Creed Expectations
"Video game longevity" is something of an oxymoron today. With so many triple-A titles dropping each month, most games have a limited window in which to engage consumers before they move on to the next release. Even an expansive open-world game with DLC galore, such as Fallout 3 or Mass Effect 2, will be little more than a memory for the vast majority of gamers within a year or two. That being said, you can learn a lot about the quality of a video game by seeing how well it holds up past its industry-imposed "expiration date." I'm pleased to report that the original Assassin's Creed holds up amazingly well.
When I first sat down to play Assassin's Creed, over a year after its initial release, I had incredibly high expectations for what had been dubbed an "instant classic." It's rare to see a game excel both in its graphical presentation and its gameplay mechanics, but Assassin's Creed does just that. The opportunity to glide across the rooftops of Jerusalem, with the golden Dome of the Rock glimmering in the background, is worth the price of admission. I haven't played Assassin's Creed 2 yet, and I've heard it's superior to the first game, but I'd argue it's worth picking up the original first (rental or very cheap used) for the chance to explore the amazing cities of the Holy Land.
The game's flaws have been enumerated elsewhere, but I'd like to take a moment to discuss the parallel storylines in the game. Other reviewers have praised the more realistic/believable dialogue in the Desmond/Abstergo Lab scenes, arguing these moments are superior to the story elements in the Altair assassin quest. While I was intrigued by the back story and the motivations of the characters who Desmond encounters, I found the Abstergo Lab scenes very slow and confusing. It was unclear whether you could interact with certain items and people in the lab, and it was painfully slow to walk around waiting to be prompted to press B. The Desmond storyline sets up some extremely interesting things for the sequels, but to me his scenes were interruptions to the fast-paced assassin's quest. I'm not saying the developer had to put arrows indicating what parts of the lab you should explore, but at least give me the option of sprinting from one side of the room to the other when Lucy and the doctor aren't around.
My biggest critique of Assassin's Creed is that there are just too many repetitive side quests (especially those d*mned flags) for those pursuing 100% completion, and that some of the collectibles are glitched. Yet I have a hard time docking the game too many points for an aspect that is secondary to the core story and gameplay. The assassinations themselves are varied enough that you'll find plenty of enjoyment from each new assignment. Overall, Assassin's Creed has to be considered one of the finest games to grace the Xbox 360, and I can't wait to jump into the sequel. And this time, I won't wait for 2 1/2 years from the game's release to complete the journey.
