Assassin's Creed golden

In June, Ubisoft was one of the first to stake a claim on the packed holiday-release season with news that Assassin's Creed would be striking the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in November. However, though Ubisoft has showed the game off on a number of occasions since then, the exact date that Altair will take the stage has remained a mystery.

That changed today, though, when Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed has gone gold and will work its dirty deeds for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 on November 13 in North America. European gamers can slip on Altair's shoes three days later on November 16.

Rated M for Mature, the game will be available in both a $59.99 regular edition and a $69.99 limited edition, which includes a three-inch action figure of the game's protagonist, Penny Arcade comics inspired by Assassin's Creed, and a strategy guide. The limited-edition package also contains a bonus disc featuring the winners of the Assassin's Creed short film contest and various "making of" videos.

Assassin's Creed was developed at Ubisoft's Montreal studio, which is best known for its work on the Prince of Persia and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell franchises. As detailed in GameSpot's extensive coverage, the game plays heavily to those acrobatic, stealth-action roots. Though the action primarily takes place in three different cities during the Third Crusade, the game's story also incorporates a twinge of sci-fi, which Ubisoft has shrouded in secrecy.

Assassin's Creed is also due out on the PC, though its release remains unclear. According to Nintendo's most recent release calendar, the game is additionally coming to the Nintendo DS next February, though no handheld versions have been officially announced by Ubisoft.