So, I started replaying Assassin's Creed. Gonna be trying to go through the whole series.

The first couple AC games were among my favorite games as they were coming out. Platforming, "stealth," and interesting historical settings, all in one game!? Sign me up!

This is gonna be a thread of me reflecting on each game as I come to it and looking at what it did well, and what doesn't look so good in hindsight.

So, let's get down to business wiiiith...

Assassin's Creed (2007)

Honestly, I'm SHOCKED at how well this game holds up. Overall impression, even 13 years on, is extremely positive.

Even visually! Like, yeah, the textures are more basic and some of the character models (particularly face animation) is dated, and yet...

When viewed as a big picture, this game still looks great! There's a beautiful sense of atmospheric lighting, all of the character animations (especially for climbing/running) are impressively fluid, and Altair's whole getup looks great (though there is some tearing into itself).

The gameplay also holds up. The combat is... sluggish, to be generous, and definitely not as varied as I'd like it to be, but that's the only real gameplay kink.

AC games, for me, are primarily about traversal. In AC, you can get where you're going quickly, or quietly.

The movement options (and the risk involved in each) are what make this game so unique, and so much fun to revisit. For this mission, do I want to sprint through the crowds and over rooftops, or am I gonna move methodically from hiding spot to hiding spot?

Also, early AC games did this wonderful thing where the climbing was also a puzzle? You had to actually figure out the right face of the building to approach, and pick your path carefully. They got rid of that at some point (I'll call it out when I see it) but man that's cool

The other major point against AC1 is it's repetition. I get it, there are only 6 different types of investigation missions, and they do get old, but I'll continue to hold up the diagetic hints you get for completing them as a BRILLIANT design choice.

Don't make the mission easier. DO give me that map of where the archers are. That's my JAM.

Only other thing of note is the performances. For the most part, they're really good! Nolan North does Nolan North, and I completely forgot that Lucy was voiced by Kristen Bell!

The only choice that was off to me was giving Altair a North American accent. Especially since they have him fully commit to pronouncing Acre and other proper nouns with Arabic pronunciation. It makes Altair feel out of place (which may be intentional, but is still odd.)

I also really enjoy how much more....... restrained, I guess, the AC games were, early on. The Ancient Aliens thing is fine, but it's much more interesting to me when it's not THE WHOLE THING.

Anyway, go play AC1! It holds up! Next updates coming once I get through AC2!

I can't believe I forgot to mention this! AC1's approach to cutscenes is AWESOME (even if it isn't always perfect).

They opted for semi-playable cutscenes, where important story beats are delivered while the player retains limited control over Altair and the camera. HOWEVER:

The camera's angle relative to the action and Altair remains the same. So while you can control some amount of the camera's direction, and you can walk around, the action of the scene remains centered. PLUS, you'll be given subtle button prompts that transition into ...

... more typical, directed shots, or closeups, or action shots. It allows for simultaneously the more totally immersive, never give up control game design that was becoming so prevalent at the time, and a carefully directed, cinematic approach to the storytelling.

There's intention in these shots. This game is all about manipulation and perception and delusion, and shots involving characters that are either being deceived or trying to deceive others frequently will involve subtle Dutch angles or slow, unnerving camera movement.

And all of that's when you're in the Animus, in the historical setting.

Cutscenes handled in the near-future (lol it was set in 2012) framing narrative are handled through security camera angles that you can cycle between. Again, cinematography as storytelling.

None of this was necessary from a strict game perspective, but the amount of thought that clearly went into how they wanted to frame and execute the telling of this story is impressive, and adds a nice subtle layer of nuance.

Anyway, NOW this thread will sleep until I beat AC 2