Assassin's Creed

Developer: in-house
Format: PS2, Xbox 360
Genre: action

Fancy being a medieval ninja?

Take the creative talents behind the Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia titles, lock them in a darkened room and tell them they can't come out until they've created an entirely new franchise that takes elements from both of Ubisoft's most well known games and places it squarely in the early Middle Ages. So confident is the veteran publisher in this game that the company already talks of it as a franchise rather than a one off, and if early screenshots and industry gossip is to be believed, it may well be on to something.

The first game in the Assassin's Creed franchise is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players, assuming the role of the main character Altair, will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and to shape events during this pivotal moment in history.

In order to achieve such worthy objectives, players must master the skills, tactics, and weapons of history's deadliest and most secretive clan of warriors. Planning attacks, striking with deadly efficiency and making good your escape are the order of the day -by using a wide range of medieval weapons, and facing enemies in realistic swordfight duels.

Realistic and responsive environments means players will experience a living, breathing world in which all your actions have consequences. Crowds react to your moves and will either help or hinder you on your quests. Eliminate your targets wherever, whenever, and however. Stalk your prey through richly detailed, historically accurate, open-ended environments. Scale buildings, mount horses, blend in with crowds. Do whatever it takes to achieve your objectives.

This game sounds like a mix between Hitman, Tenchu, Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell - all lovingly rendered in true next-gen graphical glory and served on a polished bed of acrobatic gameplay mechanics from the brains behind some of the most popular franchises in the business. Expect a release on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the autumn.

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