Date played: October 7th
Platform: PS4
I felt like trying something new, so I booted up Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, a little game I bought when it was on sale on PSN a while ago. It's very different from all other Assassin's Creed games because it's entirely in 2D. The heroine is an assassin who worked closely with Ezio in the later parts of his life. She is one of the last remaining assassins in China, who were wiped out by a group called the Tigers.
Honestly, I don't care very much about the story. I was interested in this game because of the Chinese setting and because it's a 2D stealth game. It has a unique aesthetic, reminiscent of a watercolor painting. I played through the first 5 memory sequences, so just a little less than half the game.
The game begins rather simply, with many tutorials. The heroine, Shao Jun, must escape her prison cell and assassinate a Tiger. She has a wide arsenal of weapons and abilities. Her assassin blade is hidden in one of her shoes, making for some insanely violent kills. She can whistle to attract enemies, can send out a noise dart to distract them, can stun them with a grenade and she has some throwing knives. She also has a sword, but this is a real ass stealth game and combat is usually a very bad idea.
Enemies have a "cone of vision". If Shao Jun passes through the cone, they enemies will search for her, and if she stays there too long, they will sound the alarm and attack. It's best to stay hidden and assassinate enemies from the shadows, or she can simply walk past them unseen. She can climb walls, hide in hiding spots and even hang from the ceiling.
The game is pretty fucking hard in spots. Some enemies are simply too strong to confront head on, and getting past them unseen is a real challenge. It's fun though, and it feels rewarding to succeed without initiating a battle.
The levels are quite varied. I began in some caverns, I traveled through some high cliffs, explored a port, sneaked through a fleet of Chinese vessels and other spectacular environments. As far as 2D stealth games go, it's pretty good. It's no Mark of the Ninja, but it's cool nonetheless.
Platform: PS4
I felt like trying something new, so I booted up Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, a little game I bought when it was on sale on PSN a while ago. It's very different from all other Assassin's Creed games because it's entirely in 2D. The heroine is an assassin who worked closely with Ezio in the later parts of his life. She is one of the last remaining assassins in China, who were wiped out by a group called the Tigers.
Honestly, I don't care very much about the story. I was interested in this game because of the Chinese setting and because it's a 2D stealth game. It has a unique aesthetic, reminiscent of a watercolor painting. I played through the first 5 memory sequences, so just a little less than half the game.
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| Shao Jun is about to assassinate a Tiger |
Enemies have a "cone of vision". If Shao Jun passes through the cone, they enemies will search for her, and if she stays there too long, they will sound the alarm and attack. It's best to stay hidden and assassinate enemies from the shadows, or she can simply walk past them unseen. She can climb walls, hide in hiding spots and even hang from the ceiling.
The game is pretty fucking hard in spots. Some enemies are simply too strong to confront head on, and getting past them unseen is a real challenge. It's fun though, and it feels rewarding to succeed without initiating a battle.
The levels are quite varied. I began in some caverns, I traveled through some high cliffs, explored a port, sneaked through a fleet of Chinese vessels and other spectacular environments. As far as 2D stealth games go, it's pretty good. It's no Mark of the Ninja, but it's cool nonetheless.
