With more work this game could have been pretty good. Instead, even silently assassinating someone isn't that fun.
At no point in the game do you actually feel like you could be an assassin stalking victims through the shadows. You're in plain sight the entire time, but can assassinate someone if you manage to walk (as opposed to run) behind them and whip out your blade. There are a large percentage of enemies that are simply facing the wrong way without the desire to turn around or look about. Obviously this is a plot to let you assassinate them, and doesn't it kinda take all the fun out of it. The guys might as well have signs on their backs. I find myself bumping into them on purpose so we can fight because it's more fun than shooting fish in a barrel. The game is very easy, and you're more likely to die of falling off a roof than being attacked. Your decisions are very limited as well. Being a side-scroller, there's really only one direction for you to go. They even point a giant arrow in the direction you should head. Any feeling that you might actually be able to choose your own destiny is destroyed by the green arrow pointing right, or left, or down. But don't miss any checkpoints because if you manage to somehow skip one, you'll get two green arrows. One pointing backwards to the checkpoint you skipped and another where you should be headed.
I like the level up system though. It's classic collect orbs, buy new stuff. Enough blue orbs will allow you to upgrade weapons or buy more health. You can also steal from some targets in order to get keys and such to open locked doors. Using the stylus, you select the object you want to move and try to avoid bumping into other objects (some that move in a pattern?) because they take away from your time. This sounds like it could be fun, but instead it's just lame. They've positioned things in the way that basically can't be avoided, but you'll still make it out with you item. It feels like you're the worst thief in the world, but the person you're stealing from is so stupid that they don't even notice. Learning to torture is another requirement. It's exactly like playing Elite Beat Agents, but without sound at all. Who wants to push buttons when you aren't rocking out to the Rolling Stones?
The graphics are pretty good for the DS, and jumping from rooftop to rooftop can be fun. Unfortunately Ubisoft didn't take the time to perfect any aspects of the game and so it's let down. It could have been really great though.