Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India
Overview -
'Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India' is the second entry in Ubisoft's 'Assassin’s Creed' spinoff series, following 'China' from last April. It is set in 19th-century India and continues the story of Shao Jun’s mysterious Precursor artifact, now pursued by the Assassin Arbaaz Mir. 'India' is to be closely followed by another 'Chronicles' game, set in Russia.
Video Review
'Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India' has a lovely visual theme. It has a bright, hand-painted look, with colorful flourishes reminiscent of thangkas or mandalas. The environments are the best part, with the character models and some other textures coming up a bit short. Controls can be a bit iffy, especially when jumping. This game uses the 2.5D effect more commonly than 'China' did, and adds more in-engine cutscenes. The story cutscenes are done using static storyboards akin to a comic with little animation, and are also pretty.
Audio Review
The game’s music is well done and has a distinctly colonial Indian character. Sound effects are rich and diverse, from the grumpy growls of awakened tigers to the thick reports of the highland muskets. Voice acting is weaker and guard conversations are repetitive, but Arbaaz is done well.
Final Thoughts
'Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India' takes a step back from the modest success of 'China'. The narrative adds little to the overall 'Assassin’s Creed' storyline, most of the characters are thin, and the gameplay is inexplicably disheartening. Perhaps Ubisoft can eke out a victory with the Russian installment next month, but this entry isn’t worth the price of admission.
