Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed - (Xbox 360, PS3)
Developer: Ubisoft
Format: Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Stealth Action

Stealth action just found itself a new benchmark

It's the time of the Third Crusade in 1191AD and The Holy Land is in turmoil. The streets of Jerusalem and Damascus are alert to a new breed of assassin attempting to force the fate of the country. Since this is largely down to you, it'll take all your stealth, cunning and initiative to avoid capture while slicing the throats of your selected victims.

This would all be so simple if it wasn't for the murky and bloodthirsty sides you balance your trade between. Christian and Saracen are fighting for control of The Holy Land and it's only going to get messy as you barter your particular trade between them.

Assassin's Creed opens with the sumptuous graphics and back-story you'd expect from the teams behind the recent Prince of Persia titles. The same blur out and slow down of action, the vertigo-inducing, acrobatic capabilities of your hero, Altair, and the nightmare of negotiating the crowded streets of this world, hunting your prey are all brought to atmospheric fore by the game's design - it's all so immersive.

Heightening this, is the ethical nature of parts of the gameplay; a key element of Assassin's Creed. The game constantly forces you to make decisions and choices in this world and with the people that populate it. -it's a theme running through many titles at the moment - . Should you help a harassed market woman for example, later on you'll be helped by her friends while stalking a victim. Ignore her and the consequences at a later stage will make your progress more complicated. It gives an air of freedom, of the game being truly shaped by your actions. Of course, there is a linear path to follow ultimately but amassing information, choosing who to help, who to listen to, and who to engage with all frame your missions and make acquiring the white feather, the effective green light for a kill, easier or harder depending on your decisions.

Immersive and carefully crafted, Assassin's Creed offers enough thrills for your head as well as your knife arm.