GaMe:OR Lame?

ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS

Assassin’s Creed 2 was one of the most entertaining and groundbreaking games of this generation, and while its follow up – Brotherhood, was a solid successor, it very much resided in AC2’s shadow. With Revelations, however, it seems like Ubisoft is running out of ideas. Revelations sees Ezio travel to Constantinople in search of Altair’s (who also makes an appearance) secrets. The city looks great but can’t hold a candle to the Italian locations from the previous games. The biggest disappointment here is that Ubisoft has removed several things we loved about AC2 and Brotherhood. Gone are the thrilling platforming puzzles of the AC2 catacombs, the joys of horseback riding through city outskirts and the sense of achievement in finding cryptic glyphs. What’s worse is that these have been replaced by elements that don’t quite work. Bomb-making is given too much emphasis for a game that lays so much importance on strength. The developers have also shoehorned a tower defence mini game in to keep Templars away from Assassin dens, but it isn’t any fun at all.
The signature gameplay is still just as enjoyable, so the aforementioned missteps could have been forgiven had the conclusion to the game’s plot been worth the journey. Sadly, it isn’t. So while the hardcore fans will derive some enjoyment out of Revelations, the rest of us will have to wait another year in hope of the next big Assassin’s Creed title.

PLATFORMS:
XBOX 360, PS3, PC

NEED FOR SPEED: THE RUN

The Run sees the return of Need for Speed’s action racing brand of gameplay that made Most Wanted a fan favourite. As before, you have a nonsensical story to go along with. This time, you’re participating in an illegal race across the US as you chase big money and evade the mob who want you dead. The game plays out like a Gumball 3000 of sorts, starting in San Francisco and ending in New York while passing through a diverse array of landscapes along the way.
A cross-country race is a good premise for a racing game because no two events look the same. You’re constantly passing through new locales varying from country roads and snow-covered mountains to expressways and city streets. Aside from these varied locales, however, The Run disappoints thanks to some strange design decisions. Its checkpoint system takes you to a previous point in the race when you crash, rather than letting you rewind. The game only lets you switch cars during races or at predetermined locations. Cars often feel heavy and unresponsive, and performing a handbrake turn is a nightmare.
Many will enjoy this cross-country romp, but for those expecting a game to top last year’s Hot Pursuit, this isn’t it.

PLATFORMS:
XBOX 360, PS3, PC

Volume 1 Issue 7