Altair and the Middle East assassins put Ninja to shame
PROS:
Addictive Gameplay - The ability to use multiple button/trigger combinations to create a variety of attacks, maneuvers, and skills make this game's general playability addicting. The fact that you can dive through merchant stands, climb almost any ledge or wall, and use the people and surrounding environment to keep hidden and stealthy is astounding.
Weapon Selection - The weapon selection in the game is also quite varied. You can use your basic close-range long sword, short sword, or fists, or go long-range for enemies (like archers) with throwing knives. There's also the assassination option, using a hidden blade and walking up to the foe from behind, stabbing him or her without alerting others around you. Not to mention that each weapon has certain combo attacks, and that the hidden blade has dozens of different applications (from a leaping stab to face-to-face kills).
Story - The story in Assassin's Creed is immersive, to say the least. You quickly get sucked into the mystery. Each major assassination is just another piece of the puzzle, and with each piece rises more questions. Who's pulling the strings? Why are these men all connected? What is their goal? Eventually, it culminates in one grand and epic finish, against unlikely foes.
CONS:
Glitches - Not as bad as it sounds (I lack better words). There will be many times that you can't quite make Altair face the direction you want, and there will also be times that you find yourself stuck in random objects like trees. It doesn't happen often, thankfully.
Repetition - Perhaps the biggest gripe I hear over this game is that it is too repetitive. True, I'll give you that. It is essentially the same thing over and over, head into a town, gather information, save a few citizens, and go assassinate your target. It will get somewhat dull, and after 2 or 3 assassinations, it's no longer challenging in the least. You'll notice, I consider this game easy, since the difficulty starts off somewhat hard, and progressively gets easier.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, the game is very, very good. If you don't mind a little repetition, and can handle a few glitches here and there, you'll find this to be a wonderful, and addicting game. I give it a 9.5/10. Looking forward to the sequel!