Assassin's Creed - Ubisoft's Work of Art

The holiday season tends to bring out the best that video game publishers have to offer, and understandably so. For their holiday big-seller, Ubisoft presents gamers with Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, with a PC release being delayed until early 2008. I'll be upfront and honest; I've been anxious to play this game since the previews began popping up.

The graphics were stunning back then, and they are nothing short of beautiful upon release. The lighting is simply stunning, and the physics are executed absolutely flawlessly. The graphical presentation really goes a long way, and sadly, it does make the game. As pretty as it is to look at, the combat is about as shallow as it can get. Experienced gamers won't find much difficulty here, but casual gamers will find an action game that doesn't have those "THIS IS SO HARD!" moments. To some that's a good thing, to others that's boring. It get's repetitive pretty fast, but at the same time it's hard to put down just because of the awesome presentation. It's one of those games that feel like a movie when you're playing, and putting down the controller to break the action just feels wrong. Still, despite the one-button combat system and the not perfectly-tweaked camera, your character brings a lot of cool moves to the table, and your foes definitely won't see you coming. To be brief, what's there is executed to perfection, and that makes Assassin's Creed worth buying - it's a genuinely fun game. Still, it's missing quite a bit, and that shallowness is what will keep it from being considered the game of the year. It's fun, and it's beautiful, but its great games that make flaws extremely apparent.

If you're still torn about whether you want to pay 60 dollars for what is essentially a very long and interactive movie, then perhaps the plot will be the clincher. It's an amazing story filled with twists and turns, set in a world that very few games have tried to tap into, and coupled with the perfect presentation, this game really is a must-have this holiday season. If you only have room for one title this year, make it Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4, or Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. If you have room for a few, you should seriously consider Assassin's Creed. It may not play as innovatively as it looks, but for once, looks are good enough to warrant buying a title.