ASSASSIN’S CREED: HANDS ON

Ubisoft’s hugely anticipated game is out next month, and Three Speech’s Chris Burke got some quality hands-on time with this potential medieval masterpiece.

It’s 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart, and it’s up to you to try and stop the conflict by killing its chief protagonists on both sides, Crusaders and Saracens. You play as Altair, a member of the original assassin’s creed, the Hashashin – who, in between smoking a lot of medieval skunk, would kill people for money, or sometimes for the greater good. Altair is one of the more honourable assassins, of course, but aside from his worthy ideals that form the main storyline, you also get to take on plenty of side contracts.

Assassin’s Creed literally puts the sand in ‘sandbox’. The game is absolutely massive. Not only do you have the run of a three massive middle-eastern cities – Jerusalem (the only city we’ve been able to play so far), Damascus and Acre - and there’s also the assassins’ home town of Masyaf. We also managed to spend a fair bit of time tearing round a huge area of countryside called The Kingdom in between. Outside the cities, you’ll need to commandeer a horse to traverse the hills and valleys, and control of your nag is the best we’ve seen. You can even rear Dobbin up in spectacular Hollywood fashion, and you can also, crucially, fight from horseback.

In the cities, your assassin can go absolutely anywhere, and climb anything – minarets, domed mosques, houses, churches, fortified walls. The detail is astounding, but the scenery is just that – where Assassin’s Creed really impresses is in the huge detail of life that populates it. The narrow streets and medieval marketplaces are teeming with people – the game boasts over a hundred different non-player characters that mill around – sometimes aiding, sometimes hindering your escape from your missions. The way you will interact with NPCs is also pretty novel. As you walk through the cities, you can literally put your head down and blend in. In this stance you can tag along with a harmless group of beggars or monks, as the otherwise suspicious guards don’t even bat an eye. As you move through the crowds in your more passive stance, you can gently shove people out of the way – alternatively if you’re in a hurry, escaping the guards for example, you can shoulder barge them and knock them flying. If you do this gratuitously, the NPCs will certainly fight back, and causing a disturbance or running and leaping around like a maniac will attract the attention of the authorities – and you won’t want the police on your back.

The game’s many story and side missions can be tackled in any way you choose. You can sneak across the rooftops, you can mingle in the crowds or just run in and kill everyone. How subtle you are is up to you, because Altair is also a pretty mean fighter. You are armed with a sword, a crafty dagger that you keep up your sleeve, and throwing knives for ranged attacks. The combat system is excellent, too. If you like, you can simply button-mash to take down the multiple enemies you’ll often face, or more patiently wait for the right moment to stylishly kill your enemies with one counter-strike blow. Most of the enemies, particularly the city guards, aren’t too bright, but you’ll still have to keep your head down or they’ll be after you in numbers.

The graphics are awesome in terms of both characters and backdrops, and from what we saw there is no pop-up, allowing for spectacular panoramic vistas over the cities and landscapes from any vantage point. Unofficially, it’s looking like a late November released date, and judging by what we’ve played, it should definitely be top of your Christmas list.

Official U.K site for Assassin’s Creed here.