If fans feel like the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is a rehash of the previous game, it’s probably because it is.
With the success of Assassin’s Creed II, the concept of a master assassin running around Europe has been milked by developer Ubisoft to great effect, but that cow looks to be running dry.
To its credit, Ubisoft has tried to incorporate new elements to each sequel and each game brings new abilities for the lead character Ezio.
The previous game, Brotherhood, introduced a recruitment system as well as more weapons to play with.
I was not a fan of the recruitment option and obviously, someone on the development team must have felt the same way because Revelation does not have that feature.
In its place is some real-time strategy element where players get to place troops and obstacles to fortify a location.
Yet, while it adds a grander scope to the game, commanding an army just felt impersonal as I am someone who just wants to strike enemies up close and personal.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
In the end, it seems as if Ubisoft ran out of ideas on how to improve a single-player action game as the new gameplay elements only embellish, and not enhance, the original premise.
For example, the skills that players are familiar with are still here.
In a mix of historical fantasy and some bizarre science fiction elements, Desmond, the hero, is trapped in the Animus, the machine that has allowed him to explore the genetic memories of his ancestors, Ezio and Altair.
Shuttling between both ancestors, players have to completely restore the genetic memories to free Desmond.
As the new gameplay elements seem more supplemental, the focus is still on sneaking around town, killing in the shadows and trying to uncover the conspiracy – and this plays out exactly like the previous outings.
A new weapon and ability to make bombs are nice additions to the core game, but after jumping over countless rooftops and slicing up renegade soldiers for the umpteenth time, the game gets a little tired.
Fans of the series would likely still embrace the game as the action is more intense in this edition – even if some of the storyline elements do not really make a lot of sense.
With talk that this is the last game based on the current premise and any sequel will introduce a new storyline, Assassin’s Creed: Revelation serves as a nice wrap even as it leaves gamers wanting more.
Click to download now: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
