Assassin's Creed Syndicate | A Missed Opportunity 

Fair reminder this is not a video of me saying Syndicate is “bad”. I’m just saying it could have easily been so much better and a great game had they not changed a lot of the good mechanics from Unity.

There was an actual reason they used knuckles and shit, and that was, in Victorian London, police existed. Having weapons was illegal, and you would be arrested for having swords and axes and the like. The reason knuckles and canes exist in the game is to make it realistic. And as much as the story is weird, I really loved the upbeat vibe of the story. Aside from that, very nice video bro👍👍👍👍👍

Well police exist in Syndicate so you can't really go around with swords and axes, so it makes sense that it's weapons like knives and brass knuckles since you can hide them easier

The thing is, Syndicate really has problems , but I´m just in love with London. I just enjoyed chillin with my boy Darwin and climbing up the big ben, so I didn´t care to much about the ending. Also I think the animation when you go stealth is really great, because you transition from british gentleman to brutal assassin and that really adds emersion in my opinion. Also long lives Queen Victoria. I just wanted to say that xD.

Plot twist: There's no plot twist, this is true.

In defense of Syndicate's combat system, people dropped using swords and axes in the 19th century unless it's hidden inside a cane.

My favorite game in the ac series. I liked close combat, I liked Jacob and his sister. I liked close combat because that badass walking stick dagger... That was my favorite weapon in all series. But ending was sadly weak. I can't deny that.

Definitely my favourite setting for AC. London Town

I actually disagree, I liked syndicate and its dlc, while it wasnt the best, certainly wasnt as bad as you say

i love the odyssey Jokes all the time 😂

I actually found the leveling quite pleasant. They didn't put a heavy emphasis on it, and basically everything except for horse races gave you a lot of xp.

I love Syndicate for all the same reasons that you don't. I love the combat system, it's so much fun! Evie and Jacob's relationship is like a mirror image of my sister and I. I love systematically clearing out the boroughs of London one by one. I love driving carriages! I love a lot about this game and I don't hate it's flaws.

I loved this game as I really love the game that shows old and historic times

Love all the videos man, keep the good work up!!!

I agree with you although Syndicate was my favourite game (just bc I fell in love with the twins lol), and probably it was the last AC that Ubisoft ever made.

Ac syndicate is close enough of becoming a “modern” assassin. The relationship of the frye twins indeed need to be improved A LOT- like make them care and support each other like actual twins. As for the combat, I like it and don’t like it at the same time because of the fast paced flashy moves. And My God the story could’ve been even more. Hell, they should even give the rooks a better role aside from being recruit of green wearing gangster- they should form the next british assassin brotherhood if they will.

Great content keep it up bro

Syndicate was amazing, combat, stealth, open world, the soundtrack, story was a bit too upsetting at times, and the ending was just... unsatisfaying... could've been better, the leveling system could've been less repetitive, and the MT's were really out of place, so i give it a 8.5/10 cuz the Jack The Ripper DLC was great

I died with the emotion of 4:41 😂😂 Syndicate's and Unity's parkour feels like actually climbing building, with Odissey's parkour it just feels as like running, no emotion, no skill, just running.

And now Assassin's Creed is a whole ass RPG. I'll take syndicate over valhalla anyday of the week. In my opinion, Origins was the last good AC game

Even though Odyssey was bad...it has good theme music

Well , for the manual jump I actually don’t mind it because all I do in unity when I run is L-Forward, RT-Hold and MASH A because I feel comfortable with it

Wow 30k already. I remember subscribing to you in the hundreds. Well done!

MasterAssassin’s thoughts on the next AC game? Time and location?

Honestly, the happy ending was refreshing for me. Every since ACIII, all the protagonists have lost something or other and it was fun to have a lighthearted story.

Although i like old assassin's creed games. I thought rpg combat is way better than syndicate's combat XD

this is hilarious and i love it. the Odyssey tune i really liked but then you put it like that im ded laughing XDDDDD

This video is so well made, I defo agree with nearly every point. Unity built an excellent base to work upon and instead they decided to change it instead? I’m not sure why Ubisoft thinks that full complete change is needed when we criticize the games like watch_dogs to watch dogs 2 as they had a major change. I’ve said it many times, the devs should go back to unity and look at every positive, duplicate and improve upon it.

I subbed to you when you were at 19k subs , now you are suddenly 30k , your channel is growing very fast , good content 👍

I dont think you can walk around with Sword, axe at that time period. Also the female henchmens openly terrorising London were also immersion breaking. I really loved London setting though but all of your criticism are very valid

unity was buggy at launch but had great gameplay, syndicate was more polished at launch but suffered with gameplay i wish we could get a game taking the best from both of the games

I am playing all assassins creed games am on unity and only syndicate is left, unitt gameplay and parkour is good but that has little to do with me, all I need is a good story, that is why I only like ezio triology, valhalla and origins... rogue also had fine story Also parkour is tough to learn in unity

Unity... I have love/hate relationship with this game. It's absolutely gorgeous: graphics, world details, parkour (!). But! Control wise: clunky. When I free roam: "Omg, I love you so much!" When I do mission: "No! NOO!!! Where you going Arno, don't jump there... No! Not like that." [Restart memory]

Congrats on 30k man!

I feel like this vid is more about how bad Odyssey is compared to Syndicate.

Personally? I like to sorta mix-n-match certain outfits/accessories/gauntlets amongst the Frye Twins. Evie's base outfit looks great, either in Fuchsia or Steel Gray, with various capes such as the Eagle Dive, Killer Lace, Emerald Isle, or Legendary Assassin Capes. Also, the Cloaking Cloak of course. Her Master Assassin look is great too in Green, Forest Green, or Steel Gray. For her gauntlets, at first, the Redback because it suits her so well. Even the Black Leather and Assassin gauntlets are great for her too. But of course, Legendary Assassin cape & gauntlet for much later on in the game. If I wanna have Evie rock her steampunk garments and cloak from Dr. Daniel? The Nautilus gauntlet goes well with it still being very steampunk but more refined, like Evie herself! For Jacob, his base outfit and Outdoorsman outfits are both good, especially when they're colored Green; a nice reference or maybe homage to Sir Henry Green/Jayadeep Mir aka, 'Greenie' (Jacob's nickname for his would-be brother-in-law). The green choice not only is a nice homage but also firmly places Jacob with the Rooks, his base outfit with the Dark Leather belt and Industrial gauntlet clearly show him as a common, unassuming factory worker & gang member with a workman's glove while his Outdoorsman coat lets Jacob showoff that he is the Leader of the East End Rooks, along with the Belt of Good & Evil, Beer Collector and/or Eagle Dive belts and the Black Leather gauntlet help him blend into the more Upper-class parts of London. Also, Jacob's Master Assassin coat/robes along with his nicer formerly mentioned belts and the Legendary Assassin gauntlet of course mark the level of mastery he would attain later in his life. If I want him to have fun, his Steampunk garments, Fisticuffing belt, the Chronographic Piercer gauntlet, and the Wallop Enhancer too since Jacob loves and prefers knuckle dusters (provided by the very eccentric but brilliant, Dr. Daniel). PS: Of course, both Assassins wield certain melee weapons and firearms but that's all for another discussion.

I want a remake of syndicate, like assassins creed gangs of new york

I agree with most things you say but chuckle everytime you say they made Parkour/ combat more casual. Like AC was ever anything but casual. The combat was always easy with brain dead enemies waiting to strike one by one while their friends die like a dance and Parkour never required more than just keep pressing to run.

you missed one thing: where tf is the coop mode? it was so fun with friends and it fits very well into the brotherhood concept

I agree with you. After having finished the game I thought that Syndicate could have been sooo much better! The protagonists are great and London is a very atmospheric setting so the basis for a fantastic was basically given. Apart from that thought, I ended up liking AC Syndicate more than I thought. Somehow it was pretty satisfying.

i know its a bit late to say but i binge watched half the videos on your channel very underrated channel but Also i wanted to thank you 3:08 and 4:31 always makes me laugh i love these small hits on odyssey in your videos

Watching you rant about Odyssey never gets old. Along with that background soundtrack

The AC game without the jump mechanic.

I love the way you troll AC oddyseyy with the theme song 😂

Just started playing Syndicate and can't agree more with ya dude! Unity was the most advanced 'authentic' AC experience. Really hope Ubisoft sees this and redeems what it should have, but we all know what'll happen.

Man, more I watch you videos, more I understand that I agree on almost everything with you! Exact my thoughts on AC, Wdogs e.t.c. Keep it up, good videos! Thanks!

I missed the notif :(

People think the leveling system started from Origins but it isn't true it started from Syndicate and a little bit from Unity too!!

Say what you will but I loved the caneswords, such a cool weapon imo🤷🏾

I personally thought that the fast paced combat was great and it relly makes u feel like a badass assassin. But they still could have implemented more weapons to the game.

Ubisoft on failing: *Honesty is the best policy!* Fans of Assassin's Creed: *Okay...*

30.ooo subs good job and good video

I agree that it’s kinda like unity type miss by ubi not putting effort in it

4:30 best parkour ever. I wish they would remake the Ezio series with the new RPG elements, combat system, and the excellent parkour.

Congrat on 30k

Can you make a video on how Origins was a huge step in the right direction?

The worst thing about Syndicate was always thinking about how fantastic the story could have been, if they actually tried. This games story deserves a remake, same characters, same setting, but completely different backstory and character arcs. A complete rewrite. Then again, with how Ubisoft is, maybe I'd rather they just left this game alone...

I played a little of AC 1 when it first come out wasn't overly hooked on it and hadn't touch another AC game since until about 2 weeks age when I bought AC syndicate because I liked the setting. Loving AC syndicate and was planning on getting ORIGINS next as my next AC game but decided on getting Unity after completing Syndicate, Unity looks amazing graphically and detailed open word.

Hey I have a question. What do you think about the Anno series and about the newest ano Anno 1800?

after this games comes out I was actually hoping the next game set in the early 1900 in Berlin so we have the three capitals of the most influential countrys in europe after Paris and London Berlin was a optimal choise in my opinion and the time pefectly because germany was a culture, sience, economic and military power with a lot of interesting historical figures

Guess I'm third, well that's fine.

I feel like they should’ve just added parachutes again for the further jumps instead of not allowing us for bigger distance to just give us an extra time in the air for the further jumps, it also would’ve been nice to use the grappling hook to catch ourselves mid air like in in the trailer

Ubisoft qubec shouldn't be the mane producer of assassins creed Loved the video

I think this is the ONE GAME Ubisoft should remaster. I am a die hard AC fan 1, Enzio Trilogy...but Syndicate...too many issues.

Hello!! Andrew Lindsay has told me to watch you a lot so hello!!!

This is my first AC game ever and I absolutely loved it

As a big syndicate fan I agree with all that! I hope in the next AC Parkour would make a come back!

1:49 in that period of time it was illgeal to hold a sword or an axe if you are not a cop so i think ubisoft took that into consideration

I just don’t feel like an assassin in syndicate because of how Jacob looks more like a little kid with great strength and evie feels like a babysitter. The fighting system is weird and I don’t like have a key to get in silent mode because I think having the hood at all time is better. Some assassins like Edward and Connor had decisions and character development and also great villains in their story or decent ones but then you see syndicate and the story is empty and Jacob doesn’t feel like an assassin and evie feels kinda like one but she has barely any experience so she makes dumb decisions. The fact that Jacob killed a lot of people and messed economy and still didn’t have any consequences makes it look empty.

I mean, I was raised on the Arkham games, and Syndicate was the first AC game I played (and the first M rated game), so it was, at the very least, a good intro to the series. I mean, after playing that, you can only go up from there with AC games (at least until Odyssey and Valhalla). I distinctly remember being blown away by the parkour. After only playing Arkham games, the idea that I could climb anything was mindblowing.

I got into AC with Odyssey. Never had played anything prior. Tried to go to Black Flag. I really tried. Could t do it. But respect you man!

I actually liked the syndicate combat because it was quite different to the previous games in my opinion

“I thought swords, axes were a lot better” bro in 1868 London?

I love each and every AC game for different reasons, but God! Syndicate was one boring experience that I had to force myself from times to get trough.

Aren't the throwing knives litteraly just the same thing as the phantom blade..?

Hey, I beg you to do a which is better game out of red dead 1 or 2. If not that then a review on assassin's creed 1 in 2021.

I just hope they bring back the parkour movement mechanics and combat from AC Unity to future AC games.

Here is the thing about Syndicate's leveling system. Unlike systems that followed this game, you could actually do a no upgrades run if you leaned into the (albeit not great) stealth system. The hidden blade was still an o-ko at this point, and you didn't have to max out the skill 'trees' to finish the game and could opt to use lower level gear without being totally outclassed by opposing npcs. I finished the map and the final boss at level 7 through normal progression. And something else that was okay was that you didn't actually have to clear every borough to complete the story. I left the two highest level ones as enemy territory in order to build tension and make the late game harder, with the idea that the Templars would be more tightly organized in the heart of the operation. Easily one of the best parts of the game imo, and something a game like Valhalla could have benefitted from, but we all know Ubisoft doesn't learn from its mistakes or hold itself accountable.

That's why assassin's creed is not assassin's creed anymore

one of the things i love the most about syndicate is the repetitiveness of the NPC missions. by that i mean that you have a certain group of NPCs, and those are the ones who keep coming back to you with side missions bc you’re friends :D it’s similar in Ezio’s game, but side missions in unity were SO FLAT. i just really love being able to get attached to NPCs! tho obviously nobody will be as good as our boi leonardo da vinci, but henry green and charles darwin and alexander graham bell are really cool xD

This actually used to be my favourite AC a few years ago, but when I played it again last year it became my least favourite.

I actually like syndicate. I love London but I did hate the leveling system and costume variety and weapon variety. Unity was by far superior and I think unity is the best ac overall.

which game do you recommend black flag or valhala

I rather enjoy the overpowered enemies gameplay (so far anyway). Just a month ago, I was exclusively a Nintendo guy and therefore have only played AC3, Black Flag, and Rogue. In said games, I could wipe the floor with an entire army of Brits if I was in the mood, and while that certain feels empowering, it kind of assassinates the *need* for stealth gameplay except for when a story level deems it necessary. Now that I have a PC and my video-game availability has expanded exponentially, I have Syndicate. Once I arrived at the London open world, I decided to go to the clock tower synchronize point...and got killed three times on the way there. It was a strange feeling, being so utterly weak against level 4+ folks. I soon gathered that stealth was the most useful thing I could rely on, and I eventually gained a new, different feeling of empowerment, one that made me proud to be an unseen killer, as an assassin should be. Keep in mind that I haven't played this for more than five hours, so- you know, opinion is subject to change.

The biggest missed opportunity in Syndicate was not having co-op gameplay or at least an Assassin Ally/Brotherhood system, considering that it had an actual 2-protagonist premise for the very first time, but due to implementation, it didn't feel like it you could beat 75% of the game with just one twin, and another would just appear in the cutscenes as if they were following you all along but were not seen for some reason. Only in the final mission, both were properly implemented, which is crazy to me.

I understood the weapon choice because of the setting, the time and location meant it was illegal to hold most weaponry so they had to conceal it, but we had kukri so who tf knows really, the cane staff and knuckles were cool, but I think it fell down to how bad the combat felt and how there was no weight behind it, they should have capitalized on the whole revolution and made more gadgets to compensate for lack of weaponry, even if they had more weapons it would have been cool to use the grappling hook in combat, or see new innovative stealth and combat gadgets like a tripwire, they could have made multiple vial types like an oil vial that works similar to a trip wire but only stumbles enemies instead of tripping them, or a vial that on impact explodes into a blinding flash that could also blind the player if they're too close

The biggest let down for me was the lack of weapon types and the way the sword cane worked. I hate that you fight with it like its some odd club and you dont actually pull out a sword and duel. And I get the weapons were supposed to be concealed but they could have atleast added a little hatchet and the ability to fight with hidden blades

Choosing london was a bad Idea because as you pointed out buildings are not close to each other making parkour more cheesy than it already is

I play assassin's creed syndicate but really wish if i had assassin's creed unity its the best assassin's creed game ever

I agreed with mostly everything in this vid. The combat sometimes looks good. I think with the brask nuckles the combat looks fun and badass. Mostly because of the use of hidden blade. With the cane and knife, it looks goofy and unrealistic. Stabing an enemy 20 times in the head and not dying looks really bad. I did acctually like that they acted like child's. Evie acts like a child when with Jacob. But Jacob acts like a child all the time, which I like that change. Siblings fight all the time so I loved the constant bickering between them. But yea a pretty messy game overall. But yea as subzero says in mk11 "such wasted potentail"

i agree with everything on your list except for the weapon choices. having swords and axes would not fit the time period that assassins creed syndicate was based in. brass knuckles, canes, and short knives fit extremely well within the time period and it fits even better with the assassins as they are very discreet weapons and arent as visible as swords. having an assassin walk around london during the industrial revolution with a sword on their side would not be something normal to see. other than that this video is great.

You think Syndicate is to blame for degradation of AC series? I'll do you one better. I think the core of the problem can be seen way back in Revelations. As we all know AC from the beginning was supposed to be a sci-fi modern day story about Desmond and Assassins fighting modern day Templars and Abstergo and trying to save the world by learning about pieces of Eden and accessing memories of ancestors. AC1 is very clear about the premise and it doesn't shy away from the fact that Desmond is the main hero and the main part of the game where we play as Altair is not just a simple story for its own sake but instead it serves as a tool to introduce the Assassin brotherhood, the philosophy and the conflict with Templars that still exists in modern times. So in AC2 Altair is no longer the historical protagonist and we meet Ezio. This further reinforces the idea that it's Desmond who we should be paying the most attention to and everything we learn inside of the Animus has a deeper meaning that relates to the present day. This attitude carried over to Brotherhood where Desmond has some actual real life things to do, there is more character development with Shaun, Lucy and Rebecca and we get excited thinking about what Desmond will accomplish in the next games as he becomes better and better at doing Assassin stuff due to bleeding effect. Around this very time (after AC2 and Brotherhood - 2010 basically) I remember A LOT of people were complaining about modern day. Tons of influential morons like AngryJoe and other RU-vidrs and journalists made the argument that modern day plot is "stupid" or "boring" and that "AC would be better if it just focused on historical settings". These people failed to realize that at its core AC is not just "stabbing guards in historical settings" simulator but a complex narrative that tells a modern day story and links it with various historical characters and events. Solid present day story was the glue that kept everything together and made fans care! It made sure that there are stakes in the story, it connected various time periods together, it showed a bigger picture, it introduced a lot of fascinating conspiracies and theories and it made fans excited! When I finished Brotherhood I was really happy about Ezio but I was mainly excited about Desmond! Holy hell! Did he just kill Lucy? What is going to happen next?! Unfortunately the anti modern day voices were loud enough for Ubisoft to notice. My suspicion is that execs at the company decided that maybe it would be more profitable to sell AC by marketing the historical setting more than the overarching narrative. Maybe they thought the plot is getting too complex for casual players and that people don't really care that much about Desmond. So they made the decision to end Desmond saga and do it in such a way that fans of the modern day plot are not completely disappointed but at the same time Desmond haters are not annoyed too much and they can go straight to murdering city guards as soon as possible. And this shows in Revelations. The game's premise is brilliant but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Desmond is in a coma and his mind is stuck in the Animus trying to survive. At the same time Desmond meets the mind of Subject 16 and learns that he needs to see through Ezio's story because for some reason it's important. Now this is just a perfect premise for a game in my opinion. Just imagine the potential! This could be the game that makes Desmond story way more personal. Since Desmond is in a coma and stuck in a malfunctioning Animus there is unlimited potential for unique and amazing experiences. We could have fully playable Desmond memories where we see key moments from his life like his upbringing on the Assassin farm, trainings with his father William, his eventual escape, his life in the city as a bartender and then the capture by Abstergo. There's a lot of room for introspection, character development and expanding the modern day story. But look what Ubisoft did. The game starts with a very brief introduction of Desmond and Subject 16 and in less than a few minutes we're back playing as Ezio. Throughout the game Desmond has just a few small interactions with Clay and the total runtime of the obligatory modern day content is probably like 10 minutes. 15 if we include the cinematic at the end. All the interesting modern day info has been sidelined and put in completely non-essential walking simulator side missions where you play in FPP and place white blocks to solve easy platforming puzzles. It was so weak you probably forgot it existed. Revelations had a whole DLC called The Lost Archive that no one even remembers. And for a reason. This stuff would have been 100 times more interesting if it was integral part of the story and was on par with the main game. Experiencing Desmond memories in TPP, having real cutscenes and real character development would be infinitely better than listening to voice over while playing Minecraft. I have a strong suspicion this opportunity was wasted precisely because so many fans were complaining about Desmond and Ubisoft wanted to appeal to those casuals by sacrificing the story and making it as short and non-intrusive as possible without completely getting rid of it. ACIII has more modern day content than any AC but it's only because this is the last part of Desmond's story so it's kind of necessary. But still it doesn't even come close to what could have been if developers stayed true to their original vision. In ACIII I expected way more modern day missions that mix up the gameplay and kind of feel like Hitman/Uncharted/Splinter Cell. I expected a mission in a modern day city where Desmond needs to blend in the crowds and assassinate some Abstergo agent. I expected inflitrations of Abstergo facilities and compounds. I expected Uncharted-esque missions where Desmond finds Precursor sites and uses his parkour skills to navigate them before he's ambushed by Abstergo hit squad and has to fight them. I expected appropriate modern day gameplay where Desmond uses a silenced pistol that you can free aim, hides behind covers like Sam Fisher, uses smoke grenades and assassinates people from the back using hidden blade. This is what I imagined when I thought about the final part of Desmond story. I wanted to see him getting things done! ACIII actually has a few modern day missions but way too few of them and they are way too short. They barely scratch the surface. Similarly, AC Revelations could have had profound Matrix-like themes and mindblowing set pieces. Imagine a sequence where the simulation falls apart and Desmond runs through the collapsing world to evade deletion. Imagine trippy moments when Desmond starts jumping between different time periods and characters like Clay did. Imagine sessions glitching in a way that Desmond gets inserted into historical settings and has to fight guards or escape or else his mind breaks. Imagine a few missions where Desmond jumps in the memories of completely different ancestors just to learn some secrets. Imagine Desmond unlocking Clay's memories so we can experience Subject 16's story and key moments from his life in normal third person perspective with cutscenes, voice acting, gameplay sequences in modern day etc. I mean goddammit! The story writes itself and there is so much potential here! Revelations could be the most interesting spin on the modern day ever! It could properly develop Clay, Desmond and the relationship with William before he's properly introduced in ACIII. It's even more painful when you remember how awesome and mind bending Revelation's ending was! Just try to imagine the game had more moments like this throughout. Devs had the perfect premise and they wasted it because Ubisoft was scared to go all in with the plot and instead decided to appeal to casual players who just want to "be a badass in a hood who stabs guards and jumps on roofs". It was in 2011 when the series started to lose its identity. Ubisoft quickly finished Desmond story and then started selling games based on the setting. Pirates, French Revolution, Victorian London, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, England during Viking raids. Since ACIII modern day plot is in AC just out of necessity, not passion. It barely plays any role, there are no stakes and the plotlines lead absolutely nowhere. Nothing matters now. We find yet another piece of Eden like the sword or the shroud and it's never brought up again. Juno, observatories, cloning precursors, the employee from Black Flag and Rogue, Helix program, Abstergo Entertainment making games - none of it matters in the end. There is no progression in AC world. Nothing to look forward to, no insane endings to keep you invested in the story, no revelations, no profound meanings, no big picture, no solid modern day gameplay, no nothing. It's as if AC was stuck in one place since 2012 and it doesn't know where to go.

Just finished this game and really enjoyed it. However, I feel like I should go back and play Unity now as it sounds like I'll enjoy that even more

As unfulfilling as the game may be, it’s also just sad to realise that it was probably the end of an era, the last (traditional) AC game.Sure, it wasn’t executed the best, but at least it somewhat kept the proper, authentic assassins creed mechanics and element, unlike the newest games, which are all practically assassins creed:Skyrim edition.

The main reason I played this game was due to the fact my neighborhood was built in the late 1800's with Victorian style buildings. I absolutely loved the look and feel of this game since it's somewhat reminiscent of my neighborhood. Especially the back streets and grimy areas.

i feel the hate of odyssey in every videos of yours lool

You should do a video on revelations if you haven't

I miss when Assassins Creed was Assassins Creed. I don’t even have an issue with an rpg AC, but I don’t like that the gameplay doesn’t feel assassin like, and the stories are half assed in the AC department 😔

Syndicate is definitely one of my top favorite ac games

Totally agree