Assassin's Creed = a Crackdown Experience. Good or bad?

[GameSeven]

I think I'll end up picking this one up. There are just *so* many plus titles right now (and such little time) that it's tough to narrow down the list of must haves (for hoarders like me). But while it might lack in gameplay variety, it appears that many are considering the 'experience' more than worthwhile.

[TCrouch]

I've skimmed through most of the posts, and on this one, I think it's one of those "hell of a lot of good times for a short period" games for me. I Gamefly'd it, and I think it's one of the most immersive games I've played in a while. Simply running from rooftop to rooftop assassinating guards, then clearing out zones and climbing anything I can find is an absolute blast.

I eventually getting around to actually taking out mission targets, but most of the time I'm just exploring, gathering flags, and accomplishing pretty much nothing. For 2 days I've played it a ton, and taken out maybe 4 targets. I can see how it would get old pretty soon, once you've explored a large portion of most of the cities, but the counters during combat and unbelievable animations that allow you to scale almost any surface...it's like Prince of Persia meets GTA for me, and it just works.

[Teal]

I've skimmed through most of the posts, and on this one, I think it's one of those "hell of a lot of good times for a short period" games for me. I Gamefly'd it, and I think it's one of the most immersive games I've played in a while. Simply running from rooftop to rooftop assassinating guards, then clearing out zones and climbing anything I can find is an absolute blast.

I eventually getting around to actually taking out mission targets, but most of the time I'm just exploring, gathering flags, and accomplishing pretty much nothing. For 2 days I've played it a ton, and taken out maybe 4 targets. I can see how it would get old pretty soon, once you've explored a large portion of most of the cities, but the counters during combat and unbelievable animations that allow you to scale almost any surface...it's like Prince of Persia meets GTA for me, and it just works.

See, I'm one that will play this LIKE I played Crackdown: Finish it, then quite often pop it in for random running around, still having fun with it for awhile. This is so much better than Crackdown on so many levels, though, that it may even get more playtime than that one did from me...

[XXXIV]

I might be swichting most of my attention to Mass Effect starting tomorrow but I have not yet gotten even close to getting bored. I love sand box style games.

I had a blast saturday gathering the kingdom viewpoints(The ones not in cities) and some of them were not very easy due to their location and/or the way they were being defended. Needed some thought and a plan of action.

[kevinpars]

I am still enjoying this game, but I have decided that there are a few things I won't do - like try to get all of the flags. That would just be too frustrating - for example I am only missing 2 for the first city, but I have no desire to spend all my time looking around. The viewpoints are more fun and offer a challenge both to get to them and to get to the top - and you get the reward of cool scenery at the top. But I am not going to try to whore up on achievements (by finding flags) on this one as it is not worth the effort required and would probably take away from the fun.

This is the first game I have ever played where I felt claustrophobic because of the crowds of people. That alone is pretty amazing.

I sense that this one will get repetitive, but for now I am having a lot of fun. Since I am mixing it in with COD4/FEAR sequel and NCAA Hoops, nothing is getting too repetitive.

[XXXIV]

I finished the game. Climbed all the high points and got all the flags in the opening town.

I think I will make periodic trips back into to the game to hunt Templars and pick up some flags but Im not going to make it my job.

I didnt get claustrophobic but I did get a bit of acrophobia. A couple of those view points are way the hell up there.

[Teal]

I finished the game. Climbed all the high points and got all the flags in the opening town.

I think I will make periodic trips back into to the game to hunt Templars and pick up some flags but Im not going to make it my job.

I didnt get claustrophobic but I did get a bit of acrophobia. A couple of those view points are way the hell up there.

I haven't decided which one was the highest, but I think it might be the church in Jerusalem, with that damn steeple that goes WAY up there. I know saying 'THE church in Jerusalem', but if you've been up there, you know what I mean...

[MizzouRah]

This game has become one of my favorites.

[webdanzer]

Make sure to check your memory logs after doing side missions. (pickpocketing, etc) You get more info than what was revealed in game, including memory 'attachments' that show you things like maps indicating guard positions, 'best routes' in to your target, etc.

I was totally unaware of this until I saw it mentioned on a forum.

On another note, two birds of prey were circling a Dunkin Donuts I pass on the way to work this morning. I was strongly tempted to climb that sucker...

...though probably not until AFTER the coffee!

[Teal]

Make sure to check your memory logs after doing side missions. (pickpocketing, etc) You get more info than what was revealed in game, including memory 'attachments' that show you things like maps indicating guard positions, 'best routes' in to your target, etc.

I was totally unaware of this until I saw it mentioned on a forum.

On another note, two birds of prey were circling a Dunkin Donuts I pass on the way to work this morning. I was strongly tempted to climb that sucker...

...though probably not until AFTER the coffee!

Just make sure there's a pile of hay down below before you jump off...

[kevinpars]

I discovered that people in the mall don't like it when you use your hand to gently push them out of your way.

But the hidden knife clears them out pretty quickly.

You guys must play a lot faster than me - as I am only approaching my second assassination. My first one should have been a lot smoother than it turned out. I had done all of the research, was prepared and all set and then I screwed the pooch and blew my cover at the last minute. But I knew the city like the back of my hand so after taking out the target and the angry guards, I easily made my way back.

After getting more fighting skills, I have been spending a lot more time taking out the local guards - which will make escape more problematic for my next job. But I have pretty much rescued everyone that needed to be saved - and a few that didn't. But I am staying away from any timed missions that I can avoid - I hate anything timed.

[Slumberland]

After being extremely high on this game, I ran into an amazing wave of boredom after the fourth assassination. Anyone else experience this?

I wish the game weren't trying so hard to put on a "show" for me. The cities and atmosphere are amazing, but then every assassination seems to turn into a scripted sequence where all hell breaks loose (except maybe for the doctor, early on). I wish I could stalk them quietly as they really went about their business.

[spooky157]

After being extremely high on this game, I ran into an amazing wave of boredom after the fourth assassination. Anyone else experience this?

I wish the game weren't trying so hard to put on a "show" for me. The cities and atmosphere are amazing, but then every assassination seems to turn into a scripted sequence where all hell breaks loose (except maybe for the doctor, early on). I wish I could stalk them quietly as they really went about their business.

I'm feeling the same way about it right now. The locales are so large and pretty but I really wish there was more interaction with the people other than gently pushing them aside.

[Teal]

After being extremely high on this game, I ran into an amazing wave of boredom after the fourth assassination. Anyone else experience this?

I wish the game weren't trying so hard to put on a "show" for me. The cities and atmosphere are amazing, but then every assassination seems to turn into a scripted sequence where all hell breaks loose (except maybe for the doctor, early on). I wish I could stalk them quietly as they really went about their business.

I'm feeling the same way about it right now. The locales are so large and pretty but I really wish there was more interaction with the people other than gently pushing them aside.

It's really worth pushing through for the story. I'd suggest staying with it...


...of course, you could always probably see how it plays out on a youtube video...

[Slumberland]

True... it's just so, so game-y. Climb tower to unlock icons. I wish I actually just had to LOOK for stuff while I was up there. And you don't really "find" anyone, just fulfill mini-games to advance the script so he appears at one place and one place only.

[grtwhtsk]

I got lucky with a sale on Half.com and made just about what I paid for it. I may gamefly it at some point to finish, but I "hit the wall" as well.

[btmmayor]

True... it's just so, so game-y. Climb tower to unlock icons. I wish I actually just had to LOOK for stuff while I was up there. And you don't really "find" anyone, just fulfill mini-games to advance the script so he appears at one place and one place only.

This is why I've seen quite a few suggestions to play with the HUD off and not to go to the map. Many of the mini-missions can be seen from the viewpoints by using eagle vision and following audio cues. Anything thats left can then be found using clues from the memory logs such as photos and attachments. The only really tough part is figuring out what direction you are in which can be solved by using landmarks in the city and the shadow of the sun.

This really gives you the feeling of being an investigator and assassin as compared to following a bunch of video game icons.

I've had some fun playing the game like this. Give it a shot.....it just might breathe some new life into it for you.

[Slumberland]

Very cool, thanks for the tip!

[JRod]

The ending... well I wasn't happy with it. I hope this doesn't give too much away but I'm glad I didn't pay for this game with an ending like that.

[btmmayor]

Slumber, this is a really long post but here is alot more detail on how to best play the game without a hud. I found the original text that I then copied from a poster named Conman on the NeoGaf forums. He did a great job with this........

A Quick Guide to "Fixing" Assassin's Creed,
or "Maps? We Don't Need No Stinking Maps!"

This quick guide assumes three things about Assassin's Creed:

1) That this game was originally designed to be played without the use of map markers, GPS, or the select-screen map. Judging by what follows below, it seems that these things were added late in development as a way to "dumb down" the game.

2) That this "fix" is not a way to artificially make the game more difficult. If anything, the use of the GPS and map screen is a way to artificially make the game easier.

3) That this game is worth fixing. If you're not interested in "fixing" the game, don't bother reading this.

Here're the TWO SIMPLE RULES that form the heart of the fix:

First, turn off your GPS in the HUD display options menu. You can choose to leave the other HUD displays on if you like, but kill the GPS. Let it go. You don't need it. It's Dumbo's magic feather and Luke Skywalker's targeting computer all over again.

Second, although it might be tempting, don't ever push the select button. That will take you to the Screen-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named. Unlike the GPS, there's no way to "turn off" this screen. You're going to have to trust yourself. Think of it as a cheat screen. If you're someone who likes to use "invincibility" cheats or "all weapons" cheats, then the select screen is for you. If you're someone who refuses to use cheats, then resist the temptation to use push the select button.

You will never have to search "blindly" for anything. There're clues for every single target you need to find.

Question: But isn't this just introducing a made-up way to make this game more difficult?

Answer: No.

Here's why:

1) Everything that is marked by your map and your GPS is also marked in the game itself. If you play using your map and GPS, you'd never notice these clues, but they're everywhere.

2) As much as you are an assassin, you are also an investigator and information-gatherer. If you use the GPS and map, there's no investigation to do. You simply follow the markers on your map. If you don't use the GPS and map, you have to follow clues laid out in the city.

3) Part of the punishment you receive early on is that you have been put in the menial position of gathering information. Al Mualim explains this to you clearly. If you use the GPS and map, the only "information" you gather is when you go to the top of a view point. If you don't use them, you begin your investigation at the view points and must then work your way gradually down to the street level.

Question: Ok, big-shot, if there are clues "everywhere," then where are they? How come I didn't see them before?

Answer: Here's a run-down of the most useful and common clues to finding all the various types of information, citizens to save, and so on. This list is not exhaustive, but is a collection of strategies and clues I've found in my playing. I'm also putting some of these behind spoiler bars because part of what made this game so fun for me was the process of figuring out what these clues were.

Use your memory log. If you use your GPS and map, there's almost no reason to use this. This is why so many people have gone through the game without even realizing it exists. If you're playing without the GPS and map, it contains necessary and vital information. Some of the information you gather includes maps and letters. Use these to your advantage. They give you options and advice on how to go about your final assassinations. The memory log also tells you what type of mission your remaining missions are. There is a little icon in the lower left-hand side of the picture for each mission. The memory logs also include pictures of the appearance and location of your targets. pay attention to the archicture around them and any nearby landmarks. Often, you'll see a combination of things like a wooden awning plus a cupola in the background with a palm tree in front. This will help you narrow your searches down considerably.

Use your eagle vision. Like the memory log, if you use your GPS and map, there's almost no reason to use this. Without the GPS and map, this is a crucial investigative tool. Eagle vision is your first sign of where your targets are. Investigation targets show up in bright white. In order to make it somewhat difficult, some citizens appear white-ish and your allies appear a bright blue that looks similar. For stealth assassination side-quests, you will use your eagle vision as a sonar device. Follow the direction of the loud murmuring you hear to find your targets. Your targets are also usually close to the informant and appear in bright yellow when in eagle vision

Use the view points. Like the memory log and eagle vision (see a pattern yet?), if you use your GPS and map, there's almost no value to these. All they would do is give you markers on your map. However, if you don't use your GPS and map, they are where you begin your investigations. The easiest information targets will always be those you can spot from these viewpoints (which is incidentally why they appear first in your memory log).

Circling eagles: The game does mention these, but doesn't put them to much use. Without the GPS or map, the only way you know if you've scaled and used a view point yet is whether or not there's an eagle circling around it. If there's an eagle, you still need to climb it. If there isn't, then you don't need to.

Assassin's Bureau: These are pretty distinctive. You probably already know this, but look for the Assassin's symbol on a rooftop and/or the tell-tale latticework of the roof entry. These are almost all in or near the center of each of the three cities (not to be confused with districts).

Pigeons: These always hang out on ledges near bales of hay. This helps a lot if you're trying to gain anonymity in the midst of a chase. Simply jump off the ledge where they roost (visible by their nests and crap), and you'll land safely in a haybale.

Saving citizens: You should know this one already. Follow the sound of a citizen asking for help. Fight off the soldiers. Talk to the citizen. You can also often find them by the nearby presence of a group of four guys in black or of a moving group of four scholars.

Interrogation: Like the citizens, use sound clues. Listen for the pundits who seem to be talking about a person of interest (usually your final assassination target). Since there are only a few pundits in each area, these guys are pretty easy to find. They also generally attract crowds and speak in highly visible areas like plazas.

Eavesdropping: Like the pundits, these people are often in or near public areas. However, they often hide themselves from overhead view, so you'll often find them underneath arches, inside buildings or arcades, and beneath awnings. They generally exist in groups of two. Use the pictures in your memory log to help find them.

Pickpocket: Like eavesdropping targets, you'll find mostly find these guys in groups of two. However, they're often harder to find than the eavesdropping targets. They usually hang out in alleyways and other areas that can be difficult to spot from overhead. Use the pictures in your memory log to help find them.

Informant (flags): These guys can be tought to spot. Like almost all of your targets, these guys are immobile. They often hide themselves away in doorways, corners, and dead ends. The flag informant, though, usually is near (or in) a public plaza. He wears a black/grey outfit that covers all but his eyes. Use the pictures in your memory log to help find them.

Informant (stealth assassinations): Like their flag-obsessed brethren, these guys can be tough to spot. Like almost all of your targets, these guys are immobile. They often hide themselves away in doorways, corners, and dead ends. The assassination informant is the toughest of all to find (I think). Luckily he dresses in all white, so he's easy to recognize without the eagle vision. Use the pictures in your memory log to help find them.

Informant (stealth assassination targets): I mention this above in my discussion of eagle vision, but here it is again: After talking to the informant, go into eagle vision. You'll now hear a loud murmur. That's the sound of your targets. Follow the sound and you'll find the bright yellow targets!

Question: What does all of this do for me?

Answer: Many important things.

1) It almost wholly eliminates the feeling of repetition. You can no longer simply move from target to target. Instead, finding each information target becomes a task in and of itself.

2) The difficulty of the game increases as you progress. In early stages of the game, finding your information targets is relatively easy. Most of them are visible from one of the view points. As you progress in the game, however, the information targets become less and less visible from higher view points. You have to search from lower positions (rooftops) or use clues to search intelligently at the street level. The reason you only need two pieces of information to do your assassination is because the information is meant to be relatively challenging to find!

3) If you ever feel like you are searching "blindly" for an information target, you're doing something wrong.

4) Best of all, it gives a reason to the open-ness of the city. This is a game about investigation, so playing "properly" forces you to familiarize yourself with the districts and with the cities as a whole. If you've played with the map and GPS, you've realized that all you have to do is continually go from point A to point B. When played correctly, this game is not linear. You need to explore, investigate, use your head, and do some legwork. This does not mean you'll suddenly have to wander the streets blindly.

5) You will play this game as it was intended to be played. Yes, I said that.

Very cool stuff in my opinon.

[spooky157]

That's some great advice. I can already envision how much more fun the game would be this way. Thanks!

[LAking]

Don't have the game yet. Waiting for a good deal or a trade. Using this alternative method of playing the game (no HUD) does this allow you in any way to stealthily kill your target without having to fight your way through a bunch of guards:?

[kevinpars]

While I enjoyed the hell out of this game, I would argue that it is repetitive and that the cities and the sections within the cities are too similar.

Also. without giving any plot elements away, I felt like the game 'cheated' during some of the boss battles near the end of the game. In the normal course of the game, when you knocked someone down, you could use your sword to finish them off. But in some of the boss battles, this was not the case. In fact, until I figured this out I was at a disadvantage because I would make a big swing with my sword and it would have no effect and in the meantime the enemy would get up and have an advantage because my useless maneuver had thrown me off balance. I though that was a cheap way to increase the difficulty of the boss battles.

[Slumberland]

I've been playing for a few days with Conman's "rules", and it's pretty spectacular. I had to cheat once, just 'cause I couldn't find the bureau, but now I've got it linked to a visual landmark and all is well. Other than that, HUD off and no map makes everything much more engrossing.