(Note, the following are my own personal opinions, and not those of Ubisoft)
So, I’d always figured Assassin’s Creed would end up being a love it or hate it kind of game. So I was surprised when no one actually hated it. In fact, the reception has been predominantly positive. But, there are a few low reviews. I’ve read a bunch of them, and ultimately, a lot of the negative points have to do with the game not being what the reviewers wanted it to be, or thought it would be. Now, I suppose, in some fashion, that’s a valid critique. But if you expect fruit, and you get an apple when you expected an orange, does that make the apple bad? I’m no good at analogies.
What I find truly hilarious though, are the conflicting things people want out of the game, and ultimately I take that as a huge positive. I’ve seen people say that the fast travel option shouldn’t have been available, in the same sentence that they say the kingdom area isn’t that interesting. Well… okay? Seems like one is a solution to the other… but that’s just me. What do I know.
Another thing I find interesting is how a lot of the negative things people say about the game… have to do with the fact that it is, at the end of the day, a game. People complain about how it’s repetitive because you do the same gameplay over and over. Seems to me that in most games, you do the same gameplay over and over, only the reasons change, and maybe the settings. I think it’s likely that people notice the “gamey” parts in AC more, simply because the game world as a whole is so detailed and realistic. It’s true, when contrasted against realism, the parts of the game that make it a game will stand out.
Granted, putting the game in a historical setting tied our hands somewhat. People have complained that the cities are too similar. Well… yeah. What do you want, an ice level? A fire level? Last I checked, this wasn’t Zelda, and no one slams WW2 games for being in yet another bombed out setting. Why can’t we play WW2 in a jungle for once?
Another laugh I had was at a guy complaining that the game doesn’t have weather. Right. In a desert area. Perhaps we could’ve made Altair comment about how it’s kind of hot today. Today it’s drier than usual!
I must admit, there’s definitely some valid criticisms of the game. It’s not as polished as I’d have liked. Cutscenes aren’t skippable, checkpoints aren’t clearly defined and reliable, instant kill water, and, of course, the odd crazy bug. But for all of that, it seems that most people agree: We made something special and innovative. And when you get down to it, that’s all we set out to do.
And really, if you are going to poke at the weak parts of the game, why not do it in style? With that in mind, I sure hope Yahtzee does a Zero Punctuation on AC. It would make my year.