Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings takes the action seen in most releases in the Assassin's Creed series underground for a large part of the new campaign. The new campaign takes players to Saint Denis in 1974 shortly after the events of main game. Arno enters the city looking to discover the secrets of kings that have long been forgotten by most men. The city has a grim aura about it and is home to several large, underground catacombs full of strange inventions and dangerous creatures that makes it one of the largest DLC maps seen in the series.
There is plenty to do and see in Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings. The game is packed with main quests, side missions, hidden collectibles and much more. There are just as many or more things to do below the streets of Saint Denis as there are above ground. The new DLC storyline is bizarre and lasts around 2 hours for most players, but like the game's main campaign, completionists will spend a lot more time with the content in order to search down every hidden collectible and see everything the new setting has to offer.
One major addition for Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings is the Guillotine Gun. The weapon combines a firearm with a melee weapon with explosive results. The new addition is more than capable of being using against a large group of enemies, even when surrounded, though the explosive rounds the gun is capable of producing can wipe out an unsuspecting group in a single blast as well.
The new weapon directly counters many of the missions in the new campaign though. Several missions throughout Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings are heavily stealth based and require Arno to sneak trough scarcely lit tombs undetected. Players can choose whether or not to encounter enemies, but the Guillotine Gun is hardly the ideal choice when trying to be as quiet as possible.. Players can typically seek out the leader of a group of enemies underground, defeat them and have the rest of the troops scatter in fear at the sight of their leader fallen in battle. Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings does stealth missions right, but other new mechanics hold the new content back a bit.
Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings utilizes several new mechanics in puzzles throughout the new campaign. One of the most used involves a rechargeable lantern that is used to see better in the dark confines of Saint Denis. Players will use the lantern for more than just clarity though, as the item is also used to scare away enemies and find hidden chambers several times through the DLC content, but its execution is mediocre at best, and players will be tired of using the lantern and looking to refill it long before the best puzzles involving the lamp are revealed later in the game.
Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings is a great DLC available for free and would be worth purchasing for fans that can't get enough of the series, if Ubisoft's original plans would have held up. There is a lot of content packed into the release that includes a large, new area to explore, plenty of side missions and collectibles and new weapons to utilize against tough foes. The game's storyline is forgettable and convoluted, and some annoying lantern mechanics distract away from the fun gaameplay the DLC has to offer, but Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings is an enjoyable experience overall, so players should download today.
Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings is rated M by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language & Use of Alcohol. For more information on the game, check out the official Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- All New Campaign
- New Weapons and Collectibles
- Download for Free
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One (reviewed), Xbox 360 & PC
Release Date: January 13, 2015