Our Assassin's Creed Revelations review says an "abundance of recycled gameplay sours what is otherwise an entertaining, imaginative and memorable end to Ezio's story".
The verdict praises the game for having "two huge cities to explore", "an engaging story full of twists and surprises" and "three very different playable characters" before giving it a score of 8.5/10.
As always we've corralled together all the reviews we've been able to put our eyes on and stuck them in a handy list below. If you're an Assassin's Creed fan picking up Revelations is a no-brainer, if you're still on the fence have a look at these...
OXM UK: 8/10 - It's just as well this is Ezio's final hour, because enjoyable as the game undoubtedly is, the base mechanics were showing their age in Assassin's Creed 2. Recommended, then, providing you're not expecting a massive overhaul.
Edge: 7/10 - Unlike the elegant lead, who's grey-haired but unbowed by the end of the adventure, Assassin's Creed has been quietly compromised by age.
GamesTM: 8/10 - Assassin's Creed Revelations, then, is a pick-and-mix of successes and failures. At its core, though, it's just as accomplished a game as Brotherhood before it. All that's required is to dig below the surface layer of frivolous pseudo-innovations to discover yet another classic Creed, and a top quality conclusion to an excellent story arc.
IGN: 8.5/10 - This is the best Assassin's Creed yet, even if that victory is claimed by an inch and not a mile. If you've been following the lives of Altair and Ezio this long, you owe it to yourself to see their last adventure.
GameSpot: 8/10 - Ezio and Altair make graceful exits in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, another great historical adventure.
VideoGamer: 7/10 - As much as I've enjoyed spending three games with one of gaming's most charismatic leads, perhaps it is time he - and Ubisoft - moved on.
Joystiq: 4/5 - While it's always good to see iterative improvements, some bold new territory would have been a real revelation for the series. Instead, Revelations does almost everything its predecessors have done slightly better. Which, as it turns out, is enough just one more time.
Destructoid: 7.5/10 - As much as Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a testament to the inevitable cost of trying to milk your franchise too much, too fast, it is still a fun game that gives you the single-player gameplay you've come to know and love, but sadly offers little more on that front.
1UP: B+ - As solid the gameplay refinements are, this is a less daring entry than its revolutionary predecessors.
Eurogamer: 7/10 - If only the single-player game, which struggles to build momentum, were so well-considered. It's still fairly entertaining amid all its missteps, as the heart of Assassin's Creed perseveres to a degree. The disappointment is that Ubisoft is enamoured with its own glitter here, cramming Revelations so full of unnecessary adornments that there's not as much room for players to bring their own ingenuity and sense of adventure to the table.
Comments
17 comments so far...
kirankara on 14 Nov '11 said:
not a series Ive ever bothered , although i recently picked up ac2 with some game points from buying my 360 slim after my elite died, but it looks like its reached its peak and is on way down. Time to call it a day for a bit with this series Ubisoft before you destroy it.
bennyt on 14 Nov '11 said:
Wow, a mixed bag then. I have yet to pick up brotherhood, but i may while i wait for a price drop for this.
Like the first guy said and what these reviews seem to be suggesting, the series is starting to lose its flavour and the 'm' word springs to mind.
No doubt Revelations will be great, but i'm sure that the AC next year, fingers crossed its AC3 and hopefully in China, will be the last hurrah, similar to bungie's Reach.
mogel94 on 14 Nov '11 said:
I stoped playing BroHo mainly because it was too much like AC2, so i'll probably pass if this is more of the same.
potnoodle1 on 14 Nov '11 said:
Fair reviews I'd say since the game doesn't really bring anything new to the table. I'm still looking forward to picking it up however and continuing the narrative. That's really all I want.
RoKuShaKuBoJutSu on 14 Nov '11 said:
I REALLY don't understand all the reviewers and gamers moaning that it's "more of the same". Each and every AC game has built on the game before it. AC2 did so on AC, Brotherhood added onto AC2 (Assassins guild, crossbow, the villa, executioner strike) and AC:R adds more, the hook blade for movement and combat, all sorts of bombs, base defense and 3D. I have just about lost all respect of the game journalism side of gaming. SO MANY games out there throw out shameless rehashes. AC:R is no such game imo. What should they have changed? If it ain't broke don't fix it??
BruceFace on 14 Nov '11 said:
It strikes me as odd too... Did MW3 lose marks for being the same as before?
Destructoid: 7.5/10 - As much as Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a testament to the inevitable cost of trying to milk your franchise too much, too fast.
When they gave MW3 a 9.5.
It is just odd.
dazmeister on 14 Nov '11 said:
After AC2 should of came AC3. Ubisoft is just milking the hell out of this franchise and it's getting stale. AC1 was good but repetitive, AC2 was a big step forward and a brilliant game, after that Ubisoft probably thought: "Wait a second here, look how much this franchise is selling, lets see if we can stupidly stretch the story out to fill another two games (AC 2.1(Brotherhood + AC 2.2(Revelations)! Great Idea!
I highly dislike that Ubisoft did this, cos they are a great company, but starting a annual release of AC is just taking the p**s. Even more so than COD, because COD is just blowing s**t up, there is barely a whiff of story involved. AC is very storydriven and the fact that Ubisoft is just adding more and more to the Ezio character is to me just laziness and greed, rather than making a new protaginist and concluding the main plot for AC3. Until that game comes out, Ubisoft can suck it.
mogel94 on 14 Nov '11 said:
I'm pretty sure AC3 comes out next year, Ubi have said another is out next year so it better be 3. If it is another spin off though Imma gonna have to join ya in making them suck it.
kirankara on 14 Nov '11 said:
It is kinda disgusting that certain games seem immune to criticisms . I personally wouldn't have given gears 3, mw3 , any more than 8/10 on principle.all very good games, which hardcore fans of series will no doubt lap up, but they've all logically gone.a far as series can go
STE MO on 14 Nov '11 said:
So a ten year old game with improved graphics gets a better score then the new AC
what is the world coming to. I have been really impressed with the last 2 AC's and in a few months I'll get it but the ten year old game gets the nod from me. Roll on mr postman 
potnoodle1 on 14 Nov '11 said:
Reviews at the end of the day are just one persons opinion, take them with a generous amount of salt. You should know yourselves whether or not you're going to enjoy this game based on the last two if anything else, does it really matter what it scores? Anyway, what the hell is wrong with an 8/10!? That's a way above average game in my estimation.
KMakawa on 14 Nov '11 said:
Ubisoft didnt pay them enough to get a good review. All in all, I don't give a crap what reviewers or anyone else thinks of this series. So long as I enjoy it, and am a keen gamer of Assassins Creed -- and so long as it continues to impress me ingame - ill continue to get it.
Long live Assassins Creed. (A yearly franchise, done good.)
MattyR95 on 14 Nov '11 said:
I have noticed that a lot of reviewers seem to have double standards with COD and AC, s'all i'm sayin'.
But I hope ubisoft take these reviews to heart and leave AC3 (or whatever it will be) for a while. I love the AC games for their stories but the gameplay is too easy and you feel like you've 'been there, done that'.
FlimFlam on 15 Nov '11 said:
I think the differences between the two are in respect of the total package perhaps. Both games retain their core mechanics, but MW3 may have more to offer in terms game modes, value for money etc. perhaps at the end of the day Activision have been marginally less lazy that Ubisoft, or maybe an FPS lends itself better to being recycled, I don't know. Personally I care little for CoD these days due to the aforementioned recycled feel of the game, and it's a shame AC has gone the same way... a sad indictment of where this generation, and the industry, is now.
I still haven't played Brotherhood for the very reason that I didn't want to OD on AC and grow tired of it, it's still on my shelf after picking it up for under a tenner on eBay. Think I'll take the same tact with this one. Please Ubi, give the franchise a breather... It's a top quality game and story and it would benefit from not being drained in a yearly basis.
The Bossman on 15 Nov '11 said:
I now have all AC games after my collectors ed of AC Rev arrived which includes the original game on disc, just installing it now to my PS3, over 7200 megabytes so it's big. I love the series, there are things it gets wrong, I know that, the gameplay hasn't changed an awful lot but like COD it's about refinement. I don't really agree with that, but when the gameplay is as fun as it is, I'm more than happy with the series, but it does need a new engine soon.
I wanted to say the collectors edition is really well put together, and I got it for under £40 which is a bargain. Artbook, soundtrack, original game and DLC, in a package that slides open cleverly. Must cost about £5 to make each copy of these editions, very expensive.
Imaduck on 15 Nov '11 said:
1 - Brilliant, few rough edges
2 - Fantastic , few rough edges
Brotherhood - mediocre DLC thing
Brotherhood kind of put me off.
nicky23s on 30 Jan '12 said:
good review i love assassin's creed it is a brilliant game and can't wait for the next game 2 come out do u know the release date of the new game that is out this year by any chance