Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Assassin's Creed Revelations will satisfy those who are looking for more of the same but if you're expecting some major innovations, prepare to be disappointed. Revelations isn't a bad game, but the experience no longer feels fresh.

The story is so meandering. [Jan 2012, p.76]

There's still plenty of the old Assassin's Creed magic in parts, but this proves an unnecessary sequel and one with few genuinely welcome new ideas.

At its core, this is the Assassin's Creed we've grown to love in recent years, and it still serves as a pretty good time sink -- plus, it's a necessary bridge to next year's already-announced follow-up. But obligation shouldn't be the primary reason to play something, and sadly, that's too often the case in this humdrum campaign.

More than any other episode of the series, Revelations shows the limits of its gameplay - it is high time to revise. Yet Constantinople is a beautiful playground, full of things to do. The story provides some surprises and takes us into a pleasant adventure. All this is in addition to supporting a fully fleshed out multiplayer...But in the end it left a bitter taste left in my mouth.

While Ezios final chapter is a fun romp through Istanbul, it could just have well been incorporated into Brotherhood with a bit of editing. The saving grace is the fleshed-out multiplayer modes and the interesting effects the bombs have on it. With a bit of luck the series will get back on track after the two latest interim-games, so fingers crossed that Assassin's Creed III dares to evolve the series as much as the second game did.

Unlike the elegant lead, who's grey-haired but unbowed by the end of the adventure, Assassin's Creed has been quietly compromised by age.

So, for the first time, a new Assassin's Creed game is worse than its predecessor, the first time the short development period has had a noticeable impact on the game's quality. It's a game of nearlies and might-have-beens: summed up by the hookblade, a supposedly key new feature which in practice merely extends Ezio's reach slightly, and allows him to glide down the occasional zipline.

Building on the foundation of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Revelations had a fantastic opportunity. Sadly it is wasted on annoying mini games and uninspired escort missions.