Assassin's Creed passed me by during its initial release, which was odd considering I have an interest in the Crusades and the Medieval period. When I did get to learn about it I avoided it because of the fairly negative reviews. Eventually my cousin got a hold of the game, and I felt impressed enough by the small demonstration that I brought a copy too.
While I certainly enjoyed the game, I do understand that the game's detractors do make a valid criticism of its gameplay.
It's worth covering the plot first. The game is split into two halfs. One is set in the Holy Land around AD 1191, at the height of the Third Crusade, when Altair, (the character you control) is given a task of eliminating nine elite members of the Crusader and Saracen armies, in order that his Master, Al Mualim, can usher in a new era of peace. The other half is seen through the eyes of Desmond Miles, Altair's descendant, some time in the near future as he is kidnapped by the members of Abstergo Industries, and forced to test out their new invention, the 'Animus', a machine that allows its user to access the memories of their ancestors.
One of the weak points of the game is how the two storylines merge; as what should have been a historical adventure quickly turns into a murky and confusing sci-fi thriller. Towards the last few levels of the game, the future/Medieval storyline becomes increasingly asinine and convoluted.
They also don't merge very well in terms of gameplay, as the future section only allows you to interact with two characters, access a computer and go to sleep. Essentially its just a glorified interactive cut-scene.
The other section, set in the Middle Ages, is where the main action takes place. Some have described this game as a Medieval GTA, and that's not too far off. You are given free reign to walk, run and climb (but frustratingly not to swim) over most of the Holy Land. Three large cities, Jerusalem, Damascus and Acre are available to explore, as well as all the countryside in between. This is not to mention the Assassin fortress at Masayaf. The medieval world is accurately reconstructed with the buildings and costumes being based on contemporary accounts. Historians were used during the game to ensure the visual world's accuracy. It works very well as visually this game is one of the most beautiful on the PS3. The graphics are stunning, while the the characters movements, whether in fights, or in climbing or on horseback, are fluid and realistic.
The game is also easy to get a control over, with some buttons being used as different body parts, for instance triangle for head, X for legs, square for sword hand etc. This makes climbing and fighting easy to control, but it also means there is little skill involved, espcially during battles, which involves pressing the right button at the right time to pull off a kill. That said, it's still a lot of fun.
The enemy AI on the other hand leaves a lot to be desired. You can simply walk behind a guard and kill him just by pressing one button (which allows you to blend in) which automatically makes you less conspicuous to them. They will at other times attack you for no reason. They will also attack you in large groups if they see you running through the streets. This makes travelling slow and difficult as you have to walk to most of your destinations in order to not attract attention to yourself.
Another hinderance to the game is how the missions are handled. In order to Assassinate somone you must first visit the Master Assassin at Masayaf. He will order you to travel to one of the cities, this means having to explore all the countryside in between (by climbing watch towers) which is time consuming and dull.
When you finally reach the city you must do the same, by exploring all the alleyways. Then you must visit the man at the Assassin's Bureau, he will ask you to carry out a series of investi