Is ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ Just Another Ubisoft Cash Grab?

Let’s give the internet a round of applause for setting the tone that the new Assassin’s Creed Syndicate game is a complete and utter failure.

It’s a matter-of-fact opinion, but also one that determines sales.

Of course this is usually the case because most game reviewers who are familiar with these releases are usually jaded to begin with.

For instance, one reviewer from Metro decided that Assassin’s Creed wasn’t at their level.

“It’s boring, safe, unchallenging, and about as edgy as a billiard ball.”

Certainly every franchise will suffer low points, but the seed has been planted that Ubisoft might be part of the problem.

In one write up by the Guardian, the reviewer mentions how the game company moved on developing quickly, leaving out some qualities that would make Assassin’s Creed Syndicate a richer gaming experience.

And in yet another post on Forbes, the contributor hates the combat. There’s not real challenge or variety with the game’s baddies. Which in this case means that Ubisoft hasn’t made an effort to improve this in a franchise that depends on it.

New Downloadable Content For ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ Factored Into Monthly Living Expenses https://t.co/NsQVOSGmTS

— The Onion (@TheOnion) October 27, 2015

A low-end independent game company that cuts costs and is able to land great game contracts with Assassin’s Creed can be applauded, but they come out winning 100 percent when they invest more into their product to the expectations of their fans.

Of course, Ubisoft isn’t that small of a independent company anymore. Gamespot News has republished a press release about game company Vivendi buying more of Ubisoft’s shares.

What’s particularly interesting about that is how the Assassin’s Creed holder expresses that the purchase is “unsolicited and unwelcomed.”

For those of us who analyze this kind of behavior, it’s confusing. Especially considering the other lingering questions about the improvements with the new Assassin’s Creed Syndicate as to when it’s going to happen.

As mentioned before, the game company appears to be using a template, or rather a “don’t fix what isn’t broken” approach. This means some improvements on the engine and, certainly, the combat, which is essential to an Assassin’s Creed title.

For this chapter in the series, the fact that it takes place in the nineteenth century, where the legendary writer Charles Dickens is written into the plot, comes across like more of a history lesson than a game to enjoy. This certainly does not do the game any favors from the issues mentioned.

If there were deep cuts to internet reviews, one post on IGN refers to the abandoned story arc the Assassin’s Creed series could have taken advantage of during its early inception.

Which brings to mind this idea of consistency. Because even though the series suffered a bit of a lull with mobile rehashes and other ventures, it hasn’t fully come out of it with many of these small issues. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Clearly this is much more apparent than simply residing in the small mindedness of some game reviewers. A large majority of fans are expressing this and so it should be taken into account.

Currently, there are more innovative games making an impact in the market. This means that games like Assassin’s Creed are becoming less challenging and less interesting. A casual gamer will certainly be content with the game, however; the greatest thing it has going for it is the open world technology.

Even with this, it’s placed in a category where other games have been able to pull off that open world masterfully, leaving Assassin’s Creed in the dirt.

Currently, there is talk about the Assassin’s Creed movie starring Michael Fassbender which starts shooting in March of 2016, which comes across as late in the process since the series enjoyed the bulk of its glory in 2009.

But Assassin’s Creed fans keep coming back for more. In the meantime, this appears to be just another Ubisoft cash grab.