February 16, 2022: only Assassin’s Creed II was available to press prior to release. I haven’t yet been able to play Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood or Revelations as part of the Ezio Collection. Here are some thoughts on ACII only – a full review will follow.
There’s a specific magic to playing open-world videogames on a handheld. Even if you’re just sitting on the couch, the freedom of a different world in the palm of your hand is something special. I think that it’s key to the success of the Nintendo Switch. Not just launching with one of the best open-world games in recent memory, but also having a steady flow of new worlds to explore, as well as the old, familiar worlds to go back to.
When I played Assassin’s Creed III on the Switch, I completed everything. I got every last collectable. That’s ridiculous for two reasons: not only does it take ages to get all those collectables, but ACIII is also not very good. But with the ease of access to this world, the mindless collectathon that is most AC games is actually more enjoyable. I found a new love for a not-great game on Switch because of the console itself. And these games need to be reviewed with that in mind.
This happened again with the Rebel collection, which features Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (a great game) and Assassin’s Creed Rogue (a better game than people say), both games which thrive on Switch. Sailing through endless seas is a wondrous experience on a portable. It’s just so exciting. It’s the stuff I got excited about as a kid. It’s why I picked up a PSP and GTA Liberty City Stories when I was still a pre-teen. It’s something I always wanted, but could never quite have. Now I do have it, and I couldn’t be happier. But has the gimmick worn off? Does that magic raise the Ezio collection to new heights? Do three of the most beloved AC games hold up?
