Formula Goes Stale
Ah formula. No one likes change. I'm keeping with the formula by reviewing this game a few months after I played it. This game follows formula by being close to the same damn game you've played the previous two times. Assassin's Creed Revelations doesn't succeed in being a revolution of the franchise, but it does have one of the most entertaining stories written for the series in a long time.
Assassin's Creed Revelations follows Ezio, now older and wiser, looking for answers about his life. Has he just been a conduit for a message passed on long ago? Or, does he still have lessons to teach his future ancestors?
Ezio looks for answers in a great place, Masyaf. There he finds a vault, guarded by templars, holding a secret from his ancestor, Altair. The vault requires several keys, which Ezio needs to track down before the templars, in order to find the answers he is looking for. On the keys Ezio is able to relive select moments from Altair's life, and thus, you the player do as well.
Its not easy writing a good farewell to one of the last generation's most beloved protaganists, but its even harder to write a good farewell to TWO of them. The game succeeds most when you are playing as Altair again, which, unless you played AC: Bloodlines on PSP, haven't done since a brief segment in AC2. You finally get to learn what happened to Altair, and while it isn't a happy story, its a great one.
The game largely takes place in Constantinople. The city can be beautiful, and I like the use of the color black in this game, having a darker tone, but its also one of the most interesting cities in the game. That is because this is a poor substitute from Rome, and you do mostly the same things you did in the other game.
Borgia Towers have a replacement, and so do Assassin's Tombs. Except this time Assassin's Tombs are necessary to completing the game. You see, in order to find the keys, Ezio enlists the help of the local assassin's, and a young book collector, Sofia. There is also a key hidden under the Ottoman Sultan's palace, hidden by the templars.
The game then has two mission paths, both of which you need to complete, but both at your leisure. This is a good concept, but the two paths are so disconnected, its hard to see why it needed to be this way. Eventually you do have to complete missions in one side to unlock missions at the other, but not for a story reason, just because the game stops you.
The new tombs are the best path, mainly because they are cinematic and fun. The were always my favorite diversion in AC's past. Sofia is also a great addition to the cast, and a great romantic matching for Ezio.
There are two new main additions to gameplay. Bomb crafting, and tower defense. Bomb Crafting is as it sounds, you craft bombs. You can make all sorts of cool bombs, mixing and matching different pieces and finding new recipes. But it is also useless. Never once did I need to do it, and never once did I WANT to do it. Same with the new tower defense.
I never had as much trouble with the tower defense as most people. Mainly because I didn't bother. When you get towers, the previous owners may strike back, and you enter this mini-game to defeat the invaders. Thing is, I only ever did it once, and that was the tutorial. If you place an assassin (which is still a fun addition) on each tower, then the chances of you getting invaded are rare. Otherwise, gameplay is the same as you've come to expect.
Desmond's story on the other hand is much improved. You get a peek into Desmond's past, as he has gone into a comatose state, and is now at Animus Island. This is a stupid idea, but it leads to five memory gates, unlocked by finding collectible Animus Fragments on Ezio's side of things. The mini games in the gates themselves are uninteresting, but you do finally get a peek into Desmond's past, which is nice.
Overall, AC:R is a bit of a disappointment, but still a worthy entry to the franchise.
