'Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China' Review Roundup: Lukewarm Reception From Critics

Lukewarm reviews greeted "Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China," the latest installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise, following its release on Tuesday, April 21.

Many reviewers described the game as less than stellar, pointing out that it does not allow players to immerse themselves in the action. Most of the time, they end up sneaking around in stealth mode while they evade the enemy.

Videogamer criticized the stealth mode in its review, saying that although the actual action sequences in the game are fun, attention is frequently shifted to the stealth mode. In this mode the main protagonist Shao Jun has to evade the enemy by ducking behind various objects and using special abilities to quickly move from one hiding place to another. However, the reviewer said the mode is just adequate but has nothing clever about it. The plus point in the game is it visuals which are likened to a "Chinese watercolor."

GameSpot said the game's plot is very thin and Jun is simply in search of a "box" the contents of which are never explained. It described the game as "pretty" all because of its artwork which seems to be fashioned after a Qing masterpiece. However, the reviewer said this prettiness fades fast as the mechanics of the game are added slowly and this results in the pace of the action faltering.

PC Gamer said the game will help people forget the many glitches that came with Unity. It said the side-scrolling version provides the most rewards when assassinations are done sneakily. The reviewer noted some good action sequences when the protagonist has to face enemies in a melee combat situation, but these are few.

The reviewer also pointed out that "Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China" appeared to have been influenced heavily by the "Mark Of The Ninja," which tends to sap the fun out of game.