Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India Reviews
Check out Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 13 reviews on CriticDB, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India has a score of:
With ‘franchise fatigue’ beginning to take its toll on the long-running series, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India returns to the side-scrolling adventures as seen prior in the last Chronicles instalment, China. Being the first Assassin’s Creed game I’ve jumped into since Revelations (long time, I know!) I wasn’t sure what to expect, diving into this episode. But is this the game to bring the series out of monotony, or does it fall as flat as a Templar thrown off a rooftop?<img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="22937" data-permalink="https://press-start.com.au/reviews/2016/01/12/assassins-creed-chronicles-india-review/attachment/acstory/" data-orig-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY.jpg" data-orig-size="2000,160" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="ACSTORY" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY-300x24.jpg" data-large-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY-600x48.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-22937 aligncenter" src="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY.jpg" alt="ACSTORY" width="2000" height="160" srcset="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY.jpg 2000w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY-300x24.jpg 300w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ACSTORY-600x48.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Playing as Arbaaz Mir, an assassin in India, it is your goal to track down the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a Piece of Eden held by the Templars. In the midst of tensions between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company, Arbaaz must fight the Templar Order and protect those valuable to him, including his mentor Hamid, and his secret lover, Princess Pyara Kaur.<img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="22932" data-permalink="https://press-start.com.au/reviews/2016/01/12/assassins-creed-chronicles-india-review/attachment/ac-presentation-3/" data-orig-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION.jpg" data-orig-size="2000,160" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="AC PRESENTATION" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION-300x24.jpg" data-large-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION-600x48.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-22932 aligncenter" src="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION.jpg" alt="AC PRESENTATION" width="2000" height="160" srcset="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION.jpg 2000w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION-300x24.jpg 300w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-PRESENTATION-600x48.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Unlike the main series, Chronicles is presented as a 2.5D side-scroller; characters and environments are rendered in 3D, but the POV is from the side. This makes the game very different from the main franchise, while still maintaining the AC ‘feel’. Transitioning between foreground and background areas is also included, adding an extra sense of depth to the world, and giving the player more to explore than just left and right. Objective points, item locations and hiding spots are illuminated in the game to make it easier for the player, as are the lines of sight of the enemies, allowing the aspect of stealth to still be a big part of the game.<img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="22933" data-permalink="https://press-start.com.au/reviews/2016/01/12/assassins-creed-chronicles-india-review/attachment/ac1/" data-orig-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1.jpg" data-orig-size="1500,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="AC1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1-300x80.jpg" data-large-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1-600x160.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-22933 aligncenter" src="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1.jpg" alt="AC1" width="1500" height="400" srcset="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1.jpg 1500w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1-300x80.jpg 300w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC1-600x160.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" />The world of the game itself is vividly painted in orange and red hues, reflecting the game being set in India. The cutscenes also show this, being fluid watercolour-esque images rather than computer generated, with the addition of patterns also reminiscent of the Indian style. The enemies speak in the native tongue, and the music also has an Indian flair, really capturing the essence of the game’s local theme.<img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="22931" data-permalink="https://press-start.com.au/reviews/2016/01/12/assassins-creed-chronicles-india-review/attachment/ac-gameplay-3/" data-orig-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY.jpg" data-orig-size="2000,160" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="AC GAMEPLAY" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY-300x24.jpg" data-large-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY-600x48.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-22931 aligncenter" src="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY.jpg" alt="AC GAMEPLAY" width="2000" height="160" srcset="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY.jpg 2000w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY-300x24.jpg 300w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-GAMEPLAY-600x48.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />When I first started playing this game, my initial thoughts harked back to a simpler time, namely the original ‘Prince of Persia’ (That is, the 1989 PC game, for those of you playing at home). The basic running/jumping/climbing aspects are there, coupled with grapples and slides that feel quite fluid in motion. Stealth is, of course, a large part of the game too, but is also quite fun and a lot easier with the fact that the lines of sight from enemies are onscreen visually for players to see. All of Arbaaz’s secondary items are tactical rather than weaponized, and mostly used for distraction or cover during missions, including smoke bombs and noise bombs. Needless to say, combat itself is also very simple and easy to master, with blocking, quick attacks and heavy slashes making it more of a dance than a fight.<img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="22934" data-permalink="https://press-start.com.au/reviews/2016/01/12/assassins-creed-chronicles-india-review/attachment/ac2-2/" data-orig-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2.jpg" data-orig-size="1500,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="AC2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2-300x80.jpg" data-large-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2-600x160.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-22934 aligncenter" src="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2.jpg" alt="AC2" width="1500" height="400" srcset="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2.jpg 1500w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2-300x80.jpg 300w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC2-600x160.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" />The biggest issue the game has is the fact that while it feels relatively fun, there is a lot of repetition. Each level follows a very basic principle of “objective, side objective, bonus task” that becomes very bland once it’s been done more than two missions in a row. Add to this the fact that while the gameplay itself is fun, the controls are quite fiddly; the amount of times I went for a takedown and instead started slicing someone with my sword while they alerted others made me frustrated and had me restarting the level again.<img decoding="async" data-attachment-id="22930" data-permalink="https://press-start.com.au/reviews/2016/01/12/assassins-creed-chronicles-india-review/attachment/ac-conclusion-3/" data-orig-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION.jpg" data-orig-size="2000,160" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="AC CONCLUSION" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION-300x24.jpg" data-large-file="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION-600x48.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-22930 aligncenter" src="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION.jpg" alt="AC CONCLUSION" width="2000" height="160" srcset="https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION.jpg 2000w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION-300x24.jpg 300w, https://press-start.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AC-CONCLUSION-600x48.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />If this game was itself an Assassin going for a ‘leap of faith’, I can’t help but feel it’d only JUST be landing in the hay cart, maybe breaking an arm or a leg on the way down. At it’s core, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a simple-enough fun game that will keep players entertained for a little while, but ultimately it just doesn’t fulfill the potential it shows, nor does it wash out the bad taste that successive years of Assassin’s Creed games has left in our mouths.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles India is a bland instalment to an otherwise OK series. The inclusion of bad performance, mediocre controls and lackluster graphics certainly doesn't help.
In terms of 2.5D stealth games, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India may not live up to recent titles like Stealth Inc., but the game definitely offers enough challenging puzzles to be worth the $9.99 price tag. Dedicated fans of the Assassin's Creed franchise will get more out of the title thanks to the lore, but it's worth a play-through for anyone who likes to solve a good stealth puzzle.
While there are transient moments where its elements come together, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India's lack of compelling story and cumbersome controls get in the way of a good time.
As a departure from the typical Assassin's Creed series, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India is as colourful as they get. Unfortunately, the controls and limited story fail to really deliver a compelling gameplay experience.
In terms of presentation, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India remedies the stiff sense of joylessness that pervades Chronicles: China by injecting more color and personality wherever it seemed possible. That renewed energy only makes it more disappointing that the generally well-designed missions have given way to the artifice of cheap-feeling instant deaths. While the gameplay foundation here is still competent, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India just finds too many petty, annoying ways to keep me from truly enjoying it.
The middle chapter of the Chronicles trilogy improves the formula, but doesn’t perfect it.
If you liked Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, then there's a decent chance that you'll have a good time in India, in spite of the problems outlined above. There's enjoyment to be had, but the main worry is that almost everything new that has been thrown in is flawed to the point of not being a worthy addition. With the Russian entry just around the corner, we're hoping that this is a missed step in the journey, rather than an inevitable and unalterable course.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India isn’t a whole lot different compared to China, which is either a good or a bad thing depending on your prior experience. It sports a slightly less interesting character and setting, but the core experience is replicated, and the addition of a few gameplay tweaks as well as the aforementioned challenge mode ensures that it’s on the level.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China was a promising (albeit rough) game that borrowed liberally from Klei Entertainment’s Mark of the Ninja to create the foundation for a trilogy of 2.5D stealth games set in various historical periods. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is the second installment, but it squanders its potential thanks to frustratingly sparse stealth gameplay, dull story, and a lack of polish.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a stealth game with Assassin’s Creed adornment. Its story barely invites you to understand more about Arbaaz Mir and Climax Studios completely fails at telling one, but if you are desperate for a stealth game, you will be challenged and fairly compensated for your time and money.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is the second in a trilogy of spin-off 2.5D stealth action platformers from Ubisoft, following last year’s flawed but enjoyable ACC: China. Remixing the original’s core gameplay and adding a handful of new features, it’s a better game than its predecessor. But only just. Let me explain why.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a decent game though I think China was the better outing, mainly due to the story. India’s plot just seems to limp along without a truly satisfying ending, whereas China’s had a lot more emotional investment within, though it was still quite shallow too. Either way, ACC: India manages to keep the stealth gameplay fun, while the open combat still leaves room for improvement. If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed then it will suit you, though perhaps you’d be better off waiting for the collection. ACC: India can be completed within a day or two, so if you’re looking for something to fill the time there are worse things.