B E

I enjoyed this game, but there are a few things that keep me from making my review higher. Scroll all the way down for a TLDR. What I enjoyed: -Parkour was on par with the other games in the franchise, and parkouring across Baghdad was super fun! I liked how we couldn't just climb up walls and rock formations by defying physics and gravity, it added more realism to the game. -The stealth aspect and all of the opportunities for assassinations were incredible, especially how smooth Basim carries them out and all of the opportunities to distract guards (ex: musicians, mercenaries, etc) A primarily stealth reliant playstyle is something I personally enjoy, but I can't say the same for others. (To each their own!) -The codex was very informative, and, as a lover of history, I enjoyed reading the entries and learning more about the 9th century. What I disliked: -The story was wayyy too short. It took me only three days to finish the story, bonus mission included. There were no side quests or activities, and there wasn't any notable exploration. If the exploration was on par with Valhalla or Odyssey (which some people hated, but again, to each their own), I feel like it would be much more enjoyable. Also, it's near impossible to find every chest and other collectables without using a guide or paying the map guy. -Most of the main characters lack personality, including Basim. They just seem so bland and soulless, while the villains and even some of the nameless NPCs are more expressive and memorable. - ⚠️ Spoilers for AC Valhalla ahead ⚠️ ; You would think that this game would have a link to Valhalla in some way shape or form, but there's absolutely nothing, not even a cutscene or cameo with Sigurd or any mention of Layla (a crucial character in the franchise in my opinion). This game feels severely disconnected from the rest of the AC universe in so many ways that I don't have the time right now to name them all. -Money is hard to come across and you seriously have to grind if you want to buy anything from merchants. I appreciate the realism, but with the amount of theiving and killing Basim does, one would think he would have a lot more coin to spend. -The combat in this game is absolutely horrendous. I understand and enjoy the fact that this is a primarily stealth based game, but there are instances where you have no choice but to fight. Trying to lose guards when you find an opportunity to run is also annoying, because they're literally everywhere and guards on the street will start chasing you if you're in combat. So there's been times where I've had to run out of Baghdad entirely to lose guards due to the endless chase. In conclusion/TLDR: I enjoyed the parkour, the stealth and assassination gameplay, and the opportunity to learn about such incredible culture and history. However, the characters lacked personality, the exploration aspect was severely lackluster, the story was short and by no means engaging, and the combat was, for lack of a better word, garbage.