Assassin’s Creed is a very important franchise for Ubisoft. It started years ago and brought us to gorgeous locations such as Rome, London and the early America. If we can believe the rumors, we won’t see another main Assassin’s Creed until 2017 but that’s nothing to worry about since the colorful Assassin’s Creed: Chronicles: India is definitely worth your time.
Welcome to India
As the title already suggests, this second entry in the Chronicles franchise is set in the colorful India. You control assassin Arbaaz Mir in his quest to gain back the powerful Koh-i-Noor diamond, a Piece of Eden. This powerful object belonged to the assassins once but is in the hands of a newly arrived Master Templar. While hunting down the diamond, Arbaaz will also need to protect his mentor Hamid and his lover, princess Pyara Kaur. It’s a story filled with betrayal and plots-twists, similar to the ones found in other Assassin’s Creed games.
The best part about it all, is that it’s still linked to the timeline Ubisoft created. You play in 1841, in the midst of a war between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company. This gives you an excuse to take down a lot of guards that are located around important buildings. For those who’ve read the graphic novel Assassin’s Creed: Braham, this game is set two years after those events.
Colorful environments
Before we jump deeper into the game, it’s worth mentioning that this second episode of the Chronicles franchise offers a lot more color. Since it’s set in India, the developers stayed true to local art and went for a more colorful approach. Everything you see features bright watercolor paint and a lot of bright colors. It’s a lot of fun to run around in this hand-drawn version of India and it really nails the setting for sure.
Master your inner assassin
There’s a lot of variation in the environment, transforming your time with the game into a very pleasant one. You’ll discover huge Imperial Palaces, mysterious caves and a lot of other great environments. It’s great to see that the developers created enough detail to keep things fresh. There are little birds flying away, colorful elephants in the street and just like in the China episode, everything that’s of importance is marked in red. All these elements combined result in a very atmospheric experience.
You are a ghost
So it’s great to see that the game looks great, even if it isn’t a 3D Assassin’s Creed game. The gameplay on the other hand stays true to the assassins. In this India episode, you’ll be rewarded for a stealthy approach. If you manage to get past guards unnoticed (it doesn’t matter if you knock them out in your progress), you’ll be rewarded with the golden ghost medal. Those result in most points for upgrades so playing as a ghost is the way it’s meant to be played. Of course, Arbaaz wouldn’t be a professional assassin without some handy tools.
For those who’ve played the China episode, some of the tools will sound rather familiar. To distract the guards for example, you’ll have noise darts, smoke bombs and other, more creative tools later on in the game. You still have your rope dart, which is used to climb ceilings and you have a brand-new Chakram for that final Indian touch. The Chakram is also used to solve small puzzles by cutting down the ropes of hovering objects. The Chakram is the best weapon to perform some stealthy attacks or to drop a crate on multiple enemies at once to knock them out unnoticed.
The tools are there but you’ll need some practice to truly become the ghost, the enemies are smart in this one and passing them won’t come as easy as it sounds. To make things a little easier, you’ll see what your enemies see thanks to the white vision lines. If you run into those rays of light, the enemies will spot you. Depending on the area you’re in, enemies can call in reinforcement to take you down. Combat isn’t that easy and often ends up in your death, that’s why it’s recommended to be as stealthy as possible in this one.
You are an assassin
Don’t like a stealthy approach? Fear not! You still are an assassin so if you want to take down your enemies by force, you certainly can. Most of the time, the game gives you the freedom to pick the way of playing you like most. If that means you take down every enemy with your sword, it’s certainly possible. The game is filled with combos and powerful weapons so it’s certainly an option. Don’t be mistaken however. Unlike the main Assassin’s Creed games, combat in the Chronicles franchise is hard to master. You’ll really need to time your attacks just right and dodge bullets at the exact right time to stay alive. At the start of the game, enemies won’t need that many hits to take you down. If you want to fight a lot of enemies at once, you’ll really need to master the controls or learn to use a more innovating way to kill your enemies. Combat offers a lot of fun and variation but it’ll take some time to fully master it.
Extra challenges
Based on the looks of the game, you might suspect to get an easier Assassin’s Creed game but that’s not true. In fact, this Chronicles game is actually a lot harder than the main entries. That’s because the guards are strategically placed and you really need to think outside of the box if you want to advance without getting noticed. That being said, the main game isn’t that long but unlocks two extra difficulties in the Game Plus. Since the missions are rather short and offer enough variety, it’s certainly fun to replay the entire game with an extra challenge. Game Plus isn’t for everybody but if you thought the classic game was a little too easy, you’ll have a blast in the Game Plus modes for sure!
Still not satisfied? Try out the special Challenge Rooms. There are included to give professional assassins a lot of trouble. The Challenge Rooms are filled with deadly enemies and tricky jumps to overcome in order to go to the next room. You’ll need deadly precision and a lot of patience in order to get passed those challenges. It’s clear that Ubisoft is aiming for the veteran Assassin’s Creed players and we’re sure those will have a lot of fun with all challenges in the game.
Conclusion:
Assassin’s Creed: Chronicles – India is another great entry in the franchise. The China entry already proved what the Chronicles line was capable of, but India takes it to the next level. The difficulty is just right and the levels offer enough variation to keep you motivated until the end. It’s not a very lengthy experience but thanks to the extra challenges, you’ll have a lot of Assassin’s Creed content to master. If you’re a fan of the franchise, be sure you don’t miss out on this great spin-off. If you don’t know the franchise, the Chronicles line might be a great way to start playing. Just like in our world, India offers a lot of mysteries but above all, a lot of fun.