Cave Johnson
Member
Ubisoft's HQ:
Director: What's that you're holding?
Intern: Oh, this? These is just a box containing rejected game design documents for the Assassin's Creed series. I'm just about to throw them out..
Director: Wait what? Why? It seems like a potential waste, give it here.
*Calls AC producers*.
What's wrong with these design documents?
AC producer: Well, you see after numerous testing we've pretty much used a refined version...
Director: But.... the designs work, right?
AC producer: Well, yeah definitely howeve...
Director: Ok, are there reserved developer teams that game implement this design?
AC producer: Unfortunately most of our teams are working on other projects most notably Assassin's Creed 4.
Director: "Most"?
AC producer: Well there's a small team but it's not like they could...
Director: Oh, but they can.
AC producer: I understand but I highly suggest otherwi....
Director: Get to it....
AC producer: But which platform, we've already have 2 AC titles in development there's now way we can jam...
Director: There is one..... the Veeeeeeettaaaaa!!
AC producer: (Shit)
This is what I imagined what went down while the title is being made. So I've managed to snag this off a PS+ sale after seeing the lackluster reception. However, being the avid follower of the franchise, I can't help but feel being left out of the universe after dedicating so much time with the previous series (aside from that NDS game of course).
So after playing through the game, there were numerous moments where it was just so frustrating to the point that made me furious. I pressed on and on hoping that the latter half the game would justify the whole ordeal, predictably it didn't and now I'm left here pissed wasting money instead of waiting for the inevitable "free" version sometime down the line.
So, what's the big deal?
Upon loading the game, I noticed I was placed right into the heart of the game protagonist herself and was greeted with what could be the most abysmal frame-rate I ever had the displeasure or viewing on the Vita. This is quite perplexing as you start of as a small girl, with limited view and nothing to suggest that would tax the system resources. I had to reset the Vita a few times and even tried an update to see if it was the device but eventually the main game turned out to be more stable. Of course, all it was merely a foreshadowing of the glaring issues that is yet to come....
But the game IS an Assassin's Creed game, right? Not like that PSP garbage...
Yes, indeed it looks like AC and it plays like AC but it is merely a proof-of-concept that only serves to milk the franchise in the worst possible way. There's barely any inspiration, it's has excessive padding (even by Ubisoft's standards) and there is some questionable game design choices that are just... baffling it's amazing they could still put out a game at this state. Clearly, it was designed just to make sure the game lasts more than 10 hours and if any one clearly wonders that the "open-world" is the holy grail of game design, than this game serves a perfect example of how it can be abused.
Tell me about the game:
The game itself is a showpiece. It's masquerades itself giving a false sense that this game is backed by high-production values than it really is. The animations, the style and detail are all there, marred by sub-playable framerate issues. Unlike it's handheld predecessor, there are now missions that go to and fro between territories (New Orleans, The swamp, South America & New York) introducing some "variety" which are a hit-and-miss depending on your tastes.
To add some depth *cough*, the developers allow you to transition between 3 different profiles: Assassin, Slave and Normal (as in rich normal). Which means you have to manage 3 the notoriety levels for your profile, which can either be beneficial or dull. There are some interesting moments where each profile does show it's strength depending on the mission but is never fully fleshed out in the game.
Then there's the gameplay which is your standard autopilot free-running parlor trick that shares it's problems with it's console brethren (frame-rate issues or not). The fighting system, while a pleasure to watch is just another "press X to awesome". You're not really doing it, you're just observing the outcome.
Basically, it's your modern AC game....with a lot of gimmicks.
Like?
The touch features. I really don't get why you would introduce gameplay elements that can be perfectly playable on your standard controls? These whole touch "QTE's" are nuisance and I'd rather press a button then lift my thumb to follow awkward "slide" movements. They permeate in many of Vita's AAA titles one wonders if there is some sort of requirement to do so in development of the game. That, or developers really don't get the point. There's also a part where you remove the envelope head by utilizing the front and rear like so. It's interesting the first time you do it but repeated moments only makes it dull. A minor issue at best and not detrimental to the game itself.
However, if there is one thing they did "right" with the touch feature is it's menu system. Instead of pressing start or select like you would, they actually made use of the screen's real estate by placing HUD buttons on the bottom corners that simultaneously serve as an HUD guide and an interface, which has the same placement as your start/select buttons with a traditional controller. Developers take note: This is how you implement touch features without obstructing the game. When done right, you can easily replace features like the weapon select wheel without wasting a potential useful shoulder button. But this is just a story for another time.
Ok, how bad COULD it get?
The rear camera. Just thinking about me really pisses me off. Out of all the gimmicks you can use in a game, this is by far the WORST one. For every good step the developer makes, they take 5 steps back like this.
For instance: This game mechanic is where you HAVE to use the camera to face the light in order open secret letters/documents/hidden messages blah blah blah. Uncharted: Golden Abyss had this feature but I believe you only did it once and boy was that annoying. You had to face your rear camera to a "bright" light and wait for your percentage meter to fill. The problem is that the camera gets to decide what constitutes as "light" and what isn't and when it doesn't, you can't progress. PERIOD. (Bye Bye night time gaming sessions.)
Depending where you are and what lighting conditions you are in can be the difference between a dial-up connection to a DSL. I like to play while I'm travelling by train, this means the lighting is just not good enough that I'm getting extremely slow progress. And if that wasn't bad enough,t he light which is usually above which is usually directly above you would force you into positions that make you stand out in a public area. Kinda like taking a selfie which means you got to hold off until you can find some private area to proceed. Unless of course, you like pretending your Vita is the trophy you won from the Grand Prix tournament. (I wonder how these developers test these features and actually passed through QA.)
Unfortunately what Uncharted:GA did as an endurance gimmick, AC: L basically took the feature and replace it with a chime indicating the "light" has been utilized, which is a lot more tolerable only that they have it in spades... excessively.
Sure, many of those are optional but is mandatory to finish certain side-missions like the smuggler quest. Of course, in classic Ubisoft fashion the last of this mission is the most daunting one as it requires as many as 20 chimes before it registers, almost as intolerable as the Uncharted version.
DEVELOPERS. THIS. IS. NOT. HOW. YOU. IMPLEMENT. A. GAMEPLAY. FEATURE.
And the padding?
Jesus, I got so reserved talking about the rear camera I forgot about the other horrible aspects of the game. To those who played the AC series know that starting from 2, you are able to purchase different business in order to have more places to trade.
Ubisoft, however, thinks it's funny that you could have game to unlock another game before you can have this obviously amazing and desiring feature. In other words, gameception, except without any meaningful context like the movie I'm trying to reference. You start off by finding some guys willing to go all chauvinist by beating their free-running time record which of course ends them up joining your crew. Then said crew goes to reconnaissance mode all over the map telling you to eliminate business rivals in order to buy up their "business". Kinda like the mafia. Except with some of these assassinations yields plenty of risk and a shitty reward:
More shops to buy.
Speaking of money:
The prices here are just so exorbitant they're downright criminal. Even after finishing the game was only able to upgrade "twice", and those were the cheapest weapons upgrades available. Heck, practically everything in this this game requires money from purchasing shops and then buying items within them to bribe officials to remove your notoriety level which is pretty pricey considering how barely you make in the game.
Anyway to get more?
There are 3 ways to earn cash: Treasure chests, missions and then there's the shipping trade based on your HQ. This is just another retake of the recruit missions from the AC2 trilogy except that you don't recruit ships - you buy them. If there is a side mechanic that could use some streamlining, it's this. The interface is a mess and it's also inconvenient because your HQ is the only place where you can do this (not to mention going up to your office every single time to check on your progress).
The way your shipping mini-game works like this. There is a map with areas you can trade. You can buy a ship from any of the available ports as well as some goods to trade. Naturally the further the destination, the higher the profit. No problem right?
WRONG!
The thing is that the goods "icons" are just indecipherable. It just doesn't help when you can easily confuse the demand from the supply meaning you have to be absolutely perfectly sure that destination is the RIGHT one. Of course there are a variety of ships each has a stats of HP, Cargo space and speed. That's it. Thing is, your ship is as defenceless as a raft, wading through a minefield. It's not enough that you can trade, you have to deal with Typhoons (take a chunk of your HP), Hurricanes (take a SHITLOAD of your XP) & Pirates (take no XP but takes your shit) which is natural except that it's like playing minesweeper and the hints give you % (ranging from 8 - 50%) of how much you will get your ass kicked and unlike minesweeper you have no control on your ship - just the destination.
Speaking of pirates, your main source of investment is roundhouse kicked to oblivion the moment your ships meets one of them. They take out 60 slots of your cargo (which tends to be at the default, mind you). Of course you can buy ships with higher stats...
if only you had money.
Surely such prospect could not attain such unfairness. Even the profit yields are barely an improvement, unless of course you're have massive cargo space to make the difference, this of course without having your cargo stowed away mid-travel. But to Ubisoft, this isn't punishing enough, no. Your ship has to face MULTIPLE Storms, Hurricanes and Pirates at a time especially at longer destinations which can take to an hour at most. The way this is set up makes me wonder how trade is even fucking possible with these conditions. It's like going through the bloody Grand Line (One Piece reference)
So basically, upon reaching your destination you are highly likely to have your cargo removed, destroyed or both. This is the most frustrating mini-game I have ever played in my life. You are literally gambling away with your money. Not only that, it's excessively time consuming. The only other "safe" method is to travel from port to port minimizing the chance but all it does is give a false sense of security impression as you are encountering multiple obstacles each time you leave the port. Seriously, running through a dark alleyway with money visible from my back pocket has a higher chance of making it out than this. Also, it doesn't help the game doesn't notify you when the ship lands, what kind of shitty Animus system is this?
Out of ALL the game features that require micromanaging, it's this one. Why can't I upgrade my ship crew & security to fend off attackers and pulling through adverse weather? It's like Ubisoft just went bizzaro mode. The mini-game that definitely needed the XP or upgrades was this one.
Side-note: You know, the more I think about it. It is a metaphor Ubisofts culture. The pirates end up playing the game despite the DRM and those who purchase the game gets punished because of it.
Is it really that bad?
Yes. But if there was a silver lining in this diabolical excuse for a game, it's Aveline. At first, the set-up is the kind that makes you roll your eyes as the writers try to make you relate to her. Despite all this, I find her personality very... likeable. In fact, I like her right next to Ezio and Haytham Kenway which was very surprising. She's corny, non-sexualized and a kickass character at that. It was because of her the game becomes a lot more tolerable. Goes to show how much of a wasted potential they have right here.
Story-wise you'll notice how very - dramatic - the script was like a stage play. I'm guessing this has something to do the Abstergo Entertainment title card when you start off the game indicating that the animus is some form of next-gen Oculus Rift type of interface clearly meant as Templar indoctrination. Which of course makes for an interesting side story aside from Desmond.
But then again, this is just me being as tolerant as possible throughout the end of the game.
Conclusion?
In short, the game sucked in case you haven't noticed by now. Practically everything was designed to waste the player's time as much and as inconveniently as possible. You know, with a budget that fits on the handheld, you would think they would at least experiment with the game mechanics as the game would sell by brand alone. I'd rather they give me room to experiment to approach my mission just like the original. I understand that removing many of the features would significantly reduce the game time instead, we have this very restrictive approach to how you deal with your objective. Uncharted gave me more "liberation" than this, and it's just me shooting people most of the time.
This game could have gone the indie route, fleshing out game mechanics too risky for a big-budgeted console game. It will introduce a lot of charm plus make it a worthy companion in the series. It's a shame that the game has to be bogged down to another shopping list, fetch-quest series on a handheld.
But then again, this is Ubisoft we're talking about. The undisputed king of stat-based gameplay.
Director: What's that you're holding?
Intern: Oh, this? These is just a box containing rejected game design documents for the Assassin's Creed series. I'm just about to throw them out..
Director: Wait what? Why? It seems like a potential waste, give it here.
*Calls AC producers*.
What's wrong with these design documents?
AC producer: Well, you see after numerous testing we've pretty much used a refined version...
Director: But.... the designs work, right?
AC producer: Well, yeah definitely howeve...
Director: Ok, are there reserved developer teams that game implement this design?
AC producer: Unfortunately most of our teams are working on other projects most notably Assassin's Creed 4.
Director: "Most"?
AC producer: Well there's a small team but it's not like they could...
Director: Oh, but they can.
AC producer: I understand but I highly suggest otherwi....
Director: Get to it....
AC producer: But which platform, we've already have 2 AC titles in development there's now way we can jam...
Director: There is one..... the Veeeeeeettaaaaa!!
AC producer: (Shit)
This is what I imagined what went down while the title is being made. So I've managed to snag this off a PS+ sale after seeing the lackluster reception. However, being the avid follower of the franchise, I can't help but feel being left out of the universe after dedicating so much time with the previous series (aside from that NDS game of course).
So after playing through the game, there were numerous moments where it was just so frustrating to the point that made me furious. I pressed on and on hoping that the latter half the game would justify the whole ordeal, predictably it didn't and now I'm left here pissed wasting money instead of waiting for the inevitable "free" version sometime down the line.
So, what's the big deal?
Upon loading the game, I noticed I was placed right into the heart of the game protagonist herself and was greeted with what could be the most abysmal frame-rate I ever had the displeasure or viewing on the Vita. This is quite perplexing as you start of as a small girl, with limited view and nothing to suggest that would tax the system resources. I had to reset the Vita a few times and even tried an update to see if it was the device but eventually the main game turned out to be more stable. Of course, all it was merely a foreshadowing of the glaring issues that is yet to come....
But the game IS an Assassin's Creed game, right? Not like that PSP garbage...
Yes, indeed it looks like AC and it plays like AC but it is merely a proof-of-concept that only serves to milk the franchise in the worst possible way. There's barely any inspiration, it's has excessive padding (even by Ubisoft's standards) and there is some questionable game design choices that are just... baffling it's amazing they could still put out a game at this state. Clearly, it was designed just to make sure the game lasts more than 10 hours and if any one clearly wonders that the "open-world" is the holy grail of game design, than this game serves a perfect example of how it can be abused.
Tell me about the game:
The game itself is a showpiece. It's masquerades itself giving a false sense that this game is backed by high-production values than it really is. The animations, the style and detail are all there, marred by sub-playable framerate issues. Unlike it's handheld predecessor, there are now missions that go to and fro between territories (New Orleans, The swamp, South America & New York) introducing some "variety" which are a hit-and-miss depending on your tastes.
To add some depth *cough*, the developers allow you to transition between 3 different profiles: Assassin, Slave and Normal (as in rich normal). Which means you have to manage 3 the notoriety levels for your profile, which can either be beneficial or dull. There are some interesting moments where each profile does show it's strength depending on the mission but is never fully fleshed out in the game.
Then there's the gameplay which is your standard autopilot free-running parlor trick that shares it's problems with it's console brethren (frame-rate issues or not). The fighting system, while a pleasure to watch is just another "press X to awesome". You're not really doing it, you're just observing the outcome.
Basically, it's your modern AC game....with a lot of gimmicks.
Like?
The touch features. I really don't get why you would introduce gameplay elements that can be perfectly playable on your standard controls? These whole touch "QTE's" are nuisance and I'd rather press a button then lift my thumb to follow awkward "slide" movements. They permeate in many of Vita's AAA titles one wonders if there is some sort of requirement to do so in development of the game. That, or developers really don't get the point. There's also a part where you remove the envelope head by utilizing the front and rear like so. It's interesting the first time you do it but repeated moments only makes it dull. A minor issue at best and not detrimental to the game itself.
However, if there is one thing they did "right" with the touch feature is it's menu system. Instead of pressing start or select like you would, they actually made use of the screen's real estate by placing HUD buttons on the bottom corners that simultaneously serve as an HUD guide and an interface, which has the same placement as your start/select buttons with a traditional controller. Developers take note: This is how you implement touch features without obstructing the game. When done right, you can easily replace features like the weapon select wheel without wasting a potential useful shoulder button. But this is just a story for another time.
Ok, how bad COULD it get?
The rear camera. Just thinking about me really pisses me off. Out of all the gimmicks you can use in a game, this is by far the WORST one. For every good step the developer makes, they take 5 steps back like this.
For instance: This game mechanic is where you HAVE to use the camera to face the light in order open secret letters/documents/hidden messages blah blah blah. Uncharted: Golden Abyss had this feature but I believe you only did it once and boy was that annoying. You had to face your rear camera to a "bright" light and wait for your percentage meter to fill. The problem is that the camera gets to decide what constitutes as "light" and what isn't and when it doesn't, you can't progress. PERIOD. (Bye Bye night time gaming sessions.)
Depending where you are and what lighting conditions you are in can be the difference between a dial-up connection to a DSL. I like to play while I'm travelling by train, this means the lighting is just not good enough that I'm getting extremely slow progress. And if that wasn't bad enough,t he light which is usually above which is usually directly above you would force you into positions that make you stand out in a public area. Kinda like taking a selfie which means you got to hold off until you can find some private area to proceed. Unless of course, you like pretending your Vita is the trophy you won from the Grand Prix tournament. (I wonder how these developers test these features and actually passed through QA.)
Above: How to use the rear camera in AC: Liberation in public
Unfortunately what Uncharted:GA did as an endurance gimmick, AC: L basically took the feature and replace it with a chime indicating the "light" has been utilized, which is a lot more tolerable only that they have it in spades... excessively.
Sure, many of those are optional but is mandatory to finish certain side-missions like the smuggler quest. Of course, in classic Ubisoft fashion the last of this mission is the most daunting one as it requires as many as 20 chimes before it registers, almost as intolerable as the Uncharted version.
DEVELOPERS. THIS. IS. NOT. HOW. YOU. IMPLEMENT. A. GAMEPLAY. FEATURE.
And the padding?
Jesus, I got so reserved talking about the rear camera I forgot about the other horrible aspects of the game. To those who played the AC series know that starting from 2, you are able to purchase different business in order to have more places to trade.
Ubisoft, however, thinks it's funny that you could have game to unlock another game before you can have this obviously amazing and desiring feature. In other words, gameception, except without any meaningful context like the movie I'm trying to reference. You start off by finding some guys willing to go all chauvinist by beating their free-running time record which of course ends them up joining your crew. Then said crew goes to reconnaissance mode all over the map telling you to eliminate business rivals in order to buy up their "business". Kinda like the mafia. Except with some of these assassinations yields plenty of risk and a shitty reward:
More shops to buy.
Speaking of money:
The prices here are just so exorbitant they're downright criminal. Even after finishing the game was only able to upgrade "twice", and those were the cheapest weapons upgrades available. Heck, practically everything in this this game requires money from purchasing shops and then buying items within them to bribe officials to remove your notoriety level which is pretty pricey considering how barely you make in the game.
Anyway to get more?
There are 3 ways to earn cash: Treasure chests, missions and then there's the shipping trade based on your HQ. This is just another retake of the recruit missions from the AC2 trilogy except that you don't recruit ships - you buy them. If there is a side mechanic that could use some streamlining, it's this. The interface is a mess and it's also inconvenient because your HQ is the only place where you can do this (not to mention going up to your office every single time to check on your progress).
The way your shipping mini-game works like this. There is a map with areas you can trade. You can buy a ship from any of the available ports as well as some goods to trade. Naturally the further the destination, the higher the profit. No problem right?
WRONG!
The thing is that the goods "icons" are just indecipherable. It just doesn't help when you can easily confuse the demand from the supply meaning you have to be absolutely perfectly sure that destination is the RIGHT one. Of course there are a variety of ships each has a stats of HP, Cargo space and speed. That's it. Thing is, your ship is as defenceless as a raft, wading through a minefield. It's not enough that you can trade, you have to deal with Typhoons (take a chunk of your HP), Hurricanes (take a SHITLOAD of your XP) & Pirates (take no XP but takes your shit) which is natural except that it's like playing minesweeper and the hints give you % (ranging from 8 - 50%) of how much you will get your ass kicked and unlike minesweeper you have no control on your ship - just the destination.
Speaking of pirates, your main source of investment is roundhouse kicked to oblivion the moment your ships meets one of them. They take out 60 slots of your cargo (which tends to be at the default, mind you). Of course you can buy ships with higher stats...
if only you had money.
Surely such prospect could not attain such unfairness. Even the profit yields are barely an improvement, unless of course you're have massive cargo space to make the difference, this of course without having your cargo stowed away mid-travel. But to Ubisoft, this isn't punishing enough, no. Your ship has to face MULTIPLE Storms, Hurricanes and Pirates at a time especially at longer destinations which can take to an hour at most. The way this is set up makes me wonder how trade is even fucking possible with these conditions. It's like going through the bloody Grand Line (One Piece reference)
So basically, upon reaching your destination you are highly likely to have your cargo removed, destroyed or both. This is the most frustrating mini-game I have ever played in my life. You are literally gambling away with your money. Not only that, it's excessively time consuming. The only other "safe" method is to travel from port to port minimizing the chance but all it does is give a false sense of security impression as you are encountering multiple obstacles each time you leave the port. Seriously, running through a dark alleyway with money visible from my back pocket has a higher chance of making it out than this. Also, it doesn't help the game doesn't notify you when the ship lands, what kind of shitty Animus system is this?
Out of ALL the game features that require micromanaging, it's this one. Why can't I upgrade my ship crew & security to fend off attackers and pulling through adverse weather? It's like Ubisoft just went bizzaro mode. The mini-game that definitely needed the XP or upgrades was this one.
Side-note: You know, the more I think about it. It is a metaphor Ubisofts culture. The pirates end up playing the game despite the DRM and those who purchase the game gets punished because of it.
Is it really that bad?
Yes. But if there was a silver lining in this diabolical excuse for a game, it's Aveline. At first, the set-up is the kind that makes you roll your eyes as the writers try to make you relate to her. Despite all this, I find her personality very... likeable. In fact, I like her right next to Ezio and Haytham Kenway which was very surprising. She's corny, non-sexualized and a kickass character at that. It was because of her the game becomes a lot more tolerable. Goes to show how much of a wasted potential they have right here.
Story-wise you'll notice how very - dramatic - the script was like a stage play. I'm guessing this has something to do the Abstergo Entertainment title card when you start off the game indicating that the animus is some form of next-gen Oculus Rift type of interface clearly meant as Templar indoctrination. Which of course makes for an interesting side story aside from Desmond.
But then again, this is just me being as tolerant as possible throughout the end of the game.
Conclusion?
In short, the game sucked in case you haven't noticed by now. Practically everything was designed to waste the player's time as much and as inconveniently as possible. You know, with a budget that fits on the handheld, you would think they would at least experiment with the game mechanics as the game would sell by brand alone. I'd rather they give me room to experiment to approach my mission just like the original. I understand that removing many of the features would significantly reduce the game time instead, we have this very restrictive approach to how you deal with your objective. Uncharted gave me more "liberation" than this, and it's just me shooting people most of the time.
This game could have gone the indie route, fleshing out game mechanics too risky for a big-budgeted console game. It will introduce a lot of charm plus make it a worthy companion in the series. It's a shame that the game has to be bogged down to another shopping list, fetch-quest series on a handheld.
But then again, this is Ubisoft we're talking about. The undisputed king of stat-based gameplay.