Software Review (Windows Phone 7): Assassin's Creed [Video]

Take on the roll of the deadly assassin Altair to reclaim a holy relic lost in the midst of the 3rd Crusade. Journeying across the Holy Land using stealth and strength to featherbed Crusaders, Saracens, and Templars to obtain data from the secret lodge of assassinator's and a network of spies. Spring beyond rooftops or navigate treacherous tunnels all laden with traps and pitfalls or run the open street to pickpocket, interrogate, and impale your way to your goal - the lost Sacred Chalice.

Assassinator's Creed: Altair'southward Chronicles HD is a port from the 2008 Nintendo DS version of the game and prequel to 2007'south Assassin's Creed on consoles and PC. Merely does it agree its ain on Windows Phone seven?

Gameplay is broken downwards into three distinct and mutually exclusive forms - platform acrobatics, quick mini-game sequences, and combat. The thespian moves Altair forth a ii.v-dimensional airplane. Retrieve of information technology as a classic side-scroller with a scrap of almost-far depth. We can operate on street level or climb to the rooftops. Street level gameplay takes place in the foreground whereas rooftop gameplay takes identify primarily in the groundwork.

The thespian has the option of using a 360-degree virtual control stick or 8-direction D-pad on the bottom left of the screen to motion Altair around each level. Action buttons for jumping, grabbing items, attacking and environmental interactions and and so on appear on the bottom right. I found that the action buttons were constantly in the way of what was going on in the level, needing to have the thumb at the gear up for a quickly executed jump oftentimes blocked seeing the bound up ahead. It didn't break the playability of the game but was certainly a hindrance. Combat was afflicted by this problem too because the buttons to execute attacks were located in the same area. I found information technology was easier to play the game using my good ol' arrow finger on the right side and merely holding the phone and controlling Altair's motility with my left hand.

Interrogations and pickpocketing were turned into mini-games for Altair's Chronicles. The mini-games are timed, but will be over long before you even notice that there is a timer. Opponents that have information you want need to exist stealthily put into asphyxiate holds from behind. A sequence of screen taps and then begins. A series of circles indicating force per unit area points on your victim slowly draw smaller and smaller and the objective is to tap them in succession before they close. This mini-game gets exponentially less fun each fourth dimension y'all have to do it. I suppose information technology'due south there to pause up the gameplay a flake only it really but extends gameplay by existence more of an annoying distraction than an entertaining bonus.

Then there's the pickpocketing mini-game. I could inappreciably tell if this one is actually fun or not since it'southward over only as soon as it begins. I liken the feel to dragging and dropping files on a reckoner. It's pretty much the same affair. Find the item y'all need (virtually always a primal), click it, drag it to where information technology'due south needed. The mini-games really depict the momentum out of the game because they take the player away from what is really the only fun half of the game - the acrobatics and combat.

Combat in Altair's Chronicles relies heavily on swordplay and is straight related to how many times you tin swing your sword at other guys who also have swords. Really, that's all it boils downward to. Altair is capable of blocking and parrying strikes from his opponents to which he may end confrontations with a single mortiferous swipe, which is pretty cool, but at that place is no strategy or finesse to the combat organization. To win any battle the player must choose to between 2 tactics - block, counterattack, death-strike or continue swinging until everything else is dead. By the fourth dimension you lot've battled through half the game you may notice yourself avoiding combat just because you lot don't desire to bargain with it anymore, not considering it's as well challenging, simply because it'south only get so repetitive and mundane by that indicate.

It's unfortunate but the vast majority of the gameplay is at kickoff a lot of fun but drowned in so much redundancy to get utterly trite and dull. I believe the only reason that I completed Altair's Chronicles was to run into what the next level looked like and to achieve the terminate of the story.

I really wanted to bask Altair's Chronicles considering the console and PC titles in the Assassin's Creed serial are really quite adept. Too often though, I felt that Altair's Chronicles was really kind of thrown together for WP7 and left rather flawed as a outcome. The potential for a really good game is there and it has everything a good game should accept, but information technology's all broken. The level pattern is great but is riddled with clipping errors and terrible graphic symbol interaction. The graphics are really nice but they're plagued by dropped framerates, stuttered camera movements, and embarrassingly poor scaling issues. Seriously, if you lot look at some of the screen shots try to measure the characters upwards against a window or a door.

I was really surprised by the quality of the sound, it was fantastic. And so the characters started talking and ruined everything. Poor voice acting is one matter but what threw me was really odd - characters would switch their lines. One moment Altair would exist talking to a market vendor and when the vendor replied, he replied in Altair's vocalization. When it came time for Altair to speak again he would speak in the market vendor's voice. Okay, I idea, weird glitch. But and then information technology happened over and over again in a host of other dialogues between other characters. Sloppy things like this ruin games for me and while they are kind of funny they don't belong in a game that attempts to convey a storyline seriously.

Despite the slew of flaws and glitches that run rampant throughout Altair's Chronicles it's however fun trying to get through them to the stop of the game - if you've got the patience and fourth dimension to impale. Total play time tin can final anywhere between five to viii hours which is really decent for a mobile adventure game. The replay value is kind of low because that no new content is unlocked by completing the first play through. Difficult mode is unlocked simply the levels and storyline remain completely unchanged. Enemy AI is a little but tougher to withstand damage, will cake more frequently, and volition assail all at in one case instead of i at a fourth dimension. The biggest difference between Hard and Normal (or Easy) difficulty that I've noticed is how much damage Altair is capable of withstanding and how much is regained post battle, which is very piddling.

The price tag of $vi.99 is justified by the length of game time but withal a lilliputian steep when compared to the quality of other titles in this bracket. You may desire to consider spending your money on something like Max and the Magic Marking or The Harvest that won't go out yous feeling whatsoever buyers remorse. I'm not saying yous won't be having any fun with Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles, quite the opposite. Information technology's a very fun game. It's only a chip more frustrating and disappointing than information technology is fun.

Take on the roll of the deadly assassin Altair to reclaim a holy relic lost in the midst of the Third Crusade. Journeying across the Holy Land using stealth and strength to bypass Crusaders, Saracens, and Templars to obtain information from the surreptitious guild of assassinator'south and a network of spies. Leap across rooftops or navigate treacherous tunnels all laden with traps and pitfalls or run the open street to pickpocket, interrogate, and kill your way to your goal - the lost Sacred Chalice. Assassin's Creed: Altair'due south Chronicles HD is a port from the 2008 Nintendo DS version of the game and prequel to 2007'due south Assassin's Creed on consoles and PC. Striking the jump to run across if Altair operates every bit well on WP7 as he has on every other device out there.

Gameplay is broken down into three distinct and mutually exclusive forms - platform acrobatics, quick mini-game sequences, and combat. The player moves Altair along a ii.5-dimensional plane. Think of it equally a archetype side-scroller with a fleck of near-far depth. We can operate on street level or climb to the rooftops. Street level gameplay takes place in the foreground whereas rooftop gameplay takes place primarily in the background. The player has the pick of using a 360-degree virtual control stick or 8-direction D-pad on the bottom left of the screen to motion Altair around each level. Activity buttons for jumping, grabbing items, attacking and environmental interactions and so on appear on the bottom correct. I establish that the action buttons were constantly in the way of what was going on in the level, needing to have the thumb at the set for a rapidly executed spring oftentimes blocked seeing the spring up ahead. Information technology didn't break the playability of the game but was certainly a hindrance. Combat was afflicted by this problem as well because the buttons to execute attacks were located in the same area. I found it was easier to play the game using my skillful ol' pointer finger on the right side and only holding the phone and controlling Altair'due south movement with my left paw.

Interrogations and pickpocketing were turned into mini-games for Altair'south Chronicles. The mini-games are timed, but will be over long before you even detect that in that location is a timer. Opponents that have information yous want need to exist stealthily put into choke holds from behind. A sequence of screen taps then begins. A series of circles indicating force per unit area points on your victim slowly draw smaller and smaller and the objective is to tap them in succession earlier they close. This mini-game gets exponentially less fun each fourth dimension you have to do it. I suppose information technology'south there to break up the gameplay a fleck but information technology really just extends gameplay by being more than of an abrasive distraction than an entertaining bonus. Than there's the pickpocketing mini-game. I could inappreciably tell if this one is really fun or not since it's over just as soon equally it begins. I liken the experience to dragging and dropping files on a computer. It'due south pretty much the same matter. Find the item you need (almost always a key), click information technology, elevate it to where information technology's needed. The mini-games really draw the momentum out of the game considering they take the thespian away from what is really the simply fun half of the game - the acrobatics and combat.

Combat in Altair'south Chronicles relies heavily on swordplay and is directly related to how many times you can swing your sword at other guys who also have swords. Actually, that's all it boils down to. Altair is capable of blocking and parrying strikes from his opponents to which he may cease confrontations with a unmarried mortiferous swipe, which is pretty cool, but there is no strategy or finesse to the combat organization. To win any battle the actor must choose to between two tactics - block, counterattack, expiry-strike or keep swinging until everything else is dead. By the time you lot've battled through one-half the game you lot may find yourself avoiding combat just because y'all don't want to deal with it anymore, non because it'due south likewise challenging, just considering it's simply become then repetitive and mundane by that point. It'due south unfortunate only the vast majority of the gameplay is at starting time a lot of fun simply drowned in so much redundancy to become utterly trite and dull. I believe the only reason that I completed Altair'south Chronicles was to see what the next level looked like and to reach the end of the story.

I actually wanted to savour Altair'southward Chronicles because the console and PC titles in the Assassin's Creed series are actually quite skillful. Likewise often though, I felt that Altair's Chronicles was really kind of thrown together for WP7 and left rather flawed as a consequence. The potential for a actually skilful game is at that place and information technology has everything a good game should take, but it'southward all broken. The level blueprint is bang-up but is riddled with clipping errors and terrible graphic symbol interaction. The graphics are really nice simply they're plagued by dropped framerates, stuttered camera movements, and embarrassingly poor scaling issues. Seriously, if you look at some of the screen shots try to measure the characters up against a window or a door. I was really surprised by the quality of the sound, it was fantastic. And so the characters started talking and ruined everything. Poor voice interim is one matter only what threw me was really odd - characters would switch their lines. One moment Altair would be talking to a market place vendor and when the vendor replied, he replied in Altair'south voice. When it came time for Altair to speak once again he would speak in the market vendor'southward phonation. Okay, I thought, weird glitch. Only and then it happened over and over once more in a host of other dialogues between other characters. Sloppy things like this ruin games for me and while they are kind of funny they don't vest in a game that attempts to convey a storyline seriously.

Despite the slew of flaws and glitches that run rampant throughout Altair's Chronicles it's still fun trying to go through them to the cease of the game - if y'all've got the patience and time to impale. Total play time can final anywhere between 5 to eight hours which is really decent for a mobile chance game. The replay value is kind of low considering that no new content is unlocked by completing the first play through. Hard style is unlocked just the levels and storyline remain completely unchanged. Enemy AI is a fiddling just tougher to withstand damage, volition cake more frequently, and will assault all at one time instead of ane at a fourth dimension. The biggest departure between Hard and Normal (or Piece of cake) difficulty that I've noticed is how much damage Altair is capable of withstanding and how much is regained post battle, which is very little.

The price tag of $vi.99 is justified by the length of game fourth dimension only all the same a little steep when compared to the quality of other titles in this bracket. You lot may desire to consider spending your coin on something likeMax and the Magic Marker or The Harvest that won't leave y'all feeling any buyers remorse. I'm not proverb you won't be having any fun with Assassinator's Creed: Altair's Chronicles, quite the reverse. It's a very fun game. It's just a chip more frustrating and disappointing than it is fun.

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