How to stab people like there's no tomorrow in Assassin's Creed Identity - Hints, tips, and tricks

Ah Assassin's Creed Identity. It's a runny, jumpy, stabby distillation of the things that made the console games great. And quite a lot of the things that made them, well, a bit less great.

But what if this mobile outing is your first crack at an Assassin's Creed game?

What if you're stumbling around digital recreations of small corners of Renaissance Italy without a clue what it is you're supposed to be doing?

Well fear not, because here at Pocket Gamer we are experts in the dark arts of stabbing people right in the throat and then running away and hiding in hay carts. We're quite good at it in games as well.

These hints and tips should get you stabbing and jumping with the best of them in no time at all. And really, is there anything better than that in life?

If you've got your own ideas about how people can murder digital people more effectively, feel free to stick them in the comments below. Ah go on, you know you want to.

One of the first things you're going to do in Assassin's Creed Identity is choose a class. You can be a bulky Berserker, a stealthy Shadowblade, or a sneaky Trickster.

The class you choose doesn't have a huge effect on the way the game plays, but picking the right one for your style can help.

Bear in mind that you can add a secondary class when you're deeper into the game, so you don't always have to specialise.

If you're a newcomer then the Berserker might be your best choice. You'll be able to take more damage when you inevitably get spotted.

It's easy to rush headlong into things and end up cornered in Identity. And when the violence is as clunky as it is here, that's something that's best avoided.

When you can, take your time. Scout out an area and try and find ways you can sway the odds in your favour. Bribe guards, take out stragglers, figure out your escape routes.

Even just sitting unnoticed on a bench and watching the world go by can give you a decent idea of the lay of the land.

Then when it's time to stab people, you're going to have a much better chance of getting in and out like an Assassin, instead of a club-footed walrus on meth.

When you unlock something new, the game will flash up to let you know there's a tutorial available.

While most of the new mechanics are pretty self explanatory, it's a good idea to play through these anyway to get familiar with them.

Plus when new moves do get added to your arsenal, you can bet that the next level is going to be full of them, so making sure you've got the moves down is going to be pretty important.

One of the additions here is an RPG-style gear system. It's pretty easy to overlook all the shiny new stuff you're given, especially if it's not as powerful as the gear you've already got equipped.

Remember though, you can use tatty gear to make exciting new stuff when you've got blueprints, so don't just trash it all for cash.

This part of the game is probably the biggest concession to the mobile market. It's similar to the kind of thing you'll find in a lot of card battlers, and it might be a little unfamiliar if you're used to console gaming.

But the basics are - keep stuff, mash it together in the forge, and turn it into better stuff. It's a bit hit and miss, but once you've got the gist of it you should be golden.

You'll notice when you're sprinting around that often white lines flash up on the buildings. These show you the places you can climb. If you're smashing your face into a wall, then you're not going to be able to climb up it.

But again, taking your time is sensible. Sometimes you'll be trying to leap across a gap, only for the arrow to change at the last minute and throw you off the edge of a building down onto the street.

It's okay to pause and make sure what's going to happen is the thing that you actually want to happen. Oh, and if the lines are red, then you're going to get hurt when you hit the ground.

Remember to go complete the challenges, these are a great way to get new bits of gear as well as upping your XP level, which will unlock later levels in the game.

And keep an eye on the contracts for the same reason. Basically, do as much as you can to get stronger and get more stuff.

It's a bit grindy, for sure, but if you want to stab people to the best of your potential, then it's something you're going to have to do.