Before reviewing the base game, A FAIR WARNING, DO NOT PURCHASE DLC AT Any cost. Every available guide out there to let you launch the Lost Archive DLC is outdated as with Ubisoft multiplayer servers gone for this game, the DLC will just sit on your main menu but will never ever open. No error. No Warning. Just nothing will happen. Please also read the following line on the steam store page of the game : - From 25 January 2024: Multiplayer and online features will no longer be available for this product. Somehow, they are still selling the defunct DLC separately which absolutely doesn't make any sense. You're ideally giving them a tip if you still buy it but rest I will leave it to your wise & humble choice. now coming to the main game. I have played Assassin's Creed 2 and Brotherhood. This game starts immediately after the ending of Brotherhood, but if you haven't played the previous two games, it seems like it's set up in a way that makes it hard to understand what's going on. But Still , I think you won't be confused by any aspects of the story progression even if this is your first time playing. This time, the story is set when Ezio was 51 years old. He fights the Templars for the key to the vault, and wreaks havoc in Constantinople (now Istanbul). ○ New feature "Hideout Defense" Mainly, the Templar Knights' recognition gauge (what was the rumor gauge in the previous game) is at MAX, and if you take more conspicuous actions (defeating enemies in battle, recruiting Assassins, rebuilding, etc.), the Templars will discover the hideouts scattered around the country and they will attack you. When you go to the site and enter the hideout, the defense battle begins, and the situation will change dramatically depending on where you place the type of assassin (bow, rifle, air assassin, etc.) and whether you place or strengthen barricades, resulting in a heated battle. Ezio seems to be able to only give instructions on placement, attack with a rifle, and where to fire the cannon. Basically, you defeat waves and waves of enemies, raising morale, and then you use that morale to place Assassins and barricades instead of costs, so I felt that the balance was quite good, as too much biased placement can suddenly put the situation at a disadvantage. Once you've cleared out a certain number of enemies, a boss-class temple equipped with weapons such as a large ballista and Greek fire will come and attack you, so it was pretty tough. Ezio's rifle and Assassin's attacks were no match for it. If you waste your cannon, it takes a long time to recharge, so barricades and hideouts are easily destroyed, so I felt that the key was knowing when to use the cannon. ○ About "Hook Blade" The hook blade added this time seems to be more of a wide range when free running than a combat-oriented one. The hook blade's reach is so long that you can reach crazy jumps, hook it to higher places and climb, and the best part is the wire action slide using the hook. You can also use it for assassinations, so I think the range of activities has increased. ○ About "Bomb Craft" You can combine specific materials to create a variety of bombs for lethal (attack), diversion, and support, and I felt that the range of assassinations has increased depending on the situation. When you run out of materials, you can get them from the rebuilt tailor or pharmacy, or steal them randomly from enemy soldiers, which is fun. ●Changes Those who have played the previous games may be confused by the slight change in button layout. When performing the Hawk's Eye, you used to press E, but now it's the V button. It's a bit of a hassle if you're not used to it. Other than that, there used to be a companion named Prostitute, but this time she's been renamed Roma (?) (No change in performance at all) In the previous game, the stables and tunnels that were rebuilt are no longer there. Considering what's happened so far, There was one disappointing thing. - A bug where if you lose sight of the captain while following him in Sequence 1 the synchronization doesn't end, even though it should. If you try to go further, you'll see the strange sight of him falling into a strange place and swimming around. - A bug where the screen goes completely black once in five times at the start of a mission. *However, bugs can be fixed by replaying the memory. - The initial loading takes a considerable amount of time. Postscript (Thoughts after completion) These are my thoughts after achieving a 100% synchronization rate with both the sub-memory and the full synchronization of each memory. Story ★★★★☆ In the previous and previous previous games, the rival Knights Templar were very prominent, but this time, the brothers' struggle for supremacy stood out, and I felt that Ezio was caught up in it. In contrast, I was deeply moved by the reasons why Ezio had to build the library in Masyaf, the strong bond between Altair and Ezio, and the message to Desmond in the present day, as well as the bond that transcends centuries. The archive DVD, Assassin's Creed Embers, is a short film that depicts Ezio's life afterwards, but I strongly recommend watching it after you've played through the main story and cleared it. Combat ★★★★☆ Needless to say, its one of the best, but I felt that the style of assassination, which takes advantage of the stealth of the Assassin, was a little broken. There were quite a few battle scenes where you were discovered by the enemy. However, killstreaks and counters were very exhilarating. You can now steal items and money from enemies during battle, and the battle scenes using weapons were also exhilarating. Also, the strength of the elite Janissaries was incredible, and the increase in opponents that cannot be killed in one hit made the battles more rewarding. Game Balance ★★★★★ Above all, in the previous games, the strength of the hired mercenaries and bandits was so strong that if you attacked the small fry around you, you would win even if you left them alone, but this time the elite unit "Janissaries" are too strong, so if you attack them carelessly and leave them alone, you will be wiped out. If you don't help them out, you will not only waste money, but also waste your life. Also, the change to the recognition gauge for the Templar Knights has made it harder to rebuild or take down the Templar Knights' hideouts one after another. In that sense, I felt that the balance was quite good. Few Bugs ★★☆☆☆ As expected, there were some bugs here and there. However, the parachute that was used in the previous game to forcefully remove you when you entered a tomb is still there this time. It seems that we have to accept that it is not a bug but a feature. I don't think I saw any bugs that were unpleasant to me. Other: The graphics and music are absolutely perfect. I especially like the music's sense of tragedy, which I think matches Ezio's current state of mind perfectly. So excluding unplayable chargeable DLC which is more than enough to take your frustration and anguish to the next level, it wouldn't do any justice to the game which is by far, one of the best open world, parkour, 3rd person, historical Constantinople, Medieval experience, enough to grip your memory forever.
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