So I've been spending some time in it. I'm in sequence 8, and I have to say, this is the worst Assassin's Creed game. I thought Revelations was bad, but this just takes the cake. Here are my main gripes with the game:
- The controls suck.
Which is funny as shit because in the game, you get an email from Rebecca that says "I made the controls better so you won't accidentally run into things and objects". Except I've been doing that the whole game. I'll try to jump straight off of an object, and Conner will jump the opposite direction and tackle a person.
Also, this is a small personal preference, but there's only two speeds in the game, walk, and run. In AC2 and others, there was a 'jog' option, which would let you go fast, but still slow enough to enjoy the scenery, not in this game.
- The story is basically not about Templars or Assassin's at all.
It's more about the American Revolution with just an Assassin in it. There's hardly any talk of Templars after the first sequence or so. Which, in my mind, makes for a bad Assassin Creed game.
- Some of the tutorials are god awful and not helpful at all.
Like for example the mini games in the game. No idea how to play them and the game only gives you a stripped down version of how to play. I'm at a point in the game where the game says to chase my enemy. That's it. It has a red target over his head, so I assume that I'm supposed to kill him, after all, that's what the game tells you, red means kill. Nope, not this guy.
- What the hell is the point of hunting?
Seriously, there's no need for it at all in the game. It doesn't add anything, and you don't get punished or get stopped at a point in the game because you haven't hunted.
- Remember in AC2 (which stands as the best Assassin's Creed game) when you get a mission like a courier mission, or assassination contract, your map would show you where to go?
Yeah, well that's scrapped in this game. Basically, from what I've been noticing, when you get these missions, you don't get told where to go, and the only time you find the target is just by pure coincidence. You're in the area because of another mission? Okay, then the map will tell you.
- Viewpoints are useless. When I play AC games, I like to do all of the viewpoints at once and uncover all of the map. Well in here, Viewpoints are useless and only uncover the tiniest portions of the map which leaves a crap ton of exploring left to do. It also doesn't help that the map, is waaaay too dark to navigate. It's too blue.
- Why the fuck did the last 3 Assassin Creed games have "Optional Objectives" ?
Okay, in AC:B and AC:R it wasn't as bad. But in this game, the optional objectives really do feel almost mandatory, and if you don't do them, the game really does a good job of making you feel like a total failure by having the failed objective in red on screen at all times. Not to mention, some of the optional objectives are damn near impossible to get and will require a lot, I mean A LOT of "Restart from checkpoint" to the point where it's really infuriating.
- Shopping for new weapons or clothes? Pointless.
It really is. It adds nothing to the game. Ya they might be a bit stronger, but it's really not worth it at all. You should just save the money for upgrading your ship that you get in the game, which as sad as it is, is the best part of the game. Seriously, the ship missions should just be it's own game, it is easily the best and most entertaining aspects of the game. The only downside is they're too short.
- The exploring missions where it's just you and the level to get to a chest or something are really short.
To me, I really liked these parts in the AC games. They were amazing platforming games. But in here, they're too damn short to really enjoy. Even the GameStop/EB Games exclusive Mayan mission is way too short. It was maybe 5 minutes long, that's it.
- What's the point of the horse?
Seriously, this thing will have you stopped more times than you put the controller down. It is simply useless. It can't go anywhere really and it can't even go down the tiniest of rocks or anywhere near trees.