As the page turns to the London chapter of Assassin’s Creed, can the developers win over the home crowd?…
After a few less than lauded entries in the series, it was essential for Ubisoft to get it right. It’s easy to see after just a few minutes playing Syndicate that the game has been hauled back to its bedrock of quality. The game mechanics feel tight and well-oiled, and there is very little texture popping or glitches. There are other subtle additions to the game to add meat to the solid bones, the introduction of Evie Frye shows an ideological shift from the developers that brings the series truly up to date. Taking cover behind ladies of the night has been removed, women are prominent throughout the story and Evie Frye is perfectly balanced in her persona and appearance, attractive not only in appearance but in her character and value as a protagonist. This has been applauded as a step in the right direction.
The scene is set with Croydon as it’s backdrop, introducing the boisterous duo Jacob and Evie Frye. Tackling their first mission from the top of a speeding train, you are whisked through the lovingly created London suburbs, captured so well you can almost smell the smoke from the chimneys. The boroughs ooze with life as children beg, steal and play in the back streets. Moving across the city, the Thames, rail routes and roads constantly flow to make an evolving landscaping to navigate.
The story quickly establishes the duo mixing with a variety of notable names. Charles Dickens and Alexander Graham Bell are two of the first to appear. Each quirky and interesting in their own way, they offer culturally interesting missions. Jacob is motivated by the more physical approach to retaking London, creating a respite from stealth as he leads a bare knuckle parade through the streets. Evie as the more sophisticated of the two, plays off the other characters with guile as they take a shine to her, her intellectual outlook develops the plot in totally different ways, giving gamers a chance to enjoy all the possibilities Assassins Creed can offer in history, culture and stealth.
Aside from the major elements of Assassins Creed, there are some new additions that are really well implemented. Liberating the areas of London can be done in a variety of ways, fighting your way through a stronghold is a classic that hasn’t changed much but the option for kidnaps creates an entirely new dynamic. With the police always lurking nearby, getting a gang leader away from his cronies is the easy part, but without a well-planned route these liberations are far from rinse and repeats. Capturing shipments also present a wealth of problems as you try to protect the goods from an onslaught of high-speed attackers and unhelpful traffic. These side missions intertwined with strengthening your gang, keeps the game interesting and fluid outside of the main sequences.
Overall the game feels perfectly balanced, polished and, for a change, finite. Without the multiplayer and a perfectly sized world, Syndicate encourages you to fully explore all of its nooks and crannies to get the most out of the game. Syndicate paints a colourful tapestry of people and places with very few flaws to detract from the enjoyment.
Author – Joe, Bath store
