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[Kung Fu Grip]

Beat the game. Good cliffhanger ending like all the others. Is desmond and crew going to be going trough the memories of the new guy from 3, or is it all new characters? Im guessing the same characters since the at the end of the game

Spoiler

the location the god tells them to go looks like the NY area. Same location in AC3. And it showed them already being there

EDIT- What happened to all the puzzles from AC2 and Brotherhood? I loved doing those and ACR didn't even have not one. And the game was way too short. It could have been 2 pieces of DLC. I hope AC3 brings back those types of puzzles and the game has at least 20 sequences.

And the story wasn't as engaging as AC2 or BH.

If i had to rank-

AC2
ACB
AC
ACR

 

[Wuthering_Heights]

Beat the game. Good cliffhanger ending like all the others. Is desmond and crew going to be going trough the memories of the new guy from 3, or is it all new characters? Im guessing the same characters since the at the end of the game

Spoiler

the location the god tells them to go looks like the NY area. Same location in AC3. And it showed them already being there

I'm hoping they continue the story of Desmond and his crew.

Because, I eventually want a modern day AC game where we play entirely as Desmond the Assassin, hah.

 

[iNvid02]

got some bad news for you

i think desmond's arc will end in AC3 - him and crew might pop up later on but Ubi wants to finish with desmond and find someone else

 

[Kung Fu Grip]

got some bad news for you

i think desmond's arc will end in AC3 - him and crew might pop up later on but Ubi wants to finish with desmond and find someone else

I think AC3 should rap up whatever story of desmond needs to be told. So it makes sense to end it there i guess.

Is the guy who originally wrote assassin creed still there? I remember hearing he left?

 

[iNvid02]

I think AC3 should rap up whatever story of desmond needs to be told. So it makes sense to end it there i guess.

Is the guy who originally wrote assassin creed still there? I remember hearing he left?

you mean desilets? he left after AC2 i think, he might have done something for Brotherhood i dunno

hes at thq now

 

[Clydefrog]

beat the game tonight! 14 hours of pleasure

 

[Kung Fu Grip]

Watching this scence again after playing revelations is so damn amazing and sad-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJshVVtEyso&feature=fvwrel

It's weird hearing ezio's younger voice. Like we grew up with him.

 

[insmileoutblood]

I got this from a friend yesterday.

Is anyone still playing multiplayer? I've heard really good things about it, but when I can never seem to find a match.

 

[TheSeks]

I got this from a friend yesterday.

Is anyone still playing multiplayer? I've heard really good things about it, but when I can never seem to find a match.

You have to wait for Matchmaking to find you a match. It takes it a bit because it goes through FULL (8 player) games first.

 

[Forsaken82]

beat the game tonight! 14 hours of pleasure

Is it really that short? Seems shorter than Brotherhood...

 

[SJRB]

Is it really that short? Seems shorter than Brotherhood...

The main story is surprisingly short, and with little to no sidemissions to speak of this is probably the shortest AC in the series so far.

Aside from grinding store openings and whatnot, which has been artificially prolonged by adding 25% to your reputation every time you open a store.

 

[MrCompletely]

I got this from a friend yesterday.

Is anyone still playing multiplayer? I've heard really good things about it, but when I can never seem to find a match.

Been playing quite a bit recently, no problem getting games for Wanted mode and it seems there are still plenty of people playing.

 

[Le-mo]

So I literally just finished the game and it was enjoyable. The weakest of the franchise besides Assassin's Creed 1, of course. If I didn't take my time to open up all the shops and purchase most of the landscapes I could have easily beaten the game in a few hours. The most frustrating part of the game to me are the tower defense mini game and carriage event. I have no idea why they thought it would be a fun inclusion. And the lack of side quests hurts the game a little. I probably only did about 4 side quests throughout the entire game. Either I wasn't looking hard enough or they downscale the hell out of it. Now I can start The Last Remnant after a good night sleep.

 

[iNvid02]

i always thought the reason desmond got a facelift was graphics related, or maybe the team wanted a change. i dont know for sure but i didnt really like it or understand why it happened.

some guy on reddit said this, i guess it makes sense, im just gonna accept this as the reason for his face change

The fact that his face changed so drastically is reflecting the fact that he's trapped in the animus, and the bleeding effect is leading to him having trouble distinguishing himself from his ancestors.
Since he's not in the real world, he's recreating his own appearance as best as he knows it, and since, as previously stated, he can't separate himself from them, his face in Revelations is an amalgamation of Al-Taïr's, Ezio's, and, his own.

 

[Blue Ninja]

i always thought the reason desmond got a facelift was graphics related, or maybe the team wanted a change. i dont know for sure but i didnt really like it or understand why it happened.

some guy on reddit said this, i guess it makes sense, im just gonna accept this as the reason for his face change

But his face is the same

Spoiler

when he wakes up at the end

. It could be laziness, I guess.

 

[Wix]

i always thought the reason desmond got a facelift was graphics related, or maybe the team wanted a change. i dont know for sure but i didnt really like it or understand why it happened.

some guy on reddit said this, i guess it makes sense, im just gonna accept this as the reason for his face change

I remember reading in an interview way back before Revelations came out that they simply had to re-model his face because of an upgrade to the game engine.

 

[chunk3rvd]

I've finally rented this for PS3 off Lovefilm and the XMB gives me the option to install the original Assassin's Creed. Can I keep this and run it without the disc and no need for an online code or anything? Pretty dubious but I'll take it if so as it's the only one in the series I haven't played

 

[Chittagong]

Just finished the game, my god how boring this was. A real chore to grind through. And this comes from someone who loved ACII and Brotherhood. I can't really put my finger on it, but somehow the storytelling is not as compelling as in the Borgia arch, the game feels incredibly formulaic, the arch or drama isn't really there, and all the side stuff feels inconsequental.

It almost put me off from getting ACIII, thank god for the ending, I feel compelled to get it.

 

[conman]

As a huge fan of the series and with AC3's launch fast approaching, I decided to give this game a second shot. I only got through about an hour the first time before tossing it aside in disgust because of the horrible (and utterly pointless) opening sequence in Masyaf and ensuing tutorials in Istanbul (hook blade and tower defense).

I'm glad I've given it a second shot. In terms of the mechanics, systems, and visual tech, this is the best in the series. It might be weaker in terms of plot (I'm 15-20 hours in and still have no idea why I'm doing what I'm doing), but it's a real step forward in every other area.

And I don't understand the complaints about the "tower defense" stuff. I've only had to do it that first time. You all are playing the game wrong if your notoriety is getting so high that you have to defend a tower.

The bomb crafting completely changes the game IMO. And the city design encourages more time spent on the ground rather than on rooftops. I miss the puzzles of the prior games. I miss the ongoing present-day story. I miss the many secret areas. But I'm still finding plenty of awesome things to do regardless.

For me: AC1>AC Bro>AC Rev>AC2. But they're all really great. Considering three of those games came out a year apart from one another, that's an incredible feat in and of itself.

 

[dreamfall]

As a huge fan of the series and with AC3's launch fast approaching, I decided to give this game a second shot. I only got through about an hour the first time before tossing it aside in disgust because of the horrible (and utterly pointless) opening sequence in Masyaf and ensuing tutorials in Istanbul (hook blade and tower defense).

I'm glad I've given it a second shot. In terms of the mechanics, systems, and visual tech, this is the best in the series. It might be weaker in terms of plot (I'm 15-20 hours in and still have no idea why I'm doing what I'm doing), but it's a real step forward in every other area.

And I don't understand the complaints about the "tower defense" stuff. I've only had to do it that first time. You all are playing the game wrong if your notoriety is getting so high that you have to defend a tower.

The bomb crafting completely changes the game IMO. And the city design encourages more time spent on the ground rather than on rooftops. I miss the puzzles of the prior games. I miss the ongoing present-day story. I miss the many secret areas. But I'm still finding plenty of awesome things to do regardless.

For me: AC1>AC Bro>AC Rev>AC2. But they're all really great. Considering three of those games came out a year apart from one another, that's an incredible feat in and of itself.

Whoa! You and I are on the same page. I literally bought this game at launch- being a huge fan of the series also- and after about three hours, left it. I wonder if maybe it was burnout from Brotherhood, or anxiety concerning Ezio getting older, who knows!?

I gave it a proper playthrough this last week (32-ish hours), and I'm really happy about finishing it to get hyped for Liberation & III. I do think this is the best City they've constructed but maybe with the weakest story. It was really something to play through some of the Altair scenes- I got hit with some really heavy nostalgia. It's insane to think that Masyaf was so integral to the Assassins after so much time. I do think that the way they portrayed Abbas

Spoiler

was a little heavy-handed. I never got the impression that he had so much ill-will towards Altair in the first game. He seemed like he inspired others to follow the Creed and perhaps too a fault. But having so much trust in Al- Mualim, and lusting so heavily for the Apple of Eden, in addition to learning about his father from Altair could probably set him over the edge! Killing Maria and Sef?! Sheesh.

Constantinople really was beautiful. I'm still not a huge fan of "liberating" each area and then having to buy every Shop. It was some busy work to ensure that Notoriety didn't creep up as more Shops opened and new Assassins were recruited. So many heralds had to be bribed! I'm also still conflicted over the 100% sequence objectives- I've always had slight qualms with this, but it may be just my necessity to attempt them/ having to dictate my play style in ways different from how the devs thought the missions most approachable & in character. As for the main story, there were definitely some good twists concerning

Spoiler

Ahmet & Suleiman, and seeing Yusuf get killed really felt gut wrenching. It's nice to see Ezio's romance with Sofia develop as well- especially after Cristina's heartbreak. Watching Ezio lay down his assassin's gear and address Desmond directly was awesome. And the ending further cemented the location for III.

I could go on forever about how bomb crafting bothered me in the beginning and how I later adjusted and enjoyed utilizing them, but enough now. Great game, and worth revisiting. I'm really excited about Aveline & Liberation, so I'll probably get to that before III. But it's nice to witness our Assassins getting older over the console generation.

Rank remains as follows! ACII > ACI > Brotherhood > Revelations > Bloodlines

 

[conman]

Glad it's not just me! I think this game hit too soon. It's fantastic, but I think many people were still just getting to Brotherhood, or had only recently finished it. AC Burnout and all that. Seems pretty clear to me that a lot of people planned on skipping Revelations (after initial reactions were so-so) and going straight to AC3. It's unfortunate, because Revelations is an excellent entry in the series.

I do think this is the best City they've constructed but maybe with the weakest story.

Yup. Without much sense of a present-day story to break things up and "frame" the action, the story really goes nowhere. But, man, I think the city design/layout, movement mechanics, combat, bomb crafting, side missions, the economy, are all better than they've ever been.

I really haven't had any issues with keeping my notoriety low. I'm 20 hours in, and it's still a non issue and have yet to do a den defense after that tutorial one. I generally keep a low profile when I play these games, so it isn't hard to avoid attention. Between bombs, assassin friends, the guilds, poison, etc., etc., there are a million ways to kill people without being noticed. And I make a habit of checking in with the heralds every so often (I play without the mini-map, so I never know when they're bad-mouthing me unless I hear them). And if I see the eye icon on screen, I know I must have really pissed someone off. Nothing a quick bomb can't handle. I haven't noticed anything get tougher as I've bought more shops. Doesn't seem to affect notoriety one way or the other.

So many details they got right. Moment-to-moment, Revelations is the most fun I've had in the series. It's just the big picture stuff they missed. I'm still puzzling through why book-making is such a big deal in this game. The other games are very deliberate and careful in their core themes (the origins of European colonial expansion, the development of modern banking, the oppression of modern nation-states, popular resistance movements, etc). But I'm not quite getting why book-making and book-selling is so central to Revelations. I just don't see how it fits into the overall story (yet).

Anyhow, very glad I gave this a second shot. I hope others do, as well.

 

[Hzoltan69]

I really liked all AC games so far, but this one is a real disappointment (I'm about 15% in). I think they overcomplicated it to a point where I don't really want to invest time into all the individual aspects of the game.

I really hate the tower defense part as well as having to grind constantly to keep notoriety low and couldn't care less about bomb making and squad management.

I guess I'll play through only for the story and the cutscenes (those I love) and hope AC3 goes back to the roots gameplay-wise.

 

[Jintor]

I'm having fun. Slowly working my way through it, up to Sequence 5 at the moment?

It feels a lot like 'Well, it's Brotherhood again'. God i love assassin recruits, best thing the series ever did.

 

[conman]

It feels a lot like 'Well, it's Brotherhood again'. God i love assassin recruits, best thing the series ever did.

The Master Assassin missions are the best missions in the game IMO. And yeah, with a few additional tweaks and improvements, it really does feel like Brotherhood. As much as people said that Brotherhood was like AC2 part 2, Revelations feels even more like Brotherhood part 2.

I really hate the tower defense part as well as having to grind constantly to keep notoriety low and couldn't care less about bomb making and squad management.

I still don't understand this. Are people like running around and picking fights with guards for no reason or something? It might have something to do with this game being more stealth-oriented than prior games. Most gamers don't have the patience for stealth. So maybe you and others just play recklessly (which is why we stealth fans can't get nice things). Open conflict should be a last resort, but I have a feeling that most bull-headed gamers just try killing anyone that notices them. In my mind, AC2 and Brotherhood's system of notices, heralds, and officials was much more annoying and obnoxious than Revelations' system. This is a marked improvement.

In other recent stealth games like Deus Ex Human Revolution and Dishonored, combat-oriented gamers aren't punished for being unstealthy. In Revelations, your "punishment" for using combat all the time is den defense. Maybe that's the root of the problem some people have with this game (of course, it would help if den defense was actually, you know, fun). The trend in stealth game design has been to give options to combat-oriented gamers who like to rush headlong into a fight. You have that option in Revelations, but it comes at a cost. You're definitely encouraged not to play that way.

I also think part of the problem might be that people aren't using bombs. I read countless reviews that said that bomb making was an "unnecessary distraction" in the same breath that they said they were annoyed by the tower defense. The two are indirectly related. If you're not using bombs, you're probably having to defend towers all the time since bombs are you surest bet for stealthy entrances, kills, and escapes. The introduction of bombs opens up the strategic and stealthy side of the series in a big way.

 

[LightofRohan]

Just finished the game, my god how boring this was. A real chore to grind through. And this comes from someone who loved ACII and Brotherhood. I can't really put my finger on it, but somehow the storytelling is not as compelling as in the Borgia arch, the game feels incredibly formulaic, the arch or drama isn't really there, and all the side stuff feels inconsequental.

It almost put me off from getting ACIII, thank god for the ending, I feel compelled to get it.

Yea, it almost made me question my love for AC. Midway through Revlations I was thinking, "Do I actually like this series!?" but yes I do. I can't fucking wait for AC3.

 

[conman]

I'm starting to recognize a pattern here.

People who liked AC1 seem to like Revelations. Folks who hated AC1 also hate Revelations. I like the series at its most ponderous, deliberate, and patient. I like the attention to detail. I play without a mini-map or any other HUD elements (except for my weapon icons). I like the combination of strategy, patient stealth, exploration, and taking action only after careful planning.

But folks who just want fast-action "assassination" and story (which AC2 has in spades) don't like Revelations much. I'm guessing that these are the same people who generally don't like stealth games much and prefer the new Splinter Cell games to the old ones.

The only things I'm missing in Revelations are the awesome puzzles from Brotherhood and the incredible story from AC1 and AC2. For me, Revelations is an ideal combination of my favorite genres: stealth, adventure, and open-world RPGs. It's like Zelda, Thief, and GTA all in one.

 

[LightofRohan]

I'm starting to recognize a pattern here.

People who liked AC1 seem to like Revelations. Folks who hated AC1 also hate Revelations. I like the series at its most ponderous, deliberate, and patient. I like the attention to detail. I play without a mini-map or any other HUD elements (except for my weapon icons). I like the combination of strategy, patient stealth, exploration, and taking action only after careful planning.

But folks who just want fast-action "assassination" and story (which AC2 has in spades) don't like Revelations much. I'm guessing that these are the same people who generally don't like stealth games much and prefer the new Splinter Cell games to the old ones.

The only things I'm missing in Revelations are the awesome puzzles from Brotherhood and the incredible story from AC1 and AC2. For me, Revelations is an ideal combination of my favorite genres: stealth, adventure, and open-world RPGs. It's like Zelda, Thief, and GTA all in one.

What in the world are you saying. Haha

I loved the original Splinter Cells (just got the HD collection) and I even love AC1. But I really disliked ACR. It seems more like if you enjoyed AC1, you wouldn't like ACR. Because there is just WAY too much going on in ACR, it is all over the place and janky as all hell. AC1 was simple and had basic mechanics that you used throughout.

AC3 however has the potential to be my favorite game of all time... I can't wait anymore.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

I finally finished Revelations about a month ago, can someone tell me if i've understood the story right?

Basically:

Spoiler

Alien civilization and humans used to live together, there was an end of the world thing and now that humanity is rebuilding the Templars are just an organization that wants power

Unless I've missed something out or there's actually a lot more to it than that, it's quite a disappointing story.

 

[iNvid02]

I finally finished Revelations about a month ago, can someone tell me if i've understood the story right?

Basically:

Spoiler

Alien civilization and humans used to live together, there was an end of the world thing and now that humanity is rebuilding the Templars are just an organization that wants power

Unless I've missed something out or there's actually a lot more to it than that, it's quite a disappointing story.

i knew the op would come in handy one day

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=32488277&postcount=11


the core storyline is the fight between the assassins and templars, assassins believe in freewill whilst the templars believe there should be order and control.
abstergo is a modern day front for the templars, it plans to use the pieces of eden to gain control over mankind just like the ancient civilization did.

its been using desmond and the other subjects to locate the pieces of eden by reliving their ancestral memories. once they find the pieces, they plan to launch
a satellite overlooking earth which will amplify its power i guess, and give them the ability to control the world. assassins are trying to stop this cuz freewill and shit

it makes perfect sense and there isnt a plothole in sight, any questions

 

[conman]

What in the world are you saying. Haha

I loved the original Splinter Cells (just got the HD collection) and I even love AC1. But I really disliked ACR. It seems more like if you enjoyed AC1, you wouldn't like ACR. Because there is just WAY too much going on in ACR, it is all over the place and janky as all hell. AC1 was simple and had basic mechanics that you used throughout.

Ha. Well, there goes that theory.

And I'll let you off the hook for not liking ACR since you like AC1, which is still the best in the series.

 

[Jintor]

The game's sticky climbing system is a complete dog if you try and wander outside its accepted rulepath (obviously). Climbing Galatea tower a dozen times to get to a position where I can parachute off but Ezio insists on diving into haystacks every time.

Also: re grinding noteriety: goddamn psychic riflemen guards will spot you when you're rooftop climbing (the best way to get around), AND buying shops raises noteriety (for some stupid-ass reason). Not to mention most of hte time you will be killing dudes.

 

[conman]

The game's sticky climbing system is a complete dog if you try and wander outside its accepted rulepath (obviously). Climbing Galatea tower a dozen times to get to a position where I can parachute off but Ezio insists on diving into haystacks every time.

Guess I've played the series so much, it's second nature to me. AC Revelations and Brotherhood are about 98% right with predicting/understanding what it is I'm trying to do (where AC2 was closer to 80% and AC1 was around 85-90%). I've had a few misaligned jumps here and there, but it's much better than it used to be in the prior games. AC2 was especially bad with movement mechanics.

Also: re grinding noteriety: goddamn psychic riflemen guards will spot you when you're rooftop climbing (the best way to get around), AND buying shops raises noteriety (for some stupid-ass reason). Not to mention most of hte time you will be killing dudes.

Like I said above, this game encourages you to stick to the ground rather than the rooftops. You don't get spotted on the ground and the city's laid out more for ground travel. The roofs are a lot more uneven, oddly shaped, and farther apart than in the prior games. It's by design. They're trying you to get off the roofs and onto the streets. Problem is, as with a lot else in Revelations, people are trying to play it too much like the prior games. And the dev team uses good design (rather than text prompts or tutorials) to tell you that it's smarter to stick to the ground.

Like with playing the game "balls out" and fighting people all the time, sticking to the rooftops has consequences. You can stick to the rooftops, but it comes at a cost. Classic risk-reward design scenario. To me, I took that as an immediate sign that I was supposed to stay on the streets. I only take to the roofs in short, strategic bursts or for quick shortcuts. Supposedly, this is the direction they're taking with AC3 also. The more I see and do in Revelations, the more I can recognize it as a "bridge" to AC3 where the devs started trying new approaches to the old formula. But clearly, since people such as yourself still tried to play Revelations by the old rules (even though the rules had changed), it didn't work for most players. The dev team couldn't revise their approach without reinventing the series. Hence AC3.

 

[Jintor]

But they added grind rails as express transports across the city, why wouldn't I use the rooftops? Besides the psychic guards.

Full sync: Do not kill anyone with blades.

*use disarm to take a guard's mace and kill someone with it*

SYNC FAILED

fuck you, revalations

 

[conman]

But they added grind rails as express transports across the city, why wouldn't I use the rooftops?

You've proved my point. Those wires are for fast travel so you get up, zipline, knife a dude or not, land, get to ground, and continue on your way.

 

[Irish]

I'm starting to recognize a pattern here.

People who liked AC1 seem to like Revelations. Folks who hated AC1 also hate Revelations. I like the series at its most ponderous, deliberate, and patient. I like the attention to detail.

I certainly fit this bill. ACII and AC:B felt kind of generic to me, but I really loved Rev and 1.

 

[iNvid02]

I certainly fit this bill. ACII and AC:B felt kind of generic to me, but I really loved Rev and 1.

not passing to you anymore

 

[Jintor]

Hopefully AC3 will unify us all together, but so far, Revelations just feels like busywork. Just got to the caves though, this is pretty cool. Awesome new location, too.

I would argue that if players are failing to realise we shouldn't be using the roofs (as you assert is the design premise), then it's not good design, because the message isn't being conveyed. Also: The is Assassins' goddamn Creed. This series is pretty much Rooftops: the Videogame.

 

[Draconian]

Just finished this today. I was pretty underwhelmed to be honest. The best thing is certainly the city. I'll always have a great appreciation for Constantinople, and this game delivers in making an authentic recreation of what it was like when it was the city to be in. Also, I liked the hookblade they added.

Outside of that though, everything else ranged from mediocre to bad. The story was very forgettable and I felt absolutely nothing for any of the new characters. I still feel like I'm fighting the controls quite a bit, particularly free running on the rooftops, where if you make one misstep, you're either jumping to your near death or put in an annoying "phew I almost fell off the ledge!" animation. I haven't bothered trying to chase down pickpockets because of this. It feels like they haven't improved at all since ACII.

Also, I completely skipped the Desmond parts. I do not and have not ever given a crap about him or that whole storyline, no matter how hard Ubisoft tries to make me. The ending was kind of neat I suppose, but for Ezio (considering he has been in the past three games), it seemed rather anticlimactic. I didn't mind the Altair sections at all, but wow he and Desmond's faces in this game look nothing like they did in previous games. Anyway, I did enjoy it for the most part, but I liked ACII and AC:B far more than this one.

 

[conman]

but so far, Revelations just feels like busywork.

You're not wrong. Revelations is essentially a collection of cool individual things to do in a cool environment. But without any sense of story (at any level of the action), it serves no overarching purpose. It's all setting and no plot. So, yeah, in that sense it definitely is busywork.

I just happen to think it's really well designed and incredibly fun busywork.

The longer I play, the more I can see the empty spots where story details would go. For example, the book hunting you do for Sofia all around the city. In past games, that whole quest-line would be fleshed out, and you'd know something about the books you're finding, you'd do some crazy series of puzzles to unlock something about the Templar-Assassin conflict in some point in history (having to do with a conspiracy surrounding the writing or publishing of a book), you'd get some voice-over commentary, unlock some cool teaser video of some impending reveal, and then you'd go dungeon-traversing in some area with a direct link to that story-line. But none of that is there. Just a big empty spot where story would go that instead just amounts to "go here, click, go here, traverse dungeon, finish."

Like you say, "busywork."

But the tasks are fun individually. And the sense of the city and its cultural and historical setting are really well realized. That's all I need to keep going and to keep enjoying myself. Something like a single-player action-adventure MMO. The only real "story" to follow is Ezio setting up his Assassin franchise all over the city. I seem to have exhausted most of the Desmond stuff pretty quickly. I assume/hope there's at least something more for him at the end.

 

[Jintor]

They're not really that fun individually to be honest. I mean, I don't really knwo what to compare them to in terms of 'open world stuff that is fun'. But aside from the Assassin missions (UNSKIPPABLE CUTSCENES), it's pretty much all collectables.

I like the Altair stuff though. Even if it's the same goddamn map over and over again.

 

[conman]

They're not really that fun individually to be honest. I mean, I don't really knwo what to compare them to in terms of 'open world stuff that is fun'. But aside from the Assassin missions (UNSKIPPABLE CUTSCENES), it's pretty much all collectables.

Which is why I made the AC1 comparison. Most folks thought AC1 was a slog because all it was was a series of repeated tasks and collectibles. But if you experimented with the systems, stopped using the maps and icons, and let the setting take you over, it was a magical game.

I feel similarly about Revelations. I look at each mission as a chance to experiment with the game's many different systems and environments. Throw in the many different faction tasks that you can complete on top of that, plus the mission-specific optional tasks, and you have a recipe for lots of different ways to approach a seemingly simple task. But if you play it just to finish it, or if you look at it as just running around collecting things just to "complete" it, you miss out on all the fun. Over twenty hours in and I'm still finding new ways to combine skills to accomplish missions in new ways, and I'm still really loving exploring the city (without the minimap, natch).

As for the Altair stuff, definitely not liking it. I'm thrown off by the different look and voice. I have spent so much time with AC1 that it's hard for me to accept a revision to the character. And without any sort of story substance, I still have no idea why I'm even asked to play these Altair sections. At least the Desmond sections make some sort of minor sense in the grand scheme of the game. And the Ezio stuff, like I said above, is at least united by the idea that he's setting up his Assassin & Co. brand all over town. But that Altair stuff just feels like the mother of all throwaways in a game filled with throwaway missions and quest lines.

 

[Jintor]

I don't know... the game still feels too restrictive in that sense. I mean, it's no Hitman (or Dishonoured?) in terms of multiple creative ways to do assassinations. Some of them are set up nicely, but the vast majority just aren't.

Bombs are probably this game's biggest innovation and they're pretty baller, but just as a virtue of the map design and enemy AI, there's not as much variation as you would think.

I'm probably just miffed because everything you're saying is being heard as "You're playing the game wrong" which is something I hate to hear about anything, really

 

[Snacks the sober sea lion]

Game definitely needed more to do. Master Assassin missions are a chore to activate and not even that good. The running was definitely more fun than Brotherhood, which had all of 5 buildings taller than 2-3 stories and fixed the terrible camera added to Brotherhood for no reason (it locks into place as soon as Ezio enters the animation to pull himself up a ledge). And Brotherhood's story was crap, but at least there was a lot to do. Throwing spears at people, saving up for a heavy sheath and weapons, investing and renovating, and way more towers to capture. In Revelations I didn't feel like going back to do missions in different ways.

But the Altair sections were a waste.

 

[conman]

I'm probably just miffed because everything you're saying is being heard as "You're playing the game wrong" which is something I hate to hear about anything, really

Not what I'm trying to say. More like, "game takes some effort to like." No judgment there. Very few games are worth that sort of additional effort. And not every game is suited to everyone's taste.

You can chalk that up to bad design; I'd be the first to join the chorus of voices saying that Revelations isn't a complete game. Which means that like AC1, Revelations takes some work on our part to find what's good about it. Most people, understandably, aren't willing to do that. And not everyone will even get anything out of the extra effort.

Hell, even I hated Revelations the first time I tried playing it. I was so disgusted and disappointed that it took me a year to even try it again. It's undoubtedly broken in some big ways--especially in its lack of story and purpose. But the setting and missions and mechanics are damned compelling for me. I just had to get past those horribly clunky intro sections (Masyaf and den defense) which ended up being not at all representative of the rest of the game, as I had feared.

Maybe worth keeping in mind that I'm the sort of AC fan that loved the setting of AC1 so much that I actually found all the flags and templar knights on my own. I'm also the fool who started experimenting with playing the game with no maps, wrote a "guide" for playing AC1 just using contextual environmental clues, and replayed the whole game 3 times completely (including all side missions). So take my thoughts on Revelations with a major grain of salt.

 

[Blue Ninja]

I think Revelations' story is better than Brotherhood's. Dunno where all you guys are coming from, but Ezio's story is really good. Sure, Desmond's is a little weird, but I had a lot of fun with the Altaïr/Ezio duality.

Brotherhood, by comparison, was a jumbled mess that never actually seemed to go anywhere, nor seemed to serve any purpose whatsoever.

 

[conman]

I think Revelations' story is better than Brotherhood's. Dunno where all you guys are coming from, but Ezio's story is really good.

There are some good story moments in Revelations, but IMO it never gains much traction or momentum. For example, I just played a mission where Yusuf comments to Ezio that "Even in times of peace, the poor are always under siege." It's an awesome moment that I think gets at the heart of what the entire series is about.

But like I said, there's never a sense that the game is all that interested in presenting a continuous plot. It establishes a situation: the approaching transfer of power (and possible coup) in the ruling class of Constantinople/Istanbul set against the historical-political backdrop of the conflict between the Ottomans and the Byzantines. It's great stuff. But to put it in the words of the Russian Formalists, it's all "fabula" with no "sujet."

And the Altair stuff is such a drastic break from the original character as he was in the first game that I can't really stomach it. That storyline is also really sappy and melodramatic. And I use the term "storyline" loosely, since really it's just a series of very brief snapshots for the sake of a scripted (ugh) action sequence. I'd much rather just read this stuff in codices or something. They're gratuitous action sequences that don't really do anything for the game.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

i knew the op would come in handy one day

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=32488277&postcount=11


the core storyline is the fight between the assassins and templars, assassins believe in freewill whilst the templars believe there should be order and control.
abstergo is a modern day front for the templars, it plans to use the pieces of eden to gain control over mankind just like the ancient civilization did.

its been using desmond and the other subjects to locate the pieces of eden by reliving their ancestral memories. once they find the pieces, they plan to launch
a satellite overlooking earth which will amplify its power i guess, and give them the ability to control the world. assassins are trying to stop this cuz freewill and shit

it makes perfect sense and there isnt a plothole in sight, any questions

It's a huge disappointment from what i hoped the story would be about after i played AC2/Brotherhood. It could of been so much more.

 

[iNvid02]

It's a huge disappointment from what i hoped the story would be about after i played AC2/Brotherhood. It could of been so much more.

what did you hope for?

the good thing is that desmond's story ends in AC3 so they'll be free to do whatever, but the main focus will likely always be assassins vs templars and freewill vs order.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

what did you hope for?

the good thing is that desmond's story ends in AC3 so they'll be free to do whatever, but the main focus will likely always be assassins vs templars and freewill vs order.

It just seems like there could of been a bit more depth or mystery to it all, other than the Templars just wanted to control people.

When i first played AC2 (or brotherhood, can't remember which) and it had the subject 16 videos and pictures of pieces of Eden hidden in portraits and other places i thought we'd get something that was a deep, mysterious, dark conspiracy-type story. Maybe I've just simplified the story far too much.

 

[iNvid02]

It just seems like there could of been a bit more depth or mystery to it all, other than the Templars just wanted to control people.

When i first played AC2 (or brotherhood, can't remember which) and it had the subject 16 videos and pictures of pieces of Eden hidden in portraits and other places i thought we'd get something that was a deep, mysterious, dark conspiracy-type story. Maybe I've just simplified the story far too much.

yeah the mystery element started to fade as the games went on, i think they could have done a few things better to try and retain some of that dark conspiracy stuff in AC1 and AC2. but its almost over now, they gotta spill the beans. i want the fucking can too lol