Before I begin, let me say that I was a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series back in the day. Ezio Auditore da Firenzi was a truly memorable character for me, and still stands among my other iconic protagonists to this day.
While Assassin's Creed 3 succeeded in giving me at least some kind of closure to the main story of Desmond Miles, it still fell flat in many places and by the end, I had become comfortable with putting the series behind me for good. It was because of this decision that I completely bypassed both Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: Unity. And apparently, I seemed to have missed out, as Black Flag is considered a fan favorite for some reason. Most likely due to it's ship to ship battles, but it's been some time since I read up on any of it's reviews.
While Assassin's Creed 3 succeeded in giving me at least some kind of closure to the main story of Desmond Miles, it still fell flat in many places and by the end, I had become comfortable with putting the series behind me for good. It was because of this decision that I completely bypassed both Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: Unity. And apparently, I seemed to have missed out, as Black Flag is considered a fan favorite for some reason. Most likely due to it's ship to ship battles, but it's been some time since I read up on any of it's reviews.
Fast-forward to just two short weeks ago; as I came across an Ubisoft sale on UPlay and decided to download Syndicate and give it a shot. Thankfully, being it's own unique story that I'm able to play without having to go back to the previous installments, I was able to just dive right in and enjoy myself... which I did, for a short time.
The Story: The story is simple enough; Jacob and Evie Frye journeys to London to take the fight to the Templars and find the Piece of Eden. Along the way, they start a gang, steal a train, take over districts and run remarkably boring side missions for some of history's most iconic figures.
I really enjoyed Evie's missions finding the Pieces of Eden, and had fun with Jacob's hit first and ask questions later style of combat, but felt that those moments were constantly lost in a sea of repetitive district conquest missions. The first few districts were pretty fun, and I would always find new and innovative ways to take out my target, or capture my bounty, or free the children.
But after a while, it just became tedious and really took the joy out of playing. Bounty, Assassination, Child Labor and Stronghold... playing them over and over again really ruined the experience for me. Add that to the slew of side missions that were a bore-fest more than half of the time, and by the end I was glad I was done with it all.
I really enjoyed Evie's missions finding the Pieces of Eden, and had fun with Jacob's hit first and ask questions later style of combat, but felt that those moments were constantly lost in a sea of repetitive district conquest missions. The first few districts were pretty fun, and I would always find new and innovative ways to take out my target, or capture my bounty, or free the children.
But after a while, it just became tedious and really took the joy out of playing. Bounty, Assassination, Child Labor and Stronghold... playing them over and over again really ruined the experience for me. Add that to the slew of side missions that were a bore-fest more than half of the time, and by the end I was glad I was done with it all.
Gameplay: I overclocked and pushed this baby using UltraHD 4K and man was Syndicate a sight to behold. While I didn't really care about the missions as much as I should have, I cannot deny that the visual graphics were just beautiful to explore. There were a few obviously noticeable flaws in the graphical work that created some rather annoying texture flickering or shade displacement, but where they managed to get it right, they managed to create some beautiful scenery.
The combat system hasn't changed too much from my Assassin's Creed III play-through, but what it did change or update, were all very positive. I enjoyed the combat very much. The game's movement system felt a lot smoother this time around, giving you a nice easy flow from building top to building top. Cutting through side streets and ascending or descending structures or landscapes felt much more natural. I didn't have any complaints when it came to that aspect.
The combat system hasn't changed too much from my Assassin's Creed III play-through, but what it did change or update, were all very positive. I enjoyed the combat very much. The game's movement system felt a lot smoother this time around, giving you a nice easy flow from building top to building top. Cutting through side streets and ascending or descending structures or landscapes felt much more natural. I didn't have any complaints when it came to that aspect.
Final Thoughts: It's a good game, has two very fun, enjoyable characters. The story is good, but lacks something, I don't know what exactly. The graphics are beautiful, if you have the right setup to enjoy it, and the gameplay/combat systems helps you get into the mix and enjoy yourself while playing. It's a good game, don't get me wrong... but it's far from great. Definitely not one of the best AC games I've played, but still worth your time if you manage to find it on sale.
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