[SmileyBob]

So, I’ve been teasing you all for the past couple of days about this. If you’ve read this month’s edition of PlayStation Official Magazine you will know most of this but still read on as I have some interesting ideas on the disappearing characters!

I’ll start with the basics and then get to the idea bit.

You should all know the story by now; if not then check the post on the Forthcoming Games section of the forum.

Altair (that’s who you’ll be playing as) is the complete killer in one convenient package.

I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE

Altair’s free hand is controlled by the circle button and has a massive array of moves that are all dependant on what Altair is up to at the time. These include;

Pick Pocketing - Whilst in “low-profile” mode Altair is able to sneak up behind other characters and able to rifle through their pockets, very handy for getting extra throwing knives and info on your next hit.

Soft Push - Again while in “low-pro”, you can use the circle button to gently push the other characters out the way. In the game this is socially acceptable and will not cause Altair to end up in fisticuffs.

Charge – You can use R2 to get Altair into a more aggressive mood “high-pro”, so now when you hit circle he literally throws people out of the way. This could end up in fisticuffs!

Grab and Throw – Another move that Altair can perform whilst in”high-pro” mode is throwing enemies (hopefully innocents as well) off of rooftops and into scaffolding. Hopefully the person you’ve thrown will land on your pursuers delaying them whilst the scaffolding will collapse and hopefully kill them!

Altair’s feet are controlled by the X button and like his free hand the movement is all context sensitive, this opens up another huge range of actions with the best being the following;

Free Running – When in “high-pro” with the simple push of the X button you will be able to leap between the rooftops of buildings with a cat like grace. I would imagine it will also include wall running. All much in the same way as Ninja Gaiden Sigma.

Blending In – When in “low-pro” push the X and you’ll begin walking very slowly with your head down, blending into the crowds has never been easier.

Leap of Faith – Altair is able to leap off of relatively high buildings as long as there is something soft to break his fall, like a pile of hay. This really helps when fleeing enemies and having to lay low.

Sprinting – In “high-pro” using the left stick on the SixAxis makes Altair leg it! This will make you stand out though so use it only when you really have to, or there’s no-one else about!

Altair’s weapon hand is controlled by the square button. He has five deadly weapons (including his fists). Here’s the low-down on the four other weapons.
Sword – This is your key weapon especially in those close-quarter fights with enemies. Again there are loads of moves that all depend on what you are doing and where you are at the time.

Throwing Knives – These are useful mid-range weapons and can be “lifted” from passers by using the Pick-Pocket move. Don’t worry if you run out of them, Altair just switches back to the short sword.

Counter Moves – If you time them correctly counter moves are a splendid way of catching your attacker off guard and enables you to either pinch their weapon or get in a sneaky punch.

Hidden Blade – The elusive blade is concealed within a nifty strap-on (oo-er) wrist garment. The blade is deployed via a mechanical system. This blade MUST be used to kill all 9 targets.

Altair’s vision is controlled by hitting the triangle button. This will put you into First Person mode. If you have full health you will discover you have enhanced “Eagle Vision” allowing you to see the location of potential traps and targets!

I HAVEN’T MET YOU BEFORE?!

The crowds in Assassin’s Creed are something else. There have been 200 generic characters created by Ubisoft Montreal and they crowd the streets like nothing you’ve seen before. They key here is that the software tool known as the “Entity Builder” will mix up clothes, hair colour, skin tone and more. This means that you may never see the same generic character twice. The crowds are made up of Crusaders (they will be wearing different uniforms depending on the region your in), Saracens (again wearing different styles depending where you are) and Civilians (Various character types that litter the cities) as well as honest tradesmen (Blacksmiths etc) you will encounter drunks, beggars and the much needed village idiot (actually a babbling madman)!

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The Assassin’s Creed play area is HUGE. It’s split into 6 different regions:

Masyaf – This is the Assassin’s base camp and where you pick your missions. There is a short-cut option that allows Altair to hop between the local Assassin’s offices in each city and the main HQ

Damascus – Is a Syrian city that at the time was controlled by the Muslim Warlord Saladin. He himself does not play any part in the game but is rumoured to appear in the sequel…

Jerusalem – The melting pot of faiths is pretty much dominated by Saracen forces. The assassination that takes place in this city is being shown at the E3 expo next week.

Arsuf – This will possibly be the games climatic location (The battle of Arsuf took place between 7th-10th September 1191). The battle will defo feature in the game somewhere and perhaps the showdown between Richard the 1st and Saladin will be the scene of your final kill.

Acre – No not a big patch of bare land but a city of wealth and stunning set-piece locations.

The Kingdom – This rural expanse will give you a break from the crowded cities, there are several small villages to discover and a wealth of side-missions that include rescuing other assassins! There are also areas that will allow you to practise your horse riding skills and combat various troops that pass by. The good thing here is that everything is optional so you can just race through it without stopping.

The only way for Altair to unlock all of the map display is to climb to the highest point of each city and survey the land (using the triangle and “Eagle Vision”).


THE MATRIX REVISITED???


Basically at one point Altair is killed, the next thing you know the screen fades out and Altair appears to be in a high tech lab, looking at a VDU telling him that a genetic memory simulation has just ended. There are also points in the game where certain characters seem to glitch and break-up; around them also appears strings of unrecognisable data scroll and blink. The obvious questions have been asked (“what the hell is going on there”) but Ubisoft reply “we’re not talking about that”.

This is where my idea comes in. It would seem to me that although the game is set in 1191AD our Altair is not from that time but from a time far into the future (beyond now) and has been sent back to the past to right wrongs etc. There may even be a bigger twist where the ones sending Altair back to the past are doing so for their own evil gains. One of the captions from my source says “the game’s meticulously realised locations and characters invite immersion in the world, but a secret threatens to *****er all that”.

So, there you go. I think this is one of the longest single posts on the site ever and I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think “the secret” is. Well we will all find out in November!!!