Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed has seen increased popularity more recently since the release of Justin Kurzel’s Assassin’s Creed (2016) film and the new Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (2020). The series is full of historical elements, so if you’re a history buff, this is something that will entertain you for many, many hours. 

Of course, Ubisoft has incorporated versions of history that are not 100% accurate, but it is twisted in a way that allows you to really feel involved in “what could have happened.” At least, that is my interpretation. I really wanted to get the most out of the series, so I began to play each title as they were released, rather than playing them in actually chronological order, if that makes sense. Many will argue what the best order is to play the games, but I will share my experience and review as they were released. 

Beginning with the first title in the series, Assassin’s Creed tells the story of Desmond Miles, a bartender with a rich ancestry involving the Assassin and Templar Orders throughout history. Assassins and Templars agree on the search for peace, but where they disagree is how that peace is achieved. Assassins desire peace through free will, and Templars believe peace is achieved through order and control. 

Desmond awakens in a company called Abstergo, a research facility where machines can use “DNA memory” to allow a particular person to dive into a simulation of a particular ancestor of theirs using a program called Animus. Desmond is told he must assist in helping save the world from an impending doomsday, and in order to do that, he must relive some of the memories of his assassin ancestor Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, Altair for short.

You dive into a simulation that relives some of the most interesting kingdoms, such as Old Jerusalem. I will not spoil anything for you, but you are tasked with many quests and goals to complete, and if you are a completionist such as myself, you’ll find that you can explore and fight for hours. A game developed by people with many different religious beliefs and backgrounds makes for an interesting adaptation to historical elements found within the game.

The story alternates between reality and life within the Animus. You can explore the world in reality, however small, and jump back into the Animus when you are ready to keep the simulation alive to find clues about how to unlock the mysteries of past civilizations in order to save the world from the doomsday you will learn about along the way. 

As far as actual gameplay goes, the controls are very easy to pick up on, and the game has various steps along the way that teach you how to attack, defend, and use your weapons. Graphically, you can expect what you would see in your average game release around 2007. Of course, there is a community push for the first Assassin’s Creed game to be remastered, which would be amazing! I will be speaking more about the increased visuals as I progress through the series. Spoilers – they get way better!

A final great aspect of the game, historically, is that you come across famous artifacts, buildings, and people that you can read about and learn of their importance. Ubisoft started something here, and you will continue to enjoy the many Assassin’s Creed games that follow. 

Overall, I was very impressed with the game, and I knew it could only get better. A good bar was set with visuals, gameplay, and story line.

Attack with stealth, or go right in and fight to the death! This game had me captivated, and I hope it does the same for you! 

Photo Creds: Ubisoft