Stunning recreation of revolutionary Paris
Huge crowd scenes add to the atmosphere
Lacks the grand scale and spectacle of Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft's true new-gen innovation has been to make a real place for one of their templated games to play out in. That game might be entirely (and occasionally dully) familiar, but the scenery is like little else we've encountered before. Ubisoft's been Forrest Gump-ing history for years in an attempt to get us to engage with it, but we've never felt more like we were a part of the old world than in just walking those streets.
As the seventh major instalment in the series, though, not to mention the first designed for new console hardware, Assassin's Creed Unity feels like a missed opportunity. Going back to basics at this point may have resulted in a less substantial game than recent years have led us to expect, but it might have delivered a more satisfying one. As it is, mild improvements in traversal and combat are quickly overwhelmed by the creaking systems onto which they have been grafted. Revolutionary Paris is one of the most beautifully realised environments in a series that has had its fair share of them, but the game you play doesn't really do it justice.
The ingredients are all here for a spectacular new standard for the series on Sony and Microsoft's new machines. But in the quest to build something that looked and sounded "next generation," Ubisoft Montreal failed to fix the problems that have accumulated over so many annual release. Combined with an uninspiring story, and a long list of considerable technical problems, Unity falls short of the fresh start Assassin's Creed needs.
Unity manages to push the series forward enough to make this truly great, its only sad that a few left over hiccups have carried over from the previous generation. Traditional Creed problems aside, this manages to be an unrivalled murderous sandbox and Paris hands over a visually impressive blood drenched historical playground.
Assassins Creed Unity leverages the new-generation consoles to add spectacular new sights and successful co-op multiplayer, but in doing so, its created some substantial new problems instead of solving the series most persistent ones. The scope is stunning, the customization is satisfying, and the multiplayer touches upon some really ambitious ideas. But the lack of a strong main character or interesting take on the Assassins Creed universe costs it momentum and excitement, and the persistent control problems are still a thorn in its side. The first truly new-gen Assassins Creed game is a gorgeous, entertaining, and successful proof of concept for what lies ahead for the series, though it isnt what Id call revolutionary.
They made what amounts to a showpiece for a new graphics engine, a game that will initially turn heads but which quickly reveals itself to be frustrating, repetitive, and dull.
In many ways, Unity feels like the sequel Brotherhood should have had three years ago. This may not appeal after life on the open seas, but we can safely say that despite initial hesitation - will Paris just feel like a retextured Italy? - we had hours of fun. Sure, AC can't shake fiddly missions and fiddlier parkour, but it'll take a long time for the intrigue, the beauty and the lovable silliness to wear off. It's a huge, well-realised and incredibly detailed city that we love spending time in. So listen to Shaun and forget the mud and grot and misery of Les Misérables: Unity is a different kind of revolution.
Assassin's Creed Unity is the best and worst of Assassin's Creed. It's hard not to appreciate everything that it gets right, and you'll have a good time if you can wrangle some friends for co-op, but it's impossible to ignore where Unity falls tragically short.
Inordinately long load times, repeated onscreen notifications, and a couple of hard freezes prove that Unity is a complex game that hasnt yet had all of its bugs smashed. However, Unitys frequent missteps are balanced against an astonishing array of engaging content set in a stunning world. Even as I tallied problems, I marveled at the games breadth of gameplay and richly realized world. I encourage fans to give Unity a try, and leave your expectations at the door. For both better and worse, Assassins Creed is moving in a new direction.
But is it the next-gen Assassin's Creed game we've all been waiting for? Not quite. It's very good, maybe even great in places, but the story's smaller focus has come at the expense of its exquisitely rendered backdrop. The grandness and spectacle that so often graces the finest Assassin's Creeds is sadly sorely lacking here.
Unity attempts to improve on some of Assassin's Creed's innate problems, but it misses the mark as often as it hits. Nevertheless, you'll want to play it for the gorgeous rendition of revolutionary (etc.) France and the involving, opened-ended primary assassination missions. It's clear Ubisoft is trying to shake up the series a bit, but next time they need to shake a little harder.
Bummer. I was interested in this one. But I'm on the cusp of minimum requirements for a poorly-optimized game that neither runs well nor is fun to play... I'm thinking I'll skip this iteration.
No surprise. Another unoptimized turd pile from Ubisoft. Looks mediocre, but has performance demands like it's Crysis 3 on Ultra; Watch Dogs redux
Total Biscuit didn't have the day one patch installed, as he says in summary..
Nice try though. Just keep on flinging that mud if it makes you feel better. :whiste:
Nvidia Crapworks sponsored game? You defend until the death. AMD sponsored game (Dragon Age)? You sling mud in your VERY FIRST POST. The hypocrisy D:
Given UbiSoft's multiple months of technical and PR gaffes, was anyone expecting Unity to be good?
it confuses me why AMD gpu's are struggling with the new games seeing how the consoles have AMD gpu's. this is also the case with COD AW though not to this degree ^