Original Assassin's Creed is too rigid
This isn't the best review, as I haven't played much of the game. The purpose of this is to encourage people to try the sequel and explain why I didn't enjoy the original. I hope to save people a few bucks that they might spend on the original and instead use it on a MUCH improved sequel.
I was excited to get this game and got it for the holiday shortly after it came out. I played the game for a bit but could not get into it. However I (after getting a free demo) played the second one all the way through and (obviously) enjoyed it. So I went back to the first thinking now that I was familiar with the controls and had so much fun with the sequel surely the first one is worth playing through plus I want to experience the story. Well I gave it a good go for a couple evenings, but it's been a week now since I played and I've not convinced myself to get back to it.
The original game doesn't give you near enough freedom. You are forced to go through tasks you might find boring - for me it's sitting on a bench to overhear someone and picking pockets. Plus, I think many agree, it's frustrating to have to ride a horse for long distances. Well that wouldn't be half as bad as it is if there weren't guards that get pissed at you for just riding past them (versus crawling past them). So frustrating (boring) having to crawl past guards to not draw their attention. Then when you get to a town you have to walk in a particular group to get inside. Additionally after completing a few tasks and making the ride on the horse again the dead guards have reappeared and people guarding the treasure I stole are still there (guess they don't realize it's gone and that I killed a few of them). The fighting and escaping just don't feel as smooth (fun) as the sequel. Everything seems much more like work than an enjoyable game. There are bits of excitement but a lot more work to get to them. I don't understand how game developers don't realize it's about fun not tedious tasks. If I want tedious tasks I'll work overtime for money not pay someone to dish it out to me.
The sequel fixes these annoyances and I recommend it. It's great to see a developer actually fix what was wrong in the original in their sequel and not replace it with something else mundane. Ubisoft should be commended on this great idea and improving upon it. I'm looking forward to Brotherhood, if it's anywhere near the improvement 2 was over 1 then it will be a game long remembered.
