Assassin's Creed Syndicate Review: Is It Worth Playing?

What is Assassin's Creed Syndicate?

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It is the ninth major instalment in the long-running Assassin's Creed series, following the events of Assassin's Creed Unity.

The game is set in London during the Industrial Revolution of 1868, a period of significant social upheaval, technological progress, and stark class division. Players control twin assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye, as they work to liberate the city from the grip of the Templar Order, led by the ruthless industrialist Crawford Starrick.

The title represents a notable shift for the franchise. Where Unity had focused on a single protagonist and a dense, vertical Paris, Syndicate introduces a dual-protagonist system and a more horizontal, sprawling cityscape.

The narrative is split between Jacob's preference for direct confrontation and gang warfare, and Evie's more methodical, stealth-oriented approach. The game's critical reception, reflected in its Metascore of 72, was generally positive but notably more restrained than earlier entries in the series.

Critics widely acknowledged the technical and design improvements over Unity, yet many pointed to a formula that felt increasingly familiar and a story that struggled to balance its two leads.

Gameplay

Syndicate's core gameplay loop will be immediately recognisable to series veterans: climb buildings, survey the area, assassinate targets, and escape. However, the game introduces several meaningful mechanics that distinguish it from its predecessors.

Rope Launcher and Traversal

The most significant addition is the "Rope Launcher," a device that allows players to quickly scale buildings and, more importantly, to create ziplines between structures. This tool effectively addresses the tedium of climbing in a city where buildings are shorter and wider than in Paris, enabling rapid traversal across rooftops and streets.

Quality-of-life improvement: This mechanic is widely praised as a quality-of-life improvement that makes navigation feel fluid and satisfying.

Combat System

The combat system has also been overhauled. Instead of the parry-and-counter system of previous games, Syndicate adopts a more aggressive, brawler-style approach. Jacob and Evie can chain combos, use a variety of weapons including kukris, brass knuckles, and canes, and perform brutal finishers.

The system is faster and more forgiving, but critics have noted that it lacks the depth and challenge of earlier titles. Enemy AI is often passive, and encounters can devolve into button-mashing, particularly in later stages when the player's character is fully upgraded.

Gang System and Side Content

Another key feature is the "gang" system. Players recruit and lead a street gang called the Rooks, who can be summoned to assist in combat or to create diversions. This adds a strategic layer to open-world activities, such as capturing enemy strongholds or disrupting Templar operations.

The game also includes a series of optional missions involving historical figures such as Charles Dickens, Alexander Graham Bell, and Karl Marx, which provide light-hearted diversions and some context for the era.

Stealth Mechanics

Stealth, a franchise staple, is present but feels secondary. Evie's skill tree emphasises stealth abilities, but level design often encourages direct confrontation. The game's cover system is functional but not as polished as in dedicated stealth titles.

Weakest aspect: Many players found the stealth sections to be the weakest part of the experience, with enemy detection being inconsistent and the AI's line-of-sight being easily exploited.

Who is Assassin's Creed Syndicate for?

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is best suited for players who enjoy open-world action games with a strong historical setting but who are not seeking a demanding challenge or a deeply intricate narrative. It is an accessible entry point for newcomers to the series, as the story is largely self-contained and does not require extensive knowledge of the overarching modern-day plot.

The dual-protagonist system allows players to choose a playstyle that suits them, whether that is the brawler approach of Jacob or the stealthier path of Evie.

However, long-time fans of the franchise may find the game to be a step backward in terms of narrative ambition and mechanical innovation. The modern-day segments, which were once a defining feature of the series, are reduced to a brief, almost perfunctory sequence.

Critics have noted that the historical story, while competently told, lacks the emotional weight of Ezio's arc or the political intrigue of the earlier games. The game also requires a significant time investment; the main story takes around 20 to 30 hours to complete, with a further 30 to 40 hours of side content, which may deter players looking for a more concise experience.

Graphics and performance

Visually, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a mixed bag. The recreation of Victorian London is impressive in scope and detail, with bustling streets, smoky factories, and grand landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and St. Paul's Cathedral.

The art direction is strong, and the game's lighting engine produces some striking moments, particularly during foggy evenings or in the gas-lit alleys of the city's poorer districts. However, the technical execution is less consistent.

Console Performance

On the original PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, the game runs at 30 frames per second with occasional drops during crowded scenes. The game's frame rate is locked to 30fps on consoles, which feels dated even for 2015.

Technical analysis: Digital Foundry's technical analysis noted that the game struggles to maintain a consistent frame rate on the base consoles, with the Xbox One version performing slightly worse than the PlayStation 4 version.

PC Performance

The PC version offers better performance but suffers from a poorly optimised port, with stuttering and crashes reported by a significant number of players. The situation is better if the player has a powerful GPU, but the game's CPU usage is notoriously high, causing bottlenecks on older processors.

Texture pop-in is a frequent issue, and character animations, particularly during cutscenes, can appear stiff and unnatural.

Value for money

At its original retail price of £49.99 (approximately $60), Assassin's Creed Syndicate offered a substantial amount of content. The main story, side missions, collectibles, and the "Jack the Ripper" DLC (which adds a new campaign and a darker tone) provide dozens of hours of gameplay.

However, the game is now several years old, and its value proposition has shifted considerably. As of the current date, the game is frequently available for under £10 on digital storefronts such as Steam, PlayStation Store, and the Ubisoft Store. At that price, it represents excellent value for players who enjoy historical open-world games and are willing to overlook its technical flaws.

That said, the game's core mechanics have not aged exceptionally well. The combat, traversal, and mission design are all serviceable but lack the polish of more recent entries in the genre, such as Horizon Zero Dawn or The Witcher 3.

Repetitive structure: Players who are accustomed to modern open-world games may find Syndicate's mission structure repetitive, with many objectives boiling down to "follow the target," "eavesdrop," or "eliminate the enemy."

The game also includes microtransactions for in-game currency, a feature that was criticised at launch and remains an unnecessary addition, though it can be entirely ignored without impacting the experience.

Verdict

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a solid but not exceptional game that will satisfy fans of the series but is unlikely to win over new converts.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a competent, if unremarkable, entry in the franchise. It successfully addresses many of the technical and design issues that plagued Unity, and the Victorian London setting is a refreshing change of pace.

The rope launcher is a genuinely enjoyable addition, and the dual-protagonist system offers some variety in playstyle. However, the game is let down by a forgettable narrative, a shallow combat system, and a lack of meaningful innovation.

The Metascore of 72 accurately reflects the critical consensus: a solid but not exceptional game that will satisfy fans of the series but is unlikely to win over new converts.

If you can find it at a discount, Syndicate is a pleasant way to spend a few dozen hours exploring a beautifully rendered historical city. If you are looking for a deep, challenging, or narratively rich experience, you would be better served elsewhere.

It is a game that does many things adequately but nothing exceptionally, and it remains a footnote in the Assassin's Creed series rather than a highlight.