Assassin's Creed: Revelations - first impressions

[mandru]

 :-()

[PZ]

I just fired up the old game AC1 and I must say that it is quite fun because it gives much of the back story.  The game play mechanics are simple so it is quite the joy to easily navigate through the game - I already know how to do the basics due to the other AC games.

I think you'll appreciate the purchase mandru - and I suspect that your methodical ways will result in you playing at least one play from the first AC game to the last.  I also suspect that if you enjoy ACR, you'll end up with ACB.

Interestingly, although ACR is very similar to ACB, there is a notable lack of horses.

Well, back to the game... AC1 - I've put ACR on hold for the moment  :-()

[JRD]

I've resumed playing AC:B and after sorting a few annoyances that was bothering me when I started playing it straight after AC2 I'm having a great time in Rome.  :)

The diversity in this game is amazing. I can play hours and hours in a row and never get bored. The graphics are just beautiful and there's so much to do!!!! I just finished another mission to destroy Leonardo's machines, the one you have to fly the Bomber and destroy weapons the Borgia are building. I also did the machine gun and the tank ones... man, what a game. Being forced to do some missions undetected just add a lot of fun instead of creating a sense of a chore, everything in this game is just amazing!!!  :)

I can only hope AC:R is as good as AC:B!  8)

mandru... go on and get AC:B and you'll have a fantastic trilogy in your hands (AC2. AC:B and AC:R). The original AC is not nearly as fun as the rest of the series but it's worth a playthrough even if only to get to know how the story begun.  :-X

[PZ]

ACR is more like ACB than ACB is like AC2 in my opinion.  ACR is definitely worth the purchase for anyone that even remotely likes the AC series.  I just went back to AC1 for a bit of the immersion effect, because reference is made to this game from all of the others, including ACR.  In fact, there is a memory in ACR in which you play Altair for a short while.

[mandru]

PZ, have you done that roof top AC:R variant of command a conquer where you have to protect an Assassins lair from the attacking Templars by commanding and positioning troops from the rooftops and throwing up barricades? 

I'm trying to figure out how to dodge that part of the game because it looked really annoying.  So I have a couple questions about it.  I know if you fail to stop the Templars they recapture the lair but does that cause your Assassin kinfolk from that tower to lose levels or decrease their numbers?

I'm thinking that it is a lot easier to capture or recapture a Templar occupied tower (kill the leader climb the tower and light the signal fire) than play though the defense mini game.  So if there's no real impact on the Assassin troops you are raising up it might be worthwhile to just let the Templars take it with no resistance getting it over quickly so to speak and then take it back at first opportunity.

After all "Everything is possible and Nothing is forbidden."   ;)

[PZ]

Yes, I've done several, and they are not all that bad because you can choose not to do them.  You do not lose your assassins (at least I've not lost any) and even if you fail to accomplish the defense, you really don't lose out - you will just have to do it again some time in the future.

What I noticed is that these defense missions tend to become available if you do not attack the Templar dens, which are right next to your assassin dens.  They are kind of fun - you throw down barricades (I usually put in as many as I can), you put assassin leaders on each rooftop, and then add archers, riflemen, and air assassins to the roof tops - then wait for the bad guys to attack - it is quite fun to watch the battle.

I'd recommend taking out the Templar dens as soon as possible, because you get the opportunity to recruit assassins, which you can then start training.

The only annoying part for me is that there are several coward Captains that you have to kill before they escape, and that can be a challenge.  If you fail, you have to come back the next day and start over - this is much like ACB.

[mandru]

Thanks for the info PZ.

I think part of my annoyance with that particular part of the game is that it appeared to be or had the feeling of being set onto rails and forced to take a set of decisive actions within confined parameters and a time limit to get past it.  I would really prefer the ability to solve problems by being able to think around them and from what I've seen of that activity it just didn't strike me as being very Open World.   ::)

Speculation will only get me so far.  When I get the game I'll have to roll up my sleeves and dive in to discover how to best navigate through the fine details.   :-X

[PZ]

I was thinking just like you before I purchased the game - didn't think the chaos of that part of the game would be my style.  While it is completely linear, it is a nice diversion for a few minutes, and not as odious as I originally thought.   :-()

[mandru]

Yeah, but you know no mater how you Doctor them I still hate Brussel sprouts.   ???

[Art Blade]

Oh they're fantastic if you hit 'em really hard with a solid iron club.  :-D

[PZ]

I'm playing AC1 and visited the Assassin's Bureau in the rich sector of Damascus - if I'm not mistaken, his voice is that of Leonardo Da Vinci in AC2.

[JRD]

Very likely indeed... once an actor`s voice over works fine in a game, why not have him voicing another charatcter?

[spaceboy]

that's great you could pick it out.  Altair's voice acting is horrible, thank goodness they decided to give Ezio a little Italian accent.

edit - makes me wonder - did they change Altair's voice in Revelations?

[PZ]

I agree - I played AC2 first, then ACB where Ezio's voice was perfect for his character.  Now I'm playing Altair, and am disappointed in the character voice - I would have though his voice to be much more Charlton Hestonian.  If you saw the movie "Liar, Liar", with Jim Carrey - remember he played with his kid pretending his hand was "the CRAWWW!!", making the kid giggle with delight.  The kids nerdy stepfather tried doing the same thing but failed miserably - the parallel is the same between Ezio's voice and Altair's voice.  :-()

Thank goodness the developers used the same voice for Ezio in ACR.

[JRD]

True, Altair's voice acting was terrible, sounded like a mexican porn actor dubbing a japanese film  ::)

Ezio's voice acting is great and I realy like how he grows up during the three games. His visual, skills and behavior changes as he learns all about being a master assassin! Very different from the Ezio we see at the beginning of AC2, picking fights in the streets and chasing girls! :-X

[spaceboy]

picking fights in the streets and chasing girls! :-X

ah, but those were the days...

[JRD]

ah, but those were the days...

So true!!    :-X

[PZ]

...Altair's voice acting was terrible, sounded like a mexican porn actor dubbing a japanese film  ::)

:-X

[PZ]

I'm near the end of AC1, and did the mission to kill the bad guy with literally dozens of henchmen.  I tried several times to attack the gang head on but was defeated at every turn.  Finally I resorted to running back into town and finding a group of vigilantes, and it was immensely funny to see those guys grabbing hold of the bad guys, allowing me to kill each of them relatively easily.  I was laughing so hard I almost got killed myself watching those vigilantes pestering the guards.

[Art Blade]

 :-D

[spaceboy]

I started this up this weekend and feels like seeing old friends again.  I like seeing the aging of Ezio (hell we saw him born!) and it was cool to visit Masyaf again.  I'm early on, I love Istanbul, more roofs and climbing like ACII, less awkward cliffs like in Brotherhood.  The zip lines are great, the improved combat with more animations and finishing moves are welcome too.

I'm really liking the soundtrack - I think it reminds me most of ACII actually, more melodies than Brotherhood.  Some very sweet and sad vocals which I adore.

[PZ]

I'm glad you're enjoying it space, and it only gets better with the variety of things you can see and do.  I'll not spoil it, but the scenery in some of the "secret" locations is spectacular - kind of reminds me of that derelict shipwreck scene in Uncharted3.

[mandru]

I'll not spoil it, but the scenery in some of the "secret" locations is spectacular...

I've been watching the walk through series PZ mentioned on another thread and I too am not interested in tossing spoilers for others though I really don't care one way or the other for myself when I am researching a game for my own play.  So all I can say about secret locations is "Holy Jumping Freak!"   :o   :D  ???   8) :-X

[PZ]

One thing I can say without spoiling things too much is that there are running sequences similar to the races in AC2, but now the mechanics are either way better, or I have become way better at running.  For the first time I was actually having fun in a running sequence.  ;)

Another thing I keep marveling over - the huge improvement on fighting mechanics:

Spoiler

- so smooth, and if you get the bonus mission (Vlad's tomb), you'll receive the impaler sword, which makes you way better at fighting, and the animations - truly Vlad-style gore.

[spaceboy]

I did get the Vlad tomb mission from gamestop.  I haven't been there yet but I did find the book in Sophia's book store.  ahh Sophia  ;)