Assassin's Creed Unity Review

As promised, here is my review for the first next-gen installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed Unity. Like I said in my review of Assassin's Creed Rogue, video games have been a big part of my life since I was a kid, and this franchise is one of my favorite video game series ever. That's why it saddens me to say that Unity is the most rigid Assassin's Creed game to come out since the original. I really wanted to enjoy this game, but it has far too many major flaws that clouded the few merits it did have. I tried playing the game a little more after I had completed the story to see if I was missing something, and to see if I'd like it more, but unfortunately, I only got more frustrated with it as it went on.

Perhaps the biggest misfire is the "improved" gameplay mechanics. I put improved in quotes because in reality, this new system is a big step back from the previous games. The combat, for one, feels so much stiffer. It seemed like they were trying to make it like Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood rather than all the games that have come out since Assassin's Creed III reinvented the combat system. I enjoyed the combat from the latter games more than the former, so I did not view this as a good thing at all. I used to enjoy running into guards and taking them down with ease. That sense of superiority, and any fluidity the system used to have, was unfortunately nonexistent in Unity. I viewed combat more as a chore than anything else.

The freerunning system also seems to have taken a step back. I enjoyed the fluency that the most recent Assassin's Creed games had with the parkour. Once again, that facility is gone, and freerunning across the rooftops of Paris feels disappointingly inflexible. Ubisoft has butchered these flagship elements to the point of the game being unplayable at times.


A big fuss was made over the glitches that were in the game upon its initial release. I didn't get the game until a month after it was first released, so Ubisoft's many patches allowed me to play the game without encountering too many of those glitches. Nonetheless, there are times when I'll run into an annoying glitch, and that puts me off from playing the game altogether. If you're going to release a video game to the public, at least make sure it's finished.

I also found the game's protagonist quite unlikable. Arno Dorian is the latest playable assassin, and he's probably my least favorite of all the games so far. I find it hard to care at all what happens to him, and there were many times throughout the story when a decision he made was so illogical, that I actually got mad at him. I don't get mad at video game characters often. You have to be pretty darn unlikable for that. There isn't a well-developed or interesting character in Unity, save maybe Pierre Bellec, who recruits Arno into the Assassin Brotherhood. He doesn't appear very frequently, though, and we're stuck following the adventures of an obnoxious protagonist.

The game does have a couple redeeming factors. One of those is the graphics. It certainly feels like a next-gen experience, exploring the streets of 18th century Paris. It is quite beautiful to look at. I just wish the time that was spent making the game look great was also spent crafting an interesting story with compelling characters and enjoyable gameplay.

I also enjoyed the co-op portion of Unity. My friend and I both really enjoyed collaborating together in the co-op missions, and we also liked that you can explore the open-world together. Sharing worlds wasn't something I was aware of before I bought the game, so it was a pleasant surprise. We are planning to continue playing the game in that capacity. So, if there is any replay value, it's in the co-op.

Overall, Assassin's Creed Unity is a middling installment in the franchise that feels like a stumble out of the gate for the series in the next generation of gaming. I was quite disappointed with Ubisoft's handling of it, both in the unsuccessful release, and the overall incompleteness of the game. I'm hoping the next one is a big improvement. Otherwise, I may start to question my loyalty to buying each new Assassin's Creed that comes out.

C-