Way back when I started this blog, I intended on writing the occasional post on video games. I haven't written anything about electronic gaming recently, not because of any kind of wargaming purity, but because I haven't really played any in awhile. Until now.
I bought Star Wars Battlefront when it was released. Basically it's Battlefield for Star Wars.
For some strange reason there are people who the above description isn't enough. I've read and heard some negative reactions to the game. Not really panning it, but more like, is this all there is? I admit, being able to play a mutiplayer shooter set in the Star Wars universe is enough for me, period. Beyond that, I think that Battlefront is a great game in it's own right, if you like multiplayer shooters. Or if you like Star Wars. And if you like both, it's great. So I think it's great.
Right now though I can't stop playing Assassin's Creed Syndicate. It's actually preventing me from playing the other game I got for Christmas, Fallout 4. I played about 1/3 of the way through the original Assassin's Creed, and played Brotherhood's multiplayer, but neither of those games hooked me like this one has.
Part of the reason is the setting, Victorian era London. You play as Jacob and Evie Frye, and outside of the main story, you do missions for the likes of Dickens, Darwin, and Marx. How awesome is that!
But the main reason I'm liking the game so much is how it's the best "feeling" one of the series, at least of the ones I've played. The game's controls are only minimally frustrating, which is a compliment. And having two characters makes for a nice split between the stealthy, hide in the shadows and slit everyone's throat approach compared to the going in, guns blazing, er, slit everyone's throat approach.
The game revolves around three axes: The main story sequences, the aforementioned side missions, and the conquest of London. Each sequence has a series of missions, ending in an elaborate assassination of a Templar (the main enemies in the Assassin's Creed games). Each of the side mission's characters could be seen as sequences themselves, without the final assassination. Finally, the conquest aspect of the game has you wrenching control of London borough by borough from the Blighters, a criminal gang under the dominance of the Templars, by completing various tasks in each borough.
There's a lot to the game. I've played close to 25 hours or so by now, and I'm guessing there's at least 10 more hours of play left. That's not counting all of the collectibles. Might be awhile until I get to Fallout.
