Before it became an annual event the original Assassin's Creed turned a lot of heads upon release, thanks to some incredibly refreshing ideas. The idea of free-running hadn't ever really been implemented well in a game before but here, scaling buildings and leaping streets in one bound felt effortless. The combat mechanics allowed Altair to fight large groups of enemies with style and finesse (the Arkham series was undoubtedly influenced by this) and the story gave us a glimpse into history without confusing us or leaving us to struggle without the full picture. AC's real success was its scope though; something that the series continues to push today. While not the first game to allow players to run rampant in a free-roam city, the various systems and mechanics made it feel amazingly unique. You'll never forget the first time you scaled a tower to take in the view before diving hundreds of feet vertically into a bale of hay below. Assassin's Creed is full of moments like this and with the recent release of Black Flag, it's proving to be a series that continues to impress and amaze. However, these constant additions come at a cost; namely. the replay value of the first game. Despite being highly innovative not too long ago, the original has not aged well and it does not hold up well on a second playthrough. The repetitive nature of missions will begin to grate and the game's stealth system will lead to Game Over screens time after time. Combat also grows to be unsatisfying once you've mastered the Counter Kill; yet another problem highlighted massively by repeat plays. Assassin's Creed already struggled to boast an acceptable replay value; the evolution of the series means it can almost entirely be skipped nowadays.