I'm going to do something different in this review. I will not praise this game, as it's almost identical to the console version which you've almost certainly heard or played before. The game is excellent, but if you want to know why you'll have to read a different review.
Instead, I'm going to review the bastard child of a game that is such a perfect metaphor for the state of PC gaming in general.
The game will not run on an 64 bit system (WTF), anti-aliasing is not supported and attempts to force only result in consistant problems.
The menu is horribly designed for PC, and evidence of rushed porting is everywhere, the menu has no exit button (you have to alt+f4 out), the game only runs in full screen if you press alt+enter (Something I spent ages trying to figure out, it isn't in the options or mentioned in the manual).
You better get comfy with the Ubisoft forums for this game.
The key setup can at best be described as clumsy and at worst like trying to pilot a retarded elephant under the influence of heavy skunk using only your pinky fingers. It's possible to get used to, but you will always be making mistakes and if you are a frequent FPS player, you will notice that the sheer amount of brain power required to master the controls will take some of the edge of your memorisation of your other games. It's clearly designed for a controller, they didn't even change the layout of the HUD, the icons are colour coded for an Xbox 360 controller's buttons. If you have a 360 controller, use it, as painful and traitorus as it may be.
Seriously, buy the XBOX version. If you, like me, don't have one, than be prepared for some hardships. If you can learn to live with the niggles, or at least run the game (You will want a PC capable of playing Crysis at at least High quality, and if you have anything less, forget about it), you will get a game that is frustrating at times, but ultimately fun to play. The visuals are superb and an excellent opportunity to stretch that DirectX 10.1 GPU you just bought. The game is engaging and Altier is the most badass medieval character I've played so far.
But Ubisoft should be ashamed. They have no excuse. There was an outcry over Double Agent, and a cursory read of Ubi's forums reveals anger everywhere. They do not learn from their past mistakes, and apparently neither do I, in retrospect. Good PC ports can be done and they have been, but this is honestly getting ridiculous. How hard would it have been to alter the HUD slightly, tweak the controls, and add a few buttons to the menu? Aside from the engine upgrades, this game is a complete copy/paste of the 360 release, and it burns me so bad.
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