Let me first say that I played this game on Xbox, so I don't know how it controls on PC. I know the PC version has more features, but I feel like games like Assassin's Creed are better suited to controllers than a mouse and keyboard. Then again, you can usually use a controller pad with a PC version of a game, so I'd recommend doing that. That being said, Assassin's Creed. Looking back on this game, two things are clear. One, the sequel is far, far better, and the two spin-offs (Brotherhood and Revelations) also top the original in the gameplay department (as well as graphically, but that's obvious). And two, AC1 falls into that strange category of entertainment where you will either love it or hate it. The other Assassin's Creed titles manage to transcend this category and breach the realm of being exceptional titles, but the first is a bit odd. It has a lot going for it, but at the same time, it does not. Regardless, it is worth a try. The best part about the game (and something that allows it to stand tall with its successors) is the story. You play as Desmond Miles, a normal bartender living in NYC who gets himself kidnapped by the Abstergo Corporation. See, Desmond is (or rather, was) an assassin, and descends from a long line of assassins going back who knows how far. One of those assassins was Altair, who lived during the Third Crusade and came into contact with something Abstergo is searching for. So, Abtergo uses this machine called the Animus in order to reach into Desmond's DNA and extract genetic memories of his ancestor, allowing Desmond to take on the role of Altair and "help out" Abstergo. This sends you through a series of adventures in the Third Crusade, assassinate targets, partaking in a war between Assassins and Templars, and finding out what Abstergo is searching for. While perhaps not the best summary, the story of AC1 is very good, filled with memorable characters, sci-fi concepts, conspiracy theories, and twists and turns that you won't see coming. It also takes place in an often overlooked setting in games, and as a history buff, I appreciate the historical context of the world. I mainly said to try this game out for the story and setting because I sincerely believe it will hook you by the end and make you want to play the second game, which fixes many of the other gripes you might have with the game. Speaking of which... It's the gameplay department that will either make or break this game for you, as it has its ups and down. First, let's start with the positives. The game is a lot like an open world Prince of Persia game. You have the same parkour running ability, allowing you to scale buildings by running up or along them, and it's incredibly fun and works quite well. Not to mention that the world isn't so big that getting around takes forever; you can use horses to get between cities (of which there are three) and can easily parkour your way across a single city in no time. The combat is also simple yet diverse and overall enjoyable, and assassinations can be approached in different ways. Much like other games, the stealthier routes are often the most challenging, but also the most satisfying when you pull them off correctly. It's also quite fun to just go around assassinating random guards, maybe fighting off 20 of them, and then quickly concealing yourself on a nearby bench. It's unrealistic, I know, but then again, so are most things in video games. But the two major problems arise in the combat and the missions. While the combat is fun, it can also become incredibly easy. Once you get the counter move, the difficulty drops like a rock thrown off a cliff. As there were no guns in the Middle Ages, all you have to do is wait for a guard to attack with a sword, counter, and then kill them in one hit. Of course, you don't have to use counter, and the later games introduce elements that make countering less useful (like enemies with guns or enemies that can't be countered), but it's a prevalent difficulty crusher throughout the series. The combat can be challenging before this, but after you can counter, the game becomes much easier. The main problem though is the repetitiveness in the missions. Yes, each assassination is different and involves different people, but actually getting to the assassination is the same process. First, you climb up a viewpoint to update your map and then jump off; that last part makes for quite the rush every time, but I digress. Next, you go interact with six people; this involves pickpocketing something from two people, eavesdropping on two people, and then helping out two other people. Then, you bring your information to the local Assassin's HQ before finally going after your target. And you have to go through this process nine times. It's fun the first few times, but it does get repetitive very quickly, and it's what can really drive you away from the game. Overall, AC1 has a lot going for it. The story is great, the setting is unique and very detailed, the graphics are nice, and there are some fun elements to the gameplay. On the other hand though, combat does get way too easy and the missions do get very repetitive. But at the end of the day, I'd recommend picking this game up; it's a unique experience worth trying out and the story will suck you in. And the next few games address the main problems with AC1, adding diversity to the missions and making the combat more challenging. So pick up AC1, get a feel for the story and work past the problems, and then enjoy the hell out of AC2 and its spin-offs. Because while AC1 might be flawed genius, its successors are just genius.
There isn't a lot to say about Deus Ex that hasn't been said already, but for those of you who haven't played it, there are two things to keep in mind about it. One, it is undoubtedly one of the best (if not the best) PC games of all time, and one of the greatest games ever made. And two, it's a great game for a number of reasons, but there's one in particular that sticks out. Deus Ex successfully blended the FPS and RPG genres without sacrificing elements of either, something many games attempt to do but very few actually succeed at. The story of Deus Ex sets you in the shoes of JC Denton, an augmented cyborg super agent of sorts who works for the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO). It's a dystopian future where terrorism is rampant, the populace is stricken with a seemingly incurable disease, and gas prices are somehow still cheaper than they are today (in some states anyway). As JC, you are sent off to combat said problems, but things don't always turn out as planned. From here, the story takes you on a wild ride, full of conspiracies, choices, and books that give a philosophical meaning to events. It's overall a wonderful story that features memorable characters and locales that you'll definitely enjoy. However, Deus Ex is at its best in the gameplay department, as it is both a challenging FPS and a deep RPG. Deus Ex sticks to the traditional health system, meaning no naturally regenerating health and the ability to have limbs blown off, leaving you incapacitated and unable to fight. Add in a rather noticeable lack of ammo and you have a pretty tough game, even if the grid-based inventory system allows you to carry a shotgun, machine gun, and plasma rifle at once. On the other side of things, Deus Ex is the kind of game you can play however you want depending on your skills. Putting points into any skill has a much more noticeable difference than in subsequent games, especially in terms of combat skills. You really can't aim that well with basic training in rifles, but you're a natural marksman at master level. Putting points in lockpicking and computers helps you take the stealthy route (a fun and non-violent-ish way of playing Deus Ex), putting points into swimming will allow you to access certain underwater areas, and so on. In addition, you can acquire augs that give you a number of abilities, like the ability to move faster and jump higher, regenerate health, or lift really heavy objects. You can't use augs endlessly though, as they are regulated by a separate meter from health, so it keeps things balanced. But overall, Deus Ex boasts challenging combat and a truly deep stats system in an action RPG where character builds actually matter. Of course, Deus Ex isn't perfect. For one, the map system is pretty basic, so it's easy to get lost in levels. The graphics aren't anything special, and weren't even that great for their time. If you're running the game on an old rig, there were some optimization issues, but the GOTY edition fixes those I believe. And finally, the voice acting in the game is good at best and laughably bad at worse. The American accents sound fine, but the Chinese and French accents that you'll encounter later are the definition of "faked" (listen to someone say "Luminous Path" and just try to keep a straight face). However, there are some mods that fix that graphical issues and the hilarity of the voice acting almost makes up for how bad it can be. But regardless, the good of Deus Ex vastly, VASTLY outweighs these problems. Deus Ex is one of those games that you just HAVE to play. It's one of the best examples of an action RPG done right. Hell, it's one of the best examples of a game done right. It's a masterpiece. If you came into the series with Human Revolution, you should definitely check out where many of the tenants it clung to came from. And if your first exposure to the series was Invisible War, it's time to find out why Deus Ex is the s*** and not just s***. Just play this game; it's one of my favorites and one of the absolute best games ever made.
