For many, the idea of buying "yet another" Assassin's Creed is verging on absolute insanity, as not only was last year's Unity a hot mess that took months to rectify, but Ubisoft also put out AC: Rogue, a much more compelling narrative tale about an Assassin who turns Templar, rebelling against the Order and slaying many hidden-bladed warriors along the way. This year it seems they've learnt from their mistakes and are returning to the one-game-per-year model (unless you count Mark of the Ninja rip-off AC Chronicles: China as a main instalment), kickstarting proceedings with the barely iterative-looking Syndicate. For months the team remained tight-lipped on the whole affair, but now that they're gearing up for a fourth-quarter release date - and what'll inevitably be an extended showing at E3 - they're letting an entire London Town's worth of cats out the bag. Now we know about the new protagonists, some gameplay refinements and an idea of what this year's city looks like in motion, but what really matters is if the series can return to its former glory. One more colossal balls-up of fan expectation, any off-putting in-game element like micro-transactions or a general sense of gameplay that feels like an early beta model will only reaffirm the right to hold off purchasing anything else in the future. What would it take for you to invest again? Check out our list of recommendations and leave your thoughts in the comments below.
