Ubisoft takes a stab at a new perspective
Typically, games progress from 2D to 3D and never look back. But it seems that Ubisoft has hidden-bladed this convention in the face and taken a leap of faith of its own as it rolls out this three-part 2.5D series: Assassin's Creed Chronicles. It sounds like a downgrade, doesn’t it? Just hold on a minute before you firebomb forums with your Ubi-rage, though, because this is actually good... well, sort of.
The first iteration of this series, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, is set in during the Ming Dynasty and tells the story of Shao Jun, a female Chinese assassin. Shao Jun must employ a range of stealthy techniques to sneak across China and seek vengeance for the destruction of the Chinese Brotherhood by the hands of the Templars - this time in the form of a Eunuch group called the Tigers.
It's a beautiful debut with watercolour visuals preceding levels of diverse environments, from endless blue seas in the Macau harbour to awe-inspiring mountainous backdrops that hide behind the Forbidden Palace - all of which fuses effortlessly with a soundtrack of traditional Chinese instruments. But aside from the glimpses of atmosphere, the game can sometimes - just like you may do as Shao Jun - fall flat on its face.
It's not even as if it is dictated by a ‘style over substance' dichotomy as there are really only two or three levels that present a visible ‘wow’ factor. The narrative is almost non-existent, too - you know that Shao Jun is out for revenge but a ten-second cut scene and barely three sentences worth of voice acting to illustrate her resolve just doesn’t cut it. China, however, is a diluted version of the mainline Assassin's Creed games so it can be forgiven for lacking the sheer substance of its 3D parent series.
There are links to the main series that will keep fans happy, like an appearance from the legendary Ezio Auditore and more leaps of faith into haystacks than you can shake an eagle at. Instead of making use of the freedom to traverse cities like the other protagonists, you perfect the art of free running across a given area and all the while utilising Eagle Vision almost all the time to help you navigate it.
And just like in the parent series, if you prioritise killing guards over sneaking past them via a well-timed roll towards a pillar then you will be punished. There are three routes that the points system in China takes for every traversal: Shadow (for complete stealth masters), Brawler (for those who want to fight through China) and Assassin (a mix of the first two) along with gold, silver and bronze ratings for each. The game does seem to decide the best course of action for you to take (stealth, of course) which makes the difficulty stagnant and bland even as you progress through the levels. As such, there is no room for faffing around for the right attack combos- it takes just a few unparried sword slashes to die. Having said that, there are some parts that are outrageously fun when in non-urgent situations, like sliding, slicing and dicing soldiers as you encounter them and performing stylish jump slashes onto unsuspecting soldiers.
But you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that it looks like China has been heavily inspired by Mark Of The Ninja. A lot of the elements seem to be similar between the two games: the awareness cones of the soldiers, the items on hand that help you distract your enemies, even Shao Jun's outfit - the list goes on and on. What sets China apart from Mark Of The Ninja, though, is the free-running, which comes naturally to you as you traverse your way across the 2.5D stages. It’s the multiple layers of the levels that really shine in China and the way that you can criss-cross from the towered foreground to the buildings in the background. Then there are the speed run levels where you have to outrun a spreading fire. They're enjoyable the first time round but grow stale, as they do not vary throughout the game and barely increase in difficulty despite appearing frequently.
It's a shame because China is enjoyable in places but it lacks complexity, heart and soul. If it's not obvious until after the climax, that the final moments of the game take place on the Great Wall Of China - one of the eight wonders of the modern world and an integral part of Chinese history - then clearly there is something amiss here. Carrie Mok
VERDICT
Shoeblading an enemy soldier in the face is fun, but Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China’s overall simplicity and blandness means you won’t be returning soon.