Rant on Assassin's Creed series

So I'm gonna compile thoughts on all five Assassin's Creed games in one post. Don't think I have to write about them one by one, especially since I'll be away this weekend. But i won't elaborate much since I'm sure there are better reviews out there.

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The first game I played was Assassin's Creed 2, where two of my friends shoved the disc into my face (in a good way). And i asked others whether I should really try this out, I was totally convinced when someone said something about Leonardo da Vinci.

I was afraid of playing stealth games, I couldn't finish Ninja Gaiden cos I totally sucked (back then I was more of an RPG-fag). But AC2 gives you a GPS so you basically know where the red dots are walking. But you have a choice to become incognito or nortorious. So it wasn't that hard. In the end I enjoyed the game because it was fun to figure out a way to kill your target in stealth mode. And Ezio has a romantic way of killing people it makes me blush... Other than that, it was like a vacation to different parts of Italy. Florence, Tuscan, Forli, San Gimignano and especially VENICE (row the gondola too)! And you have mercenaries, courtesans and thieves to assist you in your mission - and they turn out to be sub-sections of the Order of the Assassin's. Minigames are important to the plot, and you have the obligation to finish it to see what is meant to be seen.

Venice is a romantic place... owait-

AC: Brotherhood inherits the awesomeness of of its predecessor, but even better when you have assassin recruits to come to your aid. Now you have side missions to liberate forts (again this makes assassination a really fun thing to do) and try out the machineries Leonardo invented. The only drawback is probably that you only stick around Rome, but Rome is a freakin' huge place to have a walk in. Thankfully the architecture makes up with it.

Before carrying on the Revelations, I decided to finish the first game first. Since I am aware that Revelations is about tracking Altair's memories, I thought I should connect with Altiar first before I get confused in the fourth game. So we go all the way back to where assassins originated from, Masyaf (now in Syria), and i suppose the inhabitants were Muslims (it's more cool to call Muslims 'assassins' rather than ;terrorists' ww). AC was an extremely straightforward game, and I found myself feeling awkward that I don't have allies to depend on. Which makes it a challenge to move about as a lone wolf bird of prey, and trust me the combat system was still troublesome. There were a lot of running and falling, and you need to at least hide rather than going out of the radius when guards are on high alert. Yet you have a lot more freedom in killing people. The funniest part is when a WILD TEMPLAR APPEARS and start throwing curses at you. Here we also learn the three tenets of the Order; do not kill innocents, hide in plain sight and do not betray your Brotherhood. The worst part is to collect the flags, but in the end I couldn't care less (no trophies lol) and the fact that Altair cannot swim.... AC wasn't as awesome as AC2 and Brotherhood, but at least you get another vacation, this time in the Middle East - more architecture p0rn!

AC1 may feel like nothing but here's my favourite character. No kidding.

AC was really a PROLOGUE for the whole plot. It's when you start AC2 you realize it's actually the real "chapter 1". It was only in AC2 you know more about the current timeline issues, and the Templar's main plot. So now let's move on to Revelations. Ezio travels to Turkey, and whoopie more beautiful buildings!! This is when I realize you have to be super specific when it comes to fighting different types of opponents. We get to kill everyone with our litte allies and assassin recruits. And eagle vision has a massive improvement; now you can see traces of the glowing red/gold people! While funding money is very easy in the last two games, Revelations is a bit difficult due to the Islamic banking system (no interest, it's haram). Ezio has become wise with age, and I kind of feel sorry for him when he pants after dropping from a ledge =A="

Recently I've just finished Assassin's Creed 3. It was a game I anticipated most this year, and I actually bought it as a birthday present. I had fun with Altair and Ezio, and I was looking forward to have the similar feeling with Connor. However, the game began with a faux protagonist. You wonder why it isn't Connor, but this guy, I think you can see where it's coming. But then there's a plot twist that makes you go "Wait. What?" (just as Desmond did) and rewards you a trophy called "so how do you like 'em apples?". So much for trolling. But once you get to control Connor, you find yourself missing Haytham a lot more.

I would love to rant but all my feelings about AC3 are paralleled to this article: 7 reasons why Assassin's Creed 3 is actually disappointing

this sequence was fun but simply not enough FEEEEELLLLSSS

All the feels, yet the thing that disturbs me most is the nearly impossible and what-the-fuck-is-it-even-necessary Secondary Objectives. Sure, I have no problems replaying the part where I need to assassinate a guy from above. But when you're telling me to protect two important guys while throwing redcoats into the water makes me think "What? Why can't I just shoot them from above and act like a REAL ASSASSIN?". Now I know that these Secondary Objectives existed since AC2 trilogy, and it starts to get a little ridiculous in Revelations, but I don't remember feeling like I want to throw the controller at the TV just to give a fuck about 100 Sync. The interactive trailer fooled you by hinting that you CAN have different ways of reaching your target. There was so little freedom that I started to appreciate AC1 a whole lot more because Altair DID what a spy/assassin is supposed to do; investigate the enemy, analyze the area, and comes up with THREE options on how to go for the kill. You want a full frontal assault badassery? Go ahead. You want to sneak into secret passages like a ninja? Go ahead!

Another goddamn disappointment is the declination of the Eagle Vision. Connor didn't even need it; he's a Native American, and obviously he had hunting skills. All he needed is too look for clues. And oh there are no clues left behind by Subject No.6 to unlock. Here I was hoping that he could see traces of red like Ezio could in Revelations, but there weren't any. So now you cannot even have fun playing tricks on the guards with your trip mines (i loved planting those funny bombs in Revelations just to see how the guards react lolol). More importantly, you don't have any information on where the guards might walk unless you stick around for a few minutes to see the patrol pattern.... ONLY if you do not have any time limit to consider!

I had floating maidens. What about you?

You might think this review here has a lot of whining but I don't think whether you're veteran or a newbie is the problem. The post wraps up on how the game really is like at certain parts. The main point is the fact that it's no longer a stealth game and you don't have that similar enjoyment as you had in the previous four games. There were many cases where Connor breaks the second tenet of the Order (FUKKEN HIDE IN FUKKEN PLAIN FUKKEN SIGHT and why the hell are you commanding the patriots??), and other than that it's just really hard to be stealthy because now the guards a lot smarter. Probably it's because you're now in America *shrugs*... or sometimes a little dumb (or it could be a glitch) because sometimes i randomly get "HEY YOU!" while I'm just walking peacefully several metres away from the fukken lobsters D:. Now that you're in infant America, a really boring setting because most houses are made of wood and there aren't any minarets and towers with aethestic carvings to jawdrop at. Could've chosen settings where CULTURE exists.

But guess what the best part of the game is? The Naval Battles (is that a very assassin thing to do?) and the Assassin Recruits. And I also thought Davenport Homestead will become an assassin HQ but instead you're just rounding up outcasts to live happily ever after with.

Now I'm not gonna talk about the story or the characters of the wholse series, you can look at it elsewhere and I agree with them whatsoever. But I can tell you that AC3 doesn't have memorable ones as you found in AC2 (or otherwise people around Altair if you care to notice)

I am actually surprised to have found this in a bookstore here. It costs around RM35 - RM39, in BORDERS. Just bought the first one, and I hope I look forward to Connor's true colours he failed to show in the game.

In spite of all the crap I said about AC3, do try to play it if you think you can handle the gameplay. I know there may be pros who hold pride that they face the challenges like robots, but not everyone is lucky. And if you have not tried the Assassin's Creed games, go pick it up now. It's worth it. You might wanna skip AC3 thought and just read the spoilers, but you'll miss out the Naval Battles.