The problem with sci-fi in AC1 is that you can only walk as Desmond. You can't run. And you have to walk and listen to the annoying bearded man and the silly woman, and sometimes press a button. That's not a kind of storytelling and gameplay I want to see in modern games. It's a visual medium, ffs.

I was extremely surprised when they let me run in AC2 - it was like a nirvana. He can even fight! And best of all, he hasn't yet shown up again outside of the introduction scene, and I'm in sequence 5 right now!

Touché! That was just perfect!

I completely understand that somebody may like what I don't. Too bad it's not reciprocal ;)

I realised last night that Ubisoft actually stole the concept of Assassin's Creed from me.

Back in the leadup to the release of Metal Gear Solid 3, Kojima was doing his normal "I'm going to stop making MGS games after this one" routine, so there was a discussion about how, if Snake Eater was the last game, it could tie up the cliffhangers from the previous game despite being set nearly half a decade earlier.

So, I suggested that it would turn out that MGS3 wasn't really set in the past, but in the near future, with Solid Snake having to enter a Virtual Reality recreation of a mission undertaken by his ancestor in order to uncover some vital information that only his predecessor knew, which he would then use in the present to stop the plans of the world-spanning conspiracy.

Then a few years later, Ubisoft made a game with that exact plot. Where do I send my royalty request?

I'm really liking the framed narration in this series. Ok, in AC1 the implementation was a bit shabby, but with the sequels it gets better.
And what's more, the plot of the present is so awesomely exaggerated that I got to like it even if it's a bit ridiculous.
I can't wait to see what'll come next (my ACIII copy should arrive in 2 days).

I wish all of the AC games were on GOG

This.

In fact, given that Assassin's Creed 2 at the time was the epitome of shitty DRM, a GOG DRM-free version would be very symbolic of the start of the end of DRM.

Here's the thing about the sci-fi part they listened and lessend it for Revelations (its there but in cut scenes you can skip and just jump straight back in)... The backlash was HUGE AC3 brings back current day missions and they work well.

We are on the GOG forums, what did you expect?

I don't mind the whole sci-fi parts. As said before it provides a frame to the narrative and serves as a connecting device between the games. Also, it weirdly makes for a valid excuse how in the world a medieval assasin has minimaps, healthbars and can replay missions he failed ;)

It get's better in later games where the story of Desmond is more developed and becomes an integral part of the overall experience.

The really bad part is that you have to "clear out" the cities to have the least problems on your path to and from your assassinations. Those are really long and tedious patience exercises, and NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I'M ARMED AND WILL CUT YOU IF YOU DON'T BUGGER OFF!

AC2 was far better at this, it made the quests much more varied and actually interesting in the long run. I suspect they spent all their time for the first game making the basic infrastructure and interface that they ran out of time for actual content. Shame, really, because I like the crusader kingdoms setting more than renaissance Italy.

The sci-fi aspect is cool and adds some pizazz. Whatevs.

I think the biggest problem with AC1 is, that it's more of a tech demo than anything else. The sci-fi part is far better implemented on AC2 and it's overall a better game. Haven't played the rest of the series thought.

I'm like quite a few others, it would seem. I could not get myself to finish the first game (far too monotonous, although, according to a couple friends, I stopped playing at the last assassination). Year or two later, I started AC2 and loved pretty much all of it. I'm fine with the Animus and sci-fi stuff implemented, it just means that they were aiming towards something in future games which becomes far more apparent in AC2 than in AC1. I'll start up Brotherhood sometime soon, hopefully it builds even further on AC2 and never ever goes back to AC1, that game was incredibly boring after awhile.

I had a similar thought, rather hypocritical to be honest but whatever.

I didn't mind the sci-fi part myself but the first game desperately needed some more varied gameplay which the sequel seems to have done better. Pity my computer couldn't handle it.