Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Having been wounded several times in the past, I've come not to expect much from console tie-ins on mobile, especially when – in Assassin's Creed's case – many of the series' signature elements are likely to be missing.

No, I'm not talking about the franchise's swish 3D graphics or intricate cut-scenes. I'm talking about Ezio's voice.

Few leads other than Metal Gear Solid's Snake can boast vocal tones with quite the same level of gravitas – tones that were always going to be absent from Assassin's Creed: Revelations's run on mobile.

What Gameloft has managed to do, however, is make this 2D adventure feel very much part of the family, delivering the kind of experience fans of the series would be well advised to dip into.

The key is the keypads

Inevitably, the sandbox element of the series' exploits on consoles is missing, but what Assassin's Creed: Revelations does manage to recreate is both the franchise's atmosphere and its emphasis on quick kills.

Pace is a key element, with traversing the game's beautifully realised stages a case of jumping between ledges and pulling off an assortment of QTEs.

Both pursuits require you to be quick on the keypad – buttons '1', '2' and '3' cause you to leap, while '5' and others see you taking out your rivals, depending on your position.

For example, when hanging on a ledge it's possible to wipe out a guard in one swift move by pressing '5' while his back is turned. You can trigger special finishing moves at the end of sword fights – typical hack and slash encounters – if you press the signposted keys in time.

Franchise favourite

Assassin's Creed: Revelation's real trick, however, is to bring these elements in one coherent – and, most importantly, franchise faithful – experience.

As well as freeing assassins from your brotherhood every stage – assassins you can then send out on missions to complete on their own – you finish every level with a boss type encounter, though it's usually stealth rather than brute force that wins the day.

It's evidence, however, of just how familiar Gameloft's mobile conversion is.

Even without the immersive cities that are Assassin's Creed's signature on console, Assassin's Creed: Revelations still manages to touch base with enough of the franchise's keystones to pull it off, resulting in one of the most action-packed platformers on mobile for some time.

And that's a revelation all of its own.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations

A star in its own right, Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a high point for the series on mobile, and a real addition to Ezio's legacy
Score
Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.