3/8 dont care about any fundamental flaws it may have, simply enjoyed it enough for 9 outta 10

5/29 Its been almost 10 years since Ive touched an AC game, since number four back in 2014. I had completed all but Revalations and this first one up to that point, but I had fell behind for the following console generation. The series has changed so drastically since then, basically entering action RPG territory and becoming distant from its stealthy origins, at least thats what people say, and I see that there are indeed damage numbers and stuff now. I saw it fit to finally revisit this franchise by starting off this one, then perhaps replaying the others and then at some point completing revelations. Now yes, of course this is really repetitive, primitive in terms of what this series would become later, and the controls are really janky by modern standards.. Combat is quite dated too. but I still didnt mind my experience playing it. AC2 and Ezio had defined the series after this, so I think I would have hated this back then alongside all of you since that was also my first game into the series that I so loved. However, I must say that I think that the setting and time period is mostly what I like about this game really. Just seeing the setting of the crusades in a video game without it being an RTS or something, but open world action is a very rare sight. Its a very eventful era in history that oddly isnt as romanticized in fictional works like the world wars or what have you. (But obviously it isnt all the way forgotten, but as far as video games go it somewhat is.)

Contains action and presentation that is absurd in nearly the best way possible.

I remember really having fun playing this, I had rented this but owned Arkham City, yet I liked this one more despite having less time in it.

I forgot to rate this but I played this so much and even 100% it because it was the easiest thing for me to pick up at the time.

NES sequel moment

What if an action RPG was actually just a giant escort mission the whole way through with some puzzle solving to go with that? You get CIMA: The Enemy. It is a unique concept, but not one that is probably not going to hit with a lot of people. I am one of those people. Three major things that made me drop this: In this game you use pointers to direct escorted characters where to go. Thing is that they constantly get stuck on walls due to the dated pathfinding of this 2003 game, so you have to keep an eye on them a lot more than you are already supposed to. Since they all walk slowly, they get hit a lot so you find yourself constantly healing everyone especially the bigger your group gets. You do have a tag partner of your own who follows right behind you, but she herself is also a liability most of the time that attacks once every few seconds, and can also get stuck on walls. Secondly, combat is not fun. Enemies like to spawn on top of you a lot and there are basically no invulnerability frames. Most of the game youll be controlling Ark, who has a fairly short sword swing. The way he moves kind of makes it hard to be precise and keep your distance as you engage sometimes. I think I would be even be more content with this game if the partner Ivy instead took the lead, since she has a gun and therefore range when you briefly play as her, but alas. Bosses are pretty boring, some can just run into you with fast speed and its almost immediately game over due to the lack of frames as I said before. And finally, simple repetition. With little changes from level to level, it kind of reminds me a lot of a mobile phone game. Its around 10 hours long, no thank you. Some people have called this a hidden gem, I cannot share this sentiment.