High above the city, an assassin perches.
With the eyes of an eagle, he watches his target. The moment is right. He leaps from his perch and begins to make his way toward his adversary, who is unaware of his rapidly approaching death. Pushing through the bustling market streets, the assassin draws his secret talon-like blade, leaps and strikes. The man is dead before he hits the ground.
The dead man's guards give chase, but the assassin disappears into the crowds, then onto the rooftops, then out of sight.
The stealthy life of the assassin has been the crux of many video games, but it has never been like this. "Assassin's Creed" takes players to the Middle East, to a time when religion and politics mixed with blood and steel, tearing the Holy Land apart in a series of wars known as the Crusades, circa 1191 A.D.
Players assume the role of Alta'r, a highly trained killer, on his mission to eliminate nine men who are exacerbating the hostilities in the area to their own gain.
However, Alta'r cannot simply march right up to his targets and kill them. Each assassination requires preparation in the form of intelligence gathering.
Tactics such as eavesdropping, pick pocketing and outright beatings all help Alta'r learn what he needs to know.
When enough information is gathered, the hit is on.
This information gathering makes up a lot of the game and is fairly simple to do. Each source of information has its own minor difference, such as where and how to get the info, but in the end, there isn't much variety which is one of the drawbacks to this game. It gets repetitive towards the end.
To keep the game from getting stale, however, there are side objectives to play around with. Rescuing citizens from power-abusing guards will earn their gratitude and help, should you need it. Climbing towers allows Alta'r to scout more of the surrounding territory, and there are 60 Templar knights throughout the game to be assassinated as well.
The environments do their part to keep the game fresh. Famous cities such as Jerusalem, Damascus and Acre are lovingly recreated and full of people who react realistically. Each city feels uniquely alive, and each is controlled by a different sect, so players will hear French accents in one place and Middle Eastern in the next.
The areas in between are gorgeous, and the whole visual set comes together in one intermixed world.
The controls set up in "Assassin's Creed" is a bit unusual and takes some getting used to. All actions are designated high profile or low profile, and depending on which ones you use, people will notice you. Of course, any good assassin doesn't want to be noticed, so the high profile actions need be used right. The high profile actions include running, jumping and attacking - basically anything out of the ordinary (which is walking slowly through the crammed city streets).
Combat is handled by a single button but is mostly based on timing attacks and counter-attacks. Hitting the button at the right time will deliver a satisfying death blow, but when the heat is on, sometimes its better just to run like hell, which Alta'r is good at. He can climb on just about any surface, scaling walls, ladders and churches with ease, allowing quick movement through town via the rooftops.
But the best part of the game is the assassinations themselves. Using Alta'r's special hand blade on unsuspecting foes cues a brief animation in which the hero leaps upon his foe like an eagle swooping on its prey. Taking out the nine targets with this weapon is satisfying to the last kill.
Minor problems keep "Assassin's Creed" from greatness. Glitches pop up from time to time, and enemy pathing can be thrown off, causing guards to run through walls or fall off buildings like it was nothing. The controls, while original and successful for the most part, occasionally frustrate, and executing maneuvers at high speed (which is needed to escape perusers) can go awry leaving Alta'r in the middle of the street when he's trying to get to the rooftop.
Still, minor complaints aside, "Assassin's Creed" is a killer game - pun intended. The story line, rooted firmly in historical fact, is a thrill to uncover, as secrets are revealed, and the plot twists frequently. The environments are extravagant and populated by realistic people, and the action is quick and deadly, just as an assassin should be.
It's refreshing to see such an original game in a sea of shooters this season. Gamers looking for something a bit out of the ordinary would do well to pick up "Assassin's Creed."
It's the art of dealing death - old school style.
wadelarson@dailynebraskan.com
