The coming days are going to be an absolute wonder for gamers as some of the biggest franchises are releasing our favorite games. There is Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Ghosts, Batman Arkham origins and all these big names are going to hit the stores in just a few days time.
And the game that caught my eye is the one and only Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. I’ve been a big fan of Assassin’s Creed series and never missed any game in the series. So that’s one of the reasons I thought of bringing in something special for all the Assassin’s Creed fans out there. And the other reason is that Assassin’s Creed 4 is looking so good out there and its making lot of news. It has the potential, great graphics and the pirate style gameplay, so its kinda hard to keep your eyes off it.
So lets take a walk through the Assassin’s Creed franchise, shall we?
This is where it all began, which went on to become one of the biggest franchises of Ubisoft. Assassin’s Creed which came out in 2007, won many hearts instantly. Depicting the story of Altair, an assassin trying to redeem himself. And there were the Infamous Templar Knights trying to rule the world. And also we cannot forget Desmond Miles, the other main protagonist of the game, who sometimes annoyed most of us when we suddenly got out of the Animus. And the playground for the first game was Jerusalem.
The reason the game got so many fans, was due to the free running gameplay style. I mean who doesn’t want to jump from roof to roof, dive from 100 feet high building, and catch a glimpse of the wonderful scenery around you. And we just can’t forget the amazing assassinations and combat system. And as the game and the series progressed, stealth became a major factor which you just couldn’t let go.
But I agree that Assassin’s Creed 1 had many flaws. The story wasn’t so gripping and after some time the same old missions got boring. But still it was a new concept, so eventually it carved the path for the second game in the Series.
So after the success of Assassin’s Creed 1, we soon saw the second part of the game. And this one overcame almost all the flaws of its predecessor. And a new Assassin, Ezio was born. The game had lots of new features and it took us back in time to show the beauty of Venice and Florence. The graphics were greatly improved and the story packed a punch and kept you at seat’s edge all the time. The world was immerse and beautiful. The missions were unique and there were lots of side missions to keep you entertained throughout the game. But still it caused some uproar due to the online DRM which just wasn’t necessary at all.
Well Ubisoft did a very good job with Assassin’s Creed 2 and it set the standards for the next game very high. And eventually we saw Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
So after AC 2’s great run, everyone had high expectations for the game. Once again a new location was set up and the story just took off from where it ended in AC2. The game showed the Roman wonders and the struggle between the assassins and templars. The world was even bigger than the last one, and it gave much more freedom. Many of the features of its predecessor was carried to this one and some improvements could be seen in some factors. Once again the missions were unique and much stealth factor was seen in this game. But the combat system was the same, which got a little boring as you progressed through the game.
So to take the free running to the next level, Multiplayer was introduced for the first time in Assassin’s Creed. The Multiplayer was strong and it was a change for players to tackle their opponent with a sword and a hidden blade instead of Guns and Grenades. So it met the standards set by the previous game.
So after AC Brotherhood, AC Revelations was announced and it became clear that Ubisoft made Assassin’s Creed franchise as a yearly franchise.
- Assassin’s Creed Revelations
So soon after AC Brotherhood, this one came in. The game had great story and featured both Altair and Ezio. Once again there was a new location, Istanbul. The graphics were great and there were few new additions for the game. But as yearly franchise, the game contained both the Best and Worst elements of the gameplay. For instance the Tower Defense system wasn’t warmly welcomed by the gamers. And no huge evolution in the gameplay was seen. There were new characters, new enemies and a modified multiplayer. But still one could not possibly get tired from jumping around, killing bad guys so easily.
Soon as expected AC 3 was released. This time it was a whole new setting. There was a new assassin, a new location and a new story. Connor Kenway was introduced to us. The game took place during the American Revolution and everything seemed so well. The world got even bigger and the graphics were amazing. Naval Warfare was introduced, which was so realistic it was just too hard to keep out of the seas. The multiplayer got even more excited. There were new weapons, great combat system. This game turned out to be quite a charm.
But the story was not as great as the previous ones, and the series quite deviated from its roots. But it did not affect the game much.
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
After the huge success of Naval Warfare in AC3, it wasn’t so surprising to see naval warfare as the backbone of AC IV. AC IV gives us a taste of the pirate life and takes us high seas. And there is a new protagonist Edward Kenway, our beloved Pirate Assassin. We have already many gameplay videos and by the looks of it we can be sure that this game is going to be great. The world is huge and the pirate style gameplay is just what the doctor ordered. There are so many new features, be it the combat system, progression system or anything other. The graphics are greatly improved and the environment looks absolutely fantastic.
There are also so many options for players to takedown their enemies. Stealth has been made a major factor in the game. Also the multiplayer looks better than ever with new characters, new modes and a whole new setting.
I would say that this would be the best Assassin’s Creed game so far. One cannot simply hate the life on the seas, all that treasure hunting, underwater diving and the great adventures.
I would say that I have learned so much from Assassin’s Creed games, especially I will give credit to these games for teaching me history so well (even though not everything is real). It took us back in time to great places, showed us a piece of history. So this would always be one of my favorite games. So hope you enjoyed a walk through the Assassin’s Creed Franchise…
Assassin’s Creed IV is going to come out on October 29th for PS3 and Xbox 360. And the PC versions will come out on November 19th. The Next-Gen versions will follow later.
