WeView Verdict: Assassin’s Creed Unity

While Assassin’s Creed Unity does seem to have split the community slightly, it’s nowhere near as strong as I thought it would be. Despite Unity’s launch issues, the post release patches look like they’ve improved the game overall, leaving many reasonably happy with the title.

This was an element highlighted by JR., although they didn’t pick the game up until patches were already available. Their post patch playing left them impressed by the game’s depiction of Paris, praising the “amount of detail and time spent recreating the beautiful city” and the “breathtakingly detailed” rendering of Notre Dame.

However, JR. agreed with our review of the game on the subject of whistle removal, calling it “a step backward”. They were also frustrated by the extent the game stuck to the series’ formula, hoping for Ubisoft to “really change things up and make it interesting again”.

Our very own Tuffcub was even less impressed by how closely this game fits into the standard Assassin’s Creed formula. Although he only played it “for about 30 minutes”, that was enough to convince him that it’s the same as “same as every other… AC game” and to not invest any more time into it. JustTaylorNow wasn’t exactly impressed with the game either, saying that although “The co op was a refreshing welcome” the game is a glitch ridden “train wreck” and that the series “died ages ago”.

On the more positive side of things was MrYd, who called Unity “The best AC game since the AC2 trilogy”. They highlighted the way that the sheer number of people wandering around Paris “makes the city feel alive” and praised the way Ubisoft have given you “more freedom to do things however you want”. However, they were disappointed by the scaling back of the modern day sections, feeling that “minor interactions with another character who’s outside the Animus and 3 trips to a different time period isn’t enough”.

Kennykazey’s view of the game is a little more mixed, saying that while it is ambitious and “tries to be the new AC2” it’s ultimately too ambitious for its own good. They feel that while Paris is “well-crafted”, it’s filled with “far too much useless rubbish” as part of the game’s attempt to be “the most content-rich game in the series”. Kennykazey also bemoaned the game’s “dreadful Uplay integration”, saying it “frequently [breaks] your immersion”. Ultimately, they felt that while Unity “could have been one of the very best in the series”, it is “held back by poor decisions.”

For our final comment this week we turn to tactical20, who had a somewhat more positive view of the title:

As for the game itself, it’s a proper AC game. I felt that while I really enjoyed Black Flag, it could have been it’s own franchise. Unity felt like the AC I know and love. The city of Paris is huge and the level of detail is the first real glimpse of what I expected from this generation of consoles. The sheer scale and number of things to complete is insane. I also think it’s worth noting that this game has some of the best side missions in any game. The riddles are genuinely tricky and the murder mysteries are great.

Now, of course, it’s time to take a look at your overall rating of the game. Plus It came in last with just one vote, while both Sale It and Avoid It gained two. Buy It was the winner with five, although many of you said it was only worth it at its current cheap price.

With Unity well and truly rated, it’s time to look to the future. In tomorrow’s WeView we’ll be taking a look at another Ubisoft title, The Crew, and you can vote for next week’s game below.