Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines Review

The epic tale of Altair continues on Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines, but this time on the PSP. Prepare to embark again in another journey as Altair plans to stop the remaining Templars that went off in the island of Cyprus. The Templars are up to something and Altair will do anything to stop their madness.

When Assassin’s Creed was released on the PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, and PC, it received mixed reviews. Some said it was too repetitive and, for that reason, became boring. Others said it was a very entertaining and enjoyable game. On a personal note, the repetiveness was what killed the first game for me. It consisted of Altair jumping around along rooftops like a thief and stealthily killing any apposition in sight. That was basically all you did in the first game, but with Bloodlines finally out on the PSP will we be given the same treatment?

Let’s take a look in the HOTs and NOTs of the game:

HOT

Presentation
Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines offers graphics that can somehow be compared to the console version of the first Assassin’s Creed. The environments are well drawn and I am extremely amazed on how they managed to put this game right on the PSP. As always, Altair has to climb to the highest point of a building and use his Eagle vision to get the full view of the town. The buildings and the houses looks very middle ages and I give them props on the graphics.

As for the voice-overs, it is average. We do not get the voice of Altair from the first game, but instead someone with a British-Israeli accent. Playing through the game will give you the same feel as if you were playing the console version since most of the soundtracks used in the first game are being used in Bloodlines.

Assassin’s Creed II Connectivity
This feature only applies to the PlayStation 3 version of Assassin’s Creed II. If you bought Assassin’s Creed 2 and have this game, you can transfer the collected coins that you get from Bloodlines to Assassin’s Creed II or vice versa. There are a lot of coins to collect in Bloodlines and the coins that you get can be used to purchase Upgrades for Altair than can also be transferred to Eizo’s in Assassin’s Creed 2.

Feels the same as the original
I doubted that this game would be received badly since Ubisoft was in charge of bringing this game to the PSP. Fans of the first Assassin’s Creed hoping to play this game should feel welcome since the game follows the original on the PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, and PC in many ways. The controls are the same and so are the menus. The game is composed of seven memory blocks that Altair needs to unlock. The game can be finished in roughly 5-6 hours depending on your familiarity with the series.

NOT

Environments Feels Empty
One of the aspects that was disappointing in this game is that the towns that Altair visits feel empty. Sure the town looks nice, but where are the townspeople? Don’t expect to see more than 10 townspeople in each town you come across to.

Repetitive
One of the things that is hated the most about the first Assassin’s Creed has returned in this game as well; repetitive. The mechanics of the game are very similar to the first one. Altair goes to one mission and kills a target. That goes on over and over again until the player grows tired of the lack of variety. There are side quests that you can do that reward you with coins after you save villagers from the soldiers. As usual, you have to kill them and it seems to go on forever since that is the side quests that you will be doing.

Easy Accomplishments
Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines offers accomplishments for everyone to unlock. It is a good thing that we have something similar as the trophies and achievements, but the one thing many may not like about the accomplishments in Bloodlines are the requirements to unlock each of them. The accomplishments are very easy to get and take no effort. Requirements such as collecting coins and doing 50 kills are easy.

Collecting Coins is no Fun
Coins are an important aspect in Bloodlines as you can use them to purchase upgrades or transfer them to your Assassin’s Creed II data on the PlayStation 3. Collecting coins is not a fun task. Why you ask? It is because all you have to do is to climb into high houses or buildings and the coins will just be there. The process of collecting coins became tedious as I attempted to unlock accomplishments. Another way to collect coins if you do not enjoy climbing and jumping is through helping villagers that are being abused by the Templars. When you help them they will give you loads of coins!

VERDICT

Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines lives up to the expectation of the first Assassin’s Creed. The game feels and plays as the original. Gamers who find the first game to be boring and repetitive will feel the same way about this game. The idea of climbing around and killing tends to get old and it’s no fun. The story might get you excited, but I am sure the gameplay will turn you off. If you loved the first Assassin’s Creed you’ll enjoy this one, but for everyone else I’d recommend renting it first.