Assassin's Creed is a franchise that has generated tons of revenue and critical acclaim. It brought new ideas to the table in its first outing and has stuck with the same formula for another three games. It took the mechanics of stealth-combat to a new level with satisfyingly gruesome kills and adrenaline fueled takedowns. Assassin's Creed did something different than most titles of similar gameplay; it had an exciting and immersive story. What really brings me back sequel after sequel is the signature cliffhanger at the end of each iteration. They are so perfectly executed, albeit some better than others, that they resonate with gamers and keep them talking about it. While these are shining examples of what makes Assassin's Creed sell millions, it still, of course, has its quirks. While no game is perfect, the quirks that AC suffers from have become more evident and more pronounced as each title rolls out of Ubisoft's doors. After years of releasing annually, it begs the question whether or not gamers are happy with the direction the series is going. Will it remain like this? If so, it bothers me.
My chief complaint is the fact that a new Assassin's Creed title is released every year. While this does not mean immediate failure in my eyes, it usually isn't a good idea. A good idea profit-wise, but in every other aspect, I believe it to be a mistake. While Assassin's Creed II was better than its predecessor, and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is slightly better than that, Assassin's Creed Revelations does not live up to this pattern. One year, in development time, is an extremely short window. Time didn't seem to affect previous titles, but Assassin's Creed does not improve on anything and is graphically and gameplay-wise nearly identical to Brotherhood. A hookblade and a flamethrower being the only notable inclusions in the campaign is a sad thing, especially since they are barely used. While they would be sacrificing quite a bit of money, I think the best alternative to another lackluster sequel would be to spend a longer amount of time or wait for the new generation of consoles to blossom.
Maybe the addition of multiplayer has moved too much focus away from the campaign. I for one like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood's/Revelations' multiplayer as an alternative to the shoot 'em up version. That is all that I like, however, and never have (and never will) put in an extensive amount of time into it. It just gets boring trying to be stealthy all the time. Sometimes I would like to just duke it out with a morning star. Being stealthy or rushing like a madman is a decision I can make in the campaign, so maybe have the decision of an alternate mode that allows both. It would be a bad marketing decision to exclude multiplayer now, and while they say they are giving it less attention, that does not seem to be the case entirely.
The climbing mechanics are fluid and fun at times, but can get too repetitive after merely an hour of gameplay. Climbing things seems like a stroll in the park for Altair and Ezio, but maybe amp up the variety and difficulty of climbing the various buildings and such.
I wouldn't have so much of a problem with all of these faults if it was being fixed. The release of Revelations, however, dampened my hopes for a top-tier masterpiece ever coming to light in the AC universe. Maybe I will be taken by storm and the next Assassin's Creed game will be what I am hoping for, but the forecast is looking a little too sunny.