Assassin’s Creed is an action/adventure game with stealth elements that takes place primarily in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade.
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Story & Themes
Assassin's Creed's storyline is split between the era of the Third Crusade and the present day, though the historical plotline receives much more screen time. In the present day, a man named Desmond Miles was kidnapped by the mega-corporation Abstergo Industries because of his ancestry. Using a piece of technology called the Animus, scientists at Abstergo hope to access the memories of Desmond's ancestors through his genetic line in order to locate a "Piece of Eden."
The historical storyline follows one of Desmond's ancestors, Altair Ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Assassin Brotherhood. The Assassins are rivals of the Templars, a group that arose from the Knights Templar. After being demoted to the rank of novice, Altair must perform a series of nine assassinations to regain his former status. Throughout the process, he discovers that each Templar target is searching for a Piece of Eden. Altair tracks down Robert de Sablé, the Templar he believed to be at the head of the order, but in his dying breath, de Sablé reveals that Altair's mentor, Al Mualim, is a secret Templar. Al Mualim has uncovered one of the Pieces of Eden, the Apple of Eden which is capable of controlling people's minds, but Altair manages to fight his way to his former mentor and kill him.
The game ends back in the present with Desmond exiting the Animus aware of the fact that Abstergo is the modern-day front for the Templar Order. The Templars plan to use the Pieces of Eden they are able to locate to control the world's population in the face of the impending 2012 apocalypse. Desmond is then deemed a loose end, but Lucy Stillman, an uncover Assassin who was posing as a scientist, convinces them to spare him. The scientists leave, and Desmond realizes that being in the Animus has given him the ability to use Eagle Vision. Above his bed, a finds a message written in blood by the person Abstergo tested before him, Subject 16.
Save Points
The game saves after certain actions are completed, such as syncing a viewpoint, saving a citizen, or finishing a mission or errand.
Difficulty
In Assassin's Creed, once players get a hang of the gameplay mechanics, the game shouldn't be too difficult to play. Many of the mechanics are cyclical or recycled,
Heads Up!
Violence Altair dispatches his human targets with blade weapons, and these assassinations are shown with a dramatic, slow-motion camera. Some blood is depicted, but gore is absent.
Strong Language Infrequent but strong language is present in dialogue; namely "f*ck," but also "hell" and "damn."
Consumerism Assassin's Creed is part of a large and expanding series, though you do not have to purchase the other games to enjoy this one.
Conversation Starters
- What do you think about the science behind the Animus? Do you think that sort of technology could ever exist? If so, would you want to experience your ancestors' memories?
- Altair is supposed to be considered a good guy, but his methods are centered around killing people. Do you think his actions are justified or not?
- Did you learn anything about history from the game? Could it be considered educational?