Ezio, its time to rest
To start off, I am a bit tired of seeing Ezio again taking the central character in an AC game. Its about time someone new was introduced into the foray and for a change of location from Europe. The first AC was a marvel for its time. AC2 improved upon it in every way possible and delivered a stellar, near perfect game. Brotherhood further improved upon it and fixed a few bugs and glitches, though still not as good as part 2. But Revelations feels like the same game from two years back with a different coating. Even the bugs which existed in AC2 still occured to me in the game. Quite literally, it ruined my gameplay experience. NPC models sometimes stretch way up into the sky, people appear out of thin air before you and loads of clipping issues are some of the ones Ive encountered. I have even been detected out of my blending mode within a cutscene. It seems like a really rushed attempt at releasing a game for the holiday season. I did hope that by the fourth entry into the series the developers would have ironed out all the kinks, but these same headaches still exist in Revelations which is a smack in the face. The characters also look different this time around. Something which I found quite hard to agree with in the beginning but then it grew on me.
The control system is also not without its flaws. The new hookblade opens up to a host of new combat and movement options but most of the time you end up doing something else entirely when you want to perform a certain move. It seems a bit tedious at times. The assasin recruitment process has also been fleshed out a bit more. Some of the other noteworthy additions include bomb crafting and an Assassin den defense mini game. Personally, I was not very interested in bomb crafting and did not bother much with the segment. It seemed quite out of place for a stealthy assassin. But it allows you to combine items you have found around the game world to create a bomb at certain specific work tables. The game does not force you into using them which was quite a boon. The den defense mini game occurs when your notoriety rating gets maxed out. It involves you protecting the assassin hideout from charging templars by strategically placing archers on nearby rooftops. I did my utmost to avoid this situation by reducing my notoriety levels as soon as they climb up. It feels like a worthless addition and is very cumbersome but provides a change in gameplay perspective. Im guessing only a select few will take to it. In addition to these, there is also an area where you can play as desmond. Trapped in the animus, you can go through desmonds older memories by collecting certain animus fragments spread throughout the game world. These play from a first person perspective and have you placing blocks in mid air to get over deep chasms within the depths of the animus. Heavy influence from the Portal games is apparent in these sections as they seem quite similar in look and feel. But these levels seem out of place and look like a clumsy attempt to increase the shelf life of the game. Altair also makes an appearance in the game and is a playable character. His sections are mostly short and linear and highlight his lifetime after the events of AC1. It felt good to be back in control of the first hero and did bring back a few memories.
Graphics wise, the city looks very vibrant and colourful. Although the anvil engine is starting to show its age. The various sounds and character designs add to the immersion and bring a warm and lively feel to the entire city. It does strike a different note from the quiet, organized cities of Italy and is a welcome refreshment. Overall, there is a general lack of polish in all aspects of the game. I do wish it would have spent some more time in development to shine the edges.
Assassins creed was and always will be one of my favourite gaming franchises. So I do look at it from a very critical point of view. Revelations does try to live up to the name, but for me AC2 will always be regarded as the benchmark to beat for later titles.
Pros: Vibrant new city of constantinople, Hookblade navigation is faster and smoother, plethora of close quarter and long range weapons, ending gave me some good chills
Cons: Numberous bugs and glitches, lacks polish, new modes are not fun or interesting and are cumbersome
Final word: It is still worth a look but I do not feel it is a worthy successor.