuvers and zooming down ziplines (fun but there are limited ziplines to use & I found myself unable to use some of them during gameplay due to being at the wrong end of them),
BOMBS are alot of fun and offer new applications for strategy during missions. They seem a little intimidating at first, but there are 4 side missions with a Bomb expert to get familiar with them and a mission tutorial on how to make them. It's not hard.
RECRUITING SYSTEM/MASTER ASSASSINS/DENS
This was a great revamp of the Assassin Recruit system. You now have several Assassin Dens and appoint a Master Assassin over each one.
You also get 2 separate missions with each one which are really good.
Also, Leveling up the Recruits is now turned into a relevant game on its own, so it isn't just random mission to gain them XP. It makes it more enjoyable.
STALKERS were a nice addition. They randomly surprise you from behind and try to kill and steal from you.
Yes, Ezio is 51 yrs old in this chapter but he isn't slowed down any, he almost moves faster than previous games thanks to the Hookblade addition.
What I liked most in this game were the excellent missions. They were less restrictive (better 'sync' objectives & less cumbersome) and they weren't long and tedious. Any longer missions were split into 2 parts.
However, there are a couple very difficult challenges, so it's not a complete cakewalk either.
Alot does depend on your skill level.
Some CONS:
The story is good but could have beem amped up to be more exciting, dramatic and intense even though there are some exciting parts in the later missions.
There are less main and side missions in ACR than previous games so it is shorter than others.
The majority of players didn't favor a new feature, DEN DEFENSE a mini game where Templars try to take back your Den and you organize Assassins to defeat them.
It's difficult, confusing and there's a learning curve to it.
However at the same time, they've made it somewhat avoidable so you can optionally work to keep from having to play it.
Level your Master Assassins up to Lvl. 15 which will "lock" the den so that Templars can't contest it.
Or keep your "notoriety" (now called Templar Awareness) low by taking out Officials that appear when it raises and/or bribing nearby Heralds.
High Awareness causes the den attacks.
The last Con to add is that there were bugs and glitches for some people and 1 Patch was just released to address that. I had no problems with my game.
Some missions were cinematic and had an "Indiana Jones" feel to them with high action. That was fun.
Some humor and romance sprinkled in with a now more mature Ezio which was done very well and was refreshing.
It made for a very nice, solid, enjoyable game where I didn't end up wanting to whip my controller into the tv screen.
Soundtrack is great (grows on you as you play), some great Characters, Graphics are well done (though less vibrant in color than ACB) and the City was interesting (there is also Cappadocia which you travel to for some new scenery).
Overall it's a very good game that I will replay often just for the fun of the missions.
Best Deals for Assassin's Creed: Revelations
...even if alot of the other reviewers were less than thrilled. I mean it was a fantastic game that continued this great franchise with alot of in game variety, uniqueness, amazing visuals, great voice acting, and great music that really emerses you in the era of the game. Geez, i guess expectations these days are at an all time high with this video game generation.
Honest reviews on Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed Revelations (ACR)
Ezio is back for one last hurrah before the third installment of the Assassin's Creed saga. He has traveled to Constantinople the Crossroads of the World to discover the knowledge of Masyaf from Altair's clues.
Pros
Combat works just like always
Graphics are outstanding
They've added bombs
Cons
Just about every extra or mini game was cut
Story is just unforgivably bad for many reasons
Weapons and game in general are nearly identical to previous
Cutscenes lack any familiar faces
Unsure what's happening outside Animus
Gameplay 5 of 10
It's really sad to see this happen to such a standout series, but they fell into the CoD mentality. And in many ways the lack of innovation is apparent in the game. In short, if you've played ACII or Brotherhood this will be a depressing game to play. At least it was for me. After playing for less than five hours you notice a few things that just show a complete lack of effort. First of all, the city is smaller than Rome. Is it like that in real life? Who really knows; but shouldn't it be at least the same size just for gaming purposes? Secondly, there are very few side missions. You have the assassin's guild where you level up your assassins and do imaginary side quests where you can't see what's going on. You have the thieves' guild, mercenary guild and collectables. They removed SO much from what AC: Brotherhood had. Sure it was a little scatterbrained at times, but the gaming value was great because you just had so much that could be done.
Aside from a few minor additions and this "defend the city" mini-game it is for all intents and purposes a large expansion for Brotherhood. If there were a number attached to it I'd say it's Assassin's Creed 2.75. That's right, it's ¼ of a game. It could have easily been a DLC for Brotherhood for $30 in my opinion. Sure it's a holdover for ACIII, but it is by no means worth paying $60 for. Thank God I didn't. Gameplay is the same exact engine from ACII in 2009 for obvious reasons. Combat is literally identical. Purchasing weapons, pouches, shops etc. is all the same. The map is the same, viewpoints same, same same same. What isn't the same is the magic that I first felt when I played ACII. It was the feeling I had when I first played Final Fantasy VII. You could tell they had made something truly brilliant. Instead of being ridiculous and just expanding on ACI, they listened to the critics and fans and fixed almost every problem the game had.
Features and Extras 3 of 10
The only extra I really count is the Animus Island. This is sort of a spoiler but you find out literally the minute the game starts. Desmond is stuck in the Animus and you go through these really weird simplistic platforming levels where Desmond reminisces about his life. It looks like Tron. Why does this not impress me? Because they were so rushed (or lazy) that you don't even get to see the videos from his life he just talks about them as you bounce from platform to platform. And you only have the ability to do basic jump and create walkways. You don't have any assassin capabilities. Gone are the interesting puzzles and historical data as well as almost anything that made the game worth a second play. A lot of assumptions are made by Ubisoft. First off, they assume you've played the game before because they don't even have optional tutorials or the training grounds from AC: BH. They also assume you won't notice they've cut so many things or that you understand the backstory of Altair and Ezio's past. Why Ubisoft, why?
Weapons 5 of 10
There is only one new weapon bombs which you can craft. And they tried to really "blow" this out of proportion like the combat was going to be way different. It's a nice feature and is occasionally helpful, but I find it cumbersome in the heat of the moment. Crafting is a little customized as you can use multiple ingredients for the three constituent parts. Aside from the bombs all the other weapons are minimally changed.
Story 4 of 10
The story is woeful, boring and hard to follow. Ezio is looking for the "wisdom of Nicolo Polo" who is Marco Polo's father. And honestly it's a cobbled together collection of uninspiring cutscenes. Prince Suleiman whom Ezio met on the boat coming to Constantinople is one of four main characters and probably the only one who isn't instantly forgettable. Ezio is in Constantinople for some reason but I have no idea why. I'm not even sure who the main antagonist is yet. This is just another reminder of how this is a shadow of ACII or even Brotherhood. The developers couldn't even be bothered to make cutscenes with Desmond's crew in them. This is because you're stuck in the Animus the whole time? Give me a break. The only redeeming quality to the story is it has one historical figure in it.
Graphics and Presentation 10 of 10
Visually the game is mind blowing. The detail put into every little thing creates a tapestry of beauty that borders on a pure work of art. For an action/adventure game it looks better than anything I've yet seen and that includes the Uncharted series. Every piece of armor has intricate engraving and lighting is lifelike. Textures are detailed even with close up views. The people's faces look so realistic it's hard to describe. Ezio's hair in particular appears to have individual strands. And this is hard to believe because the first game looked amazing at the time. But they managed to build on that and maybe spent a bit too much time on it.
Conclusion Maybe rent
Despite the unbelievably good graphics, it doesn't redeem the slovenly game development that was dropped in our laps. The gameplay is surprisingly much less fun that AC: BH even though it's so similar. To sum it up: the storyline sucks, the extras are non-existent, weapons are almost the same, map is smaller, graphics are better. There's less of everything aside from graphical content. I'm being generous when I give this game three stars as I really think it's closer to two. What is so painful and disappointing is how great the previous games were in comparison to this one. Stay away if you're not a huge AC fan, because this one is a money making machine nothing more. Let us hope that they dust off their keyboards and use the full capability of a multi-million dollar development company for ACIII.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Assassin's Creed: Revelations
I enjoyed my time with AC:R and would recommend it to fans of the series, if just for some of the story content. Still, the amount of familiarity you experience is a little disappointing. You play in a new city, interact with new characters and a "new" story yet I rarely felt that I was doing something that I hadn't done multiple times in the previous games. To put it bluntly, the gameplay is starting to get stale.
Bomb crafting is new to the series and I will be concise. It can be cool at times, but it feels forced and is overall completely unnecessary to succeed in the game, especially considering the vast amount of options you usually have (hiring factions, ranged weapons, calling in assassins). Mediterranean defense returns but once I promoted Master Assassins to guard my dens, I never bothered with it again. "Missions" take only a few minutes and you eventually realize you're spending a lot of time sending your assassins out to do things that don't really affect the game. Den defense never bothered me because I always try to keep my notoriety down (I only had to do one den defense the mandatory tutorial one).
The multiplayer has been greatly improved over Brotherhood, but it still doesn't have that spark that would keep me playing for more than a week or two. There's still a huge amount of potential here, but AC:R has failed to nail it. You also run into the problem of 3-4 people spending every game blindly running around, causing half of your time to be spent in chase sequences. This isn't the game's fault, but it's still annoying.
Overall, fans of the series will probably get their money's worth here. Revelations is my least favorite AC game, but it's still polished and fun enough to earn my recommendation.
