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Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles DS
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 22
  3. Negative: 4 out of 22

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  1. TonyC.
    Feb 7, 2008
    7
    From what I understand, Altair's Chronicles is a prequel to the console Assassin's Creed game. I'd never know that, since I didn't play that title. My sole reason for picking up this game, though, was because I love playing action games of this sort on my DS. The premise for Altair's Chronicles sounded cool and the gameplay promised to be right up my alley. Before stopping to jot down this review, I took a look once more at IGN's number descriptions for reviews. I'm going to utilize their scoring system to convey my measure of this game. So, please keep in mind that, overall, I think Altair's Chronicles is a "decent" game. To say it's more than that would be inaccurate, so far as it pertains to my experience with the game. And my experience with the game was short-lived. Not because I didn't play through it in its entirety, but because the game is…well, quite short. That said, I'm an old-school gamer – I've plenty of experience throwing endless amounts of quarters into a machine for a mere five-minute burst of fun – so the length of Altair's Chronicles (AC) doesn't bother me. However, when compared to other AAA titles on the DS, AC doesn't try too hard to be good in any particular area, really. AC is kind of a mix of Tenchu-stealth action and old Prince of Persia side-scrolling. It executes neither all that well, but is still quite fun on the dual-screen. Much of the problem with the gameplay comes from the framerate – it's choppy and hinders movement of Altair (the character you play as). Also, the camera will often leave you fighting behind 3-D walls and other background elements and, during those moments, you can't really see what the heck you're doing. The game moves in a non-stop, straight-forward way, going from one checkpoint to another. The game auto-saves, so when you're ready to put the game down for a while you can quit and later come back to the last checkpoint you left off at. It's a decent system and quite forgiving in terms of repeating failed level segments. For the most part, a given level consists of making your way from point A to point B along rooftops – the stealth portion of the game's formula. If you get noticed by enemy guards, you must then stop to fight them off. The battle system is simple but satisfying. One combo (Y, Y, X-buttons) causes Altair to do two sword attacks and then a Matrix-style kick-back-flip attack, which looks really cool. Altair can also counter attacks and, if timed correctly, he'll then be able to perform a one-hit kill to downed / stunned enemies. However, the framerate, here too, causes the action to feel clumsy and lumbering; what could have been a more visceral experience tends to be rather button-mashy. Along various levels of the game, Altair will often need to retrieve an item or information from someone and that's where the mini games make their appearance(s). If Altair requires a key to move further along a level, he'll need to first find said key holder and proceed to do his pick-pocketing thing. At this point, Altair enters a mini game in which he must reveal the key's (or item) location within the person's pocket and then remove it – without bringing attention to his actions – before a timer runs out. It's simple, a little gimmicky, but still fun. The other mini game is the interrogation. Some folks just don't want to tell Altair what he needs to know in order to complete his assignment and, in these cases, Altair uses other means of persuasion. Here, you enter an Elite Beat Agents-style mini game in which small rings shrink and you must tap them when they meet a circled number; there's also a ball-sliding mechanism and that, too, is lifted right out of EBA. The interrogation mini game is not quite as entertaining as the pick-pocketing game because there's no music and no actual involvement with the character you're interrogating. Put the various elements of AC's gameplay together, however, and it makes for some decent fun on the DS. It's very rough around the edges, and seems to follow nothing but cookie-cutter gameplay elements the whole way through, but it's still a fun, albeit short, ride for fans of action / adventure. On the production end, AC is fairly successful. The menus have a "slick" appearance and the game walks the player through all the various mechanics along the way. The dialogue, too, is well-written and paints an interesting story. The graphics are somewhat of a mixed bag, however. As mentioned, the framerate is choppy and the character models are edgy. The backgrounds, though, have a nice aesthetic and the texture work is pretty attractive. Perhaps the game's nicest production feature, though, is its music. Somehow, the developers manage to convey some really nice eastern sounds and music through the little DS speakers. The stereo separation is utilized well and the instrumentation comes across crisp and clear. One noteworthy wart, however, pertains to the game's load times – they're long and there are lots of them. In sum, Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles is a "decent" game that should satisfy action / adventure fans. It's not Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword nor Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – for a truly great action / adventure title on the DS, you'll have to play either of those games. But Altair's Chronicles is entertaining for the very few hours it will take you to complete and it's got various levels of difficulty, which should make playing through it multiple times a viable option. However, my two-cents worth is to say that it's a good buy at a discount, but not worth a premium price. Let Ubisoft know – with your dollars – that second best isn't good enough. They're a big western developer now and they should be more than able to live up to higher expectations. As it stands, Altair's Chronicles weighs in more with the likes of something like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End than it does with top-shelf DS offerings. Decent – nothing more, nothing less. Thanks for reading and happy gaming, GD… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. TommyB.
    Feb 8, 2008
    6
    I was really enjoying this game until I was confronted by the annoying 'use' of the DSs touchpad. Some games can, and should, use the pad. In this case, it is a total pain. (* I am thinking especially of the 'Elite Beat Agents' arm lock which is pure rip off, including shrinking circles to be touched at the correct moment and a ball/slider effect. I hope they paid the developers for this blatant steal). It's a shame the developers felt the need to introduce this element because the graphics are solid, and the underlying game is decent.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. HenryC.
    Feb 8, 2008
    5
    It's not that the game is horrible, but it is horribly short. Graphics are great for a DS game, and you can definitely enjoy the platforming aspects. Combat is a little lacking, and there are simply not enough chances to really use your non-platforming abilities in game.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. TimE.
    Feb 8, 2008
    7
    This is a pretty nice looking DS title. The intro teases you with what looks to be a 3D world and then places you in a Diablo style play on a path. The path has multiple enemies and orbs which upgrade your character but the parts that really shine through are the touch screen elements. The interrogation minigame plays out similar to Elite Beat Agents with timing your touches to a circle getting smaller to a solid circle. My personal favorite is the Pickpocketing minigame where you have to clear the picture of the pouch and then guide the key out without touching anything else. All in all the game's story is solid, this being the prequel to the console version, but if you're expecting the full free roaming of the console version you will be disappointed.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. JeanS.
    Feb 8, 2008
    9
    Excellent DS iteration of the franchise. Had lots of fun with this game. It looks a little bit unpolished on some parts but overall it looks and plays very well.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. MatthisP.
    Feb 6, 2008
    10
    Sometimes you get tired of all that "Zelda"-like graphics, and all that "Mario"-like jumping after mushrooms... Yes, I confess, I can't play any more "Pokemons", and I can't spend two months trying to beat an endless sandbox-type game! That's where Assassin's Creed comes handy! It's what a platformer should always be, with decent challenges, more than enough play time, and an excellent atmosphere, seasoned by some very nice cutscenes and camera positions. But not all is pink and blue and flowers all around: the ending should have been a little different, and the story seems to have some gaps in it, and you have to read every text carefully to understand it... Well, I've enjoyed it, and I'll keep an eye open for other platformers, cause IMHO that's what the DS is all about!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. Altair'sChronicles
    Feb 6, 2008
    6
    Uses all d pad controls and almost no touch, combat is even worse than console version. Shame, could a been fun.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. BunnyR.
    Feb 14, 2008
    10
    This is a worthy prequel to AC. Altair’s Chronicles takes place earlier than on the other platforms AC is available for, it’s not the same game. All other versions (simply titled “Assassin’s Creed”) are the same game, and Altair’s Chronicles is the prequel to those games. This game has been built specifically for the DS, and the way it plays really showcases the DS and it’s abilities. Plus, it’s quite simply a damned fine game. Check ‘er out y’all.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. AlL.
    Feb 16, 2008
    10
    Nice. I expected some really bad port when I heard that AC would be coming to the DS. Instead, what we got was a separate game made just for us. We get some of the back-story for Altair and a better understanding of the world in which he lives. Any fan of the original game can enjoy this as a new experience, and anyone who hasn’t played the original will enjoy this too because it stands on it’s own and doesn’t rely on the other game to give you what you need to understand the game. Well done.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. KatB.
    Feb 16, 2008
    10
    Move over Prince. Because Altair is the King! I heard tell that there were a lot of similarities between this and the Prince of Persia series, and to a certain extent it’s true. But this game is more like a natural evolution instead of a mere copycat. AC takes the best part of the control scheme of PoP and makes good use of it, but the rest is pure AC. A wonderful, imaginative game that stands all on it’s own. Don’t be fooled, this is no PoP reject. This is wicked.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. ChrisL.
    Feb 9, 2008
    3
    huge let down dont be swayed by the big name an marketing of this game its utter rubbish trying to cash in on the success of its next gen big brother full price for a game that lasts 3-4 hrs in its campaign it pitiful at best if you do buy it , it will leave a bitter taste in your mouth knowing your cash could have been better spent on much much better DS games in the coming months Ninja Gaiden anyone?… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. Jessica
    Sep 9, 2008
    5
    After seeing the version for Xbox, I found this game seriously lacking. Not only is it lacking in the graphics department, it is lacking the detailed story, and I found it cumbersome to maneuver Altair. Again, this is a default with the DS, when you are forced to use the touch-screen sometimes it just didn't pick up your stylus.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  13. AndreP.
    Feb 15, 2008
    10
    This is an excellent DS title. I wonder if some of the complainers aren’t considering what OTHER DS games are like. The hardware has it’s limitations, but the game makes the very best use of the DS. Personally, I think this game is the bomb! Especially when compared to other games on the DS.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. TenderoniJ.
    Feb 16, 2008
    10
    Wow, kicks heiny! Are we allowed to say heiny in these reviews? I hope so because this game warrants the use of the word. Altair’s Chronicles is a fascinating game. You get some back story on Altair and get different missions than you get in the Xbox version. A great addition to the franchise, I hope there are 3 of these planned like the xbox version has coming.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. [Anonymous]
    Mar 13, 2008
    3
    Poor frame rates, button-mashingly simple combat, and silly, afterthought mini-games make this second-rate Prince of Persia easy to skip.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  16. DragoonWraith
    Jun 16, 2008
    3
    Horribly short, abysmal controls, choppy framerate, boring combat, stupid minigames, weak storyline, incredibly linear - this is just a terrible game. Jumping puzzles abound, but depth perception with these graphics is damn near impossible. Several locations where you have to repeatedly leap blindly hoping to grab some ledge that never looked like it was within reach (or repeatedly missing a ledge that looked very close). Controls were very poor, as well, greatly exacerbating the issue. Other than that, combat is hideously simple, and much like the console version, the combat AI of the the enemies is useless. Sadly, that's about all this game had in common with the console version. The poor controls did sometimes make battles difficult, because often Altair would do... not even remotely what you intended him to do. Multiple foes, in particular, were terrible - aiming for particular foes was nearly impossible. And while you were more or less indestructable and you could easily take on endless amounts of guards, it was very frustrating when you attempted to kill specific characters (such as the boss who is surrounded by your allies that attack you - the game lets you kill them without any comment, but I wanted to only kill the traitor - but it was nearly impossible to do). Rewards for progressing through the game are gimicky tricks that do little or nothing for you. Several rewards literally only open up the next area, never to be used. You can only use the crossbow in select locations designed for it (to be fair, combat would be even more stupidly easy if you could snipe everyone), the explosives and knives are generally worthless (except in those places where you NEED them... and they will always be provided for that purpose). The storyline was weak (and often did not make any sense in consideration of the storyline of the original), and the dialog was just awful. Abysmal, terrible, utterly lacking. And the dialog in the original was so good, too. Very sad. All in all, it was awful. Terrible, very sad, too, because the console version was very good. Had its flaws, but this game is full of them. In fact, the only impressive thing about the game is how much mediocrity they managed to stuff into such an incredibly short title.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
58 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 30
  3. Negative: 8 out of 30
  1. IGN
    70
    It's not very long (probably about three hours give or take), and by the time you earn all the cool Assassin abilities, there aren't a whole lot of opportunities to use them...Even with the issues, I had a good time playing through Assassin's Creed multiple times.
    Read full review
  2. Cheat Code Central
    68
    An average handheld experience. It has about eight hours of gameplay that is very conducive to the pick-up-and-play experience. Most mobile gamers looking for a portable experience will probably enjoy the fun hack n' slash gameplay along with the fun mini-games. But as a fan of the original console version, I just feel that this game lacked a little of the prowess of its predecessor.
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  3. GameShark
    58
    It's definitely worth a rental; especially if you have enjoyed the original game as it tells the story of how the characters got to that point, and frustrations and limitations aside, the time spent playing the game is enjoyable – it's just over way too soon.
    Read full review
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