Our Adventures: Some scattered thoughts on ACII
So I’ve been playing my share of Assassin’s Creed II over the past week, and I keep having this recurring thought that I want to get off my chest–the next game in this franchise needs to be an RPG.
The thought first popped into my head during a side-mission–I think it was some random assassination to be exact. I thought to myself that while ACII is bursting with a variety of different things to keep you busy, there really isn’t a whole lot of depth to these things. Beyond a sentence or two giving you your objective, these side-hits have absolutely no context. I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be snazzy if there were full-fledged side-quests with arching plots?” I mean, killing dudes and racing dudes and delivering letters to dudes and so on is fun and all, but it begins to lose its luster after a while. I found myself doing side-missions if they happened upon me, but I never sought them out.
When I first thought about it, the story-driven side-quests were just a fleeting desire. But as I pondered it more, I realized that the Assassin’s Creed universe is really tailor-made for RPGs. It’s a story-driven game with lots of focus on characters and mystery. It’s a lengthy experience that’s fun throughout, but lacks the heart-pumping intensity of a good set-piece in Call of Duty or Uncharted. One of the best new features in the game is the ability to purchase increasingly better armor and weapons that improve Ezio’s stats.
So why not take it all the way? Why do RPGs have to be confined to fantasy worlds with turn-based combat and mana meters? There are no technological restrictions to an open-world, parkour-action-stealth RPG. The stat progression could allow the player to specialize in alternate gameplay styles and in return allow a little more freedom of approach to some of the game’s situations. As it stands now, I find that the easiest path in AC games is to simply murder everything. I’d like to see a little more variety there.
If Ubisoft made it so the player could invest in combat stats, climbing/stealth stats, or persuasion stats that would allow them to obtain secret info, enemy uniforms, and so on, well then every player would be able to build the assassin that best suits them and everybody would have different stories to tell with the game. If it’s not going to have the ultra-intense moments of a brisk, high-octane experience, then it should probably extend its value with systems that make the player feel like they’re always progressing. Because no matter how awesome a double-hidden-blade assassination is, murder just gets a little old after 25 hours.
So yeah, I don’t really expect this to happen, as Ubisoft probably thinks turning such a high-profile franchise into an RPG would scare away half the audience, but I feel like if Assassin’s Creed is ever going to live up to its potential, it has to happen. Every time I play one of these games I’m left thinking how awesome it could be, and not how awesome it is. The fun core gameplay is already in place. The deep world, story, and characters are there too. All this franchise needs is a little redirection with its mechanics and it could be truly masterful.
Author: Cody
11 Comments to Our Adventures: Some scattered thoughts on ACII
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You, sir, have got a point.
Not really. I just beat the game (and I mean truly beat it. Every single thing. Even all the treasure chests. It’s a true 100%, not just 1000/1000 job), and I absolutely LOVED it.
I’m tempted to rave about the story a bit, but I’ll hold off out of consideration because I’m not sure who is how far. Suffice it to say that it was what a sequel should be – it improved drastically on the shortcomings, and kept everything that was awesome.
That being said, I feel like all they have to do is make the combat outrageously unforgiving (or at least give the option to make it so). I found the game was much more entertaining when I pretended I couldn’t take out the four guards watching over a codex page, for instance, or forcing myself to complete something without alerting anybody despite the fact I could do it either way.
So I don’t really think your suggestions are necessary. I found (and actually, it’s getting insanely positive reviews) it already remedied the problems you’re talking about. However, the first game didn’t feature armor. Or money. Or plenty of the RPG elements you’re saying are already there. So maybe the next game WILL press that a bit further, I just don’t feel it’s needed.
I’d very much like to have you on for a podcast the Saturday after Thanksgiving with Ryan and myself, as I have much to discuss with you. Plus, you’re the only one who’s played Dragon Age, so you’re coming whether you want to or not.
So wait… this Saturday? Or next Saturday?
This Saturday. When I’m home.
So why didn’t he just say “this Saturday.” Or even just “Saturday.” Why the whole “Saturday after Thanksgiving” deal?
Because I wrote the article on a saturday, so by saying, “this saturday”, I would have been referring to the saturday that just passed us by. However, simply saying “next saturday” is far too vague, especially if the reader is not looking at the date the article went up. So I believe my “deal” to be quite justified.
Well, yeah. You wrote the article on a Saturday. But you wrote “the Saturday after Thanksgiving” yesterday.
<_ <...>_>. Shut up, you!
OMGZORZ DUDE!!! WAI TO NOT GET AN INSIDE JOKE THAT I WAS MAKING TO CODY BECAUSE WERE BEST FRIENDS AND WE DO THINGS LIKE THAT!!!!
Also, an addendum. Thank you for not spoiling the story. I’ve yet to beat it, though I’m working my way through at a healthy pace. Lots of stuff to do though. You know how it is.