Hello everybody! So considered I missed my game review for October due to being rather ill, I decided to do something special for the month of November. You see last month I managed to find enough time to pick up, play and finish Assassin's Creed 3, I also was able to put some more time into playing Dishonored. After playing both I noticed they were both similar in that they are both games centered around the theme of assassinating people. As such, instead of just giving you a review of each I will compare the games on their many different levels.
We'll start with just a brief introduction for each of the games. By now, if you recognize the game title "Assassin's Creed" you basically understand how the game works. You control a single character from a third-person view point, engage in some well crafted parkour movement to get to various vantage points to pounce on and kill your targets. Or if you choose you could just run at them and stab them in the face, either option lets you get the job done. You have a variety of weapons to choose from, with Assassin Creed 3's arsenal including the hidden blade, the sword, rope darts, a bow and arrow, as well as various explosives and other devices. Finally, there are plenty, and I mean PLENTY of side missions for you to do so as the game has a sand box game quality to it.
As for Dishonored, you play from the first-person perspective which changes up the game play entirely. There is no parkour action running in Dishonored, rather the focus is on stealth and the element of surprise. However to replace the walk climbing parkour movement you instead have access to magical abilities that range from being able to see through walls and teleport short distances, to being able to possess a human being for a short time. Your weapon arsenal is also vastly different, with you only possessing a sword, a pistol, and a crossbow with three different types of ammunition. Just like in Assassin's Creed there are side missions which you can complete, but they all contribute in some way to help you complete the goal of whatever your current mission is. While exploration is encouraged through the many different things you can find within the world, it is in no way meant to feel like a sand box.
Now when you get down to it and look at how both games approach what they advertise as their main game feature (that being assassinating people) how does each game perform? Unfortunately Assassin's Creed 3 falls short. WAY short. It seems Ubisoft has tried to make the game more about the why in the assassination, rather than the how. They do their best to put in political intrigue, and threats to ways of life to give you a drive to want to kill your targets. They show how each target is empowered, and how you can weaken them to prepare them for the killing blow. But when it comes to said killing blow it falls short, with the exception of the very last assassination in the game. Dishonored however, is an amazing ride the whole way through. In fact every time you're given an objective where you have to find a target (or targets) and kill them, there are plenty of creative ways to do it. Heck you don't even need to kill all of your targets. There are nonlethal options to all of you 'kill' objectives. Instead of cutting their heads off, you can instead turn them into an outcast of society, or get them kidnapped and thrown in a slave mine (yes, those are actual nonlethal options for your targets). Add to this the fact that on top of having the option to let your target live you have a bunch of different ways to approach what you're doing and Dishonored is amazing when it comes to this core game mechanic.
Alright, well if Dishonored is better with concerns to the assassination game play, how does it fare with its controls in comparison to Assassin's Creed 3? Well the controls in Dishonored feel a little clunky to me. Please note that both of these games I played on the Playstation 3, so I am unsure of how their PC controls feel. In Dishonored, even with auto aim on (because you need it to aim with a god damn analog stick) the games aiming system for its ranged weapons seems off. You need to be able to anticipate how off your shots are going to be if you want to use the crossbow or the pistol (your main off hand weapons by the way) and the sword combat looks and acts terrible. I have never been one to like instant kill counter attacks, but it's made even worse when what your fighting with looks like an over sized letter opener, and feels like it's as dull as a piece of wood from how much damage it does outside of those instant kill counter attacks. As for Assassin's Creed 3, I am just going to credit their controls to having the experience of 4 prior games. Ubisoft knows what to do the make the controls feel good for this game so that they respond the way you want them to. The movement is flawless, yet there is one small annoyance they have yet to fix that has remained since the first Assassin's Creed game. If I am running to chase someone, and I suddenly turn into a wall *BAM* I start climbing the wall, lose my target, get desynchronized and have to start the damn chase all over again. It is so infuriating.
Alright, finally we'll talk about the game's story and setting. Assassin's Creed 3 takes place during the American Revolution, so you get to see the early days of America and the wrestle to break free of the control of the British. As such a lot of stuff is made to, at the very least seem historically accurate. I'm okay with this as it just allows one to have a small "what if?" thought going through their heads as they play the game. As for the story of the characters they put in the game, whether historically accurate or not (with concerns to the main character it is VERY doubtful) the story is both intriguing and engaging. As for Dishonored, it is a completely made up world with a heavy steam punk theme to it. You live in a city that has been over run by a deadly plague, and to make matters worse the Empress has been assassinated. If that weren't enough, you've been framed for it and set up for execution. You need to find the people responsible and get revenge. Sounds like a great story right? It kind of is, that's the thing. There is so much to do in this game, and so many ways to get things done it is just simply ridiculous. You have the drive to kill, and you have the skills. You're given every tool and thought needed to make you want to play the game.
I must say, both Assassin's Creed 3 and Dishonored are fantastic games worth every penny I spent on them. I don't know which game I would pick if I had to choose between them, however since both of them were related (in a way) I figured I'd compare them to give you all a better idea of what each game has to offer.
Both games are avilable for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC
-Adam
As you know, my time at Fusion Rock Radio
has come to an end. Through the many
years I have done the Geek of the Week show I have had many laughs, tons of
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While it is sad to finally say goodbye, I do so with a smile because
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