Assassin's Creed: Revelations Review

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – the story continues

Assassin’s Creed Revelations sees a battle-worn Ezio Auditore follow in the footsteps of legendary assassin Altair, in a journey which leads him to the bustling continental melting pot of Constantinople. The gripping storyline from the previous installments artfully unravels as you progress through the missions, although newcomers to the serious may tend to get a bit lost without any background knowledge.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – tourist trap

The Constantinople of Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a far cry from the modern gridlock-ridden city of Istanbul, with a skyline dotted with mosque domes and piercing minarets, all of which can be scaled and jumped off – till vertigo gets the better of you. Ubisoft’s attention to detail on famous landmarks like the Grand Bazaar and the Hagia Sophia is truly impressive, resulting in a lavishly authentic city whose rooftops and alleyways are begging to be explored.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations – old dog, new tricks

Combat is fluid and littered with satisfyingly gruesome kill animations, our favourite of which involves skewering a guard’s head with our sword, spinning it round, and breaking his neck. A new hook blade comes in handy for rolling over foes before sticking them with pointy implements of your choosing, and homemade bombs are a great way to create distractions or deal out death - depending on the mood you're in.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – death from above

Veteran free runners will feel right at home among the rooftops, and your new best friend – the hook blade – speeds things up considerably, giving you zip line access when speed is a priority. The elation of plunging your hidden blade into an unsuspecting enemy from a zip line leap is one that you’ll seek again and again, and we appreciate the extra few metres it gives us on our jumps when leaping after scurrying targets.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – two can play that game

The multiplayer experience offers a new cast of customisable characters, fresh locations, clan support and two new modes — Deathmatch and Artifact Assault. Deathmatch sees you searching for targets among a civilian crowd while simultaneously watching your back for stalkers of your very own – a tense but welcome change of pace when compared to the spray-n-pray gameplay of the FPS genre.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – verdict

Although Assassin’s Creed Revelations serves up more of the same, this is a good thing given the quality of its predecessors. Combat and free running is polished, the multiplayer has been overhauled and the all-important intricate storyline is engaging and absorbing enough to keep you stabbing and slashing away for hours on end. Requiescat in pace.