LAS VEGAS – It was exciting to be in Sin City, where Ubisoft hosted a preview event for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Unity, but I was eager to finally get some hands-on time with AC Unity after only watching a demo at E3 earlier this year. Our hosts transformed a hotel ball room into the streets of 18th Century Paris, furnished with cannons, a guillotine, Xbox One demo stations, and more doughnuts than you can shake a Phantom Blade at.
The latest title in Ubisoft’s storied franchise might be considered to be a reinvention of the series with the introduction of some serious gameplay changes, so playing AC Unity feels oddly foreign, at least initially.
Graphics
Let’s start with the visuals. You might have already read about the staggering number of NPCs that can be seen on screen at any given time (up to 3,000!). It is impressive to be able to stand high atop the Notre Dame to gaze upon the masses, and in mere moments, dive down to walk among the throngs. The NPCs aren’t just cardboard cutouts either; they can interact with you, and make you feel claustrophobic at times. They’re even angry and armed, which can lead to some very interesting situations for you as a player.
The dynamic weather creates incredible skies that contrast starkly with the grime that fill the streets below. In the distance, you can see the sun pour out rays between the clouds and onto the land. And just wait until you see the setting sun reflect off of (and through) stained-glass windows of the cathedrals.
There is quite a bit of variety in the game’s environment, even though you only have one city to explore. Paris offers different districts and sections, including affluent residences, textile/industrial areas, farmland, and the catacombs beneath the city. Each area is masterfully crafted and detailed, especially when it comes to the historical landmarks. The scale of the city is incredible, and is particularly appreciable when you’re standing atop a tall building.
Arno Dorian, the protagonist in AC Unity, moves like no other Assassin. The motion capture work that went into animating Arno is above and beyond prior AC games. Many of Arno’s jumps, rolls, and flips have flourishing touches, adding to the parkouring elements of the game.
By the way, to truly appreciate the game's artwork and design, I suggest turning off the HUD elements for an amazing and cinematic presentation. You can even select which HUD elements you want to appear on the screen for a custom experience.
Movement
Ubisoft took the control scheme we all grew accustomed to and changed things up rather dramatically. Not only are there buttons to force Arno to climb up or down while free-running, but there’s also a button to engage a crouch for stealth mode.
Hitting the button to climb down results in a far more acrobatic descent than in prior games. Although you can still scale down buildings like climbing down a ladder, parkouring down is not only faster, but is often thrilling. At one point, I was parkouring down the Notre Dame cathedral and Arno leaped down, turned to face the building mid-air, briefly caught a ledge, and continue to drop down.
When you go into stealth mode, Arno crouches, and can take cover behind corners and objects. This is one feature in particular that fans have demanded for quite some time. It’s also one that takes some getting used to. Many AC players have grown accustomed to charging straight into battle, and while you certainly can continue to do so in AC Unity, taking advantage of the stealth mode to clear a room can feel far more satisfying.
The new control scheme became tricky to manage during a co-op multiplayer session during the event. Two developers, along with myself and another journalist were playing the new Heist mode (more on this later), and our objective was to enter a building a steal a valuable painting. The building had enemies that filled the multiple floors, hallways, and rooms, so it was important for us all to coordinate our movements in order to minimize detection. The journalist and I were essentially Leeroy Jenkins at that point.
After a few skirmishes, I decided to be much more methodical about where and how I moved my character (let’s not forget to mention that I’m trying to manage the enemies’ movements as well as my teammates’), but that led me to be too slow, resulting in a lack of coordination. Suffice it to say, we had a lot of enemy encounters during that round. Sure, we succeeded in securing the painting, but we did not earn any bonus points due to being detected so often.
I’m confident that players will get used to the new control mechanics, and that they’ll be able to take advantage of them, but there is definitely a learning curve to them. By the way, Arno can climb trees and swim (not as well as Connor or Edward though).
Combat
Gone are the days when you can single-handedly take on an entire battalion of enemies. In AC Unity, if you encounter three or more bad guys, your better option is to run. Like many others, I have often felt that combat in AC games weren’t very challenging. This time around, not only are enemies tougher than before, but your character starts out with very few combat skills.
For the first time in the franchise, you now must progress your combat skills (along with your combat, parkouring, and stealth skills). Even basic moves like a double air assassination must be unlocked through your character’s progression. I typically don’t enjoy games that only give players the best abilities towards the end of a game, but AC Unity handles skill progression a bit differently than other games. In AC Unity, your character’s skills progress during multiplayer matches and single-player sessions alike. This means that you can increase your abilities and gain more skills, no matter what mode you play.
Another interesting change with AC Unity is the inability to use the hidden blade (referred to as Phantom Blade in this game) as a primary weapon. You will still be able to use the blade as a weapon, but not as your main tool during combat.
And as for armor, your character can equip heavier, more protective gear to withstand more attacks, but they also make you slower and less agile. This balance will make for some great variety in encounters and teamwork during co-op sessions.
Combat seems to be far more rewarding with AC Unity not only because of the fact that you must progress your skills to be more effective, but also because of the option to use stealth to thin out groups.
Co-operative Modes
The two co-op modes in AC Unity are Heist, and Brotherhood. It is going to be tough to decide which mode to play more.
With Heist, you and three other players have to infiltrate a building and steal a valuable artifact. Doing so while avoiding detection by the enemy guards will net greater rewards, so teamwork is absolutely essential to getting the job done right. Our session of Heist was a bit chaotic, as I explained earlier, mostly due to the fact that I was still trying to manage the new control options (climbing down and using stealth).
Enemies and objectives are randomly generated in each Heist mission, so it will be different each time you play. The minimap showed us that there were four possible locations of the painting that we had to steal. Three of the locations lead to fake paintings, and only one location was the real objective. We could have all split up to individually hit each location, but we tried to stick together instead.
Unfortunately, we ended up splitting up into two pairs, and basically encountered every single enemy in the building, but we managed to score the painting. Two of us “died” (or rather, became incapacitated) during our mission, but fortunately our teammates were able to revive us (there are no respawns).
Once we secured the painting, we all had to flee the area and become incognito to finish the mission. Leaping over the building’s perimeter wall while being chased by a bunch of guards was hilariously exciting.
In Brotherhood, you and your teammates can free-roam the streets of Paris and pick up random co-op missions. These missions can vary from assassinations, to protecting targets, to stopping an execution.
In either mode, teamwork of course, is essential to completing the job most successfully. Players can equip different weapon/armor types to supplement their teammates’ fighting styles. You can even assist teammates in battle, which can be extremely helpful for tougher enemies. As mentioned earlier, your character’s skill progression is persistent throughout all gameplay modes (single-player and co-op). The gear customization options available are also persistent as well.
Companion App
The companion app for AC Unity looks legitimately helpful this time around. Some of the more useful features include heatmaps for enemy locations and locations where other players have died during missions. You can also play puzzles and missions that actually unlock content for the full console game. There are 63 rewards available through the app, which include an Altair costume for Arno only available via the app.
Players can also select items and missions, access fully accessible and detailed 3D maps (with pinch to zoom capability), watch tutorial videos, view gear loadouts, and even read through an encyclopedia though the app.
There is a freemium version of the app, but there’s also a $1.99 version that will grant access to additional content, like songs, a co-op heatmap, and other information. Ubisoft made it clear however, that using the app was not necessary to complete the game and 100% the game’s objectives. The app will be available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone platforms.
Conclusion
Assassin’s Creed Unity feels like a reboot (even though it’s not one) because it takes the fundamentals to the next level. The grand scale of Paris is mesmerizing, and the stunning color palette, art direction, and animation will enthrall players. Fans will welcome the changes to the movement and combat, and will particularly enjoy the co-op. In short, AC Unity has all of the makings to be the best Assassin’s Creed game yet.
The latest title in Ubisoft’s storied franchise might be considered to be a reinvention of the series with the introduction of some serious gameplay changes, so playing AC Unity feels oddly foreign, at least initially.
Graphics
Let’s start with the visuals. You might have already read about the staggering number of NPCs that can be seen on screen at any given time (up to 3,000!). It is impressive to be able to stand high atop the Notre Dame to gaze upon the masses, and in mere moments, dive down to walk among the throngs. The NPCs aren’t just cardboard cutouts either; they can interact with you, and make you feel claustrophobic at times. They’re even angry and armed, which can lead to some very interesting situations for you as a player.
The dynamic weather creates incredible skies that contrast starkly with the grime that fill the streets below. In the distance, you can see the sun pour out rays between the clouds and onto the land. And just wait until you see the setting sun reflect off of (and through) stained-glass windows of the cathedrals.
There is quite a bit of variety in the game’s environment, even though you only have one city to explore. Paris offers different districts and sections, including affluent residences, textile/industrial areas, farmland, and the catacombs beneath the city. Each area is masterfully crafted and detailed, especially when it comes to the historical landmarks. The scale of the city is incredible, and is particularly appreciable when you’re standing atop a tall building.
Arno Dorian, the protagonist in AC Unity, moves like no other Assassin. The motion capture work that went into animating Arno is above and beyond prior AC games. Many of Arno’s jumps, rolls, and flips have flourishing touches, adding to the parkouring elements of the game.
By the way, to truly appreciate the game's artwork and design, I suggest turning off the HUD elements for an amazing and cinematic presentation. You can even select which HUD elements you want to appear on the screen for a custom experience.
Movement
Ubisoft took the control scheme we all grew accustomed to and changed things up rather dramatically. Not only are there buttons to force Arno to climb up or down while free-running, but there’s also a button to engage a crouch for stealth mode.
Hitting the button to climb down results in a far more acrobatic descent than in prior games. Although you can still scale down buildings like climbing down a ladder, parkouring down is not only faster, but is often thrilling. At one point, I was parkouring down the Notre Dame cathedral and Arno leaped down, turned to face the building mid-air, briefly caught a ledge, and continue to drop down.
When you go into stealth mode, Arno crouches, and can take cover behind corners and objects. This is one feature in particular that fans have demanded for quite some time. It’s also one that takes some getting used to. Many AC players have grown accustomed to charging straight into battle, and while you certainly can continue to do so in AC Unity, taking advantage of the stealth mode to clear a room can feel far more satisfying.
The new control scheme became tricky to manage during a co-op multiplayer session during the event. Two developers, along with myself and another journalist were playing the new Heist mode (more on this later), and our objective was to enter a building a steal a valuable painting. The building had enemies that filled the multiple floors, hallways, and rooms, so it was important for us all to coordinate our movements in order to minimize detection. The journalist and I were essentially Leeroy Jenkins at that point.
After a few skirmishes, I decided to be much more methodical about where and how I moved my character (let’s not forget to mention that I’m trying to manage the enemies’ movements as well as my teammates’), but that led me to be too slow, resulting in a lack of coordination. Suffice it to say, we had a lot of enemy encounters during that round. Sure, we succeeded in securing the painting, but we did not earn any bonus points due to being detected so often.
I’m confident that players will get used to the new control mechanics, and that they’ll be able to take advantage of them, but there is definitely a learning curve to them. By the way, Arno can climb trees and swim (not as well as Connor or Edward though).
Combat
Gone are the days when you can single-handedly take on an entire battalion of enemies. In AC Unity, if you encounter three or more bad guys, your better option is to run. Like many others, I have often felt that combat in AC games weren’t very challenging. This time around, not only are enemies tougher than before, but your character starts out with very few combat skills.
For the first time in the franchise, you now must progress your combat skills (along with your combat, parkouring, and stealth skills). Even basic moves like a double air assassination must be unlocked through your character’s progression. I typically don’t enjoy games that only give players the best abilities towards the end of a game, but AC Unity handles skill progression a bit differently than other games. In AC Unity, your character’s skills progress during multiplayer matches and single-player sessions alike. This means that you can increase your abilities and gain more skills, no matter what mode you play.
Another interesting change with AC Unity is the inability to use the hidden blade (referred to as Phantom Blade in this game) as a primary weapon. You will still be able to use the blade as a weapon, but not as your main tool during combat.
And as for armor, your character can equip heavier, more protective gear to withstand more attacks, but they also make you slower and less agile. This balance will make for some great variety in encounters and teamwork during co-op sessions.
Combat seems to be far more rewarding with AC Unity not only because of the fact that you must progress your skills to be more effective, but also because of the option to use stealth to thin out groups.
Co-operative Modes
The two co-op modes in AC Unity are Heist, and Brotherhood. It is going to be tough to decide which mode to play more.
With Heist, you and three other players have to infiltrate a building and steal a valuable artifact. Doing so while avoiding detection by the enemy guards will net greater rewards, so teamwork is absolutely essential to getting the job done right. Our session of Heist was a bit chaotic, as I explained earlier, mostly due to the fact that I was still trying to manage the new control options (climbing down and using stealth).
Enemies and objectives are randomly generated in each Heist mission, so it will be different each time you play. The minimap showed us that there were four possible locations of the painting that we had to steal. Three of the locations lead to fake paintings, and only one location was the real objective. We could have all split up to individually hit each location, but we tried to stick together instead.
Unfortunately, we ended up splitting up into two pairs, and basically encountered every single enemy in the building, but we managed to score the painting. Two of us “died” (or rather, became incapacitated) during our mission, but fortunately our teammates were able to revive us (there are no respawns).
Once we secured the painting, we all had to flee the area and become incognito to finish the mission. Leaping over the building’s perimeter wall while being chased by a bunch of guards was hilariously exciting.
In Brotherhood, you and your teammates can free-roam the streets of Paris and pick up random co-op missions. These missions can vary from assassinations, to protecting targets, to stopping an execution.
In either mode, teamwork of course, is essential to completing the job most successfully. Players can equip different weapon/armor types to supplement their teammates’ fighting styles. You can even assist teammates in battle, which can be extremely helpful for tougher enemies. As mentioned earlier, your character’s skill progression is persistent throughout all gameplay modes (single-player and co-op). The gear customization options available are also persistent as well.
Companion App
The companion app for AC Unity looks legitimately helpful this time around. Some of the more useful features include heatmaps for enemy locations and locations where other players have died during missions. You can also play puzzles and missions that actually unlock content for the full console game. There are 63 rewards available through the app, which include an Altair costume for Arno only available via the app.
Players can also select items and missions, access fully accessible and detailed 3D maps (with pinch to zoom capability), watch tutorial videos, view gear loadouts, and even read through an encyclopedia though the app.
There is a freemium version of the app, but there’s also a $1.99 version that will grant access to additional content, like songs, a co-op heatmap, and other information. Ubisoft made it clear however, that using the app was not necessary to complete the game and 100% the game’s objectives. The app will be available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone platforms.
Conclusion
Assassin’s Creed Unity feels like a reboot (even though it’s not one) because it takes the fundamentals to the next level. The grand scale of Paris is mesmerizing, and the stunning color palette, art direction, and animation will enthrall players. Fans will welcome the changes to the movement and combat, and will particularly enjoy the co-op. In short, AC Unity has all of the makings to be the best Assassin’s Creed game yet.
Last edited by a moderator:
