From the opening sequence it's clear that ‘Assassins Creed - Unity’ is a beautiful game with rich, vibrant colours and texture, while the graphics are topshelf complemented by quality sound and seamless effects.
It's been a long while since I stepped into the AC world (PS2 days) and I have to say, it's a pleasure to be back. ‘AC - Unity’ drops the player smack bang into the French Revolution; the year is 1789 and pissed-off peasants revolt against an oppressive aristocracy, the cobblestone streets slippery with the blood of commoners, drunkards and fancy feather in the cap, velvet hat-wearing guards.
It's easy to get lost in the game; the streets are packed with AI, all doing their own thing, adding to this massive, living world. Most AI characters speak French, which I found cool – it adds a lot to the atmosphere and feel; nice touch.The open, full-scale world is huge – from the soaring heights of cathedral spires to the simmering stench of underground sewer systems – with options for free roam and exploring a plenty. I found myself avoiding mission markers and quests, instead opting for snooping around grand manors and waterfront hovels alike, picking locks, avoiding detection and sneaking off with bulk treasures and items – good times.
I did have some trouble with frame rate – the game froze at times, always when surveying large areas from high places, clinging awkwardly to walls by my finger tips (this took some of the joy out of the experience for me). Upon reading other reviews, glitches plague all platforms (PS4, xBox & PC); it's a shame and I feel like these kind of issues should be fixed before the game is released, instead of relying on updates and patches to solve bug problems down the track.The handling and controls are easy enough to get the hang of though; the fight scene animations are legit – parry attack, parry attack... attack; taking your foes down then casually ‘sheathing’ one’s weapon and fading into the crowd never gets old.
All in all ‘AC - Unity’ is a deep bit of work, providing hours of open-world gameplay for committed chest divers and bulkside missions to keep the 100 percent completion rate diehards busy.
3 out of 5 clicks.
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