A few criticisms of the series as a whole. | Forums

[CALLtheDoctah]

I've been with it since the beginning. Skipped a few games, but I've played most of the mainliners. Things have changed quite a bit since AC1 in 2008, arguably most for the better, some for the worse, and there are some issues that the series just can't seem to shake, even after the huge revamp of Origins and beyond.

- What happened to the music?

To this day I can still remember Access the Animus, Venice Combat, Freedom Fighter and Battle of Breed's Hill. Jesper Kyd brought something truly special to the soundtracks of the earlier games in the series, and when he left he took a large chunk of the series' soul with him. From AC4 onwards, I can't think of a single theme that managed to stick with me. I don't know about Syndicate since I never played it, but the music, while period appropriate, never tries to make any kind of real impression. It all just sounds so phoned in now. It merely works, instead of wows.

- Prioritizing animation over control.

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If I had to guess, I'd say the reason these bozos aren't firing is because the animation scripts bugged out, and since they couldn't properly reset to begin the firing animation, the game simply doesn't let me control them anymore. Frankly, I don't care if they're actually aiming their weapons or T-posing, when the cooldown finishes and the arc shows up on the screen, some arrows should be flying when I click the mouse.

I know AC got heaps of praise for its animation (when it actually works), but this trend in gaming where the player is driven more by the character than the character is driven by the player is one I never liked. I don't like being forced to go slow just because my horse is in a town. I don't like how it's seemingly random whether I get an instantaneous stab or a drawn-out killing animation when I go for a stealth kill. I don't like how my guy might jump at the rock I mean for him to, or he might jump right into the middle of the group of enemies.

Though, I will give Origins and Odyssey this: the revamped combat that lets you dodge, block, tumble, and shoot when you need to is the best step the series has ever taken in regards to its controls. Without regards to whether it looks pretty, you can control your dude exactly as you need to, when you need to, which puts the combat fully into your hands. I just wish I could say the same for other archaic holdovers from the series beginnings. I think it's about time we finally got a jump button.

- MTX

I don't entirely blame you guys for doing it. The people have voted with their wallets, and they voted that they're willing to throw extra cash at games for absolutely no extra effort on the part of the developers. Games do it because it's basically cash for free. Ubisoft is a company. Companies get money wherever and whenever they can. I get it.

That being said, it's still a scummy practice. The inclusion of "time savers" is basically an admission that the game was designed with an annoying grind in mind, prodding players to throw extra money at the game they already paid for full price so they could spend less time playing the game. Once upon a time there were such things as "cheats" that would allow players to get what they wanted from a game if they just wished to save time, fool around and have fun.

But I guess that was during a time when the big companies cared a little more about the players than how deep their pockets were, and I say that ALL AROUND, not just to Ubisoft.


For the most part, I really liked what Origins and Odyssey brought to the table. More control has been placed in the player's hands than any of the other games in the series. Ubisoft took notes from MGSV and Breath of the Wild and used them to point the franchise in an interesting direction. I'm interested in what the next big breakthrough will be.

Now, in closing, I feel I must inform everyone that Alexios >>>>>>> Kassandra in just about every regard. Don't try to fight it. You know it to be true.

[SerraShaar]

Now, in closing, I feel I must inform everyone that Alexios >>>>>>> Kassandra in just about every regard. Don't try to fight it. You know it to be true.

arrows..like better then kassandra ? Or kassandra is better ?

cose we all know..Kassandra is better! :P

Don't try to fight it!

its for SPARTAH!!!!!!!

[MnemonicSyntax]

- MTX

That being said, it's still a scummy practice. The inclusion of "time savers" is basically an admission that the game was designed with an annoying grind in mind, prodding players to throw extra money at the game they already paid for full price so they could spend less time playing the game.

Vehemently disagree.

There was a time while I college that the "time saver pack" from Unity was a literal time saver.

It doesn't mean anything, except you pay a little money to have the work done for you, or to make it easier.

It is in no way an indicator that there was any grind in mind, besides the usual RPG side quests.

This game isn't even that grindy at all. Loot everything, break stuff down, that's half the battle right there.

[Jflow_79]

I agree with most of what the OP says with exception of the controls...I find that I have to large dodge every enemy attack putting em so far away I have to run at them to re-engage them...multi-enemy combat is horrendous. with the pure lack of being an assassin, I don't find this game anywhere near what the franchise started out as...it used to be a fun stealth action game and now it's more based on how big of a weapon can you get and do open combat with no regard for the fact you originally played a highly skilled and trained assassin. Explained out in this title by there being no assassin's brotherhood which brings me to the question of how is this an Assassin's Creed game where you are playing pretty much the exact opposite of what the franchise started out ...a mercenary in a time before the brotherhood and the Templars...the only thing that makes this an AC game is the Animus, Gene Time Traveling, Eden Artifacts, and historical locations and facts.

If you take the first three and add them to any game that has the fourth then any game can be an AC franchise game even Battlefield since it has a smidgen of historical locations and facts...when do we stop letting companies like Ubisoft and EA abuse licenses...when will we stand up and force game developers to release games and not half-*** betas (talking to you Bungie)...when will we as gamers stop letting our past time be ruined by the lack of love for our favorite franchises instead of letting casual gamers run the market?

[CALLtheDoctah]

There was a time while I college that the "time saver pack" from Unity was a literal time saver.

No aspect of the game should feel like it just "takes up time". When you boot the game, it should be so you can do and enjoy what the game has you doing. Any aspect of a game that just feels like busywork should be cut out of the game proper.

But, of course, how would they sell these "time savers" if they didn't design the game to have some time that needed to be saved? Resources, rarity, orichalcum, and level gates aren't there for your benefit. You bit the bait because the game was designed for you to take it.

I personally never ran into a block in the game because I just ran wild with the side content from the start, but I can see how someone could hit some walls. Like I said in the OP, if a player really wants to skip the process and just have it all at once, there were such a thing as cheat codes. And gosh, wouldn't you know it, they didn't require a credit card to use.

[GeorgePatton100]

nobody is forcing you to buy the "time savers" have some self control. no point of the game feels "grindy" can you stop blindly eating up every word angry joe and jim strirling say?

[MnemonicSyntax]

No aspect of the game should feel like it just "takes up time". When you boot the game, it should be so you can do and enjoy what the game has you doing. Any aspect of a game that just feels like busywork should be cut out of the game proper.

But, of course, how would they sell these "time savers" if they didn't design the game to have some time that needed to be saved? Resources, rarity, orichalcum, and level gates aren't there for your benefit. You bit the bait because the game was designed for you to take it.

I personally never ran into a block in the game because I just ran wild with the side content from the start, but I can see how someone could hit some walls. Like I said in the OP, if a player really wants to skip the process and just have it all at once, there were such a thing as cheat codes. And gosh, wouldn't you know it, they didn't require a credit card to use.

It's a case of being worth it, honestly.

RPGs having a grind for resources is par for the course.

My issue with the time saver packs isn't the pay, but that you cannot turn it off or on at whim, especially the "permanent" pack.

[CALLtheDoctah]

It's a case of being worth it, honestly.

Things are pretty twisted when it's worth it to pay extra money to play less of a game. Most rpgs handle resources in a way that isn't meant to nudge you toward throwing more cash at the developers for a deficiency in their game's design.

[MnemonicSyntax]

Things are pretty twisted when it's worth it to pay extra money to play less of a game. Most rpgs handle resources in a way that isn't meant to nudge you toward throwing more cash at the developers for a deficiency in their game's design.

You're trying to twist the play style that you've said already doesn't apply to you in a weak attempt to throw Ubisoft under a bus.

Odyssey handles resources better than most RPGs. Again, the time saver packs are for those that enjoy playing, but do not exactly have the time to put into it.

Odyssey, just like any RPG, is based on rewarding the player for looting and collecting. Some people don't want to do that. There's plenty on the forum alone that don't seem to grasp how an RPG works, especially considering AC just switched over to that format.

It's clearly not worth it to you, but it's worth it to others. Why do people insist on saying something that isn't applicable to them is a shady practice. Don't buy into it then.

[CALLtheDoctah]

You're trying to twist the play style that you've said already doesn't apply to you in a weak attempt to throw Ubisoft under a bus.

I don't need to twist anything. It's written right in the name of "time saver," give us fifteen more bucks to save you time from playing the game you bought, which leads me to assume that the game was deliberately designed to waste your time in some ways. How else do they make the transaction "worth it"? Why else would they sell it?

With so many options to tweak, accommodating other "play styles" could be just as easy as toggling number gains just like you can the game's difficulty. But there's no free money to be made that way. Even if I personally don't need it because of my approach to the game doesn't mean I can't call it out for what it is: gratuitous money grubbing. It's a bad practice that only benefits the company, not the game or the player, and defending it only opens the door for them to make it even worse in the future.

You know, to make it even more "worth it."

nobody is forcing you to buy the "time savers" have some self control. no point of the game feels "grindy" can you stop blindly eating up every word angry joe and jim strirling say?

I don't watch Jim *or Joe. Don't assume so much of strangers.