(Tip) Dos and Don’ts of Assassin’s Creed: Unity

Ubisoft quickly followed up it’s release one year ago of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag with Unity, another installment of the series that reinvents how gamers control a historically influential assassin. The turnaround time between titles did not limit the new features added. Here is a guide explaining how to navigate France with the new added abilities.

Do: Get use to the last known location feature

Use the A.I. against itself. Plan the route to use in the mission before navigating throughout the map. If you are likely to get caught, or do get noticed, the silhouette is a good indicator for where to change direction or hide. This turns the intention of stealthy defense in to a counterattack offense.

Do not: Play through side missions as pre-assassin Arno

Although it may seem wise to earn money by doing side missions, the activities are harder without the abilities and agility of post-assassin Arno. This is especially noticeable to those who have played previous titles. Not only will the side missions be more enjoyable when dawning the assassin’s suit, but experience and creed points can also be collected in addition to money.

Do: Go vertical

Open rooms and windows are not an added feature to Unity that appears sparingly. The only escape or chase route is no longer limited to ledges, rooftops, streets, and hiding spots. Crawling through open windows helps activate the last known location feature and shortens the time needed to cross a building. Open rooms also offer opportunities to reach the objective in a stealthy way.

Do not: Go parallel

Unity takes place roughly 60 years after Black Flag. During that time, advancements have taken place in warfare that make guns more reliable and common. Not only will riflemen take positions in rooftops and balconies across France, but sword-wielding guards will also carry pistols.

Evading guards in a straight line will likely result in lining up in their crosshairs. The chance to get shot will also increase with the amount of enemies Arno alerts at one time, and they will not wait for close quarters combat to end before shooting (sometimes from multiple shooters).

Do: Be honest with yourself

Previous Assassin’s Creed titles have focused on different styles of play including combo attacking, gadget use, and stealth. Unity caters to the gamer instead of the features. Combined with a vast and dynamic map, this leaves every opportunity for players to tailor Arno to their style. Gamers who prefer battling opponents should utilize the revamped customization to focus outfits that increase health and heavy weapons, while those who prefer sneaking around should stick to lighter weapons and stealthy outfits.

Do not: Assume the controls are the same

While the character’s movement in the Assassin’s Creed series is smooth and liberating, ideas Ubisoft stayed with in Unity, the few controls they added add detail to motion without impeding  navigation. Learning to use the L2 or left trigger on console versions will streamline crawling through windows and using the cover option when passing undetected in small areas. Practicing different variations of drops could also mean the difference between evasion or death in a game where strategy in important.

The common denominator between new controls is the momentum-based physics incorporated into Unity. If players do not build up enough momentum, they will not have enough power to make the jumps necessary to move. Without knowing how to correctly sustain momentum, enemies could regain the distance lost to Arno during a chase.