Assassin’s Creed Syndicate continues the series’ tale of the eternal battle between the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Knights Templar, fought down the centuries via a series of retrieved genetic memories, accessed using a machine called the Animus, but you probably knew that part, right?
In Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, we find ourselves in Victorian London, where twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye discover a city controlled by the Templars. They infiltrate London’s criminal underworld in an attempt to wrest control from their age old foes.
What’s new?
Apart from the core gameplay, practically everything is new and improved in Syndicate. As with every fresh chapter of Assassin’s Creed, there’s a whole new environment to explore. This time it’s Victorian London, and it’s been recreated on a more ambitious scale than any of the previous games’ environments. An entire development studio was tasked solely with recreating the Thames River, which is the beating heart of the great capital. Around that sits a living, breathing city with seven boroughs containing opulent avenues, poverty-stricken slums, famous landmarks and a fully functioning railway system.
For the first time players can use vehicles, in this case horse drawn carriages, which they can hop on for rapid transport or use as a hiding place when being pursued by enemies and policemen alike.
Players will be able to take on the roles of two protagonists. Jacob Frye and his sister Evie have different strengths and abilities, giving more variety to the gameplay, and when playing non-campaign missions you’ll be able to choose which character you want to use.
Combat was also improved, with players now able to seamlessly blend physical combat with weapon based attacks. In addition, your assassins now have a rope launcher, which lets them effortlessly zip-line around the city.
Can I play it?
Squeezing the whole of Victorian London into a PC is no easy feat, and as a result, you’re going to need the appropriate PC hardware to play the game at its best.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate system requirements call for a GeForce GTX 760 with 4GB of VRAM, which will enable you to run the game at around 30 frames per second at 1920×1080, with detail levels incorporating a mix of Medium and High settings. However, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate features NVIDIA GameWorks technology, enhancing anti-aliasing, ambient occlusion and shadows for the duration of the massive game. For a system capable of enabling these effects, you’ll need to build your new PC or upgrade your old rig with the GeForce GTX 970 or above.
Time for an upgrade?
For a limited time, NVIDIA is offering the GeForce GTX Bullets or Blades bundle. Purchase a new GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 980 or 970 GPU, or 970M or above notebook and you will get a free copy of either Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate or Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
