Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China Reviews
Though it sheds many of the series' best elements, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China has its own charm, and is worth a play for those in search of a simple stealth experience.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China does a lot of the hard stuff well, but can't convey the rush of being an assassin.
Cramming many of Assassin's Creed's calling cards into ACC: China's diminutive 2.5D frame, while amping up the importance of stealth, is impressive. But too much of the game is flat and uninspired. There's the barest bones of a great game here. Let's hope one of the sequels expands on that promise.
It's always somewhat tacky to compare products, but it's warranted when so very much is borrowed. This game is a bit of a knockoff of the superior Mark of the Ninja. Mark has a better story, less frustrating mechanics, and guards that are slightly less lobotomized than these dolts. If you've beaten Mark and want another crack at a decent sidescroller, Chronicles China should fit that bill, but let's hope they bring some new concepts to the table for the next two outings.
I suggest waiting until more of these Chronicles titles have been released to see how well they end up fairing as a whole. They might be worth it in the end, but for right now? Only if you're wanting a few hours of meaningless stealth action in your life.
However, the game's main problem is that it's just rather dull overall. Perhaps it's the push to avoid enemy contact or the lackluster sound design or the droning music, but Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China never really comes to life. It's a different take on side-scrolling gameplay, but the added depth doesn't save it from feeling flat.
It is nice, refreshing even, to see Assassin's Creed doing something a little different from the norm. But the differences are only skin deep. Much of ACC: China is routine and unpolished, failing to capitalize on an opportunity to stand out from the rest of the series.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is a fun and enjoyable game that does the franchise justice while taking it into another genre. There are some truly fantastic ideas here, some super-smooth parkour, brain-tingling puzzle challenges and occasional flashes of brilliance when it's time to get down and dirty in combat. Some ideas haven't been explored as thoroughly as we'd have liked, and there are a few rough spots, though. We're looking forward to the next installment.
And yet despite those two criticisms, here is a game that I played through in a couple of long sessions of play, and typically my patience with 2D platforms is very, very limited. I could have done with a stronger and more robust narrative, and I would have loved to get to know Shao better, but where I generally tolerate the gameplay of an Assassin's Creed game because I find the world and history so inviting, this time around the reverse is true, and I rather like that.
Assassins Creed Chronicles: China does an impressive job of taking the lore and core mechanics of the series and making them work in a 2D game. It's slick, fast-paced and entertaining, with some beautiful stylised art, and all it lacks is a little magic to turn it from a good spin-off into a great one.
Assassin's Creed Chronices: China is a nice change of pace for the series, and a great way to spend $10. I had a great time with the experience, and am on board for the next two whenever they release. If you like bite-sized stealth adventures like Mark of the Ninja, this is definitely one to check out.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is a decent stab---no pun intended---at bringing the series to a 2.5D realm, though it's sadly let down by poor level design and dull combat.
In the end, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China takes a bold new step for the franchise. While I did have fun, I spent most of the game frustrated by buggy controls and A.I. that seemed to forget what its limitations were.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is a decent change of pace for the franchise. The goals are more focused and deliver some great stealth gameplay across the approximately five hours it takes to complete. With all the open world distractions stripped away I felt like I was playing a proper assassin-based title, with the only focus being to take out the target. The issues with the combat, as well as a story that feels shallow, combined with lackluster delivery, detract from the overall experience.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China has the makings of a good 2D Prince of Persia re-awakening, but it lacks a lot of character both aesthetically and mechanically. Still, there's very little actually wrong with it if you're looking for another platformer to add to your pile. Hopefully future iterations of the Chronicles subseries can build upon the foundation that China has provided.
This spin-off starts strong, yet loses steam the further you progress
If the other two Chronicles games can build on this start then Ubisoft and Climax Games could show that just as with Child of Light and Valiant Hearts it's possible to make a smaller, superior experience.
Retaining the flavor of core Assassin's games without the stodginess and content padding that undermines them, China is – in my humble opinion, of course – a superior Assassin's Creed production. It's clear that China took the best bits of its larger siblings and added its own flavor – I feel the big budget work of Ubisoft Montpelier would be served well by returning the gesture.
Chronicles: China is the smartest twist on the Assassin's Creed formula yet
'Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China' is a mixture of classic 'Assassin's Creed' gameplay, the stealthy 2D success of 'Mark of the Ninja', and sharp art design. It's rather short, but also rather cheap, and has more replayability than most games in this category. It's probably the most fun I've had playing an Assassin's Creed since 'Black Flag'.