A fresh change
The way Assassin's Creed was adapted to a sidescroller was a smart and refreshing change of pace. I wouldn't like to see all the games go this way, and though I was hoping to see China/Japan as a full game release, having some side stories like this allows Ubisoft to narrow it's scope of the story it's telling. The gameplay is good and the visuals are decent. The art really impresses when they make use of Chinese brush strokes in cutscenes and the background on some levels. My biggest complaint about the game is how many times it crashed on me. I'd say it was in upwards of 10 times over the course of playing. I also had issue with some of the moving in and out of foreground. I found myself pulling up a ledge when I meant to sidle along the side or failing to release jump and instead transition to the foreground. It's also silly that guards can't notice you when they are talking, though it's a gameplay mechanic, yet they can easily catch a glimpse of you ducking into hiding. I also was discover in dark hiding places by enemies without lanterns which kind of defeats that character's gimmick. All in all it's a neat little arcade game for only $10. I look forward to the next two Chronicles games, especially Russia.