Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China

 Xbox One
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 120 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 120
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 120
  3. Negative: 36 out of 120

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  1. DrZomboid
    Nov 7, 2016
    6
    Really cool AC spinoff witch was free for gold users. That is why I played it and nit regret it. I gave 6 only because it is some kind of indy looks a like 2.5D game. Sometimes game can be challenging
  2. SuperkenGaming
    Jan 30, 2016
    7
    Everything Wrong with Assassins Creed all in one convenient 5 hour game
    Chronicles china tells the story of shou jun, the much demanded story of a Japanese woman assassin mentored by ezio, this isn’t exactly what people had in mind but this will do
    The story is decent, it ties into the assassins creed lore, and the art design of this game is gorgeous now that I have the good out of the    Everything Wrong with Assassins Creed all in one convenient 5 hour game
    Chronicles china tells the story of shou jun, the much demanded story of a Japanese woman assassin mentored by ezio, this isn’t exactly what people had in mind but this will do
    The story is decent, it ties into the assassins creed lore, and the art design of this game is gorgeous
    now that I have the good out of the way, let’s get into the actual game.
    This is not at all what assassins creed fans will be used to and actually takes the worst parts of assassins creed and puts them all right here
    This an extremely stealth based 2.5d platformer…this game isn’t necessarily hard, but can be frustrating at times
    Mostly due to the fact that eventually you’ll just get tired of the monotony and playing the way the game wants you to and you’ll try to rush through… this game isn’t having that
    you can’t play this game the way you want to.. This game forces you to play a certain way or be punished
    You get a handful of tools you unlock through ought the game, you can use these tools to distract or stun enemies... you can hide in bushes and hop from hiding place to hiding place taking out each enemy one by one
    but the game doesn’t want you to do that,
    infact it doesn’t want you to kill anyone. Or the game wants you to kill everyone
    this game grades you as you play, and if you kill enemies in a section differently you won’t get the highest score possible…
    and if you don’t get the highest score possible, no upgrades for you
    that’s right, you can stealth through half of a section and slice through the rest...
    You can hide in the shadows for half of a section and assassinate in the shadows through the rest...
    You have to pick on game style and stick to it...
    You do get weapons, you get a sword, a hidden blade in your boots… but the combat system is garbage...
    For starters your health bar is a joke... get ready to die in 1 to 2 hits for most of the game…
    especially from the annoying throwing stars or crossbows that every enemy has
    A little over halfway through this game theres an enemy with an indestructible shield that can only be killed by flipping over and getting to his back.. Only problem is, flipping over an enemy is super confusing, and when you finally get to his back he turns around before you have a chance to attack him... don’t worry though you can run to a wall and climb away, but never mind he has throwing stars, youre dead, restart. Aaaaaalll the way back at the beginning of the section
    Do an optional objective along the way that took forever to do?
    Don’t worry you get to redo that too
    the checkpoints in this game are also complete garbage adding to the frustration
    Its so disappointing to give a combat system and be so against players using it
    If you’re an aggressive player like I am, you’re going to have a tough as nails time playing this game…
    2 enemies at a time is hardly doable..3 or 4 and you better just set your controller down and let your death happen…
    you’re forced to have to resort to stealth….
    So if you hate stealth like I do, you’re out of luck… which is a shame
    there are some pretty cool time based runner levels that were the highlight of the game for me...
    I think a game of this type could really benefit from a faster paced style hack and style of gameplay...
    This would definitely make the experience more enjoyable...
    I know assassin’s creed fans love stealth… I even love to try my hardest to be stealthy in the main games as much as I can…
    But unlike in the main games, I feel like if I don’t play the way the game wants me to I’m not allowed to enjoy the story which is why we’re here anyway….
    If you’re going to force me to play one way and stick to it to progress my character or get completionist trophies, why even let me do hand to hand combat….
    you’re putting cake in front of my face and smacking me for eating it.
    Why are you punishing me and hindering my progress because I use a tool you hand to me which is combat…
    Just take it away if you’re going to grade me at the end of every section
    Insanely cheap replay tactics.
    Speaking of cheap replay, you can play a new game plus mode if you haven’t got enough of this game…
    but you will long before it’s over.
    I give Assassins creed Chronicles China a
    7/10    … Expand
  3. jthegamer96
    Sep 28, 2016
    5
    Overall, this game is not worth playing. People coming from an AC background will find this limiting in terms of what the players can do and how they play. New players will most likely be annoyed with the repetitive story that leaves on an unjustified cliffhanger. The gameplay is often strict and unforgiving (not in a good way), and feels limited in terms of how you can overcome mostOverall, this game is not worth playing. People coming from an AC background will find this limiting in terms of what the players can do and how they play. New players will most likely be annoyed with the repetitive story that leaves on an unjustified cliffhanger. The gameplay is often strict and unforgiving (not in a good way), and feels limited in terms of how you can overcome most obstacles in the game. The sidequests are annoying to deal with (especially if you're going for 100%) and it is not a good game on its own, let alone in a trilogy

    In terms of setting, ACCC had a beautiful scenery that could have been immersive if the game play had been pulled off correctly. However, the missions get boring and repetitive, with infiltrating 4 bases, killing four main bad guys and escaping 4 times. The individual scenarios seem limited in the sense that you had only a few tools that were useful and a handful of options of how you could get past a guard unseen. The controls varied in how useful they were. Sometimes they worked fine, sometimes they wouldn't react fast enough (or at all) making situations more difficult than necessary, or overcompensating leading to the player getting caught. The combat was not well designed, leaving the player constantly frustrated at cheap shots from the enemy if surrounded by two or more of them.

    Next, the plot seemed ripped off from other assassins creed games where the assassins have an item stolen from them by the Templar and a large amount of the Chinese assassins were killed as a result. Now the player must take revenge, kill the people responsible, and find the missing item. I lost interest in the plot near the beginning, since it felt mostly like unnecessary filler, and picked up again near the ending where the plot was left unresolved and will be picked up in the next game.

    In terms of the game's performance, it was stable for the most part and I got through the game without any crashes, which is a plus. It's only when you want to go after collectables and side quests that i found problems. The side quest progress is only saved after you get to a predetermined check point. So if you do the task succesfully, but get caught in an unrelated section before getting to the checkpoint? Too bad, gotta do it again. The scoring itself was often strict and unforgiving. The only way i could get a reliable perfect score with a sidequest to kill someone, I often had to find the checkpoint to get the Shadow score, go back, kill the guy in question and hopefully get to the next checkpoint. I accidentally finish some levels without checking the sidequests thinking i had finished it, only to find out it had been reset due to me going back a checkpoint.

    Overall this game is fine to play if you are going for a more casual playthrough, this game delivers, although in a boring, repetitive sense. If you are going for the completionist aspect (like I was) then this game will aggravate you in terms of gameplay, story and its sidequest

    My final rating is a 5.0    … Expand
  4. mongoman
    May 13, 2015
    7
    I am not a fan of Assassins creed, I admit I liked 3 a little, I even wanted to like Black flag but I couldn't, yeah I'm sorry guys I know you all loved it. My point is this: this is not a typical Assassins creed game.This is a fantastic platformer with a decent story, good graphics and very good controls that suffice so much that even the worst gamer will succeed with little effort. TheI am not a fan of Assassins creed, I admit I liked 3 a little, I even wanted to like Black flag but I couldn't, yeah I'm sorry guys I know you all loved it. My point is this: this is not a typical Assassins creed game.This is a fantastic platformer with a decent story, good graphics and very good controls that suffice so much that even the worst gamer will succeed with little effort. The puzzles are well thought out, and the levels are designed well. I did not like the cheesy cutscenes, and at some points in the game it seems nearly impossible to sneak past all the gaurds without being seen, this of course makes it seem impossible to get the best rating for that particular section and the fighting is just awful so you'll want to be sneaky. but some players may see this as a challenge rather than a lesson in aggravation and cheap design. Overall though, this is a great platformer and a must buy for fans of the genre. It is not recommended for fans of the Assassins creed series as it bears no resemblance to other titles in the series. Definitely a must buy once you finish the awesome Ori and the blind forest game. My score is reflective of the awful, limited fight mechanics, the awful cutscenes, and some very questionable level designs later in the game.… Expand
  5. memus
    Apr 20, 2022
    5
    An okayish stealth game and a bad AC creed game:

    Pros: + Watercolor visuals are interesting + The stealth gameplay works + Running sections are fun + It's totally doable to get 100% completion here Cons: - Some custscenes look like a 3d animated series from the 90s: i.e. everyone looks like plastic dools. (Other cutscenes look great, though. Hit & miss, hit & miss.) - Controls    An okayish stealth game and a bad AC creed game:

    Pros:
    + Watercolor visuals are interesting
    + The stealth gameplay works
    + Running sections are fun
    + It's totally doable to get 100% completion here

    Cons:
    - Some custscenes look like a 3d animated series from the 90s: i.e. everyone looks like plastic dools. (Other cutscenes look great, though. Hit & miss, hit & miss.)
    - Controls are okay, but not super precise due to 2,5d nature of the game. When doing 100% more often then not, I was trying to beat controls, not the game itself.
    - The color coding (red is climbable) doesn't have enough contrast, so it creates struggles sometimes. I missed a few alternative level routes due to that.
    - To get 100% only a no-kill policy is allowed. That's too harsh and limits gameplay styles to a great extent.
    - The historical & exploration aspects in this one are minimalistic at best. And they are the main draw of AC games for me. Now I want a full AC China creed game. This one only hinted at possibilities.    … Expand
  6. Alexcel343
    Aug 27, 2015
    7
    So, as I scoured the Xbox marketplace, I saw this game for around £8 and picked it up. I didn't expect much, wanting a 2.5D game that is fun. I can say this game has some good qualities and I enjoyed this game, but there are some poor elements that make the game suffer.

    In terms of pros for this game, I liked the actual game play. The way each chapter is structured makes each mission    So, as I scoured the Xbox marketplace, I saw this game for around £8 and picked it up. I didn't expect much, wanting a 2.5D game that is fun. I can say this game has some good qualities and I enjoyed this game, but there are some poor elements that make the game suffer.

    In terms of pros for this game, I liked the actual game play. The way each chapter is structured makes each mission split into numerous sections, with points awarded for your play in the section. The sections allow for some variety with a few different paths based on how you play and a few gadgets the main character, Shao Jun, can use, including throwing knives and a whistle. There was a strategic element to the game play, making each section an individual challenge, even if the challenge is not too difficult. The best thing is the visual style of this game. In levels, the environments have a simple, but effective art style which truly emphasises Japanese culture. Cut scenes are delivered in hand-drawn Japanese art, which is highly enjoyable on the eye. Also, the game has a few great levels based on running away from disasters and speed running the levels. Some of the best levels in the game, these increase the pacing of the game where the rest is more based on patience. These levels are well placed in the game to do this. The game, as previously mentioned, allows players to play differently. You can kill no one and hide, you can kill all enemies with out being detected, or brawl with enemies in combat, a great strength for the game. In addition, traditional AC trademarks are included, such as incognito crowds and numerous assassinations. And as someone who's a big fan of meaningful collectibles, there are chests that can unlock lore. So the game has some fun elements.

    Unfortunately, the game does have some elements that are lacklustre. One big thing is the story. Whilst the protagonist is supportable in her quest with understandable motives, it's just not memorable, as little attention is paid to other characters in the story, and considering the promising setting, this is disappointing. Another bad thing is the lack of replay ability. New game plus is available, but besides unlocking all the upgrades and getting the top scores, there's little reason to play through the story again. There's also no multiplayer, so one playthrough may be enough for most. Difficulty lacks as well. It's difficult to choose your route through levels, but the enemies have vision cones (which are necessary to give the stealth abilities) so it's easy to find areas where you cannot be detected. For me, when discovered, it feels like the end of the world as combat against enemies with a sword is similar to 3D AC games with enemies waiting. However, the game slows to a creep as you wait to strike, and enemies can swarm in some areas, resulting in you being outnumbered by 5. But combat is not death as Shao Jun has a number of abilities to navigate combat.

    So, for a £8 game, it's not bad, and is definitely worth that amount. For those looking for a 2.5D assassin game, this is decent fun. Wanting a great narrative? Don't get this game. But with beautiful visuals and sound, a decent level of variety in missions, this game can have some fans for sure.    … Expand
  7. NexusTsunami
    Jan 22, 2017
    5
    Tja. Eigentlich hat mich dieses Spiel so oft genervt wie keines in den letzten Jahren. 2D Plattformer (und Plattformer allgemein) sind sowieso nicht mein Fall. Warum ich es gespielt habe? AC....

    Der einzige Aspekt warum ich hier 5* gebe, ist das Shao Jun, die erste weibliche Assassine die man spielen darf, eigentlich nichts falsch macht... außer von den Entwicklern in so ein Spiel    Tja. Eigentlich hat mich dieses Spiel so oft genervt wie keines in den letzten Jahren. 2D Plattformer (und Plattformer allgemein) sind sowieso nicht mein Fall. Warum ich es gespielt habe? AC....

    Der einzige Aspekt warum ich hier 5* gebe, ist das Shao Jun, die erste weibliche Assassine die man spielen darf, eigentlich nichts falsch macht... außer von den Entwicklern in so ein Spiel gesteckt worden zu sein.    … Expand
  8. Broyax
    Jan 1, 2017
    7
    Ubisoft fait de temps à autre quelques incursions dans l'indé et comme le veut la règle, ça finit en eau de boudin à tous les coups. Cependant, cet ACCC (l'acronyme qui tue) est l'exception qui confirme la sainte règle des indés très "frais" pourtant déjà périmenazes, car ici les mécaniques de l'Assassin's Creed sont restituées, reproduites et habilement concentrées pour en faire un jeuUbisoft fait de temps à autre quelques incursions dans l'indé et comme le veut la règle, ça finit en eau de boudin à tous les coups. Cependant, cet ACCC (l'acronyme qui tue) est l'exception qui confirme la sainte règle des indés très "frais" pourtant déjà périmenazes, car ici les mécaniques de l'Assassin's Creed sont restituées, reproduites et habilement concentrées pour en faire un jeu d'infiltration en 2,5D étonnamment intéressant.

    L'interface et la maniabilité sont ainsi bien calibrées en dépit de cette 2D (et affinités) forcément restrictive mais qui n'entache en rien une architecture des niveaux très bien pensée. L'infiltration est donc reine et si les combats sont possibles, on cherchera à les éviter la plupart du temps. Notre assassine est en effet très vulnérable et les ennemis sont du genre nombreux et costauds...

    Une difficulté globalement assez élevée d'ailleurs ; heureusement les checkpoints ne sont pas trop mal disposés. On regrettera néanmoins ces quelques niveaux beaucoup trop "plate-forme" où il faut tracer la route alors que tout se casse la gueule : aussi crispant qu'inutile...

    Le style graphique est particulier (et limité) mais pas désagréable ; l'impression est toutefois un peu monotone malgré l'ambiance "Empire du Milieu" bien rendue.

    Pour un jeu de cet acabit, l'histoire et la mise en scène réduites à leur plus simple expression ne sont certes pas à montrer du doigt ; seule la jouabilité compte, laquelle nonobstant une difficulté un brin frappadingue, suffit à hisser cet AC parmi les meilleurs avatars de l'inépuisable franchise.    … Expand
  9. Nebraska619
    Feb 27, 2021
    6
    This game is nothing like the other assassins creed games but it is a bit of fun. The side scrolling assassin stuff is really hard to get used to but once you got it it is fun as hell. The story is pretty hard to keep up with because a lot of it you have to read the character bios to understand them. I didn't feel a connection with the main character but i still enjoyed playing as her as iThis game is nothing like the other assassins creed games but it is a bit of fun. The side scrolling assassin stuff is really hard to get used to but once you got it it is fun as hell. The story is pretty hard to keep up with because a lot of it you have to read the character bios to understand them. I didn't feel a connection with the main character but i still enjoyed playing as her as i either snuck my way through guards, slashed my way through guards, or a combination of the two. The combat is pretty good and the helix mechanic is pretty cool but still not a "good" game in my opinion. 6/10… Expand
  10. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 29, 2021
    5
    Atmosphere: 5
    Enjoyment: 4
    Gameplay: 4
    Graphics: 5
    Music: 5
    Story: 4
    Total: 4.50

Awards & Rankings

49
#49 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2015
97
#97 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Jun 14, 2015
    75
    A decidedly average stealth platformer. Mark of the Ninja did this way better. [June 2015]
  2. games(TM)
    May 27, 2015
    60
    An enjoyable if obvious knock-off, then, and a refreshing new direction for a stagnant franchise, but hardly the kind of revolution that would worry the Templars.
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  3. The Digital Fix
    May 26, 2015
    60
    Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China is sadly a bit of a let down. Gorgeous to look at, fiddly to control and a tad dull to experience, this is yet another AC iteration that falls flat. A bold idea, poorly executed.
    Read full review
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