Assassin's Creed Syndicate Reviews
Another impressive open world environment is wasted on dull, joyless gameplay and repetitive missions, making Syndicate as banal and artless as Assassin's Creed has ever been.
One of the more poignant moments in Syndicate is a scene where Crawford Starrick is solemnly playing piano. At the conclusion of the slow, heartfelt song, he earnestly sings "In such a moment, I but ask that you'll remember me. That you'll remember me." We remember you, Assassin's Creed. And now, we have hope for what else you can do.
I've been waiting for a long time to see this franchise take place in the Victorian era, and Assassin's Creed Syndicate doesn't disappoint. Sure, there are some bugs and a few missteps, but I see myself playing through the game at least one more time before I put it aside.
After spending over 35 hours exploring the nooks and cranny of Assassin's Creed Syndicate, I'm saddened to report that my initial findings still ring true. What I had hoped would be a return to everything great about Assassin's Creed has failed to really pull me in. It isn't a terrible game by any means, and I'd rank it much higher on the totem pole than the previous installment, Assassin's Creed Unity. But that doesn't change the fact that Ubisoft's latest assassin-centered story is only a few shades above mediocre.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate makes some strides forward with more substantial side quests and interesting story missions, even if the plot itself doesn't really go anywhere. Exploring this recreation of London is a marvel, but the repetitive cycle of taking territory and gathering pointless collectibles quickly wears thin, while gameplay pillars in stealth and combat still feel lacking. It's the most modern Assassin's Creed has been, but the Industrial Revolution doesn't quite bring the series into a new age.
So yeah… Assassin's Creed Syndicate is actually good. Took 'em long enough.
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate is about what we've come to expect from annual franchise. Ubisoft Quebec has built a beautiful new world to explore but relies on many of the same ideas from previous games to keep players interested.
[W]ith solid combat, a very fun grappling hook gun, a wonderful recreation of Victorian-era London, and a pure focus on the single-player campaign, Assassin's Creed has returned to its roots, and hopefully this has set the stage for something epic as the series used to be known for.
Ubisoft plays it safe but still manages to deliver a rollicking and visually stunning Victorian Era adventure
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is thankfully a fine return to form for the franchise. The combination of an interesting and diverse cast of characters and the entertaining and compelling story sit perfectly in the beautifully recreated 1860's London. It doesn't do everything to solve all the series' problems, missions can feel repetitive and there are some minor AI bugs that will shatter the sense of immersion occasionally, but by taking a step backwards and removing much of the excess baggage that the series has accumulated over the years of annual releases, Syndicate has become the best Assassin's Creed since Brotherhood.
While titles like Witcher 3 and Metal Gear Solid V have innovated on the open-world adventure, Syndicate is stuck in the past, in more ways than one
Assassin's Creed Syndicate provides a fantastic facsimile of Victorian London, but clumsy controls and tedious missions spoil the fun.
Despite its flaws, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a great action-adventure romp featuring a stunning backdrop in 1860s London and a brilliant cast of colorful characters.
Fantastic setting makes up for lackluster gameplay.
Much like the Victorian city that it's based upon, you have to dig into Assassin's Creed Syndicate in order to identify its problems. The core gameplay loop is solid and it's built upon a sound structure, but familiarity and filler lessen the appeal of this open world outing. Vastly improved performance and all around impressive presentation mean that London's most definitely not burning – but there may be a little panic in the offices at Ubisoft.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is an amazing action/adventure. It has evolved past its humble crusading beginning, and entered the industrial age of looming cities, intriguing missions and solid combat. While it still isn't the most challenging game, it proves to be warm, friendly and massively engrossing.
It's still Assassin's Creed to its core, and won't bring in any new people or those that completely have tired from the franchise. Yet I can proudly say Syndicate sits right behind Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Black Flag as my favorites out of the franchise.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is an acrobatic lunge in the right direction for the series. It's a more stable offering than Unity ever was with engaging protagonists, a monster of a city to get lost in, and some shrewd tweaks to the time-tested formula. Contract killing and taking leaps of faith off famous landmarks hasn't been this rewarding since the days of the great Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
After the blight that was Unity, Ubisoft elected to scale back with Assassin's Creed Syndicate. The result is a game that's both fun and stable.
With a stellar cast of characters, a beautiful setting, thoughtful and open ended gameplay, and a decidedly more playable post-launch game, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the game that many fans of the series have been waiting for.