The hype is real, Assassins Creed Syndicate has the potential to be the best game to enter the franchise, and from the start to finish, you can tell that’s what they were going for. However, have they done it justice?
Finally we have the chance to roam the streets of London during Victorian times in the world of Assassin’s Creed. We are quickly introduced to new heroes, Jacob Frye and his twin sister, who are both English assassins based in London. From the video shown, they are planning a mission against a gang rival called Bloody Norah. We are also introduced to a new way of transport, the horse and cart.
This looks pretty great and adds many interesting mechanics into the game. You can use the card to hide, chase and attack enemies. Who knows, we could even see some customisation for our carts. You can also punch people out of their own carts so it won’t just keep you locked into your own vehicle, which is a nice touch.
We are also shown a stealth mission where Jacob had to eliminate a number of enemies silently and help a friend escape. This isn’t anything new to the Assassin’s Creed formula, but it seems like they have stepped it up a notch. What really interested me was the top hat. In stealth mode you take it off and pull your hood up like a normal assassin. Hopefully, you can choose to wear one or the other all the time, and people can choose to keep the hood up, or vice versa. Little personalization options are always welcome in such games.
Next we were shown the combat which has been advertised as faster and way more of a brawl compared to some of the past games. As much as I love the brawls, it did seem a little sped up at times which didn’t seem as “realistic” as everything else. Hopefully they can slow that down slightly and keep the same bar fight feel. They also said that we won’t be carrying huge swords around anymore, as this would be unrealistic in this time period. You will be using a lot more weapons like the hidden blade and other weapons that aren’t so obvious which is fantastic. I felt like this was missing in Unity so it’s a great addition to Syndicate.
The free running looks similar again, which isn’t a bad thing and we have also been given a new tool which seems to be similar to a grapple. We will be able to traverse buildings and use it while free roaming around the city. Hopefully, this is something we need to unlock, as getting it straight out of the gate will get rid of a lot of the parkour needed. It seems fluid and fun like it should be and I can’t wait to get my hands on this new addition to the franchise.
The character for me is already looking to be one of the most interesting assassins shown in the franchise. He is made to seem like Robin Hood, as he is trying to help the poor defend themselves against the rich. His weapons and fighting style seem fantastic and go so well into the close combat brawl they are trying to achieve. They got rid of the annoying revenge driven assassin, which is brilliant news.
The location and setting seem amazing and it’s so good to finally have a game set in the UK. The time period will allow for some pretty amazing characters to be introduced and I cannot wait to see what and who they have planned. It would be really cool to bump into somebody like Jack the Ripper, as he was a massive part of London’s history in the 19th century.
The game’s frame rate seems smooth so far. As we all know, Assassin’s Creed is pretty famous for shocking frame rate drops and bugs. Hopefully, we will see minimal problems. It can’t be any worse than Unity, right guys? All I can suggest is don’t pre-order this game if your going to rage at a bumpy launch, you have been warned. Every game, with the rare exception, has problems at launch.
There is no multiplayer this time around, so it will only be a single-player experience. I know many will be disappointed at this news. I hope Ubisoft can use this to their advantage to create a great story. Focusing on the single-player experience will make it shine.
Lastly, there will be five editions of the game you can buy. So, if you’re collecting Assassin’s Creed statues or other items, you can get your fix, or all five of them for a significant price.
Did you guys catch the reveal? Let us know what you thought and if you missed it, the video is embedded below. You’re welcome. The game launches on October 23, 2015 and the physical copies are available for pre-order right now.
Bezz contributed 14 articles to ICXM in 2015, covering game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the Xbox One’s first full year of post-launch coverage, including the early days of Backwards Compatibility and Windows 10 gaming. They post on X as @BezzJunior.