Full Review of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Grand theft carriage

It is a known fact that Victorian Britain's aristocrats, parliament members, and the richest people belonged to certain Masonic lodges. Free Masons always posed as the legit heirs to the cultural legacy of the medieval order of the Knights Templar. And whenever you hear the word "Templar", you know - Assassins are somewhere near.

Graphics: 5

Rarely can you see such a carefully created setting, assembled piece by piece, like an intricate mosaic, into one big work of art that recreates Victorian London. I'm not sure whether humanity discovers the secret to time-traveling, but I'm adamant that Assassin's Creed series is the closest thing to it we have.

Either you ramble down the narrow, filthy slums, crowded with drunks, beggars, and harlots or climb up the good ole Big Ben to observe the British Empire's majestic capital - you can't help but notice a tremendous work with details. And the overall stunning quality of the open world.

NPCs courteously greeting you with the archaic British accent as you pass by and historically accurate decorations (especially Westminster) make you a hostage to the charming atmosphere.
The population of Syndicate's London is not so huge as in Unity's Paris. But the models that include factory workers, Oliver Twist-like pickpockets, and constables look irresistible and tempt you to say: "Get o' the way, ye, baboon" with a cockney accent.

Gameplay: 5

As in every A.C. game you're supposed to:

• Still thingies.
• Kill baddies.
• Take over locations.
• Do a lot of stealth.
• Meet historical figures.

And Syndicate does have all of those components. Only this time the traditional recipe has a couple of new flavors.

Fir of all there are 2 protagonists:

• Evie - a sneaky lass, relentlessly serving the ideas of the assassins' brotherhood. Great at stealth and hiding in shadows.
• Jacob - her a bit reckless and humorous brother who reminds at times a cocky chav. An excellent close-quarters fighter.

Unfortunately, you can't switch the characters while on a mission. Their mission is to liberate the city of London from the domination of Templars, who run things through the proxy-gang called Blighters and keep poor and weak oppressed 24/7.

To fulfill that task you can:

• Use the grappling-gun - allows you to travel through the city much faster.
• Steal carriages - a substitute for cars.
• Unlock special abilities - Evie and Jacob have similar talent trees, but limited XP points.
• Establish your own gang "Rooks".
• Eliminate child labor.
• Do side-quests.

Historic personas include Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Benjamin Disraeli and so on. The Dickens missions will certainly make you say: "What the dickens?!", since their bizarre objectives may bring a cognitive dissonance. That respectable gentleman will ask you to accompany him on investigating haunted houses, hunting cult members, hypnotists etc. Gang fights are a bit repetitive though, but hey at least some boredom is inescapable.

Controls: 4

Controls are surprisingly less treacherous than in previous A.C. titles. But again your auto-assist sometimes follows its own obscure logic, and instead of sprinting/performing a parkour stunt, you may end up clinging to a wall, etc.

Replay Value: 5

Syndicate definitely has that X-factor that makes you want you to return to it later. Even the simple free-roam is enjoyable: walking down the streets, stabbing a couple of thugs, smashing the street lights... Ah, a true gentleman's sport.

Conclusion

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate deserves a place in your collection. Stunning visuals, enormous open world, disarming atmosphere, first-class humor with a slight air of mysticism make a glorious banquet for every assassin to join.