Assassin's Creed Unity Reviews
Unity may have the intention of being Assassin's Creed's next-gen reinvention, but it's remarkably faithful to its roots.
Unity follows in the original Assassin's Creed's footsteps in many ways as the first game in the series developed exclusively for the new generation of consoles. And, much like its ancestor, for every good thing Unity does, it adds something else that just leaves you scratching your head—giving the whole experience a hit-or-miss feel that we haven't seen from the series in a long time.
I was not expecting to love Unity, but I do. Ubisoft nailed the big assassination missions and everything in between. I lost several days to this game, and I'm looking forward to losing a few more. I want to see if I can find all the highest-rated equipment. I want to do some more multiplayer missions. I want to solve the rest of those brilliant murder cases. I want more Unity.
A complete reworking of Assassin's Creed for new-generation consoles, Unity is a good start even if it doesn't go all the way
Assassin's Creed Unity is a fine entry to the franchise, offering one of the most engaging stories in the series to date, along with a vast and captivating Parisian landscape.
Assassin's Creed Unity delivers a stellar narrative and a beautiful backdrop for one of the most palpable historical times in history. With complementary combat tweaks and the addition of co-op, Ubisoft has more than outdone itself in bringing 18th-century Paris to life.
While I was not on board with Assassin's Creed Unity from the announcement to the moment I started playing, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the level of enjoyment I have consistently had with the title. It all feels like this is my assassin right from the very beginning of the game. While this was not something I have been asking for, I am most certainly excited to see where things progress with future installments. Who knows, maybe I will eventually be able to be the assassin in the game… told you I might need to get out more.
Unity manages to push the series forward enough to make this truly great, it's only sad that a few left over hiccups have carried over from the previous generation. Traditional Creed problems aside, this manages to be an unrivalled murderous sandbox and Paris hands over a visually impressive blood drenched historical playground.
While it's true that Assassin's Creed Unity lacks the polish we would expect from the series by now, it's bolstered by its fantastic location, interesting new mission types and deeper emphasis on customisation. This perhaps isn't the revolutionary release we were hoping for, but Assassin's Creed Unity takes some positive strides forward, delivering another stellar entry in the yearly series.
A solid entry in the Assassins franchise that does a lot well but still has areas to improve.
Unity falls short of the fresh start Assassin's Creed needs
In doing this, Unity is not the huge leap forward that a next-gen Assassin's Creed promised it would be - rather it's a familiar adventure dressed in exceptional decoration. The artistry to be found in Paris far outweighs the by-the-numbers story. In essence it's more Assassin's Creed, then - that will tell you all you need to know if you're mulling over a purchase. Perhaps this is why this Assassin's Creed feels as though, like its time-spanning storyline, it has one foot in the future and one in the past.
Although it may be the first installment made specifically for the brand new consoles, Unity remains a traditional Assassin's Creed game. The setting and atmosphere is cool, but some of the best ideas are marred by bad checkpointing and a story where the historical elements often feel like an afterthought. Assassin's Creed Unity is a solid action game, but a disappointing follow up to Black Flag.
As the seventh major instalment in the series, though, not to mention the first designed for new console hardware, Assassin's Creed Unity feels like a missed opportunity. Going back to basics at this point may have resulted in a less substantial game than recent years have led us to expect, but it might have delivered a more satisfying one. As it is, mild improvements in traversal and combat are quickly overwhelmed by the creaking systems onto which they have been grafted. Revolutionary Paris is one of the most beautifully realised environments in a series that has had its fair share of them, but the game you play doesn't really do it justice.
Unity may be the hardest game the franchise has produced thus far. Regardless, I welcome any open-world game that can dedicate resources to this kind of heavily-directed play while maintaining the living environments you spend most of your time in.
With Unity, I felt like I was playing Assassin's Creed 1 and 2 again, with improvements that made sense to the series as opposed to the odd additions that strayed too far from the creed. The entire experience was enrapturing, and the odd skating citizens in crowds were not enough to deter me from thoroughly loving every moment that I spent with Arno. I don't give Assassin's Creed Unity a perfect score lightly, but a return to the core of the series and a strengthening of those central pillars makes Unity shine like the glint of a well polished hidden blade and stay true to the creed.
Assassin's Creed Unity is a gaudy monument to game design by focus-testing rather than creative vision.
We fought through the overall unpolished finish of the product, and we were glad that we did so, but this really isn't how anyone can reasonably have expected the game to have turned out.
Assassin's Creed Unity's recreation of a battle-scarred Paris is a joy to behold, but its so-so story doesn't make the most of this gorgeous setting.
Arno's Paris is a modern marvel of the gaming world, and while its structure isn't flawless, I can't say I regret the time I lived in it.