Philip Seymour Hoffman is not George Clooney.

I added a new show to my schedule in August, dear LusiCrabs, and while I knew what I was getting into, I did not really know what I was getting into. Suffice to say that my workload has made an already incredibly exhausting year even more exhausting, although I did not think it possible.

But I open with tales of tests to my character so I can contrast it with how light the last few days have felt for me. I was treated to an exceptional production of Les Misérables on Saturday followed by a wonderful family gathering, then my girlfriend and I followed through on our long-overdue plans to clean our apartment on Sunday and today was actually a calm, manageable today of work without all too much yelling and stressing and feeling like I was working my ass off just so that I could feel like garbage.

Yes, LusiDungeons, that is what constitutes some of the best days of the last few hundred for me. Cleaning and an average workday. The Les Mis thing would have been a stand-out either way. But still, fuck the Year of Luigi. Anyway, I also was able to play some different games this week, so let us talk about that.

Dungeon Village

I received my Nexus 5, and it is as excessively powerful as I hoped. I recently made a decision to stay away from social media until at least the new year, so I decided to load up a few apps on my phone to fill the times at work when I am waiting to be slammed with stuff to do, but do not have the time to do something more productive like read or write. I turned to Kairosoft, makers of Game Dev Story, for a reliable developer that I knew could give me an entertaining and well put together game without the acid rain cloud of microtransactions poisoning the experience.

I know it is well over a year old, but I found out about Dungeon Village for the first time by looking up Kairosoft, and it has been doing exactly the job I hoped it would do. It is breezy, fun, and – refreshingly – not an exercise in greed. I also love the concept of managing a town designed to profit off of typical RPG adventurers. An even smaller test of this occured in Dragon Quest IV and I loved it then too. The RPG is established enough as a genre that riffs like this have the potential to be highly successful. Dungeon Village is not life-changing, but I hope similar concepts continue to be explored.

We will equip you well, brave warrior!

Assassin’s Creed: Revelatioliver Is Stupid

You all remember Oliver Montok, correct? This handsome fellow? I awoke to an earnest text from him the other day that declared Assassin’s Creed: Revelations to have the best mechanics in the series, despite its turgid story. I had given up on the story ages ago, but I still value the series for – at its best – satisfying gameplay and well-stuffed open-world design, especially when the setting is a beautifully realized 16th century Europe, so when I saw the title available for $20 on the PlayStation Store, I decided to give it a download.

To what is likely soon to be a chorus of “I could have told you that”s in the comments, I found Riddles to be wrong. The game is fine. It is worth the green bill, to be sure, as it is closer to Assassin’s Creed II than it is III, but it is hardly an improvement of any kind. It is more of a DLC pack. With a head-scratching tower defense mini-game. Not head-scratching in that it is challenging, but because I have no idea what it is doing in an Assassin’s Creed game. And I am that guy who likes tower defense. Oh well, it is my own fault for not paying attention to the warning signs.

Ask Ethos?

We all joked around about this back during the first phase of this column, but how would it be received if I actually did include a sardonic, yet enthusiastic section in which I addressed questions and comments from the previous article? I suppose I will find out in the comments section of this article, but I want to know noowwwwwww.

Stop Whining Ethos

Seriously.

What About Little King’s Story? Is That Good?

Tell me.

Final Thoughts

I played a little more Tales of Xillia recently and I have new thoughts about how the games in the series consistently lose any thematic focus they may have had by the end of the game, but I would like to dedicate a little more space to that, and I also do not want to talk about the same two games every week. Otherwise, I am hoping for a continued pleasant streak in my life. What about you, LusiMontoks? Let us meet up in the comments and have a jolly old time.

Dead Space 2's Issac

What ho, denizens of the L.coms. Oliver Motok here once again to write a few words about games. This article was actually written quite some time ago – as the content would suggest. But while we may be many things, Lusipurr.com is rarely timely. Or relevant. We strive only for entertainment. (Of ourselves, not necessarily our readers.) So, in the spirit of self-serving, untimely irrelevance we are going to take a look back at my personal travails in the world of gaming during the year 2011. Was it exciting? Boring? Prolific? Mild? In a way it was all of these things, dear readers. Let us venture forth.

I really did not play many games in 2011, relatively speaking. But, regardless of this, the year started off with a bang for me. How so? Dead Space 2, that is how. Talk of of a heavier focus on action and more powerful weapons initially made me fear for the fate of the sequel to 2008′s fantastic survival-horror title. But my fears were unfounded. Dead Space 2 was more action-packed, fast-paced, and visceral. But despite this it maintained – and even enhanced – the grotesquely frightening atmosphere and tightly-woven gameplay. Truly amazing stuff. Dead Space 3 has been confirmed to be in the works – and I cannot wait to see the conclusion to Isaac’s epic tale. By far my most anticipated game at the moment.

Unfortunately, the next chapter in my 2011 gaming escapades was not quite as positive. Dragon Age II was released to a justly lukewarm reception. At the time of this writing I have still yet to finish this game – and as the months continue to go by, it becomes less and less likely that I will ever do so. Dragon Age II is a shameless rush-job. Much ado has been made about the fact that there is (literally) only one city in the game, and all the dungeon environments are recycled throughout. And I hated that, sure. But it was the smaller things that really got to me. Like only being able to equip armor to the main character? A dialog tree that specifically implied the exact nature of my responses? Worst of all, though, BioWare – or should I say EA – made very sure that players did not need to have played Dragon Age: Origins in order to play DA2. And as someone who devoted many, many hours to Origins, I felt cheated. They could have at least thrown me a few bones, yeah? And no, finding a drunken Alistair in the Hanged Man’s pub is not enough. Give me continuity, dammit. Form a cohesive world and mythology.

A few of Dragon Age II's mostly forgettable characters

Then there was a lull. I played through the first chapter of Telltale’s Back to the Future game, and little of the second chapter. Frankly, it did not excite me overmuch. I replayed some games; most notably my eternal love, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Just to clarify, it is still the definitive gaming experience. I also replayed a good bit of the original Metroid Prime for the GameCube, and found that it sorely, sorely lacks dual-analog control. (Though the game is still fantastic.) I then replayed the first 45 minutes of Tales of Symphonia, only to make the sad realization that that game has aged… poorly. Or maybe it just always sucked, I am unsure.

Then there was Outlands, which, at this time, is the second highest point of my 2011 gaming travails, second only to the aforementioned Dead Space 2. Outlands is a simply brilliant action-platform-puzzler that I could rave about for ages. Instead, I will simply prove a link for the review I wrote right here on Lusipurr.com. Read it. Then buy it. And love it.

One of Outland's devious puzzlers

I bought more games digitally in 2011 than I ever had before; among these were Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Borderlands I enjoyed for roughly twenty hours – truth be told I have not so much as touched the game in months. When I first bought Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, the game hooked me hard for a good 15-20 hours. Yes, it is essentially more Assassin’s Creed II with weaker writing, but damn it all, the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed is just so addicting – and yes, while the improvements are (mostly) incremental, Brotherhood represents the most polished form-

Oh, wait. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is out now. Have… yet to give that one a spin. (Damn it all, Ubisoft.)

Well, anyway. When I bought it eight months ago, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood represented the most polished form of the Assassin’s Creed gameplay experience. Hell, maybe it still does – again, I have not quite gotten to Revelations yet. (Though I will – before Assassin’s Creed III for sure.)

2011 closed out with some decent-yet-not-amazing gaming experiences. First was Batman: Arkham City. I loved Arkham Asylum and bought City on release day. And… I have yet to finish it. It is quite good, make no mistake. But somehow the formula – which is largely unchanged – does not enthrall me quite as much a second time around.

Perplexingly, I had a similar experience with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. It was more Uncharted, and it was good – but it felt too familiar. Oh, and the story was not as good as Uncharted 2‘s. Just check out my review for more.

I did technically receive The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Christmas, but I only played roughly five hours in 2011 – on Christmas day. I have played quite a bit since then – but my thoughts on Skyward Sword will have to wait until another time. Why? Because I am frankly a little confused on them at this point. (D’oh!)

That is all. Filler material? Sure, maybe, but hey – it is damn good filler material if I do say so myself. Which I do not. But regardless, feel free to chime in any thoughts you may have on any of the words above. Particularly if they are words of contempt and discord. I like those best. Cheers!

I may not have good taste in games.

When is enough, enough? This thought plagued my thoughts as I gazed at my already scarce collection of Playstation 3 titles and found that 75% of them were populated by Assassin’s Creed games. It occured to me that in a few short months I would be handing over another $60 to own the latest installment of a series of games that I have come to love, hate, and everything in between. It has been months since Revelations was released and I have yet to finish the game. So much of today’s media is stuck in the world of Sequeldom and the video game universe is far from immune to this disease. Our consoles are filled with not ‘games’ but franchises and InsertTitleHere XXVII.

I have mixed feelings about sequels. After all, there are two sides to every coin and I always do my best to look at both sides. Maybe someday I’ll come across a penny with a picture of Cthulu in place of Lincoln’s head.

My main problem with the recent surplus of sequels is that they leave less room for any real developments, especially where modern-day consoles like the Playstation 3 is concerned. Sequels are safe. Companies are able to invest in a franchise that they know is already succesfully, slap on the same name, and droves of rabid fangirls and boys will line up at the door. Assassin’s Creed is a wonderful example of this. The first game was a strong concept if a little repetetive at times. The second game more or less made up for the short-comings of the first game. What about Brotherhood and Revelations? More of the same and with the impending release of Assassin’s Creed III the air feels with a certain degree of apprehension. Will it be more of the same? Or will Ubisoft manage to make a truly good game? In the end, it hardly matters. I will be there on release day to pick up the latest installment of the series if only to flesh out my already growing collection. So, while developers are busy playing it safe with ‘more of the same’ it leaves little room for any real earth-shattering innovations.

I could admire this view for hours.

As a result, a girl who once said she would never throw her console to the wayside in favor of her PC instead finds herself turning increasingly to the world of indie-developers through outlets such as Steam. And why not? I pay a fraction of the price for a short game that brings more enjoyment, more awe, and more admiration than the 30+ hours I would spend racing around the streets of Rome, or whatever, again. Games like Bastion display a real sense of art and storytelling. I finished the game and felt, despite the open ending, fulfilled. Most of the console games I pick up in recent years leave the game not-quite-wrapped-up to leave room for the possibility of a sequel, or more downloadable content, or spin-off games for the iPhone. To me, video games, like movies and other media, are a form of art, but when artistry is thrown to the wayside in favor of quick profits– it makes my stomach writhe in disgust.

On the other hand, I do love a good sequel. It is so easy to fall in love with a certain setting, a story line, a group of characters, even a concept and want the opportunity to revisit it. And why not? If a developer has created a world and a storyline that allows for expansion, by all means, they should take that opportunity. Seize the moment, so to speak. Sequels give developers the opportunity not only to expand on stories, concepts, characters, but to take things to another level by rethinking gameplay dynamics, taking into consideration things that ‘did not quite work’ the first time around and redefining them. Assassin’s Creed II is a wonderful example of this. It took the story, characters, and succesful aspects of Assassin’s Creed and smoothed out all the little kinks.

I only wish that some game publishers would take a hint from the literary world, where we are often waiting years for the next installment in our favorite series. Creating art takes time. Creating a good game takes even longer. I would rather wait an extra year to have a good game than be handed a mediocre release every year in an attempt to make a quick profit.

He may be old, but he still has a nice behind!

I was heartily disappointed when the time came for me to start thinking about my post this week and I did not have an Assassin’s Creed: Revelations review to share with the world. What was wrong with me that I had yet to finish the game? And then it hit me like a deer suddenly appearing within my headlights to destroy my shiny new car: Revelations had fallen far short of my expectations. And so far my disappointment has kept me from grabbing that controller and finishing the game.

A large part of what drew me to the series (especially the last three games) was the plot. I adored the fact that I was able to parade around Renaissance Italy as a debonair assassin with a penchant for revenge. The settings were colorful. The characters were engaging. When Ezio’s family was slaughtered, I was invested enough to want revenge at least as badly as he did. When Cesare Borgia laid seige to Monteriggioni, my heart broke as I watched the home we had worked so hard to build destroyed in one fell swoop. So far, this latest installment, has left me feeling anything but invested. The end of Brotherhood ended with me, for the first time, wanting desperately to spend time with Desmond. Instead, I am parading around the Middle East and running errands for Yusuf Tazim. Yusuf is a little annnoying. Perhaps it is just a matter of time before the game picks up, but as I mentioned above, I have yet to find the heart to get to that point.

Yusuf, you are hairy and annoying. GTFO.

Gameplay wise Revelations is more of the same. At times, it almost feels like I am playing through DLC rather than an actual game in which I invested $59.99 and (so far) ten hours of my time. I run here to recruit such and such assassin. I run there to defend a tower from templars. I take a boat across the river to research the mysterious five keys that will open the way to Altair’s library. Instead of a seasoned assassin, I feel a bit like a low-level rogue in World of Warcraft grinding through fetch quest after fetch quest to gain experience.

Still, the developers of the game have seen fit to throw in a variety of new gameplay elements. The most successful of these elements thusfar is the hookblade – which allows players higher climbing mobility and the use of ziplines to travel quickly from building to building. I find the hookblade an invaluable addition as I leap from rooftop to rooftop to reach the next mini-quest. However, players who are visiting the series for the first time may find the hookblade a little difficult to master (as evidenced when I let my sister play through the first part of the game and I felt a little like stabbing myself in the eyes with forks). Revelations also showcases a notable new weapon: bombs. Players are able to use ingredients taken from dead guards or found throughout the world to craft a variety of bombs. Some of these bombs are used to create noise distractions, some are stinky, some are pure damage. It certainly makes for a more engaging combat experience and I wish developers would have added crafting into earlier incarnations of the game. I would have loved to find myself in the lair of an underground blackmarket herbalist brewing the poisons used to coat my hidden blades.

Where there is good, there is always bad, and Revelations brings the really bad in the form of a tower defense mini-game. Once Templar towers are captured and converted into Assassin dens there is a chance that those Templars will come back to claim lost territory. Enter the tower defense mini game. Ezio stands atop a roof and is able to summon various assassin units and construct blockades to stop the Templar seige engines. I can think of nothing further to say than the fact that it is terrible. The screen is hard to navigate as a result of shoddily done camera angles where players are forced to stare at Ezio standing off-center in their screen and can only rotate the camera from left to right. The units are straightforward and lack flavor. The rewards are scarce. All in all, when it pops up on my screen that it is time to take the defensive again I let out a groan of agony.

Zippidy!

Once again, Ezio finds himself recruiting more assassins to the cause. This was one of my favorite parts of Brotherhood and I spent countless hours sending out my fledglings of experience, items, and quests. I have yet to spend a lot of time with this game mechanic, but so far the changes seem promising. I look forward to sending out my minions to rid the world of Templar influence across the world.

All in all, I have spent about ten hours with this game and feel that it has yet to live up to its predecessors. I hope that once I build up the resolve to get back into the game that it will live up to the generally favorable opinion it seems to be gaining. I am looking forward to seeing the ends of both Ezio’s and Altair’s stories and can only hope that when I return in two weeks to give this game a proper review that it will, at last, live up to my expectations.

Soul Calibur V Screenshot

Namco Bandai

Namco Bandai is boasting a pretty sizable line up for Tokyo Game Show this year. While Xbox 360 seems to be getting no love in Japan this, there are still a few multi-platform games, with the majority of those being 3D fighting games. First in line is Soul Calibur V, the creatively named 5th installment in the Soul Calibur series. For fans of Naruto, the latest installment in the Ninja Storm series will be shown, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations. Returning to the fighting game scene also is Dragonball Z with their latest, Dragonball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi. The only multi-platform title known at this time that is not a 3D fighting game is a return to an older series, the well known dog fight simulator Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.

Sony seems to be getting a lot more attention than any of the other systems this year from Namco Bandai. The sequel for their most popular Japanese title, Idolmaster 2 has been moved to releasing on the PlayStation 3 from its previous home on the Xbox 360. Also being showcased for the PS3 is a new installment in the Gundam series, Gundam Extreme Vs. Gundam games have not had the best luck on next generation consoles, but the fighting games have always offered the thrill of the “which is better” aspect, allowing them to enjoy some success. Also coming to the PlayStation 3 is the another popular fighting game, Tekken Hybrid, a collection of Tekken titles including Tekken Tag HD, an HD remake of the original game. Tekken: Blood Vengeance and a juiced up demo for the upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament 2 with a small collection of playable characters will also be there. The PSP has many titles to look forward to as well, with its own Naruto title, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact, and a rhythm game based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion universe, Rebuild of Evangelion: 3nd Impact.

Nintendo does not have a lot to look forward to from Namco Bandai, but it has enough systems to make up for the lack of any one of them getting a lot of attention. The Wii of course has mostly family oriented games like the aptly named Family Fishing and Go Vacation. The DS is looking forward to a new One Piece Title, One Piece: Gigan Battle 2, as well as seeing the rebirth of the original pet simulators with Tamagotchi Collection. For the 3DS, the title selection is a lot slimmer, with the biggest titles being 3D remakes of older games like Tekken 3D: Prime Edition and Ace Combat 3D.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Logo

Square Enix

Game titans Square Enix has a lot to offer this year as well, with many playable demos for highly anticipated games. There will be three Final Fantasy titles, each for a different platform, and each with playable demos to be expected at the event. First, for PS3 and Xbox 360 is the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s marginally successful game, Final Fantasy XIII-2. Next, for the PSP comes Final Fantasy: Type-0; originally named Final Fantasy Agito XIII, the new title will be one of the only PSP games to come one two UMDs. Finally, for the 3DS there is Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, the rhythm game with Final Fantasy characters. Also being seen at the Square Enix booth for the 3DS will be Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, the 7th installment in the Kingdom Hearts series with story connections to the much anticipated Kindgom Hearts 3.

Square Enix will also be showcasing demos for Bethesda and Ubisoft in their booth. Playable demos for many of the titles will be available, giving Japanese fans a taste of Western games. Among these playable demos is Assassin’s Creed Revelations, the fourth installment in the series, as well as the upcoming post-apocalyptic game Rage.

Dragon's Dogma Screenshot

Capcom

Capcom’s Tokyo Game Show line up is a bit smaller than usual this year, with only a handful of titles getting showcased. Dragon’s Dogma, an action RPG where a group of fighters set out to kill a mysterious dragon, is one of the more anticipated titles that will be making an appearance. Not one to be left out of the fighting game scene, Capcom is going two have to major titles to offer. First, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, a rehashing of the next gen fighting game, with new characters and new game modes. Second, keeping with the Vs. theme is Street Fighter X Tekken, where two of the biggest fighting game franchises go head to head in an all out brawl.

Also expected to make an appearance in the Capcom line up will be Resident Evil Revelations, a return to survival horror gaming set in between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, which would be delightful news if it were coming out for anything other than the 3DS. Also on the way for a different handheld is Monster Hunter Diary G, a PSP sequel to the original Monster Hunter Diary.

Battlefield 3 Logo

Sony

Sony will, by far, be showcasing more games than any other company. Their booth will be overflowing with goodies for PSP, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The Vita, of course, is expected to steal the show with over thirty-one games set to be displayed, while the PSP is only showing off a few titles, and the PlayStation 3 bringing its own heavy lineup out to be admired and enjoyed.

A large number of the PlayStation 3 titles on display are going to be sequels of one sort or another to games already released, with barely any original titles on the way. For fans of guns and shooting, there will be demos of Battlefield 3, the much anticipated and very gorgeous third part of the Bad Company series, as well as Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, the third installment in the life and times of Drake, the treasure hunting crime fighter. The HD remake of the original anti-terrorist game Metal Gear Solid will be shown as well.

For those more interested in the hack and slash lineup of PlayStation 3 games, fear not, for there is plenty of bloody goodness to be found. Team ICO will be showing off their re-release collection of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, giving new players a chance to play through these two game classics. Also seeing a port to the PlayStation 3 is the God of War Origins Collection, containing the two PSP titles God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta on one disk, giving fans more god killing action for the PlayStation 3. One of the biggest titles that isn’t a port or a remake this year is going to be Ninja Gaiden 3, the third installment in what is one of the most difficult and fun series on the PlayStation.

Gravity Daze Screenshot

The PSP lineup is understandably slim, as this year is obviously more focused on ushering in the latest system from Sony. With titles like Hatsune Miku: Project Diva, a rhythm game featuring the popular vocaloid character of the same name, and Frontier Gate, a monster hunter style game with a turn based system, there is not a lot to offer, but what they do have looks to be popular.

The big show stealer this year will be the PlayStation Vita. With many original titles like Gravity Daze -a new adventure game featuring a gravity-shifting teenage girl- and Asphalt: Injection -an arcade style racing game with tons of high flying action-, there will be no shortage of new titles to ogle at. As well as the original titles, there will be plenty of Vita version of older titles, such as Dynasty Warriors Next -another addition into the one vs. many hack and slash game series- and BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend -an expansion of sorts to the last BlazBlue title- there is definitely a lot to look forward to from Sony over the course of the event.

Remember, this is just a preview! There is bound to be many more exciting things to witness at the actual event, and probably even things that have changed since the release of this article! Be sure to keep an eye out for more on the event, and be sure to keep reading for more news on everything that gamers need to know.

Arrayed against me, however, are sinister and evil forces that would deny mankind the right to experience the finest game the modern industry has created. These… Templars… wish to deny humanity the chance to explore a vast and varied world, interact with history in a highly fresh and authentic way, and kill new and exciting conspirators.

As initially conceived, the Assassin’s Creed games would form a trilogy. This was a rather bold move for an untested series, to plan a single arc that would unfold over three games. Even Ubisoft could not have predicted the success of Assassin’s Creed II on the heels of the moderate impact of the original Assassin’s Creed. Now, the Ubisoft Assassin empire stretches across multiple consoles, personal computers, and even social media and comic books.

Ezio gets to hang out in all the boss cities of antiquity, like Constantinople... which was Instanbul, but now it is Constantinople!

The question then becomes how one is to tell a complete narrative of a complex character like Ezio within the space of a single game. Certainly, Assassin’s Creed II did not end Ezio’s tale. Even without the resulting Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, the end of Assassin’s Creed II can only be called a cliffhanger. Brotherhood ends on a similar questioning note, without bringing closure to the Ezio story arc.

In that regard, Revelations is the clearest answer to the un-asked question of “where to from here?”

SPOILERS FOLLOW

At the end of Brotherhood, we leave Ezio having recovered the Apple of Eden from the Borgias and revenged upon Cesaré Borgia. We leave our present-day heroes in the alien vault beneath il colosseo with Lucy bleeding out from being stabbed by a mind-controlled Desmond, and Desmond being thrown back in to the Animus after experiencing a total mental breakdown. Is this a satisfying “conclusion?” Of course not; too many questions about the now-reconstituted Assassin Order remain, as well as the… ahem… delicate moment where Ezio will pass along those awesome Assassin genes to Desmond’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandparent.

Minions make everything better.

An objection was raised that the rapid development pace of the Ezio arc is diluting the series, as both Brotherhood and the resulting Revelations are more like stand-alone expansions than true sequels. After all, they have minimal graphical updates, only a few gameplay changes, and they re-use the same characters.

Except that the gameplay does evolve between iterations of Ezio’s story. Assassin’s Creed II, for example, streamlined combat, added variety in mission types, and included platforming side quests that unlocked powerful armor. Brotherhood took this formula and further refined and improved it, adding Assassin recruits, new weapon types and combat moves, the Borgia tower mechanic to regain control of the districts of Rome, and new types of locomotion, including a parachute. Revelations looks to continue this trend, with the introduction of new recruit mission types, a more streamlined territory control system, and zip lines. In addition, entirely new areas like the underground city of Cappadocia will provide a greater variety in mission and environment types. The online multiplayer component is also getting needed improvements to game types, maps, and playable classes.

I am getting too old for this merda...

The charge still stands, however, that this is an insufficient overall change to justify a sequel within one year of the release of Brotherhood. There are those who would rather wait three or four (or more) years in hopes of getting an Assassin’s Creed III with a new character, new setting, new gameplay systems, and new game engine. They would rather Brotherhood have been similarly delayed to include all of the content that will be in Revelations, which might be a fair charge… except that it ignores the tendency of a narrative to get away from the writers. Oftentimes external limitations — space requirements, executive developmental decisions, et cetera — necessitate going to market with a finished-but-shorter-than-necessary product. Gamers should not be deprived of a complete story, or worse, forced to finish the story in extra-game materials such as tie-in novels and comics, simply because gamers feel that a once-a-year game schedule waters down the brand, as if the only way to build excitement and momentum about a game was to deprive gamers of it for a few years like some major development houses are prone to doing. This sort of development has its merits, but so does capitalizing on existing good favor and momentum by keeping fans in constant content until a single story arc is told.

Ubisoft, keep it up!

Which is the likeliest explanation for this move. Ubisoft needed one more full-length game to tell all that Ezio had to tell, and Revelations can do that without resorting to a move like the PSP’s Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines, which connected the original game with its sequel. And, I charge, it is the right move to make. Strike while the iron is hot, Canadians, and just pump that historico-fantastic-science-fiction-conspiracy-theory-laden action straight down my digital gullet. Naysayers can say nay whilst Ezio and I are zipping around Byzantium slaying evil and romancing Ottoman babes.