Video Game Review: Assassins Creed II

Assassins Creed 2

 

So if you have been following my blog and checking out the sidebar, you’ve noticed that I have finally finished Assassins Creed II. I have been playing the game since the middle of August, and outside of the Labor Day weekend, I have only played it on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons. I like that schedule because it helps build up anticipation for the game. Plus, it gave me much-needed breaks when the game was frustrating. And believe me, I needed those breaks. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

 Assassins Creed II picks up right where the first game leaves off. You are still Desmond Miles trapped inside Templar corporation,  Abstergo Industries. The game begins when your friend from the first game, Lucy Stillman, breaks you out of the company building and reveals that she also is an Assassin. During the escape, it becomes clear that some of your ancestor’s skills have bled on through and become your own. 

When you reach the Assassin’s hideout, you meet fellow Assassins (Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane) and are introduced to the Animus 2.0. This upgraded version of the device not only allows the user to relieve an ancestor’s genetic memories, but it allows for a more controlled bleed effect. Desmond has decided that he wants to join the Assassins and fight Abstergo, so they have him re-live the memories of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Ezio is an Italian nobleman who lived in  Renaissance Italy. From that point the game switches to Ezio’s point of view. 

As you begin Ezio’s memories, he is just a typical young noble, until his family is betrayed by a close friend who is also a Templar.  The Templar accuses Ezio’s father and two younger brothers of trying to overthrow the city government.  After a mock trial, Ezio’s father and brothers are hung in the public square. Ezio manages to sneak his sister and mother out of their home city of Florence and to his uncle’s villa in the countryside. You then undertake Ezio’s plan to uncover the conspiracy that destroyed his family and enact his revenge. As you travel to various cities in Italy, you learn that the group responsible reaches to the highest level of power. Along the way, you ally yourself with various historical figures, including a young Leonardo Da Vinci. 

Overall, the game is a vast improvement from the first one. The controls are much tighter and more responsive. The movements feel more natural and fluid. There is still an issue with a game camera that, at times, seems intent on switching to the most un-usable viewpoint. I thought the graphics were improved and there is much more color in the world. Plus, it was neat to see how well they captured Kristen Bell’s likeness as she played Lucy Stillman. The combat controls are still easy to learn, and the insta-kills are still cool-looking. My favorite combat improvement is the ability to use the hidden spike (of which there are two) in the insta-kill. 

I liked the new version of the stealth mechanic. Now, you can blend into any crowd instead of just monks. You do this by hiring courtesans to surround you, using them to distract guards. There are two other factions you can hire: thieves who draw away guards and mercenaries, who will fight with you. There is also now a notoriety system that lets you know when the guards will pay closer attention to you. My favorite additions, though, are the RPG-elements. 

You now earn money for completing missions, as well as for stopping pickpocketers and enemy messengers. That money can be used to upgrade your armor, weapons, and to purchase supplies like medicine and smoke bombs. You can also use the funds to upgrade your home base, the villa that houses your mother and sister. The more you upgrade your villa, the more money it will generate for you. The only flaw in the system was that, early on, I reached a point where money became no object. I had focused on upgrading the villa to the point that I didn’t need to complete every side mission to be able to afford everything in the game. 

 I liked almost every aspect of the game. However, much like the first, the theology it presented bugged me to no end. What I am about to mention contains spoilers so feel free to stop reading the post now if you have not completed the game… 

 According to the game, humanity was created by an ancient race of beings as slaves. Humanity rebelled against their masters and stole a device (the apple from the Garden of Eden) that allowed them to break free. As time wore on, humanity forgot their origin and re-told the true story in various forms. Most current religions were created by people who discovered the Apple and used it to manipulate people into following. 

As a Christian, the premise generates a little bit of eye-rolling. The game attempts to present an atheistic  point-of-view by claiming that there is no afterlife and all religions are false (represented by the actual Assassin’s creed. “Nothing is true. Everything is permissible.”) However, in this second game, it still presents beings that are higher than ourselves, known as “The Ones Who Came before.”  It is these alien beings who are presented as humanity’s former masters. It’s interesting to me that even though the game’s storyline claims there is no God, it still has to create something more. To me, it helps to prove that there really is a God-shaped hole within each of us that we fill in different ways. 

All told, I would recommend the game for the great game mechanics. Just take the over-arching story with a grain of salt.

Safety Zone

The biggest things I am excited for in video games right now are sequels. Looking at the horizon of possible video game purchases, the games that stick out are second editions of games that I have played and enjoyed. Next month, I am anticipating buying the sequel to a game that is itself the third edition of series: Fallout: New Vegas. 

Fallout: New Vegas

 Looking to the future, the games that are on my radar are the sequels to Infamous and Batman: Arkham Asylum. As I was getting ready to write today’s post, I started thinking about why that is.

The reason this question comes up is because a little over two years ago, I made a change in the way I purchased new video games. Previously, I would just buy a new game, basically, whenever I felt like it. While this meant I never had an opportunity to get bored with the video games, it also meant that our bank account was continually being drained. Knowing this, I knew I had to do the responsible thing and cut back. So, I decided that I would only buy a new video game whenever I had beaten the previous one. This one little change has ended up making a huge impact in the way I look at new games.

Knowing that I only have one chance when I pick up a new game has made me more cautious in which games I choose. If I pick up a new game, there is a 50/50 chance that the game will be one that I will not enjoy. Thus far, I have been fortunate. Of the new titles I have bought, only one so far has been a dud. Obviously that is a great average. What’s interesting is that the one game that was horrible was not a sequel.

Red Dead Redemption is a game that has had nothing but rave reviews.

Red Dead Redemption

 On the site that is the video game equivalent to Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, it has a score of 95. That means that out of 100 reviews, 95 of them reviewed the game favorably. In this case, you can lump in the 5 percent that feel the game is terrible. What’s interesting about the positive reviews is the vast majority of them mention the story. I am all for story being a key element of a video game, but if the controls stink, then the game is worthless. In this case, the game’s just plain not fun.

Sequels are generally safer. Odds are if you enjoy the first game, you will enjoy the second. Rock Band is a primary example. The first game was incredibly fun. Paul, Jennifer, Brandon, Jeff (of the bestjeffever.com) and I would stay up until late into the night, playing.

Rock Band 2

When Rock Band 2 came out, we once again resumed our Rockstar-fueled music marathons. The game took the basics of the first and just expanded on them.

Sequels are not guaranteed hits, though. Last year, I picked up the sequel to one of my favorite games of all time, Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

 I expected the game to be similar to the first, with an expanded roster of superheroes and more powers. This was not the case. What I didn’t realize at the time was that this game had been made by a different company than the first. The new company, Vicarious Visions, didn’t follow the example set by the prior. They  created a game that had less powers, fewer costumes, and was,  overall, shorter than previous versions. That was good and bad because, although the game was less fun, it didn’t take me very long to beat.

Looking at the system I have set up for my video game purchases, I think I will probably spend most of money on sequels. Even though I may be missing out on some games that could be innovative or original, sequels have the greatest odds of being games that I would enjoy. Now, I am not completely opposed to first editions. However, unless I am able to properly research the game (using resources such as Game Informer), I won’t be spending my money outside of the safety zone.

What’s up with Tuesdays?

I am stuck. My schedule dictates that I talk about video games. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been anything video game related that’s happened recently. I am still currently playing Assassins Creeds II and enjoying it. Since I was sick the last three days, I had some extra time to play. And play I did. Since Saturday, I have played for a total of 18 hours. I haven’t played a game that much in a long time. And I don’t think I am going to get the chance to do that again very shortly.
When I first discovered video games, I was immediately hooked. I could sit in front of the television and focus on what was going on on the screen. No matter what else was going on in my life, I could pick up a controller and vegetate. I remember there would be weekends where I would pick up a game on Friday, play it until dawn, sleep, and then do the same thing again. It was so much fun.
Today, I can’t do that anymore. And not because just I don’t have the time. I find that if I spend most of my day in front of the television, I feel like my day has been wasted. For example, last Saturday, I came home from filming a video for Operation Recon. I helped Jenn clean up around the house and then grabbed my controller and sat on the couch to play. I was then lost in the world of Renaissance Italy. I looked up at six o’clock and realized that I had spent 7 hours playing. Almost immediately, I put the controller down and went outside to play with Puck.
I told Jenn when I came back inside that if it wasn’t for the fact that we were supposed to go to the movies that night, I would have gone crazy. In the past, spending that much time playing would not have phased me. In fact, it would have been the norm. Now, it felt…weird.
In the interest of full disclosure, I did play the exact same amount of time the next two days. But today, I did not. I couldn’t. Even though I was home sick from work, and thus had a perfectly acceptable reason to spend most of the day laying on the couch, I could not bring myself to play anymore. In fact since I started this blog, I have been spending less and less time playing.
I think it’s because with this blog, I feel that I can look back and see that I have created something. At the end of the day, it’s such a great feeling to know that I did something that was productive. So does this mean I am going to stop playing video games? I don’t think so. I know that as time goes on, I will play less and less. So Tuesdays may end up turning into a different subject. What subject? I don’t know. But for the time being, I am going to enjoy the time I do play. And maybe a new subject will turn up.

Death In-House

Looking back over the past week, I noticed the day most people who read my blog seemed to be the least interested in Tuesday, a.k.a. video game day. At first I was surprised. I assumed that the wrestling and comic books were much more niche and would have a lower appeal. But as I was thinking more about it, I realized that video games have evolved into a much more solitary pursuit. Which really saddens and annoys me. 

When I was younger, I used to love when video games had the ability to allow two people to play at the same time. There was something about sharing the gaming experience that took what was already a fun thing and made it amazing. Even games like Super Mario Bros. 3, which I consider one of the top video games of all time, were made better by allowing more than one player to play. 

Super Mario Bros. 3

 

Although it was only by having players alternate turns, I remember how much fun it was as each person tried to beat a level. (In case you think this is simply an opinion based on nostalgia, two years ago my sister-in-law, Brandi, and I downloaded Super Mario Bros 3 on the Wii and we spent an entire three-day weekend trying to beat it.) 

The next big step in multi-player gaming was the Nintendo 64 and one game that revolutionized first person shooters, Goldeneye. The Nintendo 64 was the first major video game system to have four players built into the console. Ports on the front of the machine allowed for  four controllers to be hooked up and there were plenty of games that took advantage of this feature. 

Goldeneye

 

One of my fondest memories of being an intern was having a bunch of guys come to my house and stay up all night sniping each other on Goldeneye. 

Since that point, it seems that Nintendo has always been a big supporter of what I like to call “In-house” multi-player. Their next system, Gamecube, continued the four port feature. For the guys of Reality Student Ministries, two games took full advantage of that: Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart: Double Dash. At the time, Jeff Barton (of the bestjeffever.com), Eli Whatley, and I were leaders of the guys home group. One of the key components of that home group was the fun each guy had playing those guys. Up to 25 students, from 12 – 25, were united by the common thrill of unleashing the blue shell at the cocky guy in the lead. 

The most hated turtle-related item in history.

 

Other game systems made some attempts at tapping the in-house multi-player market. The one that stands out was the  X-Box and their franchise game, Halo. Halo took it to the next level. By using a ”system-link” or an Ethernet cable (sold separately, of course), it was possible to patch up to four X-Box systems and have as many as 16 players face each other. Even though I love first-person shooters, I could not get into Halo. There was my minor bias against Bill Gates but my primary reason was my dislike of the X-Box controller. It felt too cumbersome to be used effectively, especially in contrast to the sleek Playstation or Gamecube controllers. Had I known what Halo would be responsible for, I would have been much more vocal in my dislike of X-Box. 

In 2002, Microsoft launched X-Box Live.  Whereas before you had to be at the same house to play a game with someone, it was now possible to do so without even having to be in the same state. While this was a boon for those gamers who were predominately solitary players, those of us who have friends watched as more and more games slowly started lacking the in-house multi-player features. Games like Halo 2 and the Call of Duty franchise primarily supported online only multi-player. As time went on, in-house multi-player was left primarily in the hands of the sports titles (and even those promoted their online capabilities). A new era had dawned. 

In-House multi-player is not dead. The Wii proudly supports four players in the same room. In fact, it’s interesting to note that, even though most of the software for the system was considered inferior to those on the X-Box and Playstation, the Wii became the number one selling video game system because large groups of people could come together and play. A brand-new genre of game, the music simulation, was created by Guitar Hero but exploded when Rock Band introduced the ability for four people to become a band in their living room. 

I am not anti-single or online play. I just feel that developers should not ignore the in-house multi-player market. There is a demand for games that people can join together and play. As I flip through my latest issue of Game Informer, though, I do not have much hope. It looks like the days of Jeff, Paul, Brandon, Jenn, and I staying up late, hopped up on Rockstars, may be have ended. And not just because we became parents

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed

 

Assassins Creed

 

Today I want to take a look at game I recently completed. At this point in my life, I rarely buy new video games. (Jennifer may want to dispute that point but she can get her own dang blog.) Since I turned 30 a couple of years ago, I decided from this point forward I would only buy games when I had completed one. For the past two years, this system has worked rather well. The only negatives I have encountered have been when I purchased a poor game (such as Red Dead Redemption)…

How can so many people be so wrong?

 

and being behind on what games are hot. Hence the reason why I am reviewing a game that came out 3 years ago.

As you read yesterday, story is the most important factor in my enjoyment. This is also generally the case in the video games I play. While a lackluster story will kill most other forms of entertainment, if a video game has an enjoyable play mechanic then it’s easier to overlook a boring story. Assassins Creed is one such game.

The basic plot is that you are a bartender named Desmond Miles, who has been kidnapped by a global company. They have created a device called the Animus which can unlock memories trapped in the DNA of person strapped into the machine. The company, named Abstergo, wants to use the machine to view the memories of an ancestor of Desmond’s named Altair ibn La-Ahad. Altair was an assassin who lived during the Third Crusade and as Desmond relieves his memories, you discover that there is a secret history of the world. The story is presented in two parts with two-thirds of the game taking place from Altair’s point of view as he uncovers the conspiracy. The story is pretty typical in that “everything you thought you knew was wrong!” I won’t reveal some of the “truths” that game reveals but needless to say, I was not impressed. However what did impress me was the gameplay.

Most of the game is spent performing investigations to learn more information about your target. The investigations range from simple tasks like eavesdropping and pickpocketing to more complex ones like performing multiple assassinations of town guards. What stands out to me, most though, is the combat and stealth mechanics. If you perform actions that could arouse the attention of the guards, you can do things like jumping in a bale of hay or blend in with a group of monks to hide yourself.

En Guarde

 

Combat is performed using a sword or dagger, with an emphasis on style rather than brute force. The counter-kill animations are simply beautiful to watch. I would engage in fights, even when I didn’t have to simply to use the counters.

Overall, I enjoyed the game. I did find some of the missions repetitive but not so much that I skipped parts to hurry through the game. The score was decent but at times, it cut out so I was only listening to the ambient crowd noise. The graphics are excellent, however the colors that were used were very bland, using mostly browns and grays. Playing the game, it was easy to see how this could be viewed as possible inspiration for titles such as Arkham Asylum and Infamous. The investigations were more developed  and varied in Arkham while the movement controls were much tighter in Infamous. Looking at this game as a precursor to those games made it easier to overlook any minor control glitches or other flaws.

In closing, while it may sound like I had multiple issues with the game, they were mostly nit-picky and did not hinder my enjoyment of it. After all, I liked it so much that I am currently playing the sequel (which does improve on my criticisms). If you have not yet played Assassin’s Creed, it’s well worth a step back in time.  Just be prepared for a sense of déjà vu.

Welcome to our Family Time

So I have decided to write a blog. I have read them for the past three years and I’ve enjoyed hearing other people’s thoughts about the various things that I’m interested in. What started out as just a way to kill time during a boring work day has evolved into a habit that I look forward to each day. This morning in the shower, however I realized something. (FYI, I get most of my inspiration in the shower.)

As I await the rapidly approaching arrival of my twin baby girls, I realized that I don’t have a place that captures my thoughts. Ideally, Alexis and Joanna will want to know what I think about various subjects. And of course I’ll tell them. I don’t think they’ll have much choice. But I think it would be cool if, when they are old enough to read, they had a place to see what their dad was thinking about when they were born.

So with that as a mission statement, I am launching this blog. If you have stumbled upon it, I’d be interested to hear what brought you to my tiny corner of the Internet. And while you’re here, please enjoy the conversation and feel free to take part. I’m sure the girls would love to hear your thoughts as well.

One thing you’ll rapidly learn about me is that I am very anal-retentive. Everything I do is laid out, down to the order that I eat the food on my plate. So naturally, I would prefer having a posting schedule laid out. Plus, having a schedule will not only help guide my posts, but it will prevent this blog from being a mish-mash of thoughts and links. So here is what I’m thinking about posting each day starting tomorrow:

Monday – I’ll be talking about pro wrestling. I have been interested in “sports entertainment” (and yes, I know the controversy associated with that term) since I was 9 years old. I dropped out around Wrestlemania 8 but like most people, the NWO in ’96 and the Attitude Era in ’97 brought me back. And I haven’t stopped watching since.

Tuesday – I love video games. I have spent hours with a controller in my hand since my dad brought home an Atari 2600 (which he still has.) Not a week goes by without me playing a video game in some form. From a PS3 and X-Box to a DS to even my phone, I am surrounded by gaming options. And since Tuesday is new game day, there is no better day talk to about my oldest hobby.

Wednesday – Since 2003, Wednesday has meant one thing: new comic day. I am primarily a DC person but I do dabble in Marvel and Independent comics. Each week I love to look up and see what people are saying about the books I read. I figure it’s time I add my thoughts as well. I am also a huge graphic novel reader, so I’ll be talking about those on Wednesdays as well.

Thursday – Thursday is Disney day. I have gone to the ‘Land since I was 5, and I have seen a lot of changes in that time. Since our honeymoon, Jenn and I have gone to Disneyland almost every year, with our record being 5 times in one year. I’ll be talking about memories from the various trips plus any current news that may break.

Friday – Friday is television and movie day. Since we decided to get rid of cable to save money, I follow a lot of shows through Netflix and Hulu. As far as movies go, Jenn and I are in the middle of what we call Summer Movie Madness. From the first week of May through Labor Day, we see a new movie each weekend. So, as you can see, there will be plenty to talk about on the entertainment front.

Saturday – Saturday is family day. I expect that the girls will provide plenty of fodder for a blog post. Plus, we have The Puck, our dog who doesn’t know he’s a dog, who is always up to something. And then there’s Jennifer aka Junes. My wonderful wife and I have some interesting conversations (well I talk and she listens.)  I think the Saturday posts will be my girls’ favorite if either one has the Quintanilla ego.

Sunday – Since the day I was born, Sunday’s have been about church. My belief in Jesus as my savior and the values He promoted are the most important things to me. If my girls only grow up to share my faith and nothing else, my job as a dad will be a success. So each Sunday I will take one of the sermons my pastor preaches that day and break it down. This will probably be the most helpful for me because, as I continually define what it is exactly I believe, I’ll be able to sit down and decide how to best to articulate my views.

So there you have it. That’s my plan for this blog. If you stuck with me till the end, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully with something a little more interesting and a little less navel-gazing.