I'm not very far into the first one, I don't think. I just got to Acre.
So far, I think the whole Animus thing is just dumb and doesn't add anything interesting to the story. It just breaks up the gameplay with annoyance. Also, the story isn't really engaging either. I feel like Altair is pretty much just a jackass.
The whole 12 frames per second thing doesn't help much either.
It's also aggravating to have to walk slowly everywhere in the kingdom if you don't want everyone chasing you. And something just doesn't feel right about nobody getting suspicious of you just because you decide to "pray" while walking into a shadowy corner in between two guards. Where do they think you're going??
What's up with the really clunky combat, too?
What is improved in the sequels that makes them so much better?
Usually I like to play games to have fun, but I feel like I have to choke this one down to get to the good stuff, but the good stuff isn't really all that promising yet since this game is so unimpressive.
The game's playable enough, even if just to get to the next one (hoping it's a vast improvement), but it's definitely not good.
-- "Filthy lawbreaker, unhand that vending machine!" - Casey Jones
From: snailien | #001 What is improved in the sequels that makes them so much better?
Much more mission variety, Ezio is one hundred times the character Altair is and his narrative is much more engaging, the free-roaming environments, less clunky combat(although it still isn't very good!), a lot of other cool features I don't really want to spoil
Most people will say they added a ton of new great stuff to the sequel. I don't know what those people are talking about. Sure, they added a bunch of new mechanics, but they're all small, most of them don't really matter, the spruced up combat doesn't really do much aside from oh hey now I can steal weapons and use them for a minute even though there's really no point because the regular weapons you can use are more effective anyway. Then it's the same formula as the first, 20 enemies surround you, one attacks at a time, and you're only real option is to deflect attack to kill everyone.
It's stupid, honestly.
And for an assassin, there's little to no stealth in the game. There are times when you're urged to use it, but it generally turns out to make the mission more difficult, because the sneaking mechanics are ass. A single freakin' crouch button would have made it so much better.
I also have trouble with the controls and free running, when I'm trying to move in a straight line, but instead I suddenly veer off to the right and miss what I was aiming for, thus landing in either water or concrete 10 stories below. Very annoying.
-- ~Halo Rolling around at the speed of sound. http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2417/sonicspeed.jpg
Yeah, AC2 is a better, more approachable, game. The combat doesn't really get good until Brotherhood, but everything else (setting, environment design, characters, story) are better in the sequels.
I forgot to ask this, too. Do you still have to deal with the Animus in the other games? I already bought ACII and Brotherhood, expecting not really to like AC much, but with how much more highly rated the other games are, I figured there was a reason for it so I dove head first into the series. Too bad the diving board is on the shallow end.
-- "Filthy lawbreaker, unhand that vending machine!" - Casey Jones
Long answer: You should probably just finish up the first section of Acre (since it's the best city in that game) and then move on to AC2. Playing AC1 and seeing all its flaws makes the AC2 experience so much better.
-- _foolmo_ 'You are obviously intelligent and insightful' - Sir Chris about me
It seems that this pattern keeps repeating itself, for everybody on B8(S.Halo aside, apparently)
Guy: "Hoo boo AC, I'm interested in that series" B8: "Skip the first one, it stinks, play the sequels, read a plot summary on Wikipedia" ZFS: "no thanks to that advice play the first one its so innovative" Guy: "Oh god this AC1 game is so bad why am I playing it" B8: "We told you, just skip it" Guy: "Oh hey these sequels are better!" ZFS: "*sigh*"
Thanks for all the input. I'm going to keep trucking along bit by bit. I wouldn't feel right moving onto the next game before finishing the first. I just need a bit of hope to know there is a light out there somewhere.
-- "Filthy lawbreaker, unhand that vending machine!" - Casey Jones
Do you still have to deal with the Animus in the other games?
It's still part of the story, yes, but you only play as Desmond two or three times per game instead of every few sequences. And he actually gets to do some parkour and fighting, so they're more fun.
The 2012 storyline also becomes much more prominent, and intersects more with what's going on in the past, from the AC1 finale onwards, so it doesn't seem quite so much like a strange framing device as an integral part of the metaplot. And it's a really good metaplot.
--
"I'm Commander Shepard, and you're standing in the biggest library in Citadel Space. Look me up."
From: TheKoolAidShoto | #015 It seems that this pattern keeps repeating itself, for everybody on B8(S.Halo aside, apparently)
Guy: "Hoo boo AC, I'm interested in that series" B8: "Skip the first one, it stinks, play the sequels, read a plot summary on Wikipedia" ZFS: "no thanks to that advice play the first one its so innovative" Guy: "Oh god this AC1 game is so bad why am I playing it" B8: "We told you, just skip it" Guy: "Oh hey these sequels are better!" ZFS: "*sigh*"
Hey, I liked AC1!
--
"The great GF...Bahamut." "...GF? I...? Using my powers...It is you humans...I fear..."
I'd say I belong in that pattern too, because I always say the same thing about AC2 and everyone's like "just because you suck at it blah blah" and I'm like it's impossible to suck at a game that holds your hand all the way through.
I'm exaggerating, but my point is I belong in the pattern as the guy who doesn't like either 1 or 2, I have yet to play Brotherhood because I doubt it'll change my mind.
Looking at an FAQ for a quick progress check, is Acre really about 1/3 of the way through the game? Looks like I'll just be running through and only stopping for the necessary stuff.
-- "Filthy lawbreaker, unhand that vending machine!" - Casey Jones
I get the feeling people who hate Altair have their opinions colored by the majority of it, when he *is* a raving jackass (that Malik guy was justified in making fun of him all the time). He does get better, though
--
We are thought, and reality, and concept, and the unimaginable
No kidding. I picked up one and it said 1/100 collected. Then I picked one up elsewhere and it was a completely different set of dozens of flags. Screw that.
-- "Filthy lawbreaker, unhand that vending machine!" - Casey Jones
Looking at an FAQ for a quick progress check, is Acre really about 1/3 of the way through the game?
There are nine targets/sequences, plus the endgame. How many have you completed? You don't have to do all the sequences in order, so you might already have done more than 1/3 and the FAQ writer did things the other way around.
--
"I'm Commander Shepard, and you're standing in the biggest library in Citadel Space. Look me up."
He's just a very boring character. He gets better at the end of the game when things go away from the formula, but until then, AC1 is very formulaic and so is Altair.
--
"Why must we always choose between certain death and probable death?" "I'm in an epic battle to the death, FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF!"
I think I only completed 2 assassination targets so far, some guy who killed somebody in the town square and I actually forgot the first one already (or if there even was another one). I've been playing it in something like 30-minute segments every once in a while.
-- "Filthy lawbreaker, unhand that vending machine!" - Casey Jones
Most people will say they added a ton of new great stuff to the sequel. I don't know what those people are talking about. Sure, they added a bunch of new mechanics, but they're all small, most of them don't really matter, the spruced up combat doesn't really do much aside from oh hey now I can steal weapons and use them for a minute even though there's really no point because the regular weapons you can use are more effective anyway. Then it's the same formula as the first, 20 enemies surround you, one attacks at a time, and you're only real option is to deflect attack to kill everyone.
It's stupid, honestly.
And for an assassin, there's little to no stealth in the game. There are times when you're urged to use it, but it generally turns out to make the mission more difficult, because the sneaking mechanics are ass. A single freakin' crouch button would have made it so much better.
I also have trouble with the controls and free running, when I'm trying to move in a straight line, but instead I suddenly veer off to the right and miss what I was aiming for, thus landing in either water or concrete 10 stories below. Very annoying.
Holy s***.
This is like the worst thing I've ever read in the history of reading.
I'm going to pretend you never said this for the sake of my sanity.
-- TheRock ~ Death By Misadventure, Not Suicide "Would've liked to see that." - Ayuyu on my boner
AC2 has some of the best controls ever. It's why when given the option to free-run across the city or take one of those teleporting short-cuts, I usually pick the former.
-- TheRock ~ Death By Misadventure, Not Suicide "Would've liked to see that." - Ayuyu on my boner
This is like the worst thing I've ever read in the history of reading.
I'm going to pretend you never said this for the sake of my sanity.
That's pretty sad, dude.
From: LeonhartFour | #038 I'd say inFamous 1's controls were worse, personally. Making the main character apparently a ledge magnet was not a good idea.
It's a lot easier to control Cole in both games than it is to control Ezio. Cole actually goes where I want him to go. Ezio goes wherever the f*** he wants, which is usually not where I want him to go.
-- ~Halo Rolling around at the speed of sound. http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2417/sonicspeed.jpg