Okay, so I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but after playing through Revelations again, I just feel like the story direction and the presentation is getting a bit sloppy and disconnected. 

For instance, from the end of Assassin's Creed I, we're presented with an image of Subject 16 that is completely burdened with knowledge, (almost literally) bursting at the seams to reveal the truth to us, so much so that he paints messages to the subsequent Test Subject in his own blood.  He almost manages to hack and instill his consciousness within the Animus, crafting elaborate puzzles, clues, and hints of the history of the secret war of the Templars and Assassins.  And then Desmond comes face-to-face with the man himself, and he's just is like..."Desmond, sup?  Finally landed your *** in here" Nothing.  Not a thing about Adam, Eve, Those Who Came Before, the endless conflict that crosses through centuries, the mountains of information he unearthed to bring to the world's attention. 

And on that note, we come to the "secrecy" I think is omitted largely.  I mean, let's look at it this way, Templars and Assassins are supposed to be these very carefully hidden societies that wage a secret war against each other.  The only time they're public in history is during the Crusades, and following that time frame, they "disappear" and sink back into the shadows from which they emerged.  But in Revelations, the Assassins are like a neighborhood corner drug store.  Ask any citizen and they would be like - "Oh, yea, the Assassins?  They're on the corner of 24th and Main, take the crooked staircase up two stories, and then the third door on the right, you'll find the Grandmaster of the Order, Ezio Auditore, a wealthy Italian Noble who has come to Kostantiniyye after attempting to open Altair's Library.  Yes, Altair's Library, you know?  The Library locked away under the old Assassin fortress, sealed by the old Grandmaster of the Assassins, and in this Library are the locations of the Grand Temple". ( I know I'm exaggerating, but the knowledge of TWCB and the Temples was lost to the people of Altair and Ezio's time frames) I mean, maybe it's just me being a little overly analytical, but it seems to me that this secret war between two secret societies isn't very secret, especially when there are huge siege engines rolling down the street to level just a single building, it's not like that's an everyday occurrence. 

Thirdly, the Apple of Eden.  I thought that was what linked Desmond to Ezio to Altair?  So then what's the connection?  I know Ezio turned away from that one in the Library, but ... these things aren't like your run of the mill tools and trinkets, they're the remnants of the First Civilization, so they're a little valuable, I'm just wondering what the hell happened to it, it certainly wasn't locked behind a door that would only respond to "72".  And the Masyaf Keys, very valuable, very strange artifacts, and Ezio just whips them out in public ... All I could think was "DUDE, GET INSIDE BEFORE YOU GO PULLING THAT OUT, THEY'RE NOT A DIME A DOZEN YOU KNOW!!" 

The Templars and Assassins didn't seem like bitter rivals like they have in past installments.  This one portrayed them more as two college roommates, one who likes the room messy, and the other one likes it neat.  Not one order who's basic tenet is that human beings require a very firm authoritative hand, and the other demands that they live with liberty and freedom, and appreciate the differences between people, not seek to extinguish them. ( Prince Suleiman's analysis, I know)

Also the Templars were more focused on the Grand Temple in this one - but in previous iterations, they wanted absolute and complete control to further humanity, and the Pieces of Eden were what they saw as ultimate power (Warren Vidic: They are gifts Mr. Miles, gifts left behind by Those Who Came Before) This sudden change in focus I think is odd. 

And Revelations?  Talk about telling us **** we already know.  I'm sorry but for me, I would have liked to know a little more about Lucy.  It's fine if we aren't told a whole lot new, but please don't advertise it that way if you do!  Like the "Animus Failure" trailer, you're teasing us all with this notion that Lucy will know the truth and other scenarios like that.  I mean the only revelation for me was that the Apple Desmond now has is not the same that Altair had, and that there's a "Grand Temple". 
We already know things like:
The Coordinates for the next destination for our modern day assassins(ACB: DaVD DLC)
The Vaults
The Significance of Altair in the Order
The First Civilization
The significance of "Eve"
The Templar/Assassin struggle
(I could list more, but if anyone has anything that was not revealed before, please share it!  I feel I may not have heard anything new in this installment, but I'm sure I'm wrong)

I mean honestly Ubisoft, if this is the direction you're taking the AC series, just let me know now so I don't have to purchase anymore games later.  Don't turn this into some money spinner that you release every year with a rehashed warmed-up-in-the-microwave plotline that advertises "new features" to keep the gameplay spicy. 

So anyways folks, I apologize, this post turned about to be a whole lot longer than I thought, I just wanted to write a quick blurb about how ACR just didn't have that same charm that sucked me into ACI and ACII.  But maybe like I said I'm just being a little neurotic and over the top with my analysis.  What do you guys think, O wondrous and resourceful AC fandom and community?  Maybe I'm just a stick in the mud... http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif -End Rant and Tirade-

D.I.D.

12-30-2011, 04:53 PM

Very good points. 

It's possible an SP DLC will be a bit more "revelatory" (since if they made the main game cover too many things, the DLC wouldn't have much to say). 

I'm not sure even I believe that though.  My least favourite thing is the TWCB story, and I really hope they wrap up all of that in AC3 so it can be eliminated from the storyline.  It's a terrible bit of Stargate nonsense. 

Nomad86x

12-30-2011, 06:05 PM

That's what I'm hoping for too, some nice DLC to tie a bow on this episode and finish it a bit more efficiently, although it isn't too likely.  I don't mind the TWCB storyline as much, I think it's kind of intriguing.  Mostly how they use the ancient gods of various mythologies as the inspiration for /result of the existence of TWCB. 

Like the Father of Understanding, that would be interesting, if he were another of TWCB, only he was opposed to their efforts, and that's where the Templars had their distorted beginnings, or perhaps that there was a division between TWCB like the Assassin/Templar conflict.  Some believed that humanity should be commanded, the others felt it should be liberated.  But again, that was one of the "Revelations" I was expecting, outside of Lucy's fate (and the why), I really want to know who the "Father of Understanding" is.  A quick Google search gives us the name "Baphomet", a possible character, but I've been ruminating on who else in mythology that the FoU could be:

Prometheus - a "Titan" and the patron champion of mankind, who Zeus punished for giving "fire" to the mortals (Perhaps fire was in effect knowledge, or a tool, like a Piece of Eden). 

They are departing a bit from the legend and myth foundations of TWCB, the PoE, and other religious, biblical, mythological, and historical myths and stories that they unify in their story, hopefully they go back to the roots of the series - great combat, great gameplay, great presentation, compelling story. 

Toa TAK

12-30-2011, 06:13 PM

Reasons like these are pretty much the reason why the first two are my favorite in the series.  I hope ACIII will be more like the first two story-wise. 

Nomad86x

12-30-2011, 11:06 PM

Agreed, the first two had a much more compelling, enthralling, and yet very mysterious and unpredictable plot. ( Apart from performing the same rudimentary tasks prior to an assassination http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif ) Didn't really see the ending to ACI coming - Al Mualim or S16's cryptic messages.  I also liked Brotherhood's plot that pertained to Desmond & friends and the Piece of Eden, since it was like AC 2.5ish