Ubisoft has regularly launched a new Assassin's Creed game in late fall for several years now, and Assassin's Creed Unity changes things up a bit, as it's the first title in the series that offers drop-in and drop-out co-op. Unity also features a completely new Assassin players assume the role of, as well as a rather large moment in history to take part in, the French Revolution. Do these pieces lead to a quality game you should consider purchasing this holiday season? Find out in our review.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze 2.0
Assassin's Creed Unity tells the story of Arno Dorian, a charismatic young man with a dark and disturbing past. Arno was born in Versailles and raised by an Assassin father, who was murdered when he was still a child. Arno is then adopted by Elise de la Serre's father shortly after his dad was murdered, and as he grows up, he embarks on a path of revenge, which just so happens to take him to the Assassins.
The story in Assassin's Creed Unity is very well done and is one aspect of the game we couldn't help but enjoy, especially since Arno felt like a newer version of Ezio Auditore, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed II. We also follow Arno's friend, Elise de la Serre, as she follows her own path to join the Templars. Because of this, players will see both the Assassins and Templars in a new light, which lead to several interesting moments between Arno and Elise.
Unfortunately, when Unity jumps back to the modern-world story, that's when the game becomes less interesting. The modern-world story will completely put a hold on what's currently going on due to outside forces performing server sweeps, which then force Arno to jump to a different era of France in order to escape these sweeps. The time anomalies, as they're called, are often difficult to find since their locations weren't made as apparent.
Sleep with one eye open
Considering Assassin's Creed Unity is the first new-gen game in the franchise, you'd expect Ubisoft to pull off some impressive visuals. You won't be disappointed, as Unity offers a deep sense of immersion during certain points, such as when the French Revolution actually begins, a landscape that is much more vast than any other title in the series, and a larger population to play around in, as Arno is able to blend in with civilians when the need arises.
Paris is a rather large location for Unity, which is why the addition of fast travel is a welcome one. Fast travel can be accessed when players synchronise with high points, which continue to give them a view of the city as well as adding additional areas of interest on a map. With a city this size, it isn't surprising to see a number of bugs pop up from time to time while playing. It's something that doesn't completely break the Unity experience, but it can take players out of the game when building textures can't keep up with your speed, or if Arno randomly falls through a hole in the map.
Bring your friends
Previous iterations of Assassin's Creed allow players to assassinate one another in competitive multiplayer modes. This time around, Unity has players working cooperatively, and Ubisoft delivered this experience in such a way that it doesn't hinder the experience. During play, Arno can enter certain locations within France to find an Assassin recruit requesting assistance from him, which will allow the player to jump into another person's co-op mission.
If you happen to jump into a mission that you haven't played before, missing the opening cinematic to explain what is going on can be counterproductive, as you'll follow your mission goals blindly to hopefully learn its purpose. Fortunately, players can drop in and drop out of co-op missions at any time, which is definitely a welcome feature.
Living in Unity
Assassin's Creed Unity is a good first step to bringing Ubisoft's franchise to Xbox One and PS4, though improvements need to be made. Hopefully Ubisoft can learn from this experience with Unity to make future games more engrossing, while also squashing all of the bugs in time for release.
GAME's Verdict: 8/10
The Good
- A vast and beautiful world to play in
- A gripping story with great lead characters
- Co-op play shouldn't be missed
The Bad
- Beware of bugs
- Modern-day world events can hinder the experience
- Missing cinematics when joining co-op games
