After a weak showing at the past E3, many people were left to wonder if Assassin's Creed could live up to the developers' ambition and the media hype. The demo put on by producer Jade Raymond felt stilted and awkward and the game's premise didn't translate well. Many outlets proclaimed the game to be the biggest disappointment of the show and we were all left to wonder if the game's large, expansive world and complex control scheme, which both sounded great in theory, would actually translate into a cohesive and compelling gaming experience.

Well, it's amazing what can happen in a few months time. When the review builds of Assassin's Creed finally landed in our hands, we were sceptical and wary. But after spending some quality time with the game, we can safely say that Assassin's Creed lives up to the developers' lofty ambitions. So put your fears aside, gamers: Assassin's Creed is an extraordinary gaming experience that will definitely leave a lasting impression.

We did backflips over the game's heady mix of action and stealth. Keep reading to see why the game still haunts our thoughts.

There is no denying the quality and depth inherent in Assassin's Creed. It is a stellar addition to Ubisoft's already impressive portfolio and gives gamers yet another reason to be excited for the upcoming holidays!

Assassin's Creed is a fluid experience in which every individual element seamlessly works in harmony with the others. But the foundation of the entire gameplay experience lies in the fluid and intuitive control scheme. From walking around on the street to free running on the roof tops, the controls make it easy to manipulate Altair during his quests and that's a good thing as the game would have suffered dramatically had the developers not gotten such a firm handle on the controls.

The game's story is also a strong point and while we won't ruin any of the surprises, we will say that Assassin's Creed does a great job of weaving a deep and enjoyable narrative.

Needle in a haystack

The size of the game world is also immense but thankfully, it rarely feels overwhelming. After completing the tutorial level, which will take you a couple of hours, you are given a horse and sent out to the Kingdom; this area serves as the central hub that connects the three main cities of Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus. As you cross the land in pursuit of your assassination targets, you quickly get a sense of just how big the game world is.

Luckily there are tall towers placed around the world that you can scale, and when you reach the top, you can hit the Y button to swing the camera out; this gives you a sweeping view of the vista which reveals more of the map and helps make things feel manageable. You will also find the locations of informants who help lead you to your targets.

Speaking of which, the main assassinations quests themselves are repetitive in that you have to follow the same sequence of actions over and over again but what keeps these elements from getting stale is the lifelike A.I.