While we were unboxing our review copy of Assassin’s Creed Revelations, a slight sense of somberness unknowingly gripped us for this might probably be the final time that we’ll be seeing our beloved hero Ezio Auditore gracing the cover of any game. It might also be our last chance to free run through Ubisoft’s excellently crafted, historical milieus of the Renaissance era. The developer has bestowed us with such blissful experiences through the earlier games in the series, that it’s definitely not easy to let go of this incredible saga. And it is for this reason that we, like all the Assassin’s Creed fans out there, wished from the bottom of our hearts for this title to be nothing but breathtakingly awesome. Whether our wish was granted or not, can best be explained by the stuff that we’ve blabbered about below. So let’s get on with it.
While concluding the chapters of two of the series’ protagonists – Ezio and Altair, Ubisoft has crafted a non-linear narrative which keeps its focus on seasoned audiences rather than attempting to appeal to everyone. It’s not that players who are new to the series would be completely perplexed about what’s happening around them, but the tons of references to events that transpired in the earlier games would surely prove to be a hindrance for them. For such gamers, the little video during the start of this title isn’t expected to help that much, however neatly fashioned it may be. Kicking in an assortment of new gameplay elements, Assassin’s Creed Revelations tries to endow its ardent fans with new experiences, while standing firm upon the grounds which have made the previous titles so triumphant.
The narrative of this game focuses on all three protagonists that have been featured earlier in the series. After the events in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Desmond gets sent into a limbo of sorts and the only way for him to escape these circumstances is by playing out the roles of his ancestors before they have nothing left to reveal to him. This takes us to Ezio’s part of the story where he must endure situations not fit for his age, all in order to unearth the secrets laid out by his mentor Altair, while also balancing a blossoming romance with his new-found love interest. As he treads the teeming locales of Constantinople to discover the keys to Altair’s library, he receives visions of the various stages from his mentor’s life. And it’s in these flashbacks that you get to play as Altair who’s tasked with protecting the secrets of the creed, for his successors to know them. But there’s more to the outstanding story than can be explained in this review.
The parkour mechanics that have formed the backbone of the AC series ever since its inception, receive no huge enhancements in Assassin’s Creed Revelations. But with the new hookblade coming into the picture, traversing the Renaissance era locales has become much more liberated than ever before. Accidental free falls can now be prevented from eating up your health bar by clinging on to nearby ledges using this new piece of equipment. Moreover, the city of Constantinople is packed with ziplines for you to speed up your quests. During combat, the hookblade fulfills the same function as that of the second blade, which should definitely come as a breather to those who, like us, are dedicated fans of the twin blades. Another addition to Ezio’s arsenal is the use of bombs. Classified under three categories, these bombs can be built by players at specific places on the map. But they could have been put to better use, as all the missions that involve bombs can be completed without them.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations kicks in one more big gameplay addition in the form of Den Defense missions. Being strategy-oriented, these tasks require Ezio to stand still and instruct his fellow assassin’s to defend their lairs against the invading Templars. However innovative this trait may be, we just couldn’t get used to an immobile Ezio being anchored to a single rooftop. And even if you choose to skip these tasks, there’s still plenty that you can do in this game’s enormous universe, which is much larger than the one in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. This induces the title with tons of replay value. The Enemy AI doesn’t seem to take a giant leap over the previous game, but it certainly sees some considerable augmentations. The foes act a little less ‘dumber’ during gameplay and a few of them are even somewhat tricky to get rid of.
Coming towards the visuals, this game undeniably delivers some of the most vivacious graphics in recent titles. Whether, you’re ‘hookblading’ your way across the perky locales, putting evil folks out of their miseries or just passing through the crowds, you wouldn’t stop noticing this game’s captivating graphics. The near perfect lighting coupled with an awesome rendition of the city of Constantinople are just awe-inspiring, to say the least. The character faces too seem livelier than in the previous titles. The sounds in this iteration are almost the same as in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, but the excellent voice-acting and a pleasant soundtrack more than make up for them. Like its predecessor, AC Revelations holds decent online offerings that do wonders for its replay value. By imbibing it with various multiplayer modes, Ubisoft has definitely increased the games overall appeal. If there’s one thing we admire the multiplayer feature for, it is the fact that even newbies can master it with ease.
Final Word: To arrive at a conclusion, Assassin’s Creed Revelations plays a well deserved role of delivering a fitting farewell to one of its most loved protagonists. Excellent visuals, a long storyline, extensive side missions, a large universe, robust multiplayer features and much more are in store for gamers in this title. However, the game does experience some camera issues that reach a point from where they cannot be ignored. But at the end of the day, when you’re fully done playing this installment, you’ll realize that Ubisoft has blessed us with yet another spectacular sequel in the AC series.
Graphics: 9/10
Sounds: 8.5/10
Environments: 9.5/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Replay Value: 9.5/10
Overall (not an average): 9/10