Assassin�s Creed Chronicles: Russia
Assassins Creed Chronicles: Russia, the third title in the Chronicles mini-series sneaks into early 20th century, pre-Revolution Russia, it represents the final chapter in an occasionally fun but largely middling set of 2D platforming adventures. Yet, this installment turns out to be a happy surprise: while obvious faults keep it from being great, a decent story, diverse combat, and stealth that offers a satisfying challenge (without dipping too often into hair-tearing territory) all make Chronicles Russia the series clear high note.
You slide into the valenki boots of Nikolai Orelov, a disillusioned Assassin who plans to abandon his Order after one last mission and leave his homeland of Russia - rife with violence and civil unrest - behind forever. His main means of accomplishing that goal is 2.5D platforming, leaping over rooftops and through more than a few living rooms in a linear approximation of Assassins Creed trademark parkouring style. This chapter follows through with easily the best story in the mini-series. Nikolais determination to escape the Order creates a unique perspective, and a surprising twist in the games opening chapters makes the whole story worth seeing through. That isnt to say Chronicles Russia is channeling Shakespeare - its story is still typically goofy in many ways - but regardless, its suited to the game in which it lives, giving it a worthwhile narrative center that the previous two games distinctly lacked.
While a decent sense of drama is certainly a plus, the games biggest strength is easily its stealth, and the way it builds its many lovely environments to accommodate thoughtful sleuthing. Unlike previous entries in the series which really only give you the option to hide in closets or behind a pillars for the majority of their eight-hour runs, Russia offers up a wider variety of stealth-based tools, turning every room into a fascinating, well-paced puzzle of which each of your movements is a piece.
Using a telephone in one room can distract a guard in another. Shooting out breaker boxes shortens (but doesnt eliminate) enemies field of vision. An extensive series of vents in just about every building is bound to save your skin when you mistime a sentinels movements and have to dive out of sight. All of this is infinitely more satisfying than hanging out in a bush until the guards animations cycle and you can tiptoe to the next one.
A much wider swath of environments makes the adventure even more involved, giving you the opportunity to really use your ever-changing surroundings to your advantage - for instance, pulling someone out of the window of a moving train pretty much ensures you wont have to worry about the body. An improved control system - which has a few hiccups but is largely as responsive as it needs to be - rounds out the whole picture, creating a polished and truly enjoyable type of stealth gameplay. One which, thankfully, makes up the majority of Chronicles Russia.
Combat, meanwhile, is the one of the few areas where the game doesnt represent a stark improvement for the series. Unfortunately, the whole production loses steam when it comes to timed missions, which feel less like a brilliant free run and more like a painful slog. The game simply goes far out its way to throw too many obstacles into your path. While theres nothing inherently wrong with a challenging course, these sections tend to demand a degree of perfection that quickly gets frustrating - the tenth time you land a jump, but die because you didnt land it in the just the right way, it will grate. Even worse are the timed stealth sections, which tend to fall back on the unfortunate wait patiently for the guard to move style gameplay that Chronicles Russia nearly escaped. When time is also ticking down needlessly, the whole situation feels like a cheap and unpleasant attempt to create tension. Thankfully such moments and their issues are fairly sparsely implemented, so you generally have time to recover before youre forced to deal with that unforgiving set-up again.
This game isnt breaking down any walls. Another iteration on the Chronicles formula, it doesnt do anything shockingly new, and its noticeable drawbacks keep it firmly outside the gates of greatness. But this third attempt succeeds in its own way, taking what the two previous games started and perfecting the formula. If you play just one of the Chronicles games, make it Russia.
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