Assassin’s Creed: Victory - 10 Perfect Ways To Save The Franchise

6. Remove Melee Combat Altogether

Although the series isn't exactly regarded as a heavyweight any more, Splinter Cell: Blacklist was a raucous return to form for Ubisoft's other, more modern stealth franchise back in 2013. Part of stealth gameplay in general is surely to remain hidden, picking your targets and executing them with a devout purpose, knowing the animations and controls aren't about to betray you at the last second. It's what Shadow of Mordor absolutely nailed, whilst also highlighting the problems with Assassin's Creed after so many instalments; it just doesn't know what it wants to be. Melee combat in the first game was almost always a last resort - although it was fun to take on a string of enemies in a blur of counters and backstab insta-kills - but all that served to do was set the series down a path of putting a battering-ram approach to the fore of every encounter. Unity's combat is just godawful thanks to a lack of being able to telegraph enemy attacks very well, or feeling like Arno knew how to handle a blade outside of flailing around until everyone hits the floor. In Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory the devs introduced a two-button 'knockout or kill' mechanic, and it revolutionised the way everyone played, giving you the utmost confidence when in a jam to tackle any immediate threats and then deftly disappear into the shadows. If melee combat is going to remain it needs to be solid, reliable and effective - something that would get away from wishing for an instant restart button any time a brawl breaks out in Unity.