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Let me get the gripes out of the way up front. Don't expect any kind of satisfaction from this game's story and be prepared for a bit of repetition from the game's missions. Aside from these small complaints: sheer brilliance and one of the only truly unique games to come out last year.

I can't say enough good things about the gameplay mechanics in Assassin's Creed. If you make that stealth assassination in broad daylight and nobody notices, it's really satisfying. If you take down 10 soldiers in hand-to-hand combat and get away with your life, you feel like you've really accomplished something. Combat is done just perfectly, as Altair's physical prowess balances nicely between unbelievable superhumanity and frustrating ineptitude.

The animation system employed in-game is also impressively realistic, and I'd be hard-pressed to believe that some of the animations aren't canned if I didn't know for a fact that they aren't. The climbing animations are particularly impressive.

On a personal note, as a scholar of Bible literature and teachings, seeing the fidelity with which Damascus and Jerusalem were rendered, and then being able to explore these areas at ground level gave me a warm sense of awe. I wil always remember being able to climb all over Solomon's Temple and then jump off of it.

Now, while I hinted that the game's storyline is "unsatisfying" at the beginning of this review, it is actually a great story. Unfortunately for you, the gamer, consumer, and end-user of this particular product, the story does nothing but raise questions without answering any of them. The hubris with which the story is presented and then (abruptly) ends also shows that Ubisoft does not apparently feel the need to answer questions at all and that we should just be satisfied with the confusing, staggering, dissatisfying ending they vomited up for this game. It's more offensive than what Bungie did to its fans at the end of Halo 2. To be fair, my level of dissatisfaction is only this strong because the story managed to capture my attention and imagination so strongly in the first place. So this is a point in its favor.

Honestly, I almost gave Assassin's Creed a 10, but it's few flaws were glaring enough that I feel justified in marking it down to 9/10. Still, gameplay-wise, it is easily one of the best New-Gen titles so far. I look forward to the sequel and pray that it has some answers.

All reviews are subjective, and this is my review. So it's subject to my opinions and feelings towards the game. There will always be someone who disagrees with a review of something. I'm sure SOMEONE out there has tried to make a claim that Plan 9 From Outer Space is "not that bad."

To be fair, .8 of the -1 was from the slight repetiveness of the information gathering, not the ending.

Also, Mass Effect leaves alot open for the sequel, but it's endings (at least the ones I have seen/heard about) are all quite satisfying endings.

Anyways, I'm sorry that we disagree on this minor issue, but it's boudn to happen sometime. Either way, thanks for reading the review, man. I appreciate it.