“If you could kill a few to spare a thousand, would you?”

This is age-old question of ethics vs. morality is the cornerstone of Ubisoft’s latest triumph, Assassin’s Creed.

MICHAEL SHEAR

Now, in the past I’ve been known to give away major plot points in favor of giving a better, more flavorful review.

That ain’t about to change, so if you’re the type to piss and moan about not being able to discover and rape every piece of minutiae concerning the title, Columbus-style, you might want to stop reading now.

Still with me? I thought so.

Assassin’s Creed has you essentially playing two roles, one of inaction and observation (as Mr. Miles) and one of pure, violent excitement (as Altair, the assassin).

“So what manner of Fight-Club-meets-Aladdin business is this,” you ask? Simple, the big, secret iggy is that you are Mr. Miles, and modern-day zealots are hacking your DNA to discover what your role your ancestor played in nine historical executions.

The interface is a Matrix-ish VR construct that allows you to reenter Altair’s well-worn boots and experience his history firsthand.

The interesting thing in this story is that the storyline is basically historically accurate: nine key figures vanished into the murky backdrop of the third crusade. The nine “disappearances” were spread through three major cities: Jerusalem, Damascus and Acre.

Speaking of the cities, each one is full-sized, with an abundance of NPC’s, dazzling architecture and realistic interactions. Add to this the technology of the VR system, and you’re graced with a HUD, extra-sensory abilities and a general sense of invincibility (or, at least, the ability to constantly respawn in a realistic fashion).In any case, the storyline finally manages to integrate the technological HUD in a wholly realistic way, so it doesn’t seem hokey or tacked on (a la Grand Theft Auto).

Of course, a game featuring a minimap/radar resplendent with location points cannot be discussed without a comparison to Rockstar’s prodigy. True to form, missions show up on the HUD as icons, so there’s a definite sense of déjà vu. But Ubisoft deftly explains this as well.

When you first enter a city, you’ll have to climb the highest points in each city to get a sense of the topographical landscape. Think of it as setting up cellphone towers: once they’re all “activated,” you become plugged in to every little event in the giant city. See a marker with a mouth on it? There’s someone worth eavesdropping on. See a target reticule? Someone’s being abused by the local constabulary. Kill their attackers, and you’ll develop a fanbase. Do it in front of a crowd, and they’ll turn into vigilantes—people who will physically detain the coppers, allowing you to kill ‘em with a cheap shot, or get away scot-free.Again, much like GTA, acting out will result in a harrowing pursuit by the Arabic Keystone Kops, so you’ll eventually have to dive into a hay pile (or roof garden) undetected. Hang out for a few seconds, and your alert is silenced.

So how do you NOT act out? Easy. Normal movement and face buttons are “Low Profile” mode, where you walk at a measured pace and slip among the commoners as a faceless stranger. Whilst in this mode, you can gently move people aside, “blend” into a crowd of hood-clad scholars and generally lurk about. “High Profile” mode is accomplished by holding down the R trigger. While in “HP” mode, pressing the A button results in environmental interaction (running up walls, ledge-jumping, perching, etc).. But by far the coolest feature of the L-trigger-A-button-combo is the “Leap of Faith”—basically, after completing a tower synchronization, you have the option to take a grant, sweeping dive down (at least 12 stories) into a cushy bale of hay. The visual is indescribable; the closest I can come is likening it to cliff diving. That microsecond when you’re completely airborne, and the world seems to halt and your vision narrows to a literal tube, and all you can muster is an “oooooooOOOOOOOOOOHH SHIT!” Oh yes. Every damn time I take a “leap of faith,” I still get an adrenaline jolt.

So is it perfect? No. For all of its beauty, there’s one potentially glaring issue: repetition. Each mission is basically the same: survey the area (via synchronization), learn about the target (through intimidating and/or eavesdropping on key witnesses). Lastly, once given the green light, you must kill your target and escape without a police escort. I, for one, can appreciated the repetition and prep that goes into each kill…but others may balk at the textbook approach to assassination.Sound-wise, Assassin’s Creed is spiffy save for one thing: goddamn Altair. If you’ve ever seen Dangerous Liaisons, you’ll know what I mean: the cast is stocked with dazzling, Shakespearean actors and actresses…as well as Keanu Reeves. Y’see, everyone else manages to kick out a dazzling British accent…everyone except for surfer boy. That’s basically my beef with Altair’s voice: all of the other characters have geographically-accurate accents…but Altair still sounds like a dark-match Punisher. Nae good, as the Scots would say. Other than that, aurally the game shines. Music is conditional (when its there, at all) and really only kicks in during chase scenes, ratcheting up the tension. Well done there.

All in all, Assassin’s Creed is thoroughly enjoyable, and hands-down one of the best-looking games to date on the system. Unless you’re a real crybaby about the game’s preparation repetition, you’ll most likely find a lot to love under Altair’s hood.