Patrick Murphy:
You guys always have things like HDTVs, headsets, and other electronic stuff and I was wondering what you do with all of the th ...
OXM SAYS:
Generally, we return them. HDTVs are obtained with legally binding loan agreements; we have generally 30 to 45 d...MORE![]()
Posted on: Nov 20, 2007
Assassin's Creed
WORDS BY: Paul Curthoys
Grand ambition, the kind that dreams of a game that could only run on Xbox 360, deserves a warm and grateful welcome — and Assassin’s Creed is brimming with it. But Ubisoft’s latest is also an incomplete dream — one that’s not fully realized in too many ways — and that deserves a blade slipped gently between the ribs. Spending $60 on this mixed bag of high highs and low lows is a tough call, but we’d do it simply because the good parts are that spectacular. Still, mind our caveats — we expect Assassin’s Creed to infuriate a lot of the people who play it.

Assassin’s grand ambition is to create living, breathing medieval cities and countryside that teem with people and eye-popping vistas, and its monumental success in doing so makes it one of the prettiest games on 360. All game long, you’ll pause at the top of an impossibly high tower to marvel at the sprawl of rooftops unspooling into the horizon, or dawdle in the middle of a busy city square to appreciate the bustling crowds. Everyday citizens respond naturally to you, guards chase you like you owe them money, and you can free-run across rooftops with a grace that would make the new James Bond jealous as hell. In short, this game’s graphics and crowd A.I. succeed brilliantly at immersing you in a medieval Holy Land fantasy.

But don’t play tourist for too long. After all, your job is to reshape the political machinations behind the Crusade, and that means you’ve got loads of key figures to kill at the behest of your master. The plot’s made even more interesting by a parallel, set-in-the-future story line that starts off as fascinating...but more on that later.








Wed, 08/27/2008 - 21:23
Posted by Jason Kennedy
I loved this game as soon as we got it. the preveiws in the beggining really get u interested, yeah the missions are repetitive but i like to enjoy these things:
SAving citizens and staying in the same spot so that the passing gaurds run after me the i start to kick ass.
"accidently" runing through the crownds of people while using the tackle feature >.<
Climbing up so far and high that i would have a heart attack if i looked down(always wanted to accidently fall)
and the killing of so many people that im not an assassin anymore, im now the most wanted criminal.....
Sat, 08/02/2008 - 02:38
Posted by XBOX360FAN55
cool
gamertag:WINTERSHRINKAGE
Wed, 07/30/2008 - 01:47
Posted by Toutso
This is a series, I think there is going to be three.
Mon, 07/28/2008 - 22:15
Posted by HardcoreWeapon
I bought Gears of war and Assasins Creed in the same week. i bought them 2 weeks ago actually and found that Gears of war lived up to all its hype and more. i loved them both but found that because gears was a little to hard i was more attracted to assassins creed. this does not mean i think gears of war is a bad game it is just that some parts are a little to difficult to beat first time around.
Fri, 07/25/2008 - 21:52
Posted by soccer07
After playing this game for about 2 hours it gets very old, and watching the same moves over and over is a waste of time. The ending is bad too
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 23:45
Posted by tavatv14
why mr.black man? i like da game cause its real
Sun, 07/20/2008 - 21:41
Posted by powergamer2k8
that game was good at the start but it got to samey. not enough ways to find your target.
Wed, 07/16/2008 - 03:58
Posted by SgtKuyawa25
I personally love Assassin's Creed.
Yes the side mission are repetitive, but look at it this way:
Try something different from the last side mission.
Do something from a different angle or change the profile your in when you start a fight.
In the hands of an imaginative person this game could be jolly fun until someone else gets the assassin genre right.
Fri, 07/11/2008 - 19:10
Posted by Ellorco991
it was good at the start, it had good fighting and its class the way you can climb bildings but then it gets boooring the bits outside the cities are terrible, the listening in and side mission things are boring and the blue screen and animus are boring its got to the point when i play the game just to get as much points out of it as i can and swap it.
Wed, 06/25/2008 - 16:10
Posted by GODhimself37
loved this rental. ranked number 2 on my favorite rentals list, number 1 being bioshock. i just loved how in acre i could find a narrow passage with a bunch of ppl, and silently kill EVERY guard that walked by, without getting caught. i counted 40 bodies when i was done. lol it really makes you think your a true badass.
Mon, 06/23/2008 - 22:01
Posted by pleasnshoot1
Join the CREED!!!
Sat, 06/07/2008 - 14:26
Posted by Koyo123
While I usually agree with your reviews, I'm going to have to say that this review is flat-out wrong. Reviews=opinions, of course, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. However, I was shocked because your reviews are spot-on. I purchased Gears of War and Assassin's Creed, and, playing them one right after the other, I have to say Assassin's Creed was better. Of course they are two separate games, and they are definitely not the same. But Gears of War didn't really live up to all its hype and I found Assassin's Creed deserved at least a 9.5.
Sat, 05/24/2008 - 08:01
Posted by Crazyguy73
The most fun iv had in ages :)
Wed, 05/14/2008 - 05:54
Posted by ATK707
great game
9 out of 10
really fun
i love running from building to building with half a dozen gaurd behind me..... pure joy
Sat, 04/19/2008 - 00:48
Posted by TheBlackFin
This is definitely a fun game. Yes some of the tasks start to get a bit repetitive. But I really enjoyed the puppet system and the counter moves in combat. A definite pick-up!
The Good:
Story
Controls
Visuals
High/Low Profile modes
Open Level Design
Crowd Interaction
Could be Better:
Repetitive Tasks
Pacing Issues
Cannot forgo conversations once initiated
--- http://theblackfin.com ---
Gamertag: TheBlackFin
Wed, 04/09/2008 - 17:14
Posted by a_goat
I waited a good while for this game to finally hit the shelves. The day it did, I ran out to get it and I must say, I wasn't disappointed. Despite that the ending had me screaming "NO!" for an hour, the overall feeling I received was well worth the $60 I paid for it. A lot of people have complained about how annoying the crowd can be. If you ask me, they were meant to be annoying. Sure, you can run around like crazy and hope not to get chased, but you'll end up spending more time evading your pursuers than you would if you just tried to play the part of the assassin and blend in with the crowd. The only complaint I have in regards to Assassin's Creed is that the replay value is VERY low. I waited a good month before even attempting to put it back in the tray.
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 01:02
Posted by celticassassin
what level has u jumping off near boats, i proly havent gotten there. and i dont rememeber fighting dudes in the desert
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 00:58
Posted by celticassassin
ok dude, u just ruined it for me cuz i was taking abreak from it so it wouldnt be so monotonous like it is. ill agree with that. i really hope they make a series. since ubisoft makes this, im willing to put money down that this is how the new splinter cell plays.
Wed, 04/02/2008 - 02:06
Posted by cenahk
the ending was not an ending. they walked out the Fucking room. WTF man. you cant even get out of the building. If they make 2nd one It better end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mon, 03/31/2008 - 16:47
Posted by CA_Matador
I think the repetition of the side missions had a purpose: they ran out of ideas. Apart from that, though, they were meant to present different levels of challenge with each one. Personally I hate the "informer's target(s)" missions, but the valuable information they have is different and make you feel like you've accomplished something to get valuable info on your major target. And yes, the combat can get frustrating at times. I found myself on the losing end of some battles in the beginning 'cause I'd die while "blocking" an enemy's strong attack. But other than that, the graphics were stunning and the gameplay was smooth.
Score: 8.5/10
What was with the ending??
Fri, 03/28/2008 - 21:14
Posted by SoloSoldier21
I would give the game a 7 out of ten the graphics were awesome but the fighting got old. With no online for this game and campain made me feel more bored every second I played it. If you think the game looks good than rent it.
Thu, 03/20/2008 - 10:05
Posted by VoodooTop Cat
B-E-A-UTIFUL
Yes a little repetitive, but at least a 9/10.
Its just an overall awesome game, and the fact that all the characters were real people, though the story is fictional, the realistic historical feel was more than welcome. I can say that enjoying the scenes is beautiful, but kicking your enemy in the crotch before you bury your blade into his neck, what more is there to want?
Was on sale at Target for $39, well worth it for that price.
Tue, 02/19/2008 - 04:27
Posted by dpike36
Litterly just started playing and am already hooked! Graphics are gorgeous and open world environment is amazing! Not looking forward to the "let down" ending but that pretty well goes with any game these days! I mean really, Eli dies in Alyx's arms and fade to black! WTF Gordon!
Mon, 02/18/2008 - 18:06
Posted by ATWELL
absolutly loved the immersion of graphics in the game and as for my leap of faith experience that was and still is a nervous pleasure i personally like to use the short blade on most of the fighting because it seems quicker than the sword in reaction time i really wish the eagle vision was better because all it looks like is you are looking through really dirty glass, if there is another part to this game i hope they improve that
Fri, 02/15/2008 - 20:22
Posted by bws
this is one of the best games i ever played but the ended wasnt as good as i expected
Thu, 02/14/2008 - 01:24
Posted by The_cake_is_a_lie
At least they didn't give it too bad of a score, cuz EGM game it like a 6/5/4.5 or something. I own limited edition, and love it, although its too short.
Fri, 02/08/2008 - 02:33
Posted by lluczz
i LOVE this game its really good but the ending messed the whole game up and for the last 5 min i dint know what i was doing so then after i completely finshed the game i started a new on cause the beginning is more fun then the ending... if only the end ing wasnt that bad it would be almost as good as halo 3.
Fri, 02/01/2008 - 02:15
Posted by striker95
i absolutly love this game the fun never stops its all over a great game but the things i like the most r the graphics r amazing the counters r the coolest. i dont know how u can get tired of this game in a week. im so close to beating the game but the 360 tipped over and made a ring around the edge of the disc (anyone know how to fix that?) making the game unplayable but so far this is 1 of the best games i have played on the 360 an absolutly amazing game
Thu, 01/31/2008 - 19:06
Posted by sugafoot79
i thought the game was extremely overrated. got too repetitive too soon. played it for a week and lost interest
Thu, 01/24/2008 - 11:00
Posted by Kopecky
Sry bout the double post
posted by "Ministry4390"
"Entire arsenal? Really? Because I got through the game buy holding down the block button and hitting X whenever someone tried to hit me."
Well then you don't know how the make the best of a game. There is much more to the fighting than just holding block and hitting X. Use the combos, switch between your weapons, change it up every time. Have fun with it. You are making it boring for your self
Thu, 01/24/2008 - 10:57
Posted by Kopecky
This game was absoutly amazing, until I got to the end. I wasn't very happy about the "to be continued" ending, but thrilled about the game MAYBE becoming a trilliogy, if thats how you spell it. I love the game, the fighting was great, the leap of faith's were absoutly stunning. Nothing beats jumping off of a high place into hay, and not having anyone care. Nothing beats that.
Sun, 01/20/2008 - 23:46
Posted by gedoffdeeznutz
i played the whole game minus the flags and thought it was great til the end. what the hell... another to be continued! it was kinda slow at times, but my favorite game is splinter cell and i dont know anything slower then that. it looked great on my 360. and i'm sorry, but my 4 year old son even got the controls down. a 9/10.... i dont think so. i loved it and would play it again but 8.5 is a good score. especially with the ending the way it was... so when is the next one coming?
Sun, 01/13/2008 - 04:00
Posted by nightshift12
yeah the ending was a little odd but im glad that they are setting the game up for a sequel (because i loved it so much)
Sat, 01/12/2008 - 00:33
Posted by oldguygamer
I haven't played the game yet. I bought the strategy guide at Gamestop (you got to get them when they are available...), and after your review, this validated my intent to buy a used one after it gets cheap. I already have a bunch of XBOX 360 games, PS3 games, XBOX games, and PS2 games I haven't played yet. I suppose I can wait longer.
Wed, 01/09/2008 - 22:55
Posted by Jim_Tuna
im really glad i borrowed this game from my friend. i mean it is fun, and the cinematic fight scenes are cool, but this game was really easy. i dindnt really feel drawn to the game itself, i was just playing it to get achievements.
Sun, 01/06/2008 - 17:37
Posted by mute9dude
i agree with Ministry4390
Sun, 01/06/2008 - 16:18
Posted by Ministry4390
"Speaking of all that combat, what we love about Assassin’s many group battles is that there’s very little of that enemies-politely-waiting-their-turn-to-stab-you crap."
What the hell are you talking about? All the enemies ever do is sit around waiting for their turn to hit you.
"These boys are in it to make you bleed, and you’ve got to scramble around and use your entire arsenal to stay alive."
Entire arsenal? Really? Because I got through the game buy holding down the block button and hitting X whenever someone tried to hit me.
Sat, 01/05/2008 - 22:27
Posted by honour warrior
the majority of the game is awesome, but the ending was quite bad.
Fri, 01/04/2008 - 23:11
Posted by chunklavins
the game was great, but i'm really glad i rented it and was able to beat it before i got late fees.
Thu, 01/03/2008 - 20:16
Posted by lluc
This game is the best game on 360 other than Tony Hawk p8.
Sun, 12/30/2007 - 00:36
Posted by RampagingAcorn
the ending i mean. the games was great otherwise.
Sun, 12/30/2007 - 00:36
Posted by RampagingAcorn
i agree that the ending sucked. i beat it today and it sucked so bad.
Fri, 12/21/2007 - 10:48
Posted by darkmaster4123
i completed this game a while ago and have nearly all the achievements excpet for the flag ones.but if any of you out there dont have this game i insist you buy it you will really enjoy it
Wed, 12/19/2007 - 17:58
Posted by chrismedic
Game review full of merit. Too much rinse and repeat here. Once I'm finished, I don't think I'll be replaying any of it. My one hope is that the creator's would read the review, make suitable changes / improvements to the sequel, and turn that 8.5 into a 10.
Mon, 12/17/2007 - 15:56
Posted by fallun_prophet
First off i'll say I loved assassin's creed. I bought it the day after it came out as soon as the store opened and never regretted it for a second. It's a beautiful and Assassinating people is always fun. I agree with though that there was alot they failed with, like the repetitive side missions and flag collecting, but i couldnt disagree more about the combat. I'm a huge game and i'm pretty good. I've been through tons of different fighting sequences in hundreds of different games and i die in games all the time like everyone one. I personally thought the combat system in this game was one of the easiest i'd ever played. Infact it was so easy that if they wouldnt have done such a great job with the animations that i'd have been bored. Seriously, what kind of pathetic gamer cant hold down the block button, then press the attack button when the enemy attacks you? It's two buttons. It just takes a little timing. If anyone had trouble with this game then i'd tell them to stay away from things like fight night, halo or well...about anything past NES games.
Mon, 12/17/2007 - 15:56
Posted by fallun_prophet
First off i'll say I loved assassin's creed. I bought it the day after it came out as soon as the store opened and never regretted it for a second. It's a beautiful and Assassinating people is always fun. I agree with though that there was alot they failed with, like the repetitive side missions and flag collecting, but i couldnt disagree more about the combat. I'm a huge game and i'm pretty good. I've been through tons of different fighting sequences in hundreds of different games and i die in games all the time like everyone one. I personally thought the combat system in this game was one of the easiest i'd ever played. Infact it was so easy that if they wouldnt have done such a great job with the animations that i'd have been bored. Seriously, what kind of pathetic gamer cant hold down the block button, then press the attack button when the enemy attacks you? It's two buttons. It just takes a little timing. If anyone had trouble with this game then i'd tell them to stay away from things like fight night, halo or well...about anything past NES games.
Mon, 12/17/2007 - 04:37
Posted by Aaronmnkyspank
I think oxm is completley wrong about this game it is great..and FYI if you hate it so much why give it an 8.5?! the game is great even according to your own rating its great so next time you write such comments about a game make sure to make the rating cohesive with your comments!
Sun, 12/16/2007 - 02:48
Posted by STeaMY MaRTiNi
When I get my fourth(!) console back from repairs, I'll try that in AC. I never thought about turning off the HUD and playing like that. Sounds difficult... and interesting.
Fri, 12/14/2007 - 03:24
Posted by FuriousBaku
i have to say that this game is one of the most beautiful games to date, but beauty is only skin deep. For what it's worth its a flawed gem, meaning gameplay could of been more of what it was, repeatitive and boring at times. the ending had me wondering what the hells gonna happen next, and you know what? nothing happend next. so with beauty can we have some brians with it.
Wed, 12/12/2007 - 03:42
Posted by Cherub23
By the way for those that would like to play this game really in a hardcore and realistic way, turn off all HUD options and play a couple assassination missions it is truly amazing how you can play it by just using your ears and eyes to find information and side missions. It also makes the game a whole lot harder and slower. Try it.