Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed is a sandbox style action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game was released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in November 2007 and for PC in April 2008.

The game centers around use of a machine dubbed the "Animus", which allows its user to view the genetic memories of his or her ancestors, specifically a bartender named Desmond Miles. As Desmond relives the memories of one of his ancestors, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad who lived in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade, details of a battle between two ancient sects, the Knights Templar and the Assassins, emerge as both scour for an artifact known only as a "Piece of Eden".

The game received primarily positive reviews, for both its story and its gameplay, and received several awards at the 2006 E3. In November 2009, Assassin's Creed II was released as a sequel.

Gameplay
Assassin's Creed is a non-linear action-adventure video game during which the player controls Altaïr, whose life is experienced through the Animus by Desmond Miles. The overall goal of the game is to rise through the ranks of the Assassins Brotherhood by carrying out a series of assassination missions ordered by the leader of the Order, Al Mualim. In doing so, Altaïr travels from Masyaf to cities in the Holy Land, specifically, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus.

Upon arrival in any of the cities, Altaïr must locate an agent of the Brotherhood who will provide a safe house and basic knowledge of the target. It is up to Altaïr to perform additional intelligence gathering via eavesdropping, interrogation, meeting with informers and fellow assassins, and gathering important items. It is only after Altaïr has gathered enough information that he can safely and successfully carry out the assassination. After successfully completing assassinations, Altaïr returns to the Brotherhood and is rewarded with a better weapon and then given another set of targets.

While performing the necessary missions, Desmond must direct Altaïr to high points in the city to further synchronize the memories which maps out the city that he is currently located in. Other side quests include tracking and killing Templars, flag collecting, and saving citizens who are being threatened by city guards.

Altaïr needs to carry out most of his missions without being noticed by officials. The game uses the Alertness Level Meter to inform the player of how noticeable Altaïr is to the surrounding individuals, including the guards. Performing certain actions at certain times may or may not raise the local area's awareness level. If an area is on high alert, all citizens will run and scatter in various directions as guards chase and attempt to bring down Altaïr. To reduce the alertness level, Altaïr must break the guards' line of sight, find a hiding place or blend in with wandering scholars (who coincidentally are dressed similar to Altaïr) or with citizens sitting on benches.

To conduct many of the assassinations and various other tasks, Altaïr is capable of both high and low profile commands, both of which affect the alertness level. Low profile commands will allow Altaïr to blend into crowds, hide, and use Altaïr's hidden blade to attempt quiet and low profile assassinations. High profile commands increase alertness at a greater level and include free running, attacking foes, and high profile assassination attempts. And, should the player find himself faced with multiple enemies, one can utilize Altair's sword-fighting abilities.

Health in the game is measured as the level of synchronization between Desmond and Altaïr's memories. When Altaïr is injured, it is experienced as a deviation from the actual memory that occurred and synchronization decreases. If there is complete de-synchronization, the current memory that Desmond is experiencing ends and restarts at the last checkpoint. If complete synchronization is obtained, Desmond as Altaïr is able to use "Eagle Vision", which has the Animus highlight all visible characters in the current setting in specific colors depending on their status (friend, foe, target).

Because Altaïr's memories are being rendered by a computer, "glitches" may often be experienced with nucleotides and error messages appearing. Such glitches can be used to help identify targets and if the player reacts quickly enough, may be used to provide other vantage points during the cut-scene.

Plot
Desmond Miles, a bartender, is kidnapped by the company Abstergo Industries for use as a test subject in the "Animus", a device that can stimulate the recall of ancestral memories. Abstergo intends to put Desmond in the device to recall the role of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Assassin Brotherhood during 1191 as part of the Third Crusade in the Holy Land. Desmond has trouble adjusting to the device, but eventually relives Altaïr's exploits over the next several days. The game then primarily takes Altaïr's point-of-view, with occasional swaps to Desmond, due to glitches in the Animus.

Altaïr is first shown attempting to retrieve one of a series of artifacts known as the "Pieces of Eden" from Solomon's Temple with the help of Malik and his brother, but is stopped by Robert de Sable, Grand Master of the Knights Templar and sworn enemies of the assassins. While retrieving the treasure, Altaïr breaks all three tenets of the Assassin's Creed ("Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent," "Hide in plain sight" and "Do not compromise the Brotherhood") within the opening minutes of gameplay to attempt to kill de Sable, but fails. In the commotion, Malik's brother is killed and he loses an arm. When Altaïr returns to the Assassins' stronghold at Masyaf with apologies, Malik, who survived de Sable, came back with the artifact and curses of Altaïr's arrogance.

After narrowly defeating a retaliatory attack by the Knights Templar, Al Mualim, leader of the Assassins, demotes Altaïr to a novice but gives him another chance to rise through the ranks of the Brotherhood. Al Mualim assigns Altaïr the task of assassinating nine key figures across the Holy Land in Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus, to attempt to bring peace between the Crusaders and Saracen forces. Each target is based on an actual historical figure from the Third Crusade, including Majd Addin (Regent of Jerusalem), Garnier de Nablus (Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller), Jubair al Hakim (a eminent scholar in Damascus), Abu'l Nuqoud (the wealthiest man in Damascus), Robert de Sablé, Grand Master Sibrand of the Knights Teutonic and William V, Marquess of Montferrat (Regent of Acre).

Altaïr completes each task, learning how each target is connected to Robert and the Templars, and how together they aim to end the Crusade and place the Holy Land under their own control. With men on both sides killed, he discovers that de Sable's last ploy is to attempt to unite Christian and Muslim against their new common enemy, the assassins themselves. Altaïr defeats de Sable before Richard the Lionheart, failing to convince the king that an end to the war would be welcome to both sides. From de Sable he discovers that Al Mualim is himself a member of the Knights Templar, and used Altaïr to kill the other members so he could keep the treasure for himself.

Altaïr quickly returns to Masyaf to accost his master, who reveals the truth: the Piece of Eden, which he had received from one of the men in the library after Altaïr's transgression, creates illusions. He denounces religion and other seemingly supernatural events (e.g. the Ten Plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and the presence of the Greek Gods in the Trojan War) as illusions caused by it, then states his intention to use the artifact to compel mankind into a brainwashed state and in doing so bring an end to all conflict. Altaïr is eventually able to see through deceptions created by the artifact to kill Al Mualim. When Altaïr recovers the artifact, the Piece of Eden activates, showing a holographic view of the world with numerous locations of other Pieces of Eden marked across the globe.

When the process is complete, Desmond learns that Abstergo is a modern-day version of the Knights Templar, and are already seeking other artifacts at locations identified in Altaïr's memory. He further learns that the modern-day assassins had tried to rescue him before the memory was complete but had failed. Desmond was to be killed after completion, but a researcher named Lucy Stillman saves him from death and at one point, tucks her ring finger into her palm, referring to the Assassins' tradition of cutting off the same finger.

Though Desmond remains trapped in the Abstergo laboratory, his experience in the Animus has created a "bleeding effect" of Altaïr's life in his own, allowing him to see strange messages painted on the walls of his room, as well as allowing Desmond to use Altaïr's eagle vision. The messages all deal with various forms of the end of the world from different cultures, including several references to the date December 21, 2012, the date that Abstergo plans to launch a satellite that will "permanently end the war". It is hinted at that this will be by the same method that Al Mualim hypnotized Masyaf, only on a larger scale. The game ends with Desmond wondering what these images all mean and who could have drawn them.

Game Development
In one of the original interviews with IGN, game producer Jade Raymond described Altaïr as a "medieval hitman" with a "mysterious past" and definitely not a time traveller. In October 2007, IGN Australia interview described the lead character's ability to climb and free run as being designed by the individuals who designed the same for the Prince of Persia.

In December 2006, Kristen Bell who voiced Abstergo researcher and employee Lucy Stillman, gave the first concrete information about the plot, confirming a focus on genetic memory and a corporation's search for descendants of an assassin.

Ubisoft also released "developer's diary" videos on the game's website with members of the development team, including creative director Patrice Désilets and producer Jade Raymond, explaining the thought processes behind the various aspects of the game.

Soundtrack Development
The musical score for Assassin's Creed was composed by Jesper Kyd and the entire soundtrack was developed to "capture the gruesome atmosphere of medieval warfare but also be edgy and contemporary." The score was written to contain orchestral music with dark and ominous overtones. Many of the tracks also contain choruses and vocal tracks in Latin to cement the darker elements of the game and the time period of the game's setting.

Six tracks were released on the Ubisoft website for those individuals who purchased the game. The soundtrack is also available in iTunes Music Store and Amazon MP3.

Limited Editions
A limited collector's edition of the game was released in North America alongside the standard release. The North American edition contains a collectible three inch Altaïr, Penny Arcade Comic, a mini strategy guide and a bonus disc. The bonus disc includes behind the scenes videos, developer diaries, trailers, production team interviews, and the winners of the Assassin's Creed short film contest. A European limited edition of the game was also released which included a twelve inch Altaïr figure, art book, and bonus disc. The bonus disc contains several short films and content similar to the North American version.

In addition to the game, a steelbox was released, which held the Assassin's Creed: Graphic Novel, a bonus disc. The box left space to insert the box of the game itself as it was not included.

Prequel and Sequels
On February 5, 2008, Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles was released for Nintendo DS as a prequel for Assassin's Creed. Developed by Gameloft, a mobile version was released for the iPhone and iPod Touch in April 2009.

In January 2009, Ubisoft confirmed the production of Assassin's Creed II which was released for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in November 2009. The sequel continues the story started in Assassin's Creed with a different set of genetic memories created to be explored by the player.

At the same time Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines was released for the PSP, which was another spin-off game as Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, where the story of Altaïr continued a month after the first game. The style of the graphics and the gameplay also resembled the first game more than its predecessor Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles.

Awards

 * Game Critics Awards
 * Won: Best Action/Adventure Game.
 * IGN


 * Won: Best Action Game, PS3 Game of the Show, Best PS3 Action Game, Best PS3 Graphics
 * Runner-up: Best Console Game, Best PS3 Artistic Design, PS3 Award for Technological Excellence
 * Nominations: Game of the Show, Best Graphics Technology


 * GameSpy
 * Won: Best PS3 game of the show


 * GameSpot
 * Won: Best PS3 game of the show
 * Runner-up: Game of the Show, Best Trailer, Best Graphics, Best Action Adventure Game


 * Gametrailers
 * Won: Best of Show
 * Runner-up: Best Trailer, Most Innovative, Best Action/Adventure


 * 1UP:
 * Won: Best PS3 game
 * Runner-up: Best Visuals, Game of the show

Trivia

 * The game's timeline spanned roughly two months, from July (around after the Crusader victory in the siege of Acre) to early September (right before the battle of Arsuf).
 * The Assassins are based on an Islamic sect known as the Order of the Hashshashin from which the term assassin originates, the idea for it coming from Blitzkrieg to Desert Storm: The Evolution of Operational Warfare by Robert M. Citino along with Vladimir Bartol's novel Alamut.
 * One of the key inspirations of Raphael Lacoste, the art director and production designer of Assassin's Creed, was Orientalist paintings, particularly the lithographs of the Holy Land and Syria by David Roberts.
 * The popular phrase used to describe Assassin's Creed's gameplay "La'shai sahih bel kullu shai'n mumkin" is Arabic for "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." This quote is generally attributed to the founder of the Hashshashin, Hassan-i Sabbah.