Assassins creed chronicles china review

Back when Assassin’s Creed launched on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in 2007, it launched gamers into the Animus as Altair on an adventure through history. The games have had their ups and downs since but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them (except for AC 3). When I heard that Ubisoft would be releasing Assassin’s Creed Chronicles, a 2D platformer take on the series, I could not be more excited. Nostalgic memories of Prince of Persia from days gone by flooded my mind. Unfortunately, AC Chronicles isn’t quite as good as the Prince of Persia games of the past.

STORY

The AC Chronicles Trilogy follows three assassins, each in three different time periods: Shao Jun in 1526 China, Arbaaz Mir in 1841 India, and Nikolai Orelov in 1918 Russia. Each assassin is tasked with investigating a Templar operation and eliminating any threats that get in the way. The story beats are presented via motion-comic style cut-scenes with voice acting that is … off. I often found myself turning up the volume as characters seemed to always whisper, eventually forcing me to enable subtitles. Though, to be honest, you don’t miss much without dialogue as there is not much to any of the three stories.

GAMEPLAY

Though the stories are lackluster, I thought that surely the gameplay would shine through. The gameplay is similar to most 2D side-scrolling platformers and Ubisoft attempted to capture the fun of Assassin’s Creed. While the stealth is a nice touch, the combat and level layout simply do not hit the mark. The fun of traditional Assassin’s Creed games is being able to defend yourself should a mission turn sour. Here, the game practically punishes you for making a mistake, with enemies being able to eliminate you within one or two attacks. On top of this, the controls for combat lack any sort of polish as they feel clunky and unresponsive. I’d often find myself pressing buttons multiple times to roll over enemies, or attack, only to be met with an enemies blade knocking my character out.

The level design is devoid of fun, as well. With everything looking so similar, it’s often difficult to find the correct path to go. Since the game is 2D, there’s no option to look at every part of the map to discern the best route to take. I spent 15 minutes on one mission trying to find the route that would allow me to continue the mission until, in frustration, I began jumping around and found myself clinging to the ceiling, revealing a path that had been covered up by wooden beams. Had this game been more like a traditional Assassin’s Creed game, it may have been a worthwhile experience.

VERDICT

It’s a shame to see a game that looks visually appealing and bearing the Assassin’s Creed name be such a flop. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Trilogy may not be as bad as Assassin’s Creed 3 but that is simply because it was not hyped up as much. A 2D Assassin’s Creed game could have been great but this comes off as a half-baked idea. This game is a clear indication that Ubisoft needs time-off to pull resources together, something I’m glad they’ve finally decided to do, because AC Chronicles is simply not fun.

Just last week I asked readers if they were into the idea of 2D Assassin’s Creed games. Roughly 41% were on board, 33% preferred the 3D iterations, and 26% have checked out of the series entirely.

Ubisoft doesn’t really care what you think, though. As long as they sell, those assassins will keep on stabbin’.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China has the makings of a good 2D Prince of Persia re-awakening, but it lacks a lot of character both aesthetically and mechanically. Still, there’s very little actually wrong with it if you’re looking for another platformer to add to your pile. Hopefully future iterations of the Chronicles subseries can build upon the foundation that China has provided.

A thrilling new saga in the Assassin’s Creed Universe, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles take players to three distinct civilizations and time periods throughout history: the start of the Ming Dynasty crumble, the Sikh Empire going at war in India and the aftermath of Red October revolution.

Designed for masters of stealth who share a passion for rewriting history with games, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles let players embody Assassins Shao Jun, Arbaaz Mir, and Nikolaï Orelov in a 2.5D reimagining of the Assassin’s Creed universe. Slay from the shadows, master the art of parkour, and take the leap of faith in a collection of stunning, living paintings

The Chinese Chronicle

The first entry in the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles saga takes place in China, 1526, as the Ming dynasty starts to crumble. You embody Shao Jun, the last remaining Assassin of the Chinese Brotherhood, returning to her homeland with a vendetta. Newly trained by the legendary Ezio Auditore, she is hell-bent to exact vengeance and restore her fallen brotherhood.

Features

Witness an empire crumble Travel across China and its legendary landmarks. Stalk enemies from the roofs of the Forbidden City, hide in the shadows of the Great Wall, meet iconic historical figures and discover this Great Empire.

Immerse yourself in a unique art direction Brought to life by fusing the essence of Chinese 16th century traditional brush strokes with more contemporary, impressionistic styles, Shao Jun’s adventure will keep you awed in an evocative and truly living painting.

Stealth takes a new dimension Assassin’s Creed Chronicles brings the thrill of being a master Assassin into 2.5D. Scout, sneak and hide to avoid detection. Fool enemies using whistles and disguises. Find your target, kill and escape.

Experience fast & fluid “Assault Course” As in every Assassin’s Creed experience, freedom of movement is essential. Whether you’re running from danger, scaling obstacles, or climbing stealthily, you will feel that you really can do anything.

Shao Jun’s arsenal is in your hands Should you fail to go undetected, you can always takeout your enemies with style using Shao Jun’s empowering combat arsenal: close-combat martial arts, a powerful Kian Sword and her unique hidden shoe blade.

Navigate multiple planes Switch between fore, mid, and background environments and choose different paths according to your needs. Open new pathways, complete side missions, grab hidden collectibles, or take the quickest path to your target

© 2015 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Is Assassin's Creed China any good?

Pretty 2D stealth platformer that plays more like a handheld game than a home console one, which in this case is no bad thing. Assassin's Creed stripped down to its essentials in an enjoyably uncomplicated way. This game is ok but doesn't really capture what makes the assassin's creed games so good in the first place.

How many hours is Assassin's Creed Chronicles China?

When focusing on the main objectives, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is about 6 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 17½ Hours to obtain 100% completion.

Is Assassin's Creed Chronicles trilogy worth it?

While disappointingly forgettable and undeniably safe, the Assassin's Creed: Chronicles Trilogy collection is a nonetheless solid selection of more action oriented and small-scale stealth adventures.

Is Assassin's Creed China open world?

While the Assassin's Creed franchise has taken players to China before, this is the first open-world RPG entry in the series to give us this beautiful setting, and it looks every inch as incredible as I'd hoped.