Assassin's Creed tops UK charts
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Nov 20th 2007 at 7:58PM }
In other fastest-selling title news, Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy managed a number five spot, flying off shelves faster than any other Wii title before it. But what of the games in-between the portly plumber and the murderous flag gatherer? The aforementioned Call of Duty 4 wound up in second place, The Simpsons Game in third and WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 in fourth.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Arno @ Nov 20th 2007 8:08PM
Man I'd love to get this game, but I'm broke and Mass Effect is calling for my last pennies. :/
mike_p @ Nov 21st 2007 6:48AM
You and me both.
justin @ Dec 16th 2007 8:19PM
how do you keep the hidden blade OUT and do counter because the guy always puts it away
Jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 8:13PM
So what's the verdict? Is Assassin's Creed good? The impression from reviews is that it was fun, short, but not necessarily replayable, and had some AI problems and bugs. The PC version will be out early next year, so I'd like to see if it'll be worth my dime.
Crysis getting #14 is not bad at all, considering it's only out for PC, which isn't the mass-quantity selling platform that the consoles are. And many people are probably holding out for an upgrade. =P
In my opinion, it was the best singleplayer experience I've ever had. Bar none. I got the same "Wow" feeling as when I first played Halo 1-- the first FPS I truly loved.
You know a game is awesome (or completely, utterly lame) when your mom walks in and stops to watch you play it.
TomCo @ Nov 20th 2007 8:18PM
One time my mother watched me playing CSS, she disapproved of me shooting the other players.
ALH @ Nov 20th 2007 8:21PM
it depends what kind of gamer you are. If you're the kind who likes to make their own fun trying to 'break' games rather than actually playing them properly then i'd suggest giving AC a go, you really can go anywhere in it and you're rewarded for your curiosity with delicious collectable flags.
The environmental graphics are amazing too, especially the sunlight, but nowadays buying games for the graphics doesnt mean much when something twice as shiny comes out every other week
Johnny Bloom @ Nov 20th 2007 8:24PM
She doesn't approve of that band from the iPhone commercial? What's wrong with Brazilian indie pop?
Joe @ Nov 20th 2007 8:26PM
when you get used to the controls and aren't a pussy always afraid of the guards... it's fun.
as i've stated in my previous post, (and i should be playing uncharted right now), if you don't restrict yourself and just fuck around with the guards or any other npc for that matter, this game can be fairly memorable.
i would chuckle when i see a dead body just lying on the ground in an alley, remembering that he was one of the guards you pushed off a roof a few minutes ago.
in the early parts of the game when guards don't counter your grab, i would be really cheap and just keep throwing each of them one by one to the ground and stabbing them with the hidden blade. you can only use that weapon when they are down or unaware; otherwise, they would just push you off of them.
when getting chased, i won't try to hide, but instead keep my distance while pick them off with my throwing knives until i run out or they stop chasing me. it's very satisfying and badass.
okay back to uncharted where i can't stab or push anyone off a building =*(***.
Spartacus @ Nov 20th 2007 8:34PM
It's very good, but can require some patience. It is definitely NOT short. Even if you fly through the game doing only the essential missions you'll likely dump around 20 hours into it. If you actually take some time to smell the roses, do all the side missions, do some exploring and attempt at some of the more difficult achievements (360 version), you'll likely dump 40+ hours into the affair.
It's not the stupid fun game that Gears of War was, but if you like slower paced, slighly more methodical games with a mix of platforming, slight RPG elements, action and stealth with some true "wow" moments, you can't go wrong with AC. Both in gameplay and in animation/graphics this game scores big. I would definitely reccomend it as a 360 owner. If I were a PS3 owner, I'd reccomend it even more, there simply aren't that many games on that platform that can rival the production values and vastness of this game.
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Nov 20th 2007 8:51PM
The verdict is rent it and decent if it's good or not.
Jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 9:07PM
Thank you guys, except Nick. The closest thing to "renting" I can really do as a PC-gamer would be pirating, which I do not condone.
Sounds like Assassin's Creed would match my play style fairly nicely. I'm an insane completionist, and if there's 20+ hours of fun with any kind of replayability, it sounds pretty much definitely worth my $50.
I'll be playing with the 360 controller, and I imagine Games for Windows will offer achievements-- so I'm not worried about the PC version being any less good than the console versions in terms of controls or achievements.
And I do love the idea that is a whole new type of gameplay to master.
By the time it comes out for PC, I'll be looking back on this gaming cornucopia longingly, and probably have no choice but to buy it either way.
BigBeck89 @ Nov 20th 2007 10:42PM
hey joe...you can also counter with your hidden blade. imo the best counters are the hidden blade ones(they're always a kill) but they're hard to pull off with large groups.
warioswoods @ Nov 21st 2007 9:29AM
Wait I'm confused; your mother hates stylesheets?
J @ Nov 21st 2007 2:05PM
I rented it for my 360 and was pretty blown away at times. I scaled all of the high "view points" which are steeples and such and said "that's amazing" everytime I did... especially the Mosque in Jeruselem. It can be a short game, but can also last as long as you want it to because of the flags, which doesn't appeal to me as much as just walking, running, jumping, climbing and horse-back riding around.
I did find a glitch just before the last assassination. There is a point where, in order to get to the assassination target, you have to defeat "stages" of soldiers who progressively get a little harder. After beating one particular group, I walked upon a guy who looked a lot like me and when I started attacking him, I was getting hurt and then died, which I rarely did throughout the entire game, so I figured that this was some type of weird and difficult boss, but realized that I was in fact controlling, not only my own avatar, but this other guy too.
I decided to use it to my benefit and bring him along to the next group of guys which was helpful until the soldiers in the next group just stopped fighting and stood there and I couldn't kill them or walk by.
My girlfriend had been playing Sonic the Hedgehog II with the wired controller earlier last night. I don't know how I made the connection exactly, but when I disconnected the wired controller and died (killed myself) again, I respawned without the twin glitch.
The only other glitch I found was when I tried to run up a building I just fell through it and died after falling for a while and landing in some kind of water. It really tripped me out.
The rest of the game was beautiful and most definitely worth playing (and worth the patience to nail the controls).
ALH @ Nov 20th 2007 8:24PM
my mother sat and watched me kill the fifth and sixth colossus when i was replaying shadow of the colossus a couple of years ago, she asked if it was a movie and found it hard to believe i was actually controlling the action
Jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 9:08PM
I've been on the verge of buying a ps2 solely for that game for multiple years now. I envy your mom haha
ALH @ Nov 21st 2007 6:31AM
oh its well worth buying a console for imo,you can always catch up on the other games which never made it to PC, like katamari- but perhaps wait a little til the ps2 is even cheaper
..or a good ps2 emulator is a reality
Bellerophon @ Nov 20th 2007 8:29PM
Assassin's Creed is parkour/free running for the masses. For those who think it's fantastic but can't do it, it's the next best thing I reckon.
Komamura @ Nov 20th 2007 8:49PM
Assassin's Creed 2 Comfirmed. But really who didn't see that coming.
J.R. @ Nov 20th 2007 8:56PM
I must say I'm surprised that the 360 version outsold the PS3 version 2 to 1. In the US, the commercials all exclusively advertised as being on PS3.
Spartacus @ Nov 20th 2007 9:09PM
Advertising doesn't really matter when the 360 has almost 3x the userbase of the PS3 (even higher in the UK). Also, the 360 has a track record of selling nearly twice the number of games per console sold. Simply put, the Xbox 360 is a 3rd party dev's darling. It sells more games than both of its competitors combined.
Jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 9:11PM
That's actually pretty impressive on ps3's part. Let's not forget how much domination the 360 still packs.. and achievements are mighty lure.
ComradeTrotskii @ Nov 20th 2007 10:01PM
Spartacus: The 360 and the PS3 are (were in late Sep) about the same in terms of total sales in the UK.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/28388/UK-sales-of-PS3-and-360-neck-and-neck-in-2007
ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Nov 20th 2007 10:03PM
still, when developers look at those kind of numbers, it bothers them, when they're debating on developing for either xbox or ps3, that large user base on the 360 is mighty tempting
Slaziman @ Nov 21st 2007 7:19AM
I wonder why the PS3 version was much more advertised? Some kind of deal?
B @ Nov 20th 2007 9:43PM
I have to admit that the story of Assassin's Creed makes me too uncomfortable - and I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it. You're playing an assassin killing Crusaders in service of Muslim armies. No thanks. Muslim armies attempted to conquer and strangle europe too many times through history (beginning in 673 with the attack on Constantinople, attacks on Spain, France, the Balkans, and then Vienna in 1683; 1000 years of Muslim attacks). The crusades were only a counterattack against Islamic aggression (and lasted a mere 200 years). To play on their side just makes me sick. No doubt the modern-day Islamists will condone this game, though.
Jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 9:56PM
Oh, wow. Let's generalize history.
Sure, the Muslims attacked Constantinople, but who finally sacked it? Surely not Christian Crusaders from the West, seeking to make some cashmoniez on the way to the Holy Land.
The crusades were more an effort for European Kings to gain even greater power and glory that some epic Clash of Civilizations (or theologies) as historians like Huntington would have it. Muslim expansion into Western Europe was crushed at the Battle of Tours. The crusades were needless; by the time they took place, an equilibrium was established.
And, history aside... the protagonist is a secular character from a Christian mother, attempting to halt the bloodshed and disorder that were the Crusades-- not cause one side to win or lose.
ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Nov 20th 2007 10:06PM
gg jeff, gg
gonk @ Nov 20th 2007 10:10PM
you kill muslims and crusaders, and the assasins' religion is not specified. they're almost atheists
B @ Nov 20th 2007 10:18PM
"Muslim expansion into Western Europe was crushed at the Battle of Tours. The crusades were needless; by the time they took place, an equilibrium was established."
Says Jeff just after admitting that Muslims attacked Constantinople. Let's see: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem completely destroyed in 1009. In 1071, the Byzantine Empire losses all of Asia minor to the Muslims. Wars are still going on over Spain (roughly the bottom 50% of Spain is still controlled by Muslim conquerers). In the following centuries, Muslims would invade the Balkans, making it all the way to Austria. But, yeah, everything was just great until Crusaders upset things. Please. I don't care for the Crusaders, but they're preferable to Muslim conquerers, and it was the first time the war was not fought on conquered european lands. If "peace" were the plan, you have to stop the original attacks, not the counterattacks. Have you read anything about the way the Muslims conquered India? It makes me sick to think of playing an assassin for Muslim conquerers.
BigBeck89 @ Nov 20th 2007 10:41PM
your an idiot, you aren't an Assassin hired by the muslims ..you kill people on both sides and are actually very indifferent to their side. try playing the game for more than one mission! oh and i wont spoil it but if you actuallyu played the game you would realize who the assassin's are actually against
gone with the wind @ Nov 21st 2007 3:14AM
seriously who cares its just a game all that history mumbo jumbos over, its not like the moors are going to come to your house and say "you play assassins creed we hire you kill christians now yes ? you take money and kill " i say we let by gones be by gones, this world is messed up if we hold grudges for over 1000 years were is the love man where is the mother effin love? besides all we do in games is kill anyway does it really matter their race or religion they all look the same when there dead anyway.
FixtSux @ Nov 20th 2007 9:52PM
Good game hampered by monotonous repetition. Hated the ending.
gonk @ Nov 20th 2007 10:16PM
i thought it was pretty cool
of course I would've liked more, but it's a good point for an ending, and the game was still fairly long, I've probably put in about 30 hours on it and will probably play it again right before AC2 comes out
fester @ Nov 20th 2007 11:58PM
As an aside; if you want a pure blast-a-thon shooter that will absolutely wow you......try SOLDIER OF FORTUNE PAYBACK-runs great on 360!!
Random1448 @ Nov 21st 2007 2:02AM
Assassins creed looks and sounds cool, but It's taking a backseat right now for me, Uncharted just looks too damn good. It does every thing Gears of war, tomb raider, and assassins creed does, but better. Not to mention it is the best looking console game to date.
RealTerry @ Nov 21st 2007 2:03AM
Can you say "troll"?
gone with the wind @ Nov 21st 2007 3:01AM
kroll ,broll,llort,bort,snort,torll, ahh i cant say it !!!! ya know whenever people say that word i think of the toys with long hair they were awesome whoot, anyways i was having a fight with myself about whether i should buy assassins creed or uncharted im leaning to uncharted simply because of the demo i played wich was awesome by the way truly a amazing game and unlike most xbox games there wont be a pc version so i guess ill just get a superior version of assassins creed on pc and uncharted on ps3.
rikimaru @ Nov 21st 2007 12:19PM
I can whole heartedly recommend Assassin's Creed. Bottom line: Play this game on any platform you can get it on, It's that wonderful. The only way you can go wrong is if you pass this one up. I'd say this is a must play for anyone looking for something incredibly different, innovative, beautiful, or just plain fun. There is nothing out there like this game.
This is a game you can take your sweet time with, and be rewarded greatly for.