The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we slip on our stealth shoes for a spot of knife-in-the-dark action in the PSP outing, Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines.
——————-
Developer: Griptonite Games
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1
Assassin’s Creed made a roof-top jump to Sony’s PSP back in 2009, reacquainting players with slippery protagonist Altair from the inaugural stealth ‘em up. Set around 8 months after Assassin’s Creed, this pint-sized adventure takes place predominantly on Cyprus, as our hooded hero embarks on a quest to snuff out the last remaining Templars gathering there. Bloodlines your bread-and-butter AC experience, and sees the nimble Altair gallivanting about on roof tops, slicing his way through various targets and exploring sprawling cities.
The transition to PSP has obviously resulted in a bit of nip and tuck as far as the use of controls goes, though Altair still has a meaty selection of moves to pull off. Combat breeds an instant sense of familiarity, offering up the traditional counter-based cut-throat antics. Players can opt to go for a brutal stab fest or plump for a more stealthy approach, silently bumping off foes from the shadows or leaping on them from above. Bog-standard kills and assassinations alike offer some cinematic close-ups from your viewing pleasure, as Altair rams the pointy end of his blade through some poor sod’s stomach or slices their neck in one swift slice.
Killing folks forms the nucleus of any AC game, and Bloodlines is no different. However, as always, missions offer a range of objectives to tackle beyond the bouts of bloodshed. These include chase sequences and timed deliveries, which require some dexterous finger work on your part to guide Altair through some rudimentary platforming-based shenanigans. Boss battles also crop up from time to time, and they’re tough buggers too – much more than regular baddies at least, requiring a sprinkle of strategy to successfully dispatch.
There are also a few distractions to keep you busy beyond the game’s central story mode. Altair can scramble up towers and dive off them into a hay bale for no particular reason other than to show he’s a flashy bugger. Or, if you fancy something a little more morally rewarding, you can seek out and aid civilians, who seem to have no issues getting themselves into a pickle throughout the adventure. Altair can also scoop up coins scattered throughout the cities in order to spend at the main menu to level-up. Here, you can beef up the slippery assassin in a variety of ways, such as boosting the synchronization bar or increasing Altair’s chance of scoring a critical hit. And we all know how viscerally satisfying those can be.
Join us tomorrow as we take another gander Inside PlayStation Network.