Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Gameplay #2) - In Search of Lost Time
1Assassin's Creed III is just around the corner (the console versions, anyway) and I have still not got around to playing much of Revelations, so I figured I'd try to rush through the campaign just to experience its detailed virtual representation of Constantinople and "educate" myself on the most important story beats etc. For some reason, before Revelations I dutifully played through every new (non-handheld) AssCreed title that got released even though I'm not actually much of a fan of either the gameplay or the storytelling. In many ways the Assassin's Creed series is a showcase for all the problems with currentgen gaming, such as mechanics which have been streamlined to the point of redundancy, infuriatingly designed controls which mistake simplicity for accessibility as well as a shallow and needlessly convoluted story which serves no purpose besides providing an excuse for yet another annual installment in a predictably never-ending franchise.
That being said, I also a have a weak spot for games which try to make earlier time periods come alive while retaining at least some small measure of historical accuracy. As mentioned before, the tourist aspect of Assassin's Creed is genuinely appealing (especially if you've actually visited the cities being portrayed in the series) and it is possible to get into a rather relaxing gaming groove when you're dealing with the game's many menial tasks while simultaneously taking in the often magnificient scenery.