Assassin's Creed

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
PC, Xbox 360, PS3, DS, Mobile
Level of Difficulty: 3.5 out of 5
ESRB Rating: M for Mature

1UPs: Very compelling story! The idea that your DNA contains the memories of your ancestors is incredible...and the cherry on top is that the main character's ancestor was a Crusades-era assassin is awesome. The design makes you feel like you are a killing machine of incredible skill. It's definately fun to play.

Goombas: The downside to all that is that it's probably good for a playthrough. There are numerous flags strewn throughout the game and if you're a completionist, then it would be good for another playthrough to get those. The "blend" mechanic is also not properly done. I could silently kill two guards standing next to each other, and not alert the guards as long as I was blended.

Rent or Buy: Buy - I'd recommend this for a buy, but with some stipulations. If you get hooked on this story (which is really unique and inventive in my opinion) then you'll enjoy having this game in your collection to play once a year or so. Otherwise, one to two times through the game will probably be enough to get the gist of what's going on.

On a related note, the sequel will be coming November 17th, 2009. Assassin's Creed II takes place in the Italian Rennaissance and features a new assassin, Ezio. Check back here for a review as soon as it's available!

Price: $19.99 - $27.99 depending on platform.