CREDIT: UBISOFT
If you're a fan of the games you'll love Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, if you're not, it just might be enough to prove what the fuss has been about.

There is perhaps no game this year that had as much to prove upon its release as Assassins Creed: Syndicate, the ninth game in Ubisoft’s storied franchise.

Since becoming annualized in 2010 the quality of the main titles have fluctuated wildly in terms of both gameplay and narrative and many fans and critics have been experiencing a sense of series fatigue.

The series’ problems came to a head at the disastrous launch of last year’s Assassin Creed: Unity, which was mired in technical and performance issues and one of the weakest stories in the franchise.

In addition to needing to stand on its own, is Syndicate up to the task of restoring faith in whether or not the formula of the flagging series still works? The good news for fans is that it largely does, the bad news is that it may not be enough to sway any doubters back into the fold.

Set in London in 1868, Syndicate follows twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye as they set out to free the city from the Templar Order in the latest chapter of the centuries old war between the two. Arriving to find the city already under complete control, the twins set out along two very different paths in order to work toward their goal.

The brother and sister assassins are one of the game’s best features. Not only is there a duel protagonist setup, a first for the series, but these two might be the best series’ leads since Ezio Autidore at the franchise’s peak.

Evie is the assassin in the mold that we have come to know: stoic, focused and driven in her desire to find a mystical relic in the name of her order. She plans her attack carefully and executes it to deadly perfection, getting in and out with minimal ruckus. She may also be one of the most ass-kicking female leads in the history of video games.

Jacob on the other hand is a simple man. Preferring action to stealth, he rushes headlong into a fight without a second thought.

Upon arriving in London and discovering the gang presence running the streets, his immediate idea is to form one of his own. His enthusiasm when proposing his new gang is one of the series’ most charming moments. The differing personalities, coupled with the brother-sister dynamic allows the two leads to act as a perfect foil to each other, with Evie serving to tut-tut Jacob’s brash enthusiasm, and Jacob always ready with a jibe when his sister is getting too serious.

Gameplay-wise, there is the usual set of minor refinements to the tried and true AC formula, with the refined free-running system from Unity being kept on and a new, faster combat system added. I found myself accidently running off rooftops with far less frequency than in previous titles as the free-running controls seem to be as close to perfect as they are ever likely to get.

Combat is more visceral than ever, combos are faster and multikills have returned and now actually require a bit of skill to set up. The new weapon set of kukris, brass knuckles and cane swords are interesting additions to the first Creed game set in an era where you don’t have a sword on your waist at all times.

As always, the city design in the game is a marvel, with London coming in at the biggest Creed map yet, and there was an undeniable thrill in climbing around a city I know. The environment is served wonderfully by the music, scored by Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory, with the music jumping from whimsical to somber as you travel the city.

Outside of factors affecting the review, I just want to give a special shout out to Ubisoft’s handling of Ned Wynert, the series’ first transgender character.

Serving as an ally, there is no mention of the fact that Ned was born a woman in the main story, with the detail only made obvious when reading the character’s bio. The Assassin’s Creed series has always been good at representing powerful women in the series, and it’s good to see that they are not worried about including other gender identities as well.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is a great return to form for the series. It’s the most fun I’ve had in the franchise since taking control of a pirate, and hopefully bodes well for the future.