Stabbing Fancy People in Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

After I gave up on Borderlands 3 (which I liked, but I am a failure at the slaughterfest side missions), I decided that I would attempt to get Assassin's Creed:  Syndicate to run.  For some strange reason (which I believe was tied to the GPU in my old PC), I could not get Syndicate to work--I even tried to refund it (and failed because I was outside of the two-week return window).  The good news is that it works like a charm on my new PC and I can enjoy leaping from the smoggy skies of Victorian London to stab the gang members lurking below.

I am finding Syndicate to be an interesting mashup between to older Assassin's Creed games (the ones that the AC purists will claim are the "real" games) and the newer, more RPG oriented entries into the series (namely Origins and Odyssey).  The world of Industrial Revolution-era London is stunning--it's filled with factories full of giant, churning machines; bustling streets filled with the various social classes of the time--grubby street urchins, bedraggled workers, and the impressively bedecked upper-classes.  Like the other games in the AC series, the attention to historical detail is amazing.

Jacob Frye perched above the smoggy skies of London.

One of the more interesting aspects of Syndicate is the fact that there are two protagonists in the form of the Frye twins--Jacob and Evie, and that players can freely switch between the two characters.  Each character intentionally leans toward a specific set of talents and a playstyle--Jacob is geared toward more of a directly confrontational style, while Evie seems to lean toward a stealthier, more indirect style (of course, you can pick any talents you want).  There are also many options for the types of gear that the Frye's can utilize and a crafting system where new items gradually unlock.  The main storyline also accommodates the unique two character system with branching missions that require players to switch between the twins.

The semi-open world of London also features tons of side tasks to complete.  Each district in London is under the control of a violent gang called the Blighters.  As you explore and find fast travel points, different tasks appear on the map--a Templar controlled area that requires you to find and kill a certain leader; a gang controlled area that requires you to sneak in and kidnap a leader; or missions to free the unfortunate victims of child labor.  Each time you complete one of these tasks, a small portion of the map comes under the control of Jacob and Evie's gang, the Rooks.

Other than establishing gang dominance over London, there are also numerous side missions to complete.  Throughout your adventures in London you meet many famous historical figures who have tasks that they need help with.  Some of these tasks reward you with money and experience points, but the best of them rewards your character with new gear or upgrades.  They are definitely worth completing.

If you get tired of doing sidequests there is always the option to just tool around and explore the city.  The city is littered with various collectibles and hidden objects.  One of the fun pieces of equipment that makes exploring a blast is the rope launcher--a special addition to your assassin's gauntlet that lets you launch a rope to quickly climb or zipline across virtually any space (it's awesome.  I can understand why they took it out of subsequent games--it makes traversal way too easy).

I'm having a blast with Syndicate and look forward to eventually establishing gang dominance over the entire region of London.  Long live the Rooks!