Assassins Creed: Syndicate First Impressions Review

The Good

Where to start, firstly the setting. The London the team have created is amazing. Walking around the place in the game reminds me of living in the city, and the city seems alive and dynamic in a way that Paris in Unity did not. The attention to detail, from the colour of bricks, to the adverts and the mannerisms of the NPCs all seem top notch. Even better, the Industrial age cityscape is far better for exploring and climbing around than I anticipated. Combined with the magic zip line producer, navigating the city is a joy. (One thing I should clarify here, although the setting is fantastically realised, all my points in my rant on the setting are valid).

Even the magic zip line producer, or the rope dart launcher as the game calls it, doesn't impact on the game as negatively as I feared. If anything, it seems to have opened up the free-running, making streets less brutal obstacles and removing the need for all the steel cable clothes lines of previous games, and opening up the vertical dimension in play for exploitation. This combines well with the increased numbers of tall buildings and smoke stacks etc, but the device is sufficiently restrictive as to not kill off completely the normal climbing as a useful tool.

What little of the story I have explored has also impressed me. Although it lacks in world shaking history changing events, the small scale gives it a greater human element. It feels (and I am only part way through) like a small skirmish in the Assassin-Templar conflict, giving the two leads key roles in the fight. It's a nice balance, where the actions of the player is actually driving the game, rather than just being a pawn, and hopefully will develop into something larger later on.

Having two playable characters is also an interesting idea, and one which has worked well. Giving the characters separate skill trees with different high end options allows you to customise them to suit tasks early on, broadening them out when points become available. Having them be twins is also genius, the sibling rivalry interplay is brilliantly done.

The NPCs I've encountered thus far are also engaging and surprisingly rounded, even the historical ones who have (in my opinion) in previous games been a bit one note.

Combat has been refined again, and I like the new style. Quick kills and combo streaks are welcome additions, and for once it feels like wait.. wait.. counter is not the only viable strategy. I will also say that the kill animations are impressive, I'm not normally squeamish but a few of them make even me wince.

The side quests, particularly the territory unlock ones are another high point, they're fun, with a good level of challenge and fit the themes of the game well. I also like that the full sync bonus objectives are no longer considered necessary for completion, but completing them gives extra money and XP, which seems like an adequate compromise.

The Bad

Well, more the missed opportunities, as so far I have no major criticisms. I have seen a handful of bugs, mostly sudden spawning in of models onto impossibly terrain, occasionally lifting a body where the body freezes in it's dead on the floor pose, and once I think I saw a pedestrian vanish into the sky.

A couple of things I think could have been done to make things even more fantastic, firstly if a character has just been in the Thames (as in in the water) they should be made more obvious (they'd smell awful) when trying to stealth elsewhere. I'd also like it if I could hop on the trains at stations and know where they were going. (I know there is fast travel, but occasionally I just want to enjoy the environment/grab a drink etc.) The final niggle is a bug where the vendors always respond as if you've not bought anything when you exit the shop, even if you have.

The Verdict

Well, let's put it this way: This post has been much delayed as I've been playing not typing.

In more detail, this is an excellent addition to the series, it feels fresh, the environment is amazing and the story is excellent. It's too soon (for me) to say if it tops AC II or IV, but it is certainly up at their level.