“Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted.” The contradictory maxim of the Assassins Order’s creed; I will try to give you everything that, I believe is the truth about the Series in my eyes. But there will be things that contradict what I say. That is what the Assassin’s Creed Series embodies through and through. The series burst onto the gaming scene as one of the few video game franchises to gain renown outside of just video games. It encompasses the area of complete franchise with clothing, comics, books, and eventually a movie. Only a few other franchises have done any of this, those being Halo and Gears of War. The franchise has managed multiple stories bound around the ongoing struggle between the Assassin’s and that free will and thinking for humanity against the Templars and that free will should be subjugated and humanity guided behind a veil.

The franchise started in 2007 and introduced us to a pissant of a main character Desmond Miles voiced by the ever so everywhere, Nathan Drake, I mean Nolan North. As he is monitored by Doctor Warren VIdic voiced by Phil Proctor and his assistant, Lucy Stillman, voiced by the amazingly beautiful Kristen Bell. As Abstergo Industries, the modern day Templars, try to find the McGuffins, the Pieces of Eden, that’ll allow them to dominate the World, even though they do already as a Worldwide Enterprise. And the Assassins are smaller, and are trying to prevent them from doing so, with Desmond’s ancestors, Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and Ratonhnhaké:ton aka Connor, as the other main characters showing the path to them.
A quick, recap of all five of the main games in the Assassin’s Creed series. Assassin’s Creed is the first, introducing you to the modern protagonist Desmond Miles, and his ancestor via the Animus, Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. Altair is disgraced during a mission and busted back down to beginner in the Order, and is tasked with taking down various enemies to humanity. Uncovering the truth leads to both Altair and Desmond further into the conflict of Assassin and Templar. Continuing on, Desmond escaping with the help of Lucy and being united with fellow Assassin’s Rebecca and Shaun. As they dive back into the Animus, you are introduced to another ancestor, hot-head and ladies’ man, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and his goal of revenge against Rodrigo Borgia, which takes him all over Italy battling the Templars and meeting amazing people who are instrumental to the Order. As Ezio is tempered over his journey of revenge, he gains revenge by stealing the Apple from Rodrigo and leaving him broken, and sparking the Assassin’s on the hunt to prevent the World’s destruction from the warnings of Minerva, in the real World. 
Continues with Ezio and the next chapter of the story with the destruction of the Order in Monteriggioni by Pope Alexander VI aka Rodrigo, and his war driven son, Cesare. Ezio survives after witnessing his Uncle dying, and takes the fight to Rome, taking on the Pope and his armies. As you uncover more, the deeper Desmond goes, as Ezio dismantles the Borgia family. As Desmond and company reach the piece seen by Ezio, Desmond is forced to do something unthinkable, kill one of his own, as he falls into a coma afterwards. Additionally, it’s the first game to introduce a well done multiplayer. Revelations ends the trilogy of Ezio, with him older, and much wiser, this time, taking him to Istanbul at the behest of events at the Assassin’s Ancient home of Masyaf. This game serves as bookends for Altair and Ezio stories. As you gain more information on the Doomsday event, with Ezio discovering what Altair wanted to teach those who could reach his vault, and speaking directly to the now awake Desmond. The newest entry of the Assassin’s Creed, starring Ratonhnhaké:ton aka Connor, who begins to be an Assassin for reasons of protecting his people, but is quickly swallowed into the Revolutionary War, where the lines of friend and enemy are blurred. As Desmond and company race to find a way to stop the doomsday clock from striking true, with the help of the First Civilization’s crypt ruins in Upstate New York. This game follows, Connor’s entire life from the start of his mother and father to him being an old man.

 

But as Desmond unlocks their extensive memories, he uncovers the world ending doomsday, of a massive solar flare that will wipe out all of humanity on December 21, 2012. And the Assassin’s now race to both prevent the end of the World, with the help of First Civilization, and Abstergo at the same time. As the story continues to unfold with the most recent release, Assassin’s Creed III. Additionally, check out the review of it here Assassin’s Creed III, at  Real Otaku Gamer.

As for the good that comes from the Assassin’s Creed franchise, its the amazingly well done story. Each game, comic, Facebook game, and book, being necessary and well weaved together

for the whole. Each game is fantastically paced, albeit the first Assassin’s Creed was a little slow, but that was to be expected, with an entirely new IP. Each main character, from Altiar to Ezio to Connor to Desmond, each is developed thoroughly, giving you a look into their past, to see how they changed over time to their present day selves. The games follow the stealth
The bad can range from multiple and heavy to miniscule. I’ll start with the gameplay holes, like the stealth in the series is very very not there. It’s not on the level of fellow Ubisoft game, Splinter Cell, where the shadows are your friends, but more so like Tenchu, get seen in the wrong areas, and start looking for an exit strategy. Additionally, the actual fighting can get repetitive and you can easily from game to game, spam the counter button and never be touched, unless, the story says so. The graphics and draw distances are amazing, but the game will slowly but surely, blur into just a set of color schemes, repeated NPCs, and multiple, non-landmark buildings looking the same. Each game in the series, improves on the last but still fails in what it attempts in the first place. Another gripe about the game is, after about the first day or so of playing any AC game. It turns into a repetitive play, get your hands dirty, dry, and repeat. From the fetch all the feathers, to find all the other random collectibles, fun at first, but it will surely drain you in the long run.action genre, but I would more so call it, stalking action, which fits well for what happens in the story and the gameplay mechanics. Stalk your prey from on high; close behind or within the crowd, to blend in. Speaking of gameplay, the combat is rewarding and visceral, each counter and combo, dealing more death to quickly dispatching multiple opponents and fade back into the crowd. Additionally, the voice acting from the top to the bottom is amazing and well done. Even though at some points, they can seem a little stilted.

Assassin’s Creed is a well done franchise of media, which can come at gamers, in many different forms, each with its own distinct personality. Even though the game on the grand scale is amazing, it does fall short on some of the many things it does in each game. Assassin’s Creed as a franchise, is amazing, and surely will continue on for some time, depending on how Assassin’s Creed III will end and the story of Desmond will play out. But from the looks of it, and the way they merchandise, the Assassins and the Templars will forever be locked in a secret war that humanity will rarely ever see, or hear about

By Akodo