After all the hype I was expecting a masterpiece. What I got was a game that feels like it was made by a startup dev.
The first thing I noticed was the awkward times at which the characters spoke french instead of English. At random moments the characters say a word or two in french (Oui, Monsieur, etc) then go straight back to English. That may not sand like much, but I speak 3 languages and never do that if I'm speaking to someone of higher age or ranking (It's rude and this character is a slave so she would be beaten in real life) so I wince every time they do it; it feels forced and takes me out of the experience. If that didn't bother you with Ezio in the other games, you won't mind it here either.
One other thing that doesn't make sense to me is why guards are intrigued or worried about a pretty lady in a pretty dress. I know that the guards have been like this in all AC games, but it made sense because Ezio and Altair looked suspicious with the outfits they wore and the way the walked around. This character walks and looks like all the other women in the game, so it doesn't make sense for the guards to think any different of her.
The free running is inaccurate, so I jump off buildings and die or jump to a building I didn't want to, which then compromises my stealth. The reason is the "inertia." As you push on the analog there is little movement until you push just a millimeter too far then the character/camera go further than you wanted. This got me in trouble with the guards several times. It's like trying to control the throttle on a F1 car.
The fighting is incredibly easy. Just counter all day long and you will never die or time your first punch right and guards will never be able to attack. There are several weapons, which I won't spoil, that all feel and control a little differently.
I'm not one to bag on graphics, but this game looks worse than some launch titles. I understand it's a huge game, but all the screenshots and trailers made it look much better than it really is. There is, however, no texture pop-in, which is surprising due the scale of the game.
As far as Vita functionality goes, there are times you can use the touch screens. You can use the front screen for choosing a different persona, bringing up a screen sized map, choosing targets, selecting weapons and items, and navigating menus. The rear touch pad can be used for opening notes and letters and pickpocketing, which are the only two uses I have seen so far.
One last inconvenience is the length of the cut-scenes. The cut-scenes aren't incredibly long, but they are long enough for my vita to go to sleep before it ends. You can get over this by just tapping the screen or moving the analog stick every few seconds, but it's easy to forget. It's not really a game issue, but more of an inconvenience.
Honestly, this is one of the better Vita games, but that's not saying much. I suggest you rent this or borrow it from a friend before you buy it. If you are like me and have beaten all your other games and are desperately looking for another Vita game to play, you may have to fork over the cash, although I suggest you wait for a price drop. $35 is a little too steep in my opinion. If you just want an AC game for any platform, just buy AC3.