Every day is the "End of the Week"

     I was granted the opportunity to play the Assassin's Creed Revelations beta that was released on the Playstation Network but a few days ago. Simply said, I am a HUGE fan of Assassin's Creed, so the fact that I get to play part of the next game early was perhaps one of the top moments of this week for me.


     Obviously, since this is a beta, there will be glitches (hell, it's an AC game, there HAS to be some glitches). The beta starts you off by picking your profile picture for the game. Since you're just starting out, you only have two pictures from which to choose. Once your initial setup is complete, you are thrown into the introductory session, where you are taught just how to play the basic modes of this multiplayer experience. An Abstergo agent gladly tells you just how to assassinate your target or avoid your pursuers. If you want to get to the real multiplayer, make sure you do everything right. It will take a few seconds to reset your target(s).


     In actual multiplayer, your HUD is given a small (but not 100% accurate) radar ring, which will tell you the general vicinity of your target, as well as how close they are, whether they're on the same elevation as you, and if they are able to see you from where you're standing (this is especially useful if you're trying to get the big-bonus kills). This system has not changed from Brotherhood, though it's understandable (it worked well last time, why change it?). Also like Brotherhood, there is an experience system that is utilized with the points you receive in the games you play. As you level up, you unlock abilities, characters, and other fun materials to mess with.



      The first multiplayer mode I chose to play was the one I loved in Brotherhood - Manhunt Mode. In this mode, there are two teams of players, and two rounds are played. In the first, one team will be the Pursuers, and the others will be the Targets. Pursuers have to aim to kill the targets without being seen, and gain points in doing so. Targets gain points by stunning their Pursuers, hiding within crowds and obstacles, and protecting their allies. If a Pursuer is stunned by a Target, a fellow Pursuer can revive their ally for an extra point bonus.


     My experience with Manhunt was about as good as Brotherhood's, in that I was able to get a few good kills while being a Pursuer, and I managed to revive an ally or two. Unfortunately, I couldn't prevent the many stuns I received (though the Targets stunning one of my allies allowed me to get the kill on them). While being a Target, I resorted to my basic strategy - rooftop running and haybale hiding. I managed to find an ally and hid with him for extra points. I attempted to stun someone, but due to their priority in the chain, they were able to kill me, and received additional points for giving me an "honorable death." Overall, I feel it has greatly improved, with minor new mechanics brought into the gameplay, and intriguing methods to get points. Of course, being able to stun someone at anytime is also a good thing (one was only able to stun if the pursuer was nearby, a mechanic that would be flawed when the pursuer got too close and was able to kill without resistance).



     The next type of game I tried out was Easy Deathmatch, a Free For All mode in which players similarly attack targets and avoid pursuers, but without taking turns. Within a 10-minute round, 4-8 players are set loose in a small map to strike their foes while remaining in the shadows. You are not given any abilities, a compass, or Chase sequences (where a target is running from you and your presence is known to all), seeing as there are no civilians to mix up with your targets.


      Unfortunately, Easy Deathmatch wasn't as easy to find a session for as Manhunt was. Whereas in Manhunt, a match popped up in less than 2 minutes, Easy Deathmatch returned no results after multiple matchmaking searches. No doubt that this might not be the most popular game mode.


      So, with sadness in my heart (I've been wanting to do Easy Deathmatch for a while), I decide to test with Easy Deathmatch's counterpart - Deathmatch. Deathmatch works exactly like Easy Deathmatch, but players are given full use of their abilities. So while searching for a room, I told myself, "If this one is more easily filled than Easy Deathmatch, it'll be obvious why, the abilities must be where their skill comes from! ...Or Easy Deathmatch is just boring without the abilities. Who knows?"



     Lo and behold, I obtained players for Regular Deathmatch in less than 2 minutes. Goodie. As soon as I entered, I chose the Thespian skin, from personal preference. All you are given is an image of your target's character, and a ring around them that glows if you're within their line of sight. As you walk closer and around in their site, their awareness increases and you soon become more obvious. Seeing as I was still level 1, I was stuck with the default ability set.


      I can see now why people liked the abilities in Deathmatch, though. It creates variety in the game's passage. I was stopped in my tracks due to my target's Smoke Bomb ability, so I was frozen for about 5-10 seconds. Unfortunately for my Target, they didn't stun me or run away, so as I got over the Smoke Bomb effects, I was able to still get an assassination, complete with the Silent bonus (an additional 200 points). I managed to get killed many, many times, but overall I got 4th place out of 8 players. Not too shabby for my first Deathmatch game. If you plan on playing the Multiplayer in Revelations, Deathmatch would have to be a must-try.


      Before I could join the next mode, I was booted from the Ubisoft server, with an Error saying that the server wasn't available at the time. The usual stuff with Betas. No big deal. I was able to reconnect shortly after signing out, then back into my Playstation Network account...or so I thought. With the server being inaccessible for now, my impressions had to wait about...10 minutes? Really, not that big a deal.



      With Manhunt and the two Deathmatches out of the way, I am left with one option for game modes. That's right, for those who remember Brotherhood's basic multiplayer mode, Wanted Mode returns in Revelations. Wanted mode works similarly to Deathmatch, in that you hunt your Targets while avoiding Pursuers; however, you are given your compass and abilities, and are able to create Chases with your targets. If you are of a higher rank than everyone, you will be the primary target more often. If you are lower, than don't expect to be hunted TOO much. Quality kills (such as those that even you didn't see coming) are granted additional points. The player with the highest points claims the glory of the match.


     In my Wanted experience, let's just say I had about as much skill as I did in Brotherhood...meaning little to none. To start, it was obvious this session was popular. Within 30 seconds, I had found a whole group for Wanted Mode. While given the targets I had to kill, I was able to learn the variations of paths to take in the map we played on (given we only had 3 maps to play on, the one we used, Constantinople, was probably my favorite.). I got very few kills, but I did finish in 5th place (mostly due to finishing off already-killed targets).


     Two new functions I learned about that were put into this game were the Finisher, which is where, if your target is killed by someone other than you, you're able to run up to the [Dying] body and essentially finish them off by kicking them. That's right, you kick them and they die. Granted they already lost a ton of blood from the dagger/sword/mace/axe they received to the back, but still, fun! The other is an additional part of Aerial Assassinations. New to Revelations, you can aerial assassinate players who are CLIMBING. Not just if they're standing on the ground, but if they're climbing up to chase you and/or they are climbing after someone else. I found this out when someone actually performed this kill on me. I was shocked, but also astounded that such an ability hadn't been implemented before. Summed up, Wanted has greatly improved, and while I wasn't as great a player as I wanted to be, it's only the Beta, I'm sure I'll get better by the time the real thing comes out.


     Now, while I said there was only one game mode left above, I lied! One more game mode was released during the Beta's lifetime - Artifact Assault, and it was conveniently released right after I played a round of Wanted! For those who have played Uncharted 2's Multiplayer, you will remember the Gold Rush mode, in which you stole the treasure for your team. Artifact Assault works in a similar fashion, though their own Assassin twist was placed into it. Both teams have an artifact to protect. If you are within your own territory, you are a Pursuer, and are able to kill enemies that invade attempting to take your artifact. If you are in enemy territory, you are a Target and can be killed. The team with the highest score, as always, wins.


      Of all of the game modes one could pick, Artifact Assault is perhaps my personal favorite. One can get a larger rush from stealing artifacts and protecting allies than anything else, in my opinion. Finding my first match took about 90 seconds-ish, but it was worth every second. Artifact Assault is one of the few modes where climbing and running around is pretty much A-OK, as long as your goals are accomplished. Lucky for me, I wound up with able-minded allies and very tactical enemies. You simply have to enter the enemy territory and step into the Artifact Circle, and you are in possession of the artifact. From there, you are to run as fast as possible back to your Artifact circle OR protect the person holding the artifact as they try to get back to base. If there was ever more beauty in assassination duties, this mode would create it. I managed to make the most points in my team, killed the most people, and gained two levels, just from one match. Artifact Assault will most likely be where you find me most when this game comes out.



     Before I closed out the Beta for today, I glanced through the challenges, each of which grants additional experience upon completion. From the challenges, I was able to discover several other Multiplayer Modes that will be in the final version of the game. While they don't reveal much about how to play the modes, knowing the names could give players an idea. The new modes include Corruption, Steal the Artifact, Escort, Assassinate, and Chest Capture. From looking these over, I feel that I'll most likely prefer Chest Capture, Steal the Artifact, and Escort. They just sound entertaining to me, as they take the regular gameplay of Assassin's Creed and twist it into a manner where you're still playing the same game, but with an entirely different goal in mind.


      In summation, this Beta has not only made me more giddy in excitement for the final release, but it makes me hate that November is two whole months away. The gameplay shown in the Beta has proven to me that movement has finally gained some fluidity, and that Ubisoft is starting to understand just what the players want in a Multiplayer experience. Coupled with a perhaps amazing story (one can hope), I believe that Assassin's Creed: Revelations will be a beautiful close to Ezio's journey, all while providing players with a unique and overall very entertaining multiplayer mode. Here's hoping!


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