Beautiful, but kinda sucks. [Just venting, don't be too serious]

[Xupicor]

The AC games usually look beautiful for their time. The layouts of cities, the historical buildings with their own 'pedia entrances, the nice crowds walking the streets. The polished parkour mechanics. What's not to love?

I remember being pretty excited about the first one after seeing the trailer ('member?) - it was something else. The Animus story was a nice tough to bind multiple games. The unique fighting mechanics got better as time and games went. Life was good.

Then, slowly, I guess starting around AC4, I started to think that they probably should have made those games without the Animus story as just standalone experiences/IPs, focusing on the action/historical aspects of particular settings. I mean, I low key adored the pirate experience in Black Flag that was so well done in an "assassin" game.

Then, real life happened and I haven't played beyond Unity. Loved Paris, by the way -- I've lived there for almost two years and could recognize some parts. So, that means I've skipped Origins and Syndicate. Though I plan to complete them at some point.

My friend bought Oddysey some time after it released and when visiting, he showed me how it plays. I was quite shocked. It... Looked all wrong. I mean, the fidelity of graphics was nothing to write home about, but it was some early game so maybe there are cities that look nice. Still, the most shocking part was the fighting mechanics. They changed so completely as to be unrecognizable. Instead of the character striking at the actual enemies, it was full of aimless cuts, felt rough around the edges, felt completely out of place.

Let's just say that it put me off from trying anything newer than Unity for a long time. However, the disgust faded a bit and revealed a hidden longing, concealed thirst for that good AC experience...

I tried Valhalla now and I have to say it looks beautiful. The music and audio direction is amazing. The graphics, the buildings, it all really looks great. Then I started to fight and found that the trend that I saw in Oddysey, continues.


AC veterans, when did the combat system got changed? What do you think about it?

Personally, I have little love for it. It feels generic, to say the least. It just doesn't fit everything else. It's jarringly... aimless. Yes, aimless is I think the word that fits the most. Literally, when you square against a single opponent -- it doesn't look or feel like it's two people fighting each other. It feels like the AI is fighting you and you're just swinging aimlessly in the air in hopes of hitting them. It's like our character doesn't have eyes to see the opponent and is but a mindless marionette.

It didn't feel that way with the older games for me, and it's a bit of a shame. Some part of the unique magic they had was lost with the combat mechanics change.

Anyway, if you made it this far - thanks for your time. Hope you have an enjoyable evening. If you want to comment, go ahead. All I ask for is: be thoughful about it.

Cheers. ;)

[craigsters]

Maybe your overlooking thing's and just finished playing either the elder scrolls v skyrim, Elden Ring or red dead redemption 2 all three are beautiful and breath taken , also some people don't know how to utilize there PC graphic settings and could have them set to lowest quality settings

A lot of people use enb's with there game, they improve the look of the game

[Mu6o]

> likes the new games and visuals
> wants old combat system

Well mate, go play Elden Ring, should feel the same.

[uni790]

The combat system changed heavily to a more RPG style setup with Odyssey, with the floaty numbers and spongy baddies, at least this one has the yellow skill tree you can invest in to make the assassin stuff actually work, unlike the previous couple titles. (I will admit to only playing the Egypt one, and not much as there wasn't a choice in character)


Black Flag was the last of the good AC games, anything after that, just isn't AC anymore.

[johnwick]

Really you are just experiencing what a mediocre gaming experience Ubisoft now make. They went downhill big time wtih recent games. Odyssey, even though just ripping off the best ideas/mechanics of what came before in the genre was still a good game for having those things, same reason Elden Ring is good game.

This game feels like a cheap knock off of their own series and it was done really poorly.

I played this on their subscription service and it's like Witcher 3 level combat. The weapon and item system is trash. The world is an empty grindfest. It didn't take me long into the game to see how bad it was and i just uninstalled it and i loved Odyssey.

It's like an RPG character creation where they put 18 points into visuals and 1 story 1 combat

But all Ubisoft stuff is like this now, a far cry from what they used to be known for. All their games are really mediocre.

It makes me think the new pirate one is going to be a the most hated on game of 2023 if they continue the trend.

[Melinda Safitri]

Originally posted by Mu6o:

> likes the new games and visuals
> wants old combat system

Well mate, go play Elden Ring, should feel the same.

Elden Ring have beautiful graphics but open world in Elden Ring feels empty

[Dorok]

That's life, Stealth aesthetes are bound to be silenced and crushed by the barbarians crowd of open world RPG fans.

[Romo]

Originally posted by uni790:

The combat system changed heavily to a more RPG style setup with Odyssey, with the floaty numbers and spongy baddies, at least this one has the yellow skill tree you can invest in to make the assassin stuff actually work, unlike the previous couple titles. (I will admit to only playing the Egypt one, and not much as there wasn't a choice in character)


Black Flag was the last of the good AC games, anything after that, just isn't AC anymore.

Abilities were best done in Odyssey, not Valhalla imo. The game had A LOT of customizable options, from engravings to loadouts to gear to type. You could literally make a build that dealt 200% damage but locked your health at 50%, builds solely focused on bows, builds solely focused on spear assassinations. I don't think Valhalla does it better in any way, it's worse.

Originally posted by Mu6o:

> likes the new games and visuals
> wants old combat system

Well mate, go play Elden Ring, should feel the same.

But Elden Ring's combat should be more akin to Valhalla's, no? Dodge/Parry attack. The old games despite having fluid combat were nothing but counter and stab with the occasional janky shooting mechanics.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Romo:

Originally posted by uni790:

The combat system changed heavily to a more RPG style setup with Odyssey, with the floaty numbers and spongy baddies, at least this one has the yellow skill tree you can invest in to make the assassin stuff actually work, unlike the previous couple titles. (I will admit to only playing the Egypt one, and not much as there wasn't a choice in character)

Black Flag was the last of the good AC games, anything after that, just isn't AC anymore.

Abilities were best done in Odyssey, not Valhalla imo. The game had A LOT of customizable options, from engravings to loadouts to gear to type. You could literally make a build that dealt 200% damage but locked your health at 50%, builds solely focused on bows, builds solely focused on spear assassinations. I don't think Valhalla does it better in any way, it's worse.

Valhalla integrated the sets design of Odyssey at two levels, abilities (not the skills tree) and equipment.

Sure, late game enough Odyssey allows ultra specialized sets, fire, poison, specific weapon, pure assassin, assassin even for non stealth combat, and various glass canon builds if not thin paper builds like archer with 600%+ head shot damages if not 1000% and 2000% with the right ability.

But I wouldn't swear Valhalla can't compete in its way on that.

The error to not make is restrict Valhalla character building to skills tree, and the few first equipment choices you get. Nope, Valhalla has also abilities (through books of knowledge), equipment sets and abilities sets, plus the skills tree.

For sure Valhalla runes system is very limited compared to Odyssey Enchants, but I think they can contribute to a build specialization

i doubt it will allow the same level of ultra specialization than in Odyssey but significant specializations anyway, anyway there's a major shift between the two systems, they can't use totally similar design choices.

[Xupicor]

Originally posted by craigsters:

Maybe your overlooking thing's [...]

Honestly, I'm not sure what you're trying to say. I've played through Skyrim years ago (who hasn't?), finished RDR2 some months ago and have zero interest in Elden Ring or other Souls-like games. They can be pretty, granted, but the gameplay isn't for me.
Again, not sure what kind of a point you're making there.


I enjoyed reading the exchange about abilities and builds, I would question, though, the reason "why" they felt the need to add "builds" to Assassin's game. I mean, action/adventure rpg-lite felt just right, there was really no need IMO to "rpgize" it at all. It was never the main selling point. Was there really a push from the audience to change the series that much?

I mean, I get that you can't make the same game all over again for fifteen years (or, actually, you can... I'll leave finding examples as an exercise for the reader) - but it was not a bad formula and I'd rather they invested in good writing than add these changes that - for me at least - instead of being transformative in a good sense, feel forced and foreign to the series.

Call me an old man, but I never needed anything much more than what the AC4, maybe Unity, had as a combat system. It looked good, it worked well, it was perfectly playable. There were always games with deeper and more customizable combat systems out there that would scratch that itch, I never missed them in AC games, as they were not about that.

"Less is more" kind of thing, I suppose.

[craigsters]

not every game is going to be as beautiful as rdr2, Eldon Ring or the elder scrolls v skyrim

I don't get my expectation and hopes that all games well be like the three I mentioned above

[Xupicor]

Originally posted by craigsters:

not every game is going to be as beautiful as [...]

Sure, but I don't have any issue with Valhalla's graphics. I have it on highest settings, looks quite beautiful to me. Did you read the OP? I may have waned poetic here and there, but basically my gripe is about the new (Oddysey onwards) combat system. That's what I don't like, not the graphics.

[craigsters]

Originally posted by Xupicor:

Originally posted by craigsters:

not every game is going to be as beautiful as [...]

Sure, but I don't have any issue with Valhalla's graphics. I have it on highest settings, looks quite beautiful to me. Did you read the OP? I may have waned poetic here and there, but basically my gripe is about the new (Oddysey onwards) combat system. That's what I don't like, not the graphics.

I stop reading thing's after ten lines, me having the attention span of a dog, turns head quickly sees a squirrel

[Mu6o]

Originally posted by Romo:

Originally posted by Mu6o:

> likes the new games and visuals
> wants old combat system

Well mate, go play Elden Ring, should feel the same.

But Elden Ring's combat should be more akin to Valhalla's, no? Dodge/Parry attack. The old games despite having fluid combat were nothing but counter and stab with the occasional janky shooting mechanics.

tbh I hated AC1 and AC2 mechanics. I mean you are a person that was trained since early childhood into being an assassins', master of arms. Then you have a soldier who was probably plowing his fields last year. If you fail to assasinate him, he will plow you just like he did his fields.

Here you are playing as a Viking, in Oddysey as a Spartan, in Origins you were Medjay. It makes sense that the combat is not about assassinating all of the people in the game. After all these three are trained for close combat.

This is why people are "This is not an AC".. well not exactly. It's a creed after all.

[Dirty Dan]

Originally posted by uni790:

The combat system changed heavily to a more RPG style setup with Odyssey, with the floaty numbers and spongy baddies, at least this one has the yellow skill tree you can invest in to make the assassin stuff actually work, unlike the previous couple titles. (I will admit to only playing the Egypt one, and not much as there wasn't a choice in character)


Black Flag was the last of the good AC games, anything after that, just isn't AC anymore.

Unity was excellent

[Connatic]

Originally posted by Melinda Safitri:

Originally posted by Mu6o:

> likes the new games and visuals
> wants old combat system

Well mate, go play Elden Ring, should feel the same.

Elden Ring have beautiful graphics but open world in Elden Ring feels empty

Well it felt empty in an appropriate Dark Souls kinda way. Still felt great to explore, and not having millions of explicit side quest icons all over the map actually made it more enjoyable in a way. But that's way off topic.