JUICY GAME REVIEWS
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio

video game reviews

ANything from Xbox 360, Playstation 3, playstation 5, xbox series x and Nintendo Switch

Assassin's Creed Syndicate - A Rehashing of history? 

2/11/2015

2 Comments

 
By Gemma @Juicy Game Reviews
Assassins Creed Syndicate promotional screen
Are we seeing old ground in Assassin's Creed Syndicate?
The most common question I'm being asked on my Assassin's Creed Syndicate Twitch streams is: "What is the game like?" I give a nuts and bolts answer that skirts around outer barriers of my in-depth feelings. After all, it can be quite difficult to talk with an exceeding level of depth whilst concentrating while playing. That leaves me with the perfect opportunity to open up in this blog about some of my intricate thoughts of Assassin's Creed Syndicate.

Developed by Ubisoft, Assassin's Creed Syndicate joins a confusing series that left my head spinning after Assassin's Creed 3. Syndicate is the ninth game in the main series since 2007. That's an average of over one game every 12 months which is quite staggering considering we have to wait a lot longer for sequels of alternate triple A titles. This is where the whole series falls down for me. There's quantity over quality. That's not to say the likes of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Rogue or any of the other titles aren't good but I've always noticed a lack of polish amidst the race to get the game to market. Assassin's Creed Unity was far from finished as I'm certain we can all recall the technical glitches from launch? I believe this was a the lowest point in the series; needless to say that Syndicate really pulls the series back to greatness. Greatness is a bold word when discussing a game so I use it lightly but in the case of Assassin's Creed's credentials vastly improved gameplay mechanics, less glitches and the new twist of interchangeable characters (Evie and Jacob) really ramps up the overall experience.
Evie and Jacob Frye in assassins creed syndicate
Evie and Jacob Frye in Assassin's Creed Syndicate
There's a striking difference when playing between both Evie and Jacob, the brother/sister duo in Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Evie seemed much more agile and adopted a more acute style to her killing methods. I found her easier to use during the Parkour elements to the game and more appealing during stealth. Her character is voiced really well. Her soft tones and completed dialogue gave me the impression of Innocence; the perfect cover up to project before a kill. Jacob's presence feels a lot heavier. He's a brute that enjoys the art of a good ol' fist fight. Evie and Jacob share skill points throughout the game so it's important to spread the points as equally as you can. There are a number of customisations available to both characters from weapons, belts, coats, you name it. 

London is the setting for Assassin's Creed Syndicate which seems like a welcomed feature amongst the gaming community. It is now the industrial age at which Ubisoft described it as: 
London. Global Capital for Invention. Ripe for the Picking
​ There are a total of seven boroughs each with their own slice of culture. The consistency between the borough's came from hearing the NPC's have their own conversations in the streets, seeing the smoke from factories bellow high in the sky and observing how impressive the draw distances were. There's something very satisfying about Synchronising an area and observing the bustling industries below. Synchronising areas have been a long standing feature of the Assassin's Creed series but there's something about the life in Syndicate that pacified me a whole lot more due to the extensive draw distance.

​Our main campaign launched within the grim boughs of Whitechapel. Full of begging, crime and peasantry, Whitechapel was my first real taste of what to expect. Whilst the gameplay felt as fluid as it did since Assassin's Creed 2, I soon learnt that the game didn't offer much different to the previous titles. The basic premises were the same: kill, loot, liberate and progress. That's it. It felt rewarding to change character from time to time but I struggled to get much else from my initial experiences. It seems like Ubisoft took everything that worked well from previous games and improved on it. Aside from the interchangeable characters and time setting Assassin's Creed Syndicate can be summarised as: Great but far from excellence. As I said before "...Syndicate really pulls the series back to greatness" for reasons outlined above. What would could be improved? I loathed how my character would stick to anything they were on if there was nowhere to jump or I would aim to launch up to a building in front of me and end up being hauled off to the left? These mechanics were incredibly frustrating and I'd love to see them improved. Combat, however, felt very smooth. The combat stemmed heavily around Close Quarters Combat as opposed to long range gun fights. The majority of longer ranged attacks peaked with knife throwing (including poison darts). The targeting system seemed easy to learn and had a pinpoint accuracy. The smooth combat mechanics seemed to balance out the sticky Parkour movements I didn't like. Overall, Ubisoft did a really good job to fine tune the balance in mechanics.
Jacob Frye with hookshot
Assassin's Creed Syndicate - set in the Industrial period; London
There's a definite redemption in the series for me after playing Assassin's Creed Syndicate. The setting is perfect, the main protagonists worked fantastically within the story and slightly improved game mechanics mean Assassin's Creed Syndicate is up there with Great Games. I hope that Ubisoft do not bring out another Creed game for some time though. What are your thoughts on this game so far? I wrote this blog in response to my Twitch Followers and it will likely be updated once I complete the game.
Picture
Assassin's Creed Syndicate initial Score (final score pending)
Thegebs24 youtube channel
2 Comments
Jojo911
4/11/2015 09:18:43

Hi, great review. I agree with you about ACS redeeming the series. I'm really enjoying it!! Cheers

Reply
Nathan
5/1/2016 11:07:39

Agreed. It puts the series back where it is supposed to be! Great review Gemma!! Love your YouTube channel

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Video Game Reviews for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

    Categories

    All
    3DS
    Alan Wake 2
    Alien Isolation
    Amiibo
    Assassin's Creed
    Batman Arkham Knight
    Bloodborne
    Board Games
    CoD
    Destiny
    Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls
    Doom
    E3
    Eurogamer
    Fallout 4
    Far Cry 4
    Far Cry Primal
    Final Fantasy
    GTA V
    JRPG
    Just Cause 3
    Majora's Mask
    Mario Kart 8
    Metal Gear Solid V
    Microsoft
    Minecraft
    Next Gen Consoles
    Nintendo
    Nintendo Switch
    PC
    PS3
    PS4
    PS4 Slim
    PS4 VR
    PS5
    Resident Evil
    RPG
    Silent Hills P.T Demo
    Tales Of Xillia
    The Division
    The Evil Within
    The Last Of Us
    Turtle Beach
    Uncharted 4
    Until Dawn
    Wii U
    Wolfenstein
    Xbox 360
    Xbox One
    Xbox One S

    Latest YouTube Videos:

    Video Game Shops:

    Warners Retro Corner
    Check out Warners Retro Corner
    Crazy Thumbs
    Check out Crazy Thumbs, London
    Kenny's buy sell trade
    Kenny's - Buy, sell, trade
    doorway to dorkness
    Doorway to Dorkness
    Super Game Shack
    Super Game Shack
    Picture
    Game Smart Yardley
    Tweets by @JuicyGameReview

    RSS Feed

Juicy Game Reviews

About
TheGebs24

Get Involved

Affiliates
Retro Gaming
Juicy Game Reviews 2023 ©
Privacy Policy
Social Media Icons License Creative Commons 3.0
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio