Assassin's Creed: Perception of a Master

The Prophet: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
 

 

Assassin's Creed: Renaissance is the chronological sequel to Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade and follows Ezio Auditore, a young Italian nobleman who seeks vengeance against those who ordered the execution of his father and brothers. Being trained by his uncle Mario and fellow Assassins, his journey will take him from the catacombs of Florence to the rooftops of Venice. So begins an epic story of power, revenge, and conspiracy. TRUTH WILL BE WRITTEN IN BLOOD.

As I am reading this book, one thing is apparent to me, the dialogue. For some reason Oliver Bowden has taken great lines of dialogue and changed them; because of this, the character interaction is very dumbed-down.

Lets Compare: Avenged

Assassin's Creed Renaissance: "Yes! What you see is see real! What you see is vengeance! The Auditore family still lives. I am still here! Ezio Auditore!"

Assassin's Creed II: "The Auditore are not dead! I'm still here! Me! Ezio! Ezio Auditore!"

The game's dialogue is superior in every way. The emotion that was in that scene is torn asunder by the "re-mastered" scene that Bowden has written. If Oliver can't copy and paste that dialogue, then he shouldn't be writing the novel series at all.

Also one minor detail; Ezio will obtain a hidden blade on his right arm, as he already had one on his left. It is tradition that Assassins would have there signature hidden blade on the left arm, and in the game Ezio is no exception. Oliver decided that when Ezio had only one hidden blade, he put it on his right arm. This is inconsistent and ruins the experience for me, knowing this tradition is easily broken.

"He shook himself, and in the moment when Vieri poised himself to deliver the fatal blow on his supposedly unarmed opponent, Ezio flexed his right hand, spreading his fingers up and open. Instantaneously, the mechanism of his father's concealed dagger clicked, the blade shooting out from under his fingers, extending to its full and lethal length, the dull metal belying the vicious edge. Vieri's arm was raised. His flank was open. Ezio plunged the dagger into his side-- the blade slipping in without the least resistance."

At the rate this novel is going, I would give this a rating of 2 stars out of 5. Oliver's writing is deprived of all emotion and the inconsistencies are too apparent. The game rates about 4.5 out of 5, because you can appreciate the emotion that is clearly there and the writing is superb.