For those of you who have completed AC can agree with me that Ubisoft is going to release a follow-up (keeping in mind on how it all ends) to one of their most important games of this year. However, I keep asking myself what they have in mind. I thought of the game as nothing less of a masterpiece, but my biggest fear is what Ubisoft are planning for the series. No offense, but when it comes to making a sequel for a really good game that takes place a long long time ago, Ubisoft tends to modify the game so everyone who didn't like it the first time will like it now.

An example for this is the Prince of Persia series. In the first Prince of Persia you played in an abandoned, zombie-infested yet beautiful castle, the nameless prince talked in a polite british accent and the plot was simple; Kill the evil old man and save the sexy princess. I loved the game because it was fun to play. It had great combat with the best animation I had seen in a game back then, it had perplexing puzzles that were hard but never frustrating and the platforming was always breathtaking. Ubisoft had made a great job reviving the old forgotten PoP-series, and I begged every night for a sequel. Which I got.

However, I got something I wasn't quite expecting. The Prince now had changed his nice looking blue persian army uniform to this "cool" red armor, he talked with an american accent which confused me completly, you played in this dark, scary "cool" castle and the guy you had to kill now was Fate itself. The soundtrack had been swapped from an original mix of middle-east instrument and wailing guitars to a band called "Godsmack" And Ubisoft decided to add combos in the combat, so instead of slick animations I got hacky slashy gameplay that belongs in (insert random bad Offical Game of The Movie here).

You might wonder why I am talking about this and not AC, but I have to mention the PoP-fiasco the Ubisoft produced a few years ago. Why you might ask, and I will tell you now. It's because I fear that Ubisoft will make the same mistake with AC.

My dream version of AC2 is that Ubisoft will keep spinning the long long time ago wheel, because the gameplay is much better that way. You can't be a really cool assasin with swords and hidden blades in the year 2007, because everyone would have guns. Imagine that you are playing AC, you are being chased by a few guards, only that they don't have any swords, they have guns blazing and are aiming them at you. I mean, the whole gameplay would have been ruined. And now in 2007, we don't have two-storey buildings made out of clay, we have scyscrapers which would also ruin AC, I mean there wouldn't be that much freerunning when there is a 30 ft. gap between each building.

So my dream version of AC2 would (spoiler alert) be following: Desmond has been rescued by the Assassins, only they need to find something too in his genetic memory. So they use their DIY Animus to look at Altairs great great great great grandson, who perhaps lives in Europe during the 16th-17th century. Imagine how great the would be; You could play in Venice, Paris, and maybe London, at a time when the city guards still used swords instead of guns because it took 15 minutes to reload those damn things, the buildings would be about the same size, and keeping in mind about the number of events back in those days, you have loads of inspiration as a scriptwriter to write an intresting storyline, one that can be compared with the high standards of AC.

Maybe it sounds a bit naive to write your dream sequel, but for me, it's a wake up call to Ubisoft, or maybe a threat. Don't mess AC2 up, it has huge potential. But I want to know what you think. Will Ubisoft cock things up? What will happen to the storyline? Do you even care? What do you want to see in the next AC?

From the get-go Assassin's Creed was released as "the first installment in the new Assassin's Creed franchise."

Considering the POP -> POP2 fiasco that you mentioned, which is really relevant in the context I think, I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Plus, spoilers aside (everybody knows by now), adding a scifi element in AC, to me, is just like putting the Prince in latex and leather plus heavy metal music. Come off it, developers. Stop pandering to the inane twelve-year-olds inside. Grow up already.

Ok, I was just really pissed off at AC and POP2, because those elements added absolutely nothing to the game and subtracted a helluvalot from the overall impression.

Well, with a title like "Assassin's Creed" it really makes it open-ended to where the plot can take you. Personally, it would be kinda fun to have an Assasination-based game in a dystopian future--imagine playing AC with huge sky-scrapers and robots.

I mean, if they really wanted to do it right, they'd still have, say, nine targets to assassinate, but they'd give each target their own individual dungeon, or level (which could range from being some corporate building to a religious center or to just a bunch of slums that require information gathering skills to navigate.) If you take all the disjointed stuff in AC and put it into a more focused setting, you'd actually have a good game, with variety.

I mean, say one target is a military leader. First, you can explore your big, dystopian future city, maybe peruse a Black Market in search of entry codes to his military stronghold, then once you are inside you have to sneak around heavily armed security forces and cameras a-la Splinter Cell and then finally shove a knife into the back of his neck and escape down a trash chute, timed just right so that you get emptied into the trash truck as it drives away into the night.

I mean, there's a good amount of stuff they could do, if they just do it RIGHT. That's the problem with Assassin's Creed--they have fun stuff, but they don't do it right.

Maybe they could ues both ideas. In AC they mentioned that Desmond used to be a an Assassin, so maybe they could do something where you play some missions as Desmond in the future, and as Altair, (or one of his descendants) in the past. I think that it would be cool to have to learn two different types of stealth gameplay in the same gane.

personally, i thought AC was great, a bit repetitive but ubisoft did too many things right to make the game not fun. If they make AC2 in the present, it wouldnt make any sense. you can't free run on sky skyscrapers. Fighting giant robots reminds me too much of half life (striders anyone?) and you would have to use guns to be believable, so no kick ass counter killz. What they can do, as projekt spartan said, was make another double plot story line. missions as desmond and missions as altair. Either way, i loved AC and i cant wait for the second, the story was so good.

[quote=RentCavalier]Well, with a title like "Assassin's Creed" it really makes it open-ended to where the plot can take you. Personally, it would be kinda fun to have an Assasination-based game in a dystopian future--imagine playing AC with huge sky-scrapers and robots.

I thought of that idea first, which is great in theory. The one issue I fear is the sheer size of it all; will Ubisoft be able to fit citys equvilant to those in AC, only with vechiles and scyscrapers? Don't get me wrong, I love and share your thoughts with the dystopian future, I'm just concerned that we don't have the hardware for it at the moment.

Or maybe AC2 will be the game that would really put PS3 to the test :P

I really enjoyed the free-running in AC, but that's really about it. The combat had flourishes, but my aching thumb cries for justice. For a game so pretty, you think they could have put some more thought into the experience over time.

Three things killed it for me:

1. The lack of any effective continuous reward mechanism to encourage the player to continue. this games ends up being the same old thing far too quickly. this is different from simple repetition, though (What game doesn't have you do the same thing over and over?) it's all about providing the right reward to keep you playing. In that sense, AC fails pretty miserably.

2. The shallow-as-a-wading pool combat system. My personal favorite is when you finish a mission, and you're rewarded with a technique like "dodge". Seriously? Is this supposed to heighten my gameplay experience to new levels? Dodge? Did no one else get that "WTF!" feeling when X hours in, my character is just learning how to get out of the way of someone swinging a weapon at his head? Shouldn't that be Assassin 101?

My feel for the game overall is that its very pretty, and has one good game play mechanic in it. But that's it. No masterpiece, nothing like that - not even GOTY. AC really feels to me like the developers got so caught up in building the world that they forgot about developing the user experience past the first hour or so. Once you've run all over the environment, picked a few pockets, and saved some villagers - what then?

In short, I agree that it's very pretty, but disagree that it's anywhere even close to a masterpiece.

Okay, let me start off by saying that after PoP:SoT came out I became a dirty dirty cheap heroine slut for Ubisoft, so pardon me if it sounds like I'm all over their nuts. Because I probably am ;P.

I liked Prince of Persia, Sands of Time. Had a great feel, even if the game halfway through became, counter,kill, counter, kill, counter, kill. Hell, that was the boss fight too! I liked the music, to an extent, a guy on a citar, is nice, but they had some douchebag remixing it. The music was ruined for me at that point.
And Pop: WW? How was it bad? Yes it looked like it was trying to be hardcore, but you miss the point.
The game was supposed to look and feel darker. The prince spent all of his time running from the Dahaka, not to mention he was visibly older. So, still sounding like a 17 YO British lad, would have ruined the motif. So, now we're supposed to get a feeling like he's desperate, has little hope, only ambition. I'm seeing it, and hearing it the game. But the music, I'll agree, bad move on Godsmack, however, would a guy playing his citar being remixed to something by Black eyed Peas sound any better? (Umm, maybe actually, but I digress.)
The music was supposed to help you feel like you were truly on your own in a probably hopeless journey, (Also "I Stand Alone" was writtien for Scorpion King, which kind of slightly falls into the same era.) I seriosuly fealt it...
The hack and slah, well, I seriosuly prefer it to, 'Hold R, press b, Hold R, Press B".
But then again I had mastered all the combos by the time you got The lions sword: "XXYYXX" or alternatively, "YYXXYY" and many more simpler shorter combinations. PoP was already hack and slah, they gave you more options.

Then we come to The Two Thrones. The cobmat was exactly the same, which it would have made even less sense if it was SoT style. ANYWAY, we take a look at the Prince. He's definitely still mature, but as we play through the game we start to notice him becoming him again. IE: he's no longer constantly living in fear of the Dahaka, he's in a familiar place, and he's able to relax every now and than. SO, his keen accent is comming back, even the brutal amoutns of sarcasm. In short, he was back to his old self again, even if he did grow up a little. The music was back to feeling like it fit the era, and all was well with the world... Except of course, he had to save it again.

So, if you didn't get it, I LOVED PRINCE OF PERSIA!!!111oneuneinz XD.... Alot. They were fun, imersive, even if they were a little linear.

Which brings me to the Creed. I use Creed instead of AC because I also play Armored Core sometimes.
I loved it! Garret from Theif, and The Prince got it on, had a babey, and trained it as best as they could. The Result, Altair, and a VERY pretty game.
I don't know what every disliked so much about it, it played well, the combat was simple, but seriously, if you saw him running up walls and dive bombing his enemies you'd have been pissed. There's not much you can do with a sword and knife, so there's not much you can make believable in a game,
The stroy was compelling, even if after the old guy told me to stop asking questions I knew I'd be killing him.
The outside story was pretty neat, future, genetics, woman can't keep track of her pen.
I loved it, only reason I don't have all the achievements is because I was borrowing it form a friend! Wonderful game, flawless I say. But then again, Ubisoft, testicles, my mouth thing.

As for a Creed2? Sure you could set it in the future with tall buildings, look at Ninja Gaiden. However climbing them would be hard and you'd have to take a page out of Boba Fett's book.
It would definitely be a big thinking process on how you would have to traverse them. Then there's combat, but seriously, you wouldn't need GIANT ass robots. Just regular sized ones will do too. The gun thing IS always a problem, which would mean you'd have to disarm your assailants first, or lose them on the streets where it's easier to duck around a corner.
It's not impossible, it's not improbable, hell, Ubisoft made Creed obviously wanting us to expect a sequal.
It just would have to be taken with a lot of consideration about what technologies we have, or you would have to fear it turning out like Crysis, and having a small player base.

Swenglish:
[quote=RentCavalier]Well, with a title like "Assassin's Creed" it really makes it open-ended to where the plot can take you. Personally, it would be kinda fun to have an Assasination-based game in a dystopian future--imagine playing AC with huge sky-scrapers and robots.

I thought of that idea first, which is great in theory. The one issue I fear is the sheer size of it all; will Ubisoft be able to fit citys equvilant to those in AC, only with vechiles and scyscrapers? Don't get me wrong, I love and share your thoughts with the dystopian future, I'm just concerned that we don't have the hardware for it at the moment.

Or maybe AC2 will be the game that would really put PS3 to the test :P

I think that it would be better to make the past segments played as Altair the same, or at least similar to what they were in AC, however, make the future segments played as Desmond more Splinter Cell-esque. That is to say, not entirely free roaming environments. AS for the equipment, it could play alot like the splinter cell games, and considering how both games are made by UBI Soft, maybe even tie the storylines of AC and SC together.

Projekt Spartan:
and considering how both games are made by UBI Soft, maybe even tie the storylines of AC and SC together.

Whao, let's not go there, you might have been onto something actually profitable.

TheNecroswanson:

Then we come to The Two Thrones. The cobmat was exactly the same, which it would have made even less sense if it was SoT style. ANYWAY, we take a look at the Prince. He's definitely still mature, but as we play through the game we start to notice him becoming him again. IE: he's no longer constantly living in fear of the Dahaka, he's in a familiar place, and he's able to relax every now and than. SO, his keen accent is comming back, even the brutal amoutns of sarcasm. In short, he was back to his old self again, even if he did grow up a little. The music was back to feeling like it fit the era, and all was well with the world... Except of course, he had to save it again.

So, if you didn't get it, I LOVED PRINCE OF PERSIA!!!111oneuneinz XD.... Alot. They were fun, imersive, even if they were a little linear.

Which brings me to the Creed. I use Creed instead of AC because I also play Armored Core sometimes.
I loved it! Garret from Theif, and The Prince got it on, had a babey, and trained it as best as they could. The Result, Altair, and a VERY pretty game.
I don't know what every disliked so much about it, it played well, the combat was simple, but seriously, if you saw him running up walls and dive bombing his enemies you'd have been pissed. There's not much you can do with a sword and knife, so there's not much you can make believable in a game,
The stroy was compelling, even if after the old guy told me to stop asking questions I knew I'd be killing him.
The outside story was pretty neat, future, genetics, woman can't keep track of her pen.
I loved it, only reason I don't have all the achievements is because I was borrowing it form a friend! Wonderful game, flawless I say. But then again, Ubisoft, testicles, my mouth thing.

As for a Creed2? Sure you could set it in the future with tall buildings, look at Ninja Gaiden. However climbing them would be hard and you'd have to take a page out of Boba Fett's book.
It would definitely be a big thinking process on how you would have to traverse them. Then there's combat, but seriously, you wouldn't need GIANT ass robots. Just regular sized ones will do too. The gun thing IS always a problem, which would mean you'd have to disarm your assailants first, or lose them on the streets where it's easier to duck around a corner.
It's not impossible, it's not improbable, hell, Ubisoft made Creed obviously wanting us to expect a sequal.
It just would have to be taken with a lot of consideration about what technologies we have, or you would have to fear it turning out like Crysis, and having a small player base.

I may have been a bit too harsh on PoP:Ww, maybe because I was so dissapointed and never really got over it. But before I start talking about Creed, I just wanted to say that (from my point of view) that I lowered my hopes and excpectations for PoP:TTT and liked it. It was a good, appreciated mix from both of the first and second PoP games, although if you have to complain about something, the "driving" sections felt somewhat unnessecary.

As for Creed2, My guess is that a jetpack Boba Fett-style wouldn't be as discreet as the Creed wishes it would be, perhaps a grappling hook? And maybe the guns (what I'm about to say is far-fetched) could be prototype laser guns, that are so inaccurate and unreliable that only a few guards carry them (compared to the archers guarding the roofs in Creed1) while the rest have...lightsabers. Or sicksticks. Or huge purple dildos. Hell, I should start a new thread where everyone could brainstorm about the new futuristic weaponry which could feature in Creed2.

I just can't get into this game. A lot like Hitman, with too much fluffy dialog. I don't dread a sequel because I won't be buying it. In fact I think I am a victim of the advertising execs nefarious scheming. Eyes be damned! I will trust my gut from now on when it comes to Ubisoft games.

I guess I should have know it was not going to be my taste since it contains two things I am morally opposed to. Assassins and Creed. Hey, that gives me an idea; I wonder if you could substitute a profession and a rock band to create Ubisoft's next big hit?

Bus Boy's Porno for Pyros
Fishmonger's Wang Chung
Superintendent's Nickelback
Midwife's Hootie and the Blowfish (my personal favorite)

I apologize if my fevered nonsense is amusing no one but myself.

Swenglish:
although if you have to complain about something, the "driving" sections felt somewhat unnessecary.

Most definitely, yeah, hated it.

And dildo's, whoa, that sounds creepy. ( although I bought a very large dildo smply to hit my friends with.)
As for the lazer thing, yeah that would work better, but the implimentation would be delicate. So innacurate that only a few could use them would work better for a boss. As a guard, just seems inefficient. I would think a cooler idea would be like, a lazer sight, if the red lazer locks onto you, and turns blue, you know you're about to get shot, giving you a chance to hide.
However that would get bad when you're climbing a very large building and trying to- brain syntax error. rebooting...

Maybe they should just leave it medevil.

Edit: And wilson, um, Creed was a word and philosphy LONG before it was a band.

Swenglish:
As for Creed2, My guess is that a jetpack Boba Fett-style wouldn't be as discreet as the Creed wishes it would be, perhaps a grappling hook? And maybe the guns (what I'm about to say is far-fetched) could be prototype laser guns, that are so inaccurate and unreliable that only a few guards carry them (compared to the archers guarding the roofs in Creed1) while the rest have...lightsabers. Or sicksticks. Or huge purple dildos. Hell, I should start a new thread where everyone could brainstorm about the new futuristic weaponry which could feature in Creed2.

Yeah I would say that is taking it a little far. Sicksticks, maybe, but as for the rest I dont think that AC is set that far into the future. It is a little hard to judge based on four rooms, but from what i saw (laptops, furniture, and those large computers in the corners) nothing in AC seems to be that different from what we have today, excluding the animus of course. I cant remember reading a date in any of the emails either. AC could be set two years from now, and that lab was just extremely cutting-edge. As for the lightsabers, there may be some copyright infringement there...

Projekt Spartan:
I cant remember reading a date in any of the emails either.

I think i just smelled a possible plot device I may have missed in playing through it.

TheNecroswanson:

Projekt Spartan:
I cant remember reading a date in any of the emails either.

I think i just smelled a possible plot device I may have missed in playing through it.

What do you mean?

Ummm, did anyone pay attention to the actual ending of the game...or did the hour-long credits discourage your exploratory instincts. If you use your eagle vision as Desmond at the end of the game, you will see at least 3-5 blood drawings that basically directly point to it being in an Asian (most likely Japanese) setting. First of all is the writing all over your bedroom wall. Its all in English, and an Asian language (Japanese, i think, but i don't know the difference very well). Outside in the Animus room are various pictures such as a Feudal-Japanese-style tower, a mountain that reminds me a lot of Mt. Fuji. etc. etc. I think there s sufficient evidence to support the game being in Asia/Japan. Also, I don't believe that Ubisoft will divert too far from their wildly successful formula from AC, but then again, PoP...who knows.

Based on the events of the end of AC, it appears to me that Abstergo no longer needs Desmond, so they will attempt to dispose of him, but Lucy will help him escape. From the disturbingly-modern hologram that you liberated from Al Mualim, we can see that there are nearly 2 dozen dots, probably indicating special artifacts that survived to the future. So it seems likely that AC2 will be a lot more split than 1. I believe that there will be a fairly equal amount of time spent between the past (feudal japan) to locate these artifacts, and the present/future to recover them. Possibly climaxing in a showdown with Abstergo or something.

That's my prediction anyway.

P.S. its also fairly obvious that it takes place only a few, no more than 10, years in the future. Its been a few weeks since i last played so my memory of the specific emails is a little foggy. But even though no specific year was stated, the content of the emails certainly hinted that it was in the fairly near future.

Well, that's even better--you could do a lot of cool near-future assasinations too. Maybe have it all build up to the eventual Assassination of a President--if not THE President. Of course, maybe have a dual scenario's thing, for multiplayer--get this:

An assassin is sent in to try and hunt down a target. It plays like typical AC, moving through a location, scouting out a target, etc etc.

Another player plays as the target's security detail. Each security detail has a different unit--a straight up weapons specialist, maybe a hand-to-hand specialist, an undercover specialist to try and root out the assassin before he even strikes, and an overall team leader who wouldn't directly intervene, but would set up A.I. security camera's and NPC soldierly fellows based on counter-intelligence info provided prior to the actual assassination.

That, right there, would make an AC2 worth buying.

TheNecroswanson:

Edit: And wilson, um, Creed was a word and philosphy LONG before it was a band.

Known to me mortal. Dare not defy my sarcastic banter again. Thou shalt be punished (pronounced punish-shed).

I'm sure they'd make Altaïr a Goth, since in this century, only Goths find it fascinating to stand on the edge of a cathedral roof, staring at the void beneath.

wadark:
If you use your eagle vision as Desmond at the end of the game, you will see at least 3-5 blood drawings that basically directly point to it being in an Asian (most likely Japanese) setting.

Ah, I forgot about those :P But from what I recall, doesn't it say in the bottom right corner in Desmonds Bedroom: "

I went in to the Abyss (Animus?) and never came out"

I guess that Ubisoft gave as something to specualte after all :P

As i remember theres some more text to be read after you complete the game. It talks about Altair struggling to destroy the object at the end (can't remeber specifics cos i completed about a month ago), But i get the feeling that altair goes after those other pieces of Eden. But I also get the feeling the animus is gonna start screwing with Desmond. The guy who was in the animus before him started having some form of genetic blur with his ancestor, to the point where his ancestors memories were taking over some of the subjects memories. Could be that Desmond becomes more like Altair in the future. We already know he's an Assasin, but how far will it go, i mean the templars are still about in modern times, surley the story will end with desmond taking em out... I mean they could throw us off completely, but seems to me its just a case of guessing what point of the story will go where and if they'll add twists, cos the story seems pretty predictable to me.

Main thing though, they need to add replayability, there was just no satisfaction goin back and doin the same missions again, nor was there in wandering around the old kingdom looking for feckin flags. It was a good game, but i needed more, and there was nothing to go back to really, i haven't found all the flags, but personally couldn't give a toss, cos there's no real reward other than achievement points.

TheNecroswanson:

[snip] And Pop: WW? How was it bad? [snip]

This is of course my very subjective opinion:

The level design isn't as good. In SoT I quickly mastered the control scheme (KB+Mouse for me) and got an incredible feeling of freedom. In WW I was misjumping and missing counters and so on and so forth. That could be an issue with directx or something, sometimes it was just silly so I have a nagging feeling something wasn't right, but I was fed up by that time and wasn't in the mood for tech support. But still, the levels weren't at all as compelling for me, there was so many more instances of just traversing areas to get to the good bits.

The music broke the fourth wall. It was just too contemporary and for me ruined the immersion. Plus I think it sucked.

S & M is corny. Yes, it is. It isn't badass or dark or heavy. It's for sissies. My opinion, mind you, but anyhow.

As for a present/future Assassin-game, well, Hitman does it fairly well in present time, IMO. I'm sure some social engineering mechanics on top of that could make an excellent game.

As for free running on skyscrapers, gimme a Spidey-suit and I'll be wall jumping two-hundred fifty feet up anytime!

Assassin's creed 2 = can't wait.

I'm expecting it to go through the history of Desmond Mile's family. Go to another time in history...maybe like the 1400's? Since AC is supposed to be a trilogy, perhaps AC 3 will have Miles doing the actual killing vs the templars.

raankh:
S & M is corny. Yes, it is.

I didn't really see it as S&M, I think referring any form of tight leather to S&M is a little childish though. I can see where you come from at that point, but bondage outift??? That's just reading waaaaay to far into it.
I do however agree with the level design being less grand, and like I said the music, though I do agree a less contemporary score would have worked better, would have been the lesser of two evils at that point. Lesser of two, but still bigger than some. (But than again I kinds of likes Godsmack. Keep in mind it could've been Behemoth... God forbid.) As for breaking the fourth wall, yeah, they did....

As for the symbols, I couldn't identify them as oriental.. Than again I have the sight of a dying mongoose, so blurry things are bad for me.

And Projekt Sparatn: I've no clue what I meant now, I wrote that at 4 in the morning... And can't remember at all what I was talking about.

TheNecroswanson:

I didn't really see it as S&M, I think referring any form of tight leather to S&M is a little childish though. I can see where you come from at that point, but bondage outift??? That's just reading waaaaay to far into it.

Reading way too much into it? Eh ... well ... I guess we have different views on the issue.