10 things to keep in mind ahead of launch
Assassin’s Creed: Unity is the biggest and best entry into Ubisoft’s open-world series, but the core gameplay has been tweaked somewhat since the last instalment. Here, we present a handy guide for both newbies and veterans alike.
The Assassin's Creed Unity release date is set for November 13 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Read our extensive Assassin's Creed Unity preview to find out what we think of the game so far.
1. You can lone-wolf it, but co-op is easier
Assassin’s Creed: Unity doesn’t deviate too much from the core franchise experience, which in the past has been a purely solitary affair. However, with the introduction of co-op, certain missions in the game – particularly the Heist missions – have been designed with two-to-four players in mind. They can still be tackled solo, but don’t expect and easy ride. Lone wolves have to be far more creative and patient in some missions than they would have been in earlier iterations. It’s easier to make friends – trust us.
2. You’ll need a headset that has a mic
A lot of Assassin’s Creed: Unity’s missions are best tackled with a stealthy approach. To that end, players need to be in constant contact with each other. We know this for a fact as we tried to complete a Heist mission with a headset with no microphone and we frustrated the hell out of the developers who were trying to put us through our paces. One wrong step and you not only blow can you a secondary objective that earns your team that all-important XP – sometimes you can blow the entire mission. Buy a headset with a mic. It’s easer in the long term.
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3. The city of Paris is huge
The scale of the city environment in Assassin’s Creed: Unity is 1:1. It’s huge. It’ll take you around half an hour to traverse it from one end to the other. We know. We’ve timed it. In the past Eagle Points simply opened up missions and gave players a lovely panoramic shot of the city they were walking through. In Unity, they also open up fast-travel nodes and they give you XP. This is why they’re worth syncing with.
Otherwise Assassin’s Creed: Unity has the potential to turn into a grind of epic proportions.
4. Remember this is an RPG
Assassin’s Creed games have always been filled with unlockables and talent trees, but Unity really requires you to keep an eye on things. Every new skill players unlock has the potential of affecting the ease with which they tackle the next mission.
For example, unlocking lock-picking can open up myriad options in numerous missions just because players won’t need to hunt for missing or concealed items to help with their progression. Talent trees are a big factor in Unity. Tend to them.
5. You can backtrack
Any mission players have played through successfully – whether they achieved the optimum outcome or not – is replayable, either with friends or solo. So if you’ve been flummoxed by a mission, or if you didn’t manage to gain the most XP you could from a certain mission, you can revisit it when you’ve levelled up some more and armed with a ton of weapons and gadgets that’ll ensure you have a better chance of earning the most XP you can. Then again, by that stage, you may not need it….
6. Every story mission is an open-ended killbox
In the past, missions in Assassin’s Creed games have followed a strictly linear plotline. In Unity, every mission is open ended. This means that players have myriad options in how they tackle them.
They can opt for the stealthy approach – and given the new combat system, this is advisable – or they can take their chances by hitting their target directly. The missions are also replayable, once they’ve been successfully completed. This means that if players mission don’t manage to achieve the optimum ending – which usually involves a pretty gruesome cinematic – they can come back to it at a later date (with or without a mate in tow).
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7. Remember the difference between the ‘up’ and ‘down’ buttons
This might not be much of an issues for newbies – Unity is the best entry into the series for them – but veterans may have some teething problems with the game’s new climbing mechanics. Press the ‘B’ button and you climb in a downward direction. Press ‘A’ and you clamber up. However, this also affects jumping. If you hit ‘A’ you’ll leap for the highest next platform on the map and if it’s out of reach, this can send Arno hurtling to his death. Remember: ‘B’ is down and ‘A’ is up.
(On an Xbox One controller, in which case ‘circle’ is down and ‘X’ is up.)
Previously, you'd have to keep R2 held down and run at building to climb them and descending buildings wasn't the easiest to manoeuvre.
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8. You can’t spam defence in combat
In previous Assassin’s Creed games, players could simply hold down a defensive attack and cut through armies of enemies. Assassin’s Creed: Unity doesn’t allow this. In Unity, the AI takes note of the attacks and defensive moves the player uses too much and adapts accordingly. Players are going to have to learn how to parry, counter and mix up their attacks if they hope to survive. In a lot of combat situations – especially those in which they find themselves surrounded – the player’s best option is to leg it.
9. Don’t be too hasty to kill your target
The urge to wrap up a mission as quickly as possible is understandable. Since they provide the bridge between plot reveals, players want to complete missions as quickly as possible in order to progress. However, in Assassin’s Creed: Unity, patiently stalking your prey has some benefits.
First off, it puts players in a better position to execute a cinematic kill and that’s worth more experience (XP).
Second, NPCs are more likely to reveal more of the story through their dialogue and provide players with clues to not just the narrative, but also collectibles and items in the open world environment. Take your time on each kill. It’s worth it.
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10. Gadgets are an assassin’s best friend
Crafting is a big part of Assassin’s Creed: Unity and its worth stocking up on as many gizmos as possible. Smoke bombs, for example, can give players a necessary edge when they’re surrounded by multiple foes; drop one of these and your opponents will back off allowing you to finish a couple of the off or flee the scene entirely. Third-person open-world adventure games naturally lend themselves to the direct approach and you won’t get far with that in Unity. Craft well. Craft often.
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