If its one series that I am conflicted about, its the Assassin's Creed series. It hits a lot of my buttons because it has great action, a strong story, and looks pretty. Despite coming out each and every year, it seems that Ubi Soft doesn't take the series for granted, and puts a lot into it, and it shows.
I've said it before to an empty room, but I'll say it on the record here, but Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time is IMO, probably the best game ever made. As a series reboot, it contained brilliant action, awesome graphics (for its time), intriguing mechanics, and a perfectly tuned difficulty curve. The story that was laid out was perfect for the medium, and its two sequels were pretty good as well, although I can understand why they weren't as well received. I even enjoyed the Forgotten Sands for as different it was from the Sands of Time.
This is to set the stage for my excitement for the first entry of the Assassin's Creed series. Maybe the time manipulation of the Sands of Time would be gone, but the parkour style action would remain, just in a setting that was more historical and real world. The historical war between the Assassins and the Templars was a very fertile ground for fascinating stories that would unfold over generations, allowing new characters to come into the story and old characters to leave. On paper, this series has everything that I want, and then some.
I can't explain why I'm down on this series without delving into spoilers, so click the jump to keep reading.
It all started with the first entry. I didn't find the main character all that fascinating, and the mission structure was beyond repetitive. The Playstation 3 was getting game after game that did capture my interest, and I only had a limited shelf space, so I made the conclusion that seemed best at the time. I would abandon this series, and go down other roads that seemed more fruitful.
It wasn't until the setting started to leak out about Assassin's Creed 3 that my ears perked up on this series again. Using the American Revolution as the setting intrigued me, and I decided I would indeed give this series another try. First though, I would have to get caught up with the three games that comprised Assassin's Creed 2.
I found that Assassin's Creed 2, and to a lesser degree Brotherhood and Revelations to be far superior games to the original. Ezio Auditore was a much better character, and the Italian Renaissance was a fruitful setting for a much better mission structure, and the missions themselves were more interesting. There's no way that Assassin's Creed 3 could mess this up. They just had to keep doing what they were doing, and I'd be a fan for life.
At first, when you're playing as Haytham, I found this character to be interesting. There was something about him that seemed different, but I couldn't put my finger on it. When the twist was revealed that Haytham was a Templar the whole time (at least that we knew him), my world was shaken. After this, we took control of Connor, the protagonist that was advertised. I could not stand his character, and the more I got to know him, the more I disliked him. His single minded focus for revenge seemed to betray the Assassin's Creed, and made Connor a prisoner more than any Templar ever could have.
I felt betrayed by this series, particularly because I gave it a second chance, and it seemed to be warranted, but then it went back to it's old ways. I didn't care much for the ship to ship combat, which I realize I'm alone on. I never went for Assassin's Creed 4. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
With two entries coming this season for this game, I'm torn again. I've heard that #4 is a worthy entry, and I know that I'm not alone being down on #3. Of the two entries coming later this year, I'm more interested in Assassin's Creed Rogue, which casts the players as an Assassin turned Templar. Even though it doesn't star Haytham Kenway (supposedly), this idea intrigues me. I haven't decided if it will be enough to drag me back into this series. I'm once stalked, twice stabbed you might say.
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