Assassin's Creed Syndicate Reviews
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the most fun I've had with an Assassin's game since Black Flag.
New toys and strong characters freshen up the Creed formula, but only for a while.
Syndicate moves Assassin's Creed forward with a solid new adventure, a beautiful London playground and a renewed sense of fun.
Victorian London is the star of the show here, and although some old gameplay problems linger, it hasn't been this much fun to wield the hidden blade in years.
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.
Whether you're reclaiming the city from gangs, killing Templars, or searching for hidden secrets, this is an example of the Assassin's Creed formula done right
Syndicate doesn't get everything right. It doesn't solve all of the series' problems, and at this point, I'm not sure if any one game could. However, it's the first step in a uniformly positive direction that the franchise has taken in years.
Ziplining through London is thrilling, and the game allows you to organically discover missions and leaves you open-ended solutions lets you to create a meaningful, personal experience within its world. Coupled with strong, loveable leads and a seemingly endless procession of ways to leave your (fictional) mark on London's history, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a shining example of gameplay and storytelling.
The best entry in years for a series that had seen some high-profile misfires. The Batman-ish ropeline is a terrific addition to the series of games best played from the rooftops. Too many missions feel like a to-do list, rather than an opportunity for player creativity.
It doesn't offer many surprises, but Syndicate represents a return to form for Assassin's Creed.
While Syndicate isn't AC II, to Unity's AC, it's still an improvement over Ubisoft's 2014 offering. The pair of protagonists work well, some stealth options return, and there's more ways to get around. London is a worthy playground for the Frye twins... and for players.
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.
Ultimately, Syndicate comes off as another Assassin's Creed game with a handful of improvements. London is beautiful if a bit laborious to travel around, and the missions are repetitive, but this doesn't make Syndicate bad by any stretch of the imagination. It's still a good game, it just hasn't made a significant step up over the previous instalment. If you are a fan of Assassin's Creed, or you think you might be, then Syndicate comes as recommended as any other AC. It likely won't convert people who dislike the series, but it won't lose any who are still interested in it, either.
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.
[W]e're back to tightly packed cities and crowds for two years running now, like we've warped all the way back to the Assassin's Creed II trilogy. And no matter how pretty the games get and how tight the mechanics are, it never feels fresh anymore.
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.
Syndicate is a step in the right direction for the series. It's not as innovative as it could be, but it's an entertaining adventure worthy of the name Assassin's Creed. Buy it.
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.
Ubisoft has tinkered around behind the hood and gotten this series back on the right track. Long may it continue, as Syndicate is the best Assassin's Creed game in a long, long time.