Have Recent AssCreed Games Returned to the Original Formula?

[Aunt Jemima]

I loved pretty much every game up to and including Black Flag.

While they didn't stray particularly far from the design of the original games, the subsequent few titles in the series were progressively worse; Rogue was a middling experience, and gameplay elements and controls in Unity were such an egregious miss that I didn't finish the game, nor did I particularly enjoy my attempt to do so. Which leaves Syndicate, which I never played.

At this point it felt each titlle was weaker and weaker, with worse design, but they at least stuck somewhat to the original recipe, as it were. Which brings us to the modern era, and the shift from Assassin's Creed into... something else.

Starting with Origins, which threw the entire formula for the design of the games on its head, going in a completely different direction. Then there was an Odyssey, which I did play, but... it's so clearly a padded open-world mess full of gated content with levels and RPG mechanics which, while satisfying for an action adventure game, really detract from the stealth/assassination and power fantasy of the previous games.



If this post seems a bit meandering, I suppose that's because it is. Just like what the series has become, though I'm hoping they care enough to try to bring it back to its roots.

Like EA, I hold Ubisoft in high esteem when it comes to their ability to create, and then subsequently ruin, some of my favorite franchises—like Far Cry.
I've considered giving some of their recent titles a try, but I never desired to do so strongly enough that I'd purchase one on the Epic or Ubisoft stores. But with most of their games returning to Steam, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate which games are worth playing, even if that means waiting for some discounts.

[Mendo Shutaro]

I get the sense that this is an attempt to please both camps. One of the protagonists is for stealth players, the other for button mashers.

AC Mirage is a pure stealth AC game so that's worth grabbing if you like old school AC. It does have a bit of a low budget feel about it, but it's still a solid enough game despite the middling production values.

Honestly I hope this is good, as I've wanted an AC in Japan ever since the very first game appeared.

[Sir Noob Wulf]

No.

[Jon Jones]

Nope.

[Noxbi 🌈]

Yes

[TheFibrewire]

nah and they will never as the pure fans might hate this but many young audience like the new AC gameplay with RPG mechanics and collectibles.

[Namie]

Old formula AC games were horribly boring, i guess theyll keep Odyssey/Origins thank god.

[Sir Noob Wulf]

Originally posted by Namie:

Old formula AC games were horribly boring, i guess theyll keep Odyssey/Origins thank god.

Because riding a horse for 9000 kilometres is so much fun

[Namie]

Originally posted by Sir Noob Wulf:

Originally posted by Namie:

Old formula AC games were horribly boring, i guess theyll keep Odyssey/Origins thank god.

Because riding a horse for 9000 kilometres is so much fun

U know u can just fast travel to a lot of locations right? I also rather play on a big map full of cities with quests/ than going around rooftops runing from enemies that cant even fight back, old AC combat was a mistake, story was never the forté of the franchise or ubisoft at all, variety on enemies/weapons etc was completely bare bones, i rly dont get why people would pick the old games rather than the new ones. I dont even remember dying a single time in the old games (played 1 2 and 4 blackflag) all of them were a copy paste of each other, similar to origins, odyssey, valhalla etc but now i can enjoy getting into a fight, conquering territory leveling up stuff etc, theres a lot more to do than before. Dialogue options are a thing now, you can actually choose something and change a thing or two from the story o side quests.

[Jebbreh]

They need to go back to foundation basics.

Start from scratch but keep some goodness. It seems they are just squeezing a dry lemon at this point.

[sunofpearl89]

"return to form" meaning return to form or "return to form" like Dragon Age: The Veilguard return to form return to form?

[Incognito]

Did most of you all here even played Mirage? That's as close to the original roots as you're going to get unless they remaster the first game. And it's on sale for 20 bucks.

[🍇🍉🍋‍🟩🍒🍟🍔]

I want ac origins gameplay loop to come back that and odyssey the gameplay made me play for hundreds of hours old way is good and all liked the new way better sucks we are going back to the old again it seems

[Aunt Jemima]

Originally posted by Namie:

Originally posted by Sir Noob Wulf:

Because riding a horse for 9000 kilometres is so much fun

U know u can just fast travel to a lot of locations right? I also rather play on a big map full of cities with quests/ than going around rooftops runing from enemies that cant even fight back, old AC combat was a mistake, story was never the forté of the franchise or ubisoft at all, variety on enemies/weapons etc was completely bare bones, i rly dont get why people would pick the old games rather than the new ones. I dont even remember dying a single time in the old games (played 1 2 and 4 blackflag) all of them were a copy paste of each other, similar to origins, odyssey, valhalla etc but now i can enjoy getting into a fight, conquering territory leveling up stuff etc, theres a lot more to do than before. Dialogue options are a thing now, you can actually choose something and change a thing or two from the story o side quests.

I don't think it speaks well to the quality of world design and gameplay when the need to fast travel between locations is an important part of enjoying the game as intended.

As I said, I actually quite like the power fantasy of the mix between stealth/assassination gameplay and battling groups of pursuers with a bit of an expanded arsenal of weapons and tools. But it's quite easy for them to go too far in either direction with the design of the games, and I think the handful of titles leading up to and including Black Flag games struck a far better balance.

[Logan Oak Worm]

there is no old formula

[Mandelabrot]

lol @ you calling black flag the "original formula"
no, they unfortunately are not making a sequel to AC1