REVIEW – Fifteen years in the making, the Assassin’s Creed licence has left its mark on many gamers and has become one of the flagship titles in video games. While many still argue over which is the best opus of the saga, there is one that stands in a perfect place: Assassin’s Creed II and its charismatic protagonist, Ezio Auditore. And that’s a good thing because Ubisoft has decided to port the trilogy about Renaissance Don Juan to Nintendo Switch. But does this game do the franchise justice? That remains to be seen.

The Ezio Collection already released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One includes Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. As the name of the collection suggests, the three games follow the adventures of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a carefree young man from a wealthy family who is a womaniser in his spare time. But everything changes when he discovers that his family is involved in a worldwide conflict between the Templars and the Assassins. From Florence to Constantinople and Rome, Ezio takes on the guise of his ancestral brotherhood to track down the Templars and recover the precious Apples of Eden. But as Assassin’s Creed fans know, these games don’t just take you back in time. We also follow Desmond Miles as he is forced to relive the memories of his Assassin ancestor Ezio. But as he goes back and forth between past and present, his integrity is compromised. In this trilogy, you will find two complex stories that have formed the basis of the entire saga.

First of all, it is essential to make a small comment on the content. As mentioned, this collection includes all three parts of the Ezio saga (Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations). For those not familiar with the franchise, these are not just anecdotal episodes in the series. To this day, Ezio is one of the gamers’ favourite assassins. As for Assassin’s Creed II, many consider it the best episode of the franchise. This is it if there is a trilogy worth exploring (even 13 years later). And the least that can be said is that there’s something to be done. It takes about 45 hours to complete the main stories of the three opuses. And if you want 100% performance, you can extend the collection’s lifespan beyond 100 hours.

At all levels, almost all

Note that all DLC and other bonuses (weapons and special outfits) are included in this collection. This allows for even more content and new adventures with historical figures such as the great Leonardo da Vinci. And if you want to learn even more about the Assassin’s Creed universe, the collection also includes Lineage and Embers. These two scripted creations (one a short film, the other a cartoon) give you a few more elements to fully immerse yourself in the world of Assassins.

That said, there is no reason to complain about the lack of multiplayer modes or new features. The game really is as it was back then in terms of content. Don’t expect any surprises. So, if you’ve played these three games, there’s little point in getting this collection unless you’re letting nostalgia make you open your wallet because it’s still nice to go back to your roots with a license that has changed a lot since then. Especially since this port is a lovely tribute to the old trilogy.

An eye-catching port

Despite the limited capabilities of the console, Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection offers a smooth and beautifully converted graphical experience. Whether in handheld or docked mode, the visuals are more than appreciable. The landscapes are beautiful, the streets are vibrant, and only the character faces are a bit dated graphically. This is all the more pleasing in Assassin’s Creed II, which has less subtle colours, textures and better lighting than the original version. Plus, the whole experience is very smooth, which makes it even better on Nintendo’s console. There’s no drop in framerate, and the few bugs we encountered during our adventure were present in previous versions of the collection.

There are some minor improvements compared to the latter. Small details that we appreciate, though they don’t fundamentally change the experience. The HUD has been optimised for the console to make it easier to read. This collection also takes advantage of the Switch’s capabilities with a touchscreen interface and different modes that allow you to get the most out of these reworked graphics, depending on whether you’re in portable or docked mode.

Unsurprisingly, however, this Nintendo Switch port is not up to the level of the previously released PC, PS4 and Xbox One versions: there is a smaller display distance, and there are also antialiasing and other graphical issues. As good as this port is for the console, it is still recommended to go for the earlier versions if possible. But even if you don’t, don’t panic: the Switch’s graphics are far from terrible and shouldn’t cause any real problems.

Size

Note that you will need an SD card to download the entire collection (including the audio package) at once. The total game size is 35 GB (all assuming that the Nintendo Switch comes with a 32 GB slot by default).

As mentioned, Assassin’s Creed II was released almost 13 years ago. Although this opus offered excellent gameplay when it was released, it has now aged. You’ll find inaccuracies in the climbing, more than basic combat, not very good AI (especially when it comes to recognising Ezio when he’s standing right next to you)… From our perspective today, the game is full of bugs that can be pretty frustrating. Depending on your sensibilities, they might even force you to put down your console. But if this kind of gameplay doesn’t scare you, or if you’re naturally patient, it’s worth persevering for a while to get used to it. Especially since these flaws are much less present in Brotherhood and Revelations.

Nevertheless, we can regret the lack of development in this area. Even with the 2016 Ezio Collection for PS4 and Xbox One, it was clear that we expected more from the remasters of the original games. A small change wouldn’t have been too much and would have made these titles more controllable, not to mention a few other minor details. In short, this collection deserved a little more work to be appreciated today at its true value. But this version is still an excellent way to explore this essential part of the series.

We can “jump into the Switch version with confidence”

In the end, this port has nothing to be ashamed of compared to the PC, PS4 and Xbox One versions. Ubisoft gives us a quality Switch version that holds up well. Florence, Rome and Constantinople’s streets are eye-catching and a real treat to explore on Nintendo’s console. So, of course, if you have a PC, PS4 or Xbox One, you’re better off with these versions. But if the Switch is your only console and you’ve never tried these iconic games, then you’ll want to check out this collection. As rich as it is beautiful, The Ezio Collection on Nintendo Switch is a pleasant surprise that will keep you occupied for dozens of hours – at least if you’re not scared that this classic trilogy has, indeed, aged.

-BadSector-

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer:  Ubisoft

Genres: action-adventure

Publication:  15 November 2016 (PC, PS4, Xbox One), 23 February 2022.