I miss the old assasins creed so much...

It's so cathartic to hear someone put into words how awesome and pure AC1 is. I wish these games would've gotten the ending they deserved, especially after how great the first 4 were. Thank you for always speaking for the old school AC fans, lazerzz.

I’m glad someone else appreciates AC1

3:03:14 You can kill Majd Addin undetected if you stand at the front of the crowd and run up on to the platform when his back is turned. I’m pretty sure it’s in one of the intel pieces, all the more evidence this game is so amazing. Like, pinpointing the exact time based on your targets behaviour for when they’re vulnerable is just cool if you pull it off.

Something I love about this game that the Ezio trilogy lacked was the moral ambiguity. The templars arguments are very good and make you ask questions. Make you question the mentor goals. The Ezio trilogy and a number of the other games keep it a simple good vs evil story and that’s a mistake. The story, conversations, graphics, and world still hold up today. Great game to start a great franchise

I love how your left bracer steadily gets more plates as you level up, and also how Desmond’s arm tattoo emulates the bracer

Everytime a conversation begins with Altair and Al Mualim I immediately get hooked on the philosophical debates between the two. How Altair slowly questions the Creed and how he realizes that the Templars are just striving with the same goal, and how Al Mualim has counterpoints to almost each question Altair asks while furthermore jeopardizing Altairs' status as a fledgling assassin since he fucked up the most important mission ever. You just can't get quality dialogue and tension like that anymore nowadays.

This characterized exactly why this has become my favourite game in the series and one of my favourite games ever. There really is no other game like Assassin’s Creed. Well done with this video, James.

Despite James telling me not to, I definitely watched this in one sitting. What an absolute nostalgia trip for in my opinion one of the greatest games ever made. Thanks for all of the work that you put into these videos James. Our views are so similar at times it feels like i’m listening to myself. I was 14 when this game came out and still enjoy replaying it today.

Assassin’s creed 2007-2012, you will be missed

it's really awesome to see how much other people enjoy and appreciate what is easily my favourite game in the AC franchise. i only ever hear complaints about AC1, it's very refreshing to hear some nicer opinions.

Just finished watching this. Thanks for the shoutout. AC1 is one of my favorite games ever, and this video just *gets* it. The interwoven narratives between modern day and the ancestor story, the philosophy, the intrigue, the themes, the conspiracies-this video just *gets* all of it. This is probably one of the ONLY videos that actually talks about why the Investigations and intel actually provided a far more rich gameplay experience than one would initially expect. AC1 is still the only game that actually lets you plan out and come up with routes before an assassination. You know, like an assassin. I’d also like to add my own thoughts about AC1’s social stealth system and build on your own conclusions. AC1’s social stealth system is relatively rudimentary, but it definitely gets the job done. Ultimately, it’s more or less a simple system of if enemies are not Investigating or Suspicious, they don’t care unless you kill someone, but if they are Suspicious or Investigating, they will expose you immediately if you do something High Profile or Suspicious (climbing, running, jumping, knocking pots over, knocking into people, etc.). The actual challenge of this system is that AC1 populates its level design with NPCs like Investigating Patrols, Beggars, and Drunkards/Lunatics (in lieu of a better word) that act almost like landmines. This is actually how the factional notoriety works-enemies don’t become more aware, but the actual density of obstacles you face go way up as you continue the game. It’s a relatively binary system, but it works damn well. It’s incredibly immersive to walk and parkour by to sneak through guarded areas while guards scramble to find you as you’re right beside them. In light of these mechanics, the fantastic parkour, and the intel gathering mechanics, AC1 is still, to do this day, probably one the strongest Assassin Fantasies in this series.

31:06 The death of Adha was one of the events that led to Altair feeling disillusioned with the Creed and also led to him being very reckless in missions. Adha was mentioned in Altair's Chronicles and also in the Codex Pages of AC2. It makes sense how this kind of moment would cause him to go from a Master Assassin to a very brash individual who pushed aside the tenets a lot and who eventually became stripped of his rank at the start of AC1.

34:06 I didn't understand for a long time, but last year it dawned on me that possibly it was done for an artistic reason. In AC1 and AC2; Desmond, Altair and Ezio all have pretty much the same face (with matching mouth scar) and for years I thought that was just "oh the 3 are family and related so they look the same" trope (look at the Back To The Future trilogy to see what I mean) or perhaps its a matter of reincarnation; Desmond is a reincarnation of Ezio, and Ezio is a reincarnation of Altair. But recently it dawned on me that perhaps the reason the 3 look the same is cuz the Animus was supposed to be placing Desmond's face ontop of Altair's (and Ezo's) because it's supposed to be Desmond in Altair's place. And the reason Altair doesn't have the Middle Eastern accent was supposed to be a reflection of that; Desmond has an American accent. And the reason Altair has a Middle Eastern accent in Revelations is because Desmond is experiencing Altair's memories through the artifacts. Although my theory has the issue that it doesn't account for Altair's accent in Bloodlines, which I figured was Desmond exploring more of Altair's memories on his own inbetween 1 and 2.

I always assumed the confessions were a dramatized extension of Eagle Vision-ie, the proximity and intimacy of the moment allows the assassin to better sense the target’s motive and intent.

Watching the four pillars and playing assassins creed pretty much defined my teens. It feels really rewarding to get closure on that chapter of my life after so many years of disillusionment and turning my back on the franchise. This video is a great reminder to move past the corporate failure that is the modern Ac games and embrace the artistry and passion that went into those early instalments. I’m glad James is still able to make informed and retrospective Ac content despite what the franchise has put him through and what it did to the other pillars and I feel like enough time has passed where I can finally embrace how important these games were and are to me.

I'm on an AC1 nostalgia trip right now. The whole last night I binged other AC 1 documentaries and just today I found your channel and now you drop THIS video?! 🤯 Just amazing!

Oh boy, when the "Animus loading in" sound hit at 12:23 I got a shiver down my back. God I loved this game. I really need to go back and replay it again. Looking forward to checking out this whole video!

This honestly might be the best breakdown and analysis of a video game. Seriously. Fantastic work!!

James never fails to impress and inspire with the detail in his videos. Im in school for game design and have used AC1 repeatedly as a point of reference for how a game should provoke intrigue in not only narrative but every other element of the game. It truly is just a work of art and honestly I hope Ubi never remasters it. The game never gets old, even as someone that started the franchise playing AC2. AC1 just slaps in a way none of the others have been able to recapture. Thank you James, for getting it.

The combo system recognizes any combination of light and heavy attacks, as long as they fall within the rhythm of the sword clashes. When people are having trouble I always recommend exclusively using heavy combos by releasing attack just before the blades connect and then holding it again to reduce the number of hits to land a finisher, thereby reducing the number of timing checks, but Kristjan Zadziuk revealed the intention was for you to create your own combos to make each player's combat style unique Templars may insta-spot you, but they have a 100% chance to taunt as soon as they do, making them *always* vulnerable to assassination as long as you're quick. Once you get them out of the way they never respawn, making them perpetual stealth landmines that can be permanently defused Funny enough, there is actually an answer to your question, but you're not going to like it. Patrice Désilets revealed in an interview that he added 420 flags to the game with no rewards to satirize the pointlessness of late 90s collect-a-thon 3D platformers and the rabid completionist mindset of their fans. It would be only six years later that Black Flag added grindy statted naval combat that required a voracious appetite for collectibles to keep up with, missing the entire point The dialogue that plays when you visit the bureau *before* doing the investigations isn't just for flavor, it contains very specific instructions. The rafiq tells you in which part of the city you can find your investigations, near which landmarks, and in which direction from the bureau. It helps to have Wiktionary open so you can figure out the Arabic and tell the difference between a souq and a bazaar. Once you get close you'll probably hear the mission before you see it. If one herald is saying something different than all the others, that means he's the target. Walk the streets, save some citizens to clear up the noise pollution, look for anyone acting suspicious. When in doubt, check eagle vision to confirm. If you get lost, climb a viewpoint and look at the surrounding area with your eyes to relocate your landmarks. When you need to return to the bureau you can identify it by its unique onion-shaped tower. Patrice has stated the game was designed to be played with no HUD at all. That's why you can tell when you're at low health by your screen flashing, you can tell what weapon you have equipped by double tapping the d-pad, you can tell how many knives you have left by looking at your sashes (but not in the UPlay version!), and you can tell what profile you're in by Altair's idle stance Draw a blade to make beggars flee with minimal social consequence. Punching is for getting maniacs to leave you alone You can also shove guards to instantly floor them and render them vulnerable to a ground stab with the hidden blade with no risk of being grab breaked. It's a great way to save on throwing knives and defuse minor detections Some of us use jump and bump in casual play to mitigate the irritation of the lengthy dialogue. Jcers taught you during your speedrun, right? You can always bypass sentries by assassinating a guard nearby, moving away from the body, and blending past them when they come to investigate. This works for gates, buildings, and even in reverse when the sentries are facing away. You never have to use combat in the open world The religious themes in this serve as a companion piece to Vladimir Bartol's Alamut novel. The way you covered the garden was pretty good, but I see it differently - more like the Assassins inheriting an understanding of the power of illusion from their Hashashin ancestors. There's a real respect for the source material in this game that makes me think it could never deliberately satirize the conspiracy theories it builds its world upon. The Apple deconstructing belief systems is an echo of Hassan's own philosophy, or at least how he's portrayed. He knows that no man could ever prove the existence of God in any way meaningful enough to fully quell all doubts when your life is on the line, so he resorts to methods I won't spoil here. Other elements serve as a direct response to this worldview. I wouldn't recommend the average player read this book as a necessary inclusion to understanding the game like I would The Secret Crusade with Revelations, but as someone who has five hours worth of thoughts and considers this one of their favorite games, you specifically would probably find a lot of value in it. It turned out to be one of my favorite *books* during my lore deep dive back in the day. Besides, recent comments by the writers of Mirage have only further strengthened my theory that it was always meant to be canonical to the Assassin's Creed universe You can vault from the very beginning of the game. The way the catch ledge animation sometimes plays when prepping air vaults is the result of a control conflict for this clearly unfinished mechanic. Try holding both legs and open hand at the same time to air vault after crossing between two NSOs instead of three Funny story, a speedrunner came around asking about that wrong target glitch when it was first discovered and we had no idea what was going on. At the time they were just chucking guys around at random and stabbing them in the hopes they'd somehow get the angle right. We, who have labbed this game for 15 years, had never seen this happen before in our lives. Assassin's Creed, truly an enigma of software engineering Nice punch drop You have to dodge to avoid being hit by the next attack after a guard break, which you can see that Templar do to you in the very clip you used to demonstrate it, you just didn't get the timing right. That is its primary purpose. Guard break is to keep them from countering you, which you know they'll do when they have both hands on their swords. Every move in this game is a counter to something else, which is why everything you can do to them, they can do to you, with the exception of hidden blade moves of course. The devs even rigged up a PvP mode for testing to ensure you were never put in a situation where you couldn't respond to enemy combat behavior Maniacs are the results of Garnier's failed experiments, which is why we first see them at his lab. It seems he did not kill all he could not help, or perhaps when he sent them to the other cities as a workforce the ones who were too far gone had to be relieved of duty and the other leaders chose to deal with them differently. You can see they have mostly the same model as the one who tried to escape Actually, Arabic is totally like that to this very day. There are dozens of documented variants and dialects across the divided Arab world even with different spellings, which is why there are like 14 different ways to something as common as a prayer rug. There are probably discrepancies between how I spell things in this comment and how the game spells them. The good news is that it's difficult to say something entirely wrong. The bad news is that it's incredibly complicated just to learn a single word Altair knows where Jubair is at all times. He knows this because he knows where Jubair isn't. By subtracting where Jubair is from where Jubair isn't, or where Jubair isn't from where Jubair is (whichever is greater), he obtains a difference, or deviation The hidden messages absolutely deserve their own video. The wiki may be a mess, but their article on these is actually excellent. What helped me with the Mandelbrot Set was the Jonathon Coulton song, the line about "infinite complexities contained within a simple set of rules," which I interpreted as a metaphor for the nuances of the warring idealogies and called it a day, lest I go as crazy as 16 trying to figure everything out

I am 100% convinced there was meant to be a modern day AC where Desmond rides a motorcycle instead of a horse.

So, Before this video I had played all assassins creed games besides Ac 1 and Ac 3. I watched halfway through it and I got so hyped by how you spoke of the writing and mixed with my hype for mirage I bought it and played. Some big channels always called it half baked, a not good game, but a good Idea. I don’t know what they were thinking, and since that god of war video you’re taste for narratives have proved to be a lot like mine. I Loved every second I played of this old ass game, for me It was even better than the ezio trilogy games. The concept of assassins disguised as preachers, eavesdropping, pickpocketing, informants, the bureau’s dialogues and investigation. I was surprised most of these ideas were not followed in future games. Thank you for this video, Now ac 1 is the best experience I had with assassins creed.

I just realized that Acre has a similar color scheme to Abstergo's Animus room and Acre has most Templar influence just like Abstergo.

I still remember playing Assassin's Creed for the first time. I really wanted to give it a try after watching the trailer since I love medieval history. I was 15 years old. Even today, more than 15 years later, it remains one of my favourite games. I hear many people complaining how repetitive it was. Maybe, but the simplicity of its missions, the ambient vibes and the soundtrack were something of another level. A level modern Assassin's Creed games (if we still want to call those Assassin's Creed) can only dream about. Thank you for bringing back these great memories LazerzZ, I am VERY attached to this game and I feel you!

As it’s still only just come out and I had a lot of free time this evening, I think I must be one of the only ones so far who’s actually been able to watch the whole thing in one sitting - still alive! :) Wonderful job James, this was an absolute treat to watch when I’ve become increasingly disenfranchised with AC in recent years. Whilst I’ll always love the Ezio trilogy and Black Flag, parts of Unity and Origins, and whilst I never played AC1 until years after it was released (I was only 3 when it came out), AC1 has increasingly grown on me over the last couple of years to the point where I truly hold it in the highest regard. I don’t enjoy the gameplay loop as much as some of the later games, especially the 100+ “side content” citizen missions and repeated use of the same shallow investigation techniques, but I absolutely adore the parkour, combat and stealth, whilst the story and philosophical nuance is rivalled only by Revelations. Excellent video, especially the little humorous edits xD. I look forward to the next project you put out!

Finally finished this mammoth of a video and what a video. I plated the original AC once many years ago and I can barely remember it but this video makes me appreciate where the series started. The character and passion in this video is a joy to watch, excellent deconstruction of the story, themes, and character development. James has to be one of the best youtubers doing retrospectives and critiques today

This was such a great video, so full of passion and an attention to detail which I have nothing but respect for. But Al Mualim's opening lines really ring true for the series as a whole, the more you understand how deep and complex AC1 was, how tight and beautifully realised it's concepts and philosophies were, the more it pains me to think of where the series went. We'll never get a game like this again and that is such a shame.

Even with the lows, this is my favourite video game franchise and it has been since this game. I hadn’t ever really got into video or computer games as a kid (very strict parents) and when I was in my mid 20s a friend sat me down at their computer and fired up “Portal”. After that I basically went “Oh, I think I love video games now! what shall I play next?” and went to an EB Games store and wandered around. I was drawn to “Assassin’s Creed” pretty much straightaway because I love the historic era it’s set in, and the box art stood out to me. I was hilariously bad at first, it was only the second game I’d properly played in my life, I struggled with the camera, controls, basic game things like how to understand the mini map etc. But I loved the story (and the conspiracy and modern day stuff) and when I played it was my first experience of that gaming sensation of being totally immersed in a different world. And the best thing was, this was ages after it came out, and by the time I finished it it was only a couple of months before AC2!!

Man I would’ve rather Assassin’s Creed was 5 games like the creator intended with a great cohesive story and Desmond actually destroying Abstergo and averting the apocalypse than the mush we get now

I cannot tell you how happy a video like this makes me. Everything you have said is just so spot on and what I have always thought but rarely heard about the game. This game is not for everyone but the original is just everything I would want from an AC game. It is Assassins' Creed in its purist form and no matter how much I hate the new entries and care so little about this franchise now , this game (and the Ezio games) will always be special to me. After years of watching your channel this is some of your absolute best work so I would just like to say both thank you and congratulations on getting this done. It's just amazing to see this misunderstood and underrated game get its due credit.

The original Assassins' Creed has always been my favorite in the franchise and it saddens me that it doesn't get the credit it deserves for being a nearly perfect, highly original and incredibly innovative game . Thank you for making this love letter to one of the greatest games of all time.

I don't love AC1 as much as everyone did, but i liked the main hero. Story of Altair is really the start of the series, the start of the "Creed". And the end of his story in Revelation's was really impactful. Glad they did him a good ending of his story. Really love that! Thx for the video and memories!

34:35 It is explained in Revelations that Altair has the voice of an American because the animus was still in it's primitive state in Assassin's Creed 1. Desmond was inhabiting his memories but it didn't have the technology to pick up Altair's body nor accent. That is why if you look at Altair's face, it's Desmond's in 1.

Atlair walked so Ezio could sprint, AC 1 does not get the credit it deserves compared to what came after

Best analysis of AC1, amazing. Reeeaaally hope you consider doing one more AC retrospective for Black Flag...

With Majd Addin one of the investigation tells you that he is turning his back to the crowd so as soon as that happens just run past guards climb the stage and asasinate him. Works every time

I got the Chicken Pox in 2009. The year previously, I'd just graduated high school, and was waiting for university to start. I couldn't move from my bed. A friend dropped by and gave me Assassin's Creed as a gift, new and sealed. I'd never heard of it but I thought I'd give it a try. I hadnt even seen any trailers. I was hooked. Eerily so. The closest other game to grip me was Batman: Arkham Asylum. I finished it 100%, every flag and all in just 4 days. I was theory crafting so hard. It just so happened that the very day after I finished it, AC2 was releasing, so I took my sick ass down the shops and got a copy at opening. And I was hooked again. And I was hooked until 2014. I stopped playing when the day I 100% Rogue. I switched on Unity afterwards and was greeted with bugs. By this point, I was particuarly happy with Ubisoft. And I never went back. AC1 to Rogue, the 7th console generation Assassins's Creeds, were my jam and always will be.

i remember going to the game shop with my dad when i was 9 years old looking for halo, i was disappointed to find it wasn’t there and my dad said pick any other game then, i saw assassins creed and was sad but brought it, when i got home and played it i fell in love and absolutely adored it since then i have played every assassins creed game through the ups and downs, and to this day i am so happy that the game store didn’t have halo because assassins creed has now became my favourite series of anything ever

I am writing this about an hour in, but I can already tell this might just be the best video yet. A powerful, in-depth critique on a product that has made a lasting impact on not only you but a core part of the old community. The passion here is second to none and pulls on the best parts of nostalgia and made me appreciate this game that I love even more. I've been in an out of the community since about 2015. As I have gotten older, I tend to lose time for things I loved doing (like watching these critiques). That being said I was happy to see you break free from AC to pursue content you were passionate about. I can't lie, however. Seeing AC critiques every anniversary put a smile on my face and today was no different. I am happy you are able to talk about the games you love despite how tainted the company and brand may be now a days. Despite all that these first few games stand the test of time and have a special place in everyone's heart. I look forward to what you put out next, keep doing what you are doing.

Uhmmm... I know you said "don't watch this on one sitting" buuut... I did it!😅This video is the living embodiment of a hook blade, I was basically held hostage for 4 hours, and I don't regret a second of it. IT WAS AMAZING! This is probably the best video on AC1 I've ever seen: it made me laugh, cry, gasp in surprise at the new things I've discovered, and it warmed my heart so much. It really resonated with me because I love AC1 above all the other entries for the same reasons that you love it, even though I am relatively new to the franchise compared to those like you that had been there from day one. The amount of research you've done and all the work that must have gone into making this video is astounding, and I cannot thank you enough for this masterpiece of a retrospective (truly a love letter to the game!)

Despite it taking me multiple sittings to finish this video, it doesn’t really feel like a 5 hours video, which I think shows how talented you are at presenting an interesting and in-depth analysis of pretty much anything at all

AC1 was the first video game I ever bought, and I’ve absolutely loved it ever since. Thank you for this look back in time.

I’m 25 this year and I feel like we had a very similar journey through this series. It really resonated when you talked at the end about being obsessed with the puzzles and codes at the end of AC 1. Personal highlights for me being putting the coordinates at the end of Brotherhoods DLC into Google Maps and seeing this strange dark hole in a forest in New York or a wall in the Revelations DLC that had a braille code that I spent ages decoding. Thanks for a fantastic video that was a real trip down memory lane! AC1 has a special place in my heart, this series used to be something I was OBSESSED with but it slowly and surely disappointed me again and again. Shoutout to my Xbox 360 getting the red ring of death on Christmas Day 2010 when I was so excited to finally play Brotherhood.

This is so masterfully crafted and well-constructed, and I've only watched the first 21 minutes. I can see the level of passion and carefully analyzed subtleties and nuances on display in your review. Watching this has allowed me to view AC1 from a completely new perspective. I can't wait to see the rest of this video.

I knew this video was going to be long and my god I'm glad it is! Thank you James for many hours of content carefully crafted

Soo how long have I been watching and supporting this channel? Well, as other kids had their television programs, I had this channel, Lazerzz. Your videos got me through the worst times of my life. You’ve always been a special creator to me, and I’m so glad you’re continuing.

There's another way to get into the church in Jerusalem. Outside of the building there's a lonely guard standing in the middle of the street who is within the line of sight of the entrance. If you kill him the guards guardian the entrance of the church will go investigate, leaving the entrance alone. There's also a lonely guard standing inside the church to do exactly the same to get out. So yeah, anyway, now that I've watched the full thing I gotta say it feels really good to see one of this big essays where practically all my takes about AC1 are being validated.

~4:07:27 My assumption has always been that Altair spoke a whole bunch of languages, considering he has no trouble communicating with French, English, and German targets and civilians as well as Arabic ones (and if what I've read is correct, language skills were something Assassins were historically taught). From a historical standpoint, Richard didn't speak Arabic (he used a translator when interacting with Saracens) and probably didn't speak English, so they probably would have been speaking French.

I’m glad you mentioned the “Your presence here deprives me of/will deliver us both.” It’s definitely my favourite moment in the game and one of my favourite character moments in all of gaming

Assassin's Creed 1 has been my favorite entry since I played it on launch day back in 2007 and one of my top 10 games of all time. I have been singing its praises for years, so this video is an absolute treat. Thank you for the time and effort you've put into this project. It's now an all time favorite video of mine, hands down.

The dialog made you think IMO I like the bureau leaders because they each speak to the way people can act. The guy in Damascus doesn't really want to offend and speaks charmingly and ultimately a people pleaser. These people are the ones that talk behind backs The guy in Acre is old and so is set in his ideals for the brotherhood. He doesn't like upstarts from younger assassins. However when Altair shows integrity, the leader is wise enough to realize when he doesn't know something The guy in Jerusalem speaks his mind probably due to being angry. In this way they are able to get their emotions out of the way quickly. Altair is able to get through to him by acknowledging his own faults leading to better outcomes. I think Altair had a good relationship with 2 of the leaders

Regarding the 'retcon' of Lucy being a traitor in the Revelations DLC, there are actually hints of it in Brotherhood, if you walk around outside the Auditore villa at night, you can see a set of red footprints, those were left by Lucy dropping off copies of your session recordings for Abstergo.

1 hour in and im loving it. Really a great job. So far its extremely detailed and whats most important, it brings back all the nostalgia.

Quick thought about Malik getting back so quickly or surviving: If other major cities like Damascus and Acre have Bureaus, what if Jerusalem's Bureau helped? Malik could have gotten help from his brothers as he managed to escape, possibly by smoke bomb or stealth? After all, Robert said it would take time to get to the Apple, Malik could have baited them out and then had his brothers help him get the Apple back to Masyaf? Shot in the dark.

Your writing, deliverey and analysis skills have improved to the next level. This is is by far the best video essay you have ever produced. Your understanding of the lore and the original vision is legendary, keep up the good work brother.

I like to believe that Altair speaks with an American accent because Desmond is synchronised with him hence why they have the same face, he actually always spoke how he did in revelations

i started watching your channel about probably more than a year ago with the ezio trilogy retrospectives that were one of the things that got me back into assassins creed after stopping around origins, and with yours and others video essays about the games i ended up playing through all the games again and getting way too hyper-fixated. And now, coincidentally this video comes out when im once again becoming hyper-fixated on this silly little parkour murder simulator! so anyway thank you for all your work you put into these videos i really do appreciate it.

This retrospective was so perfectly done *chefs kiss* it's made me go through all your other assassin creed retrospectives. They're all so good. And it's clear, especially from the length of this one that they're easier to do when you genuinely really like the game you're talking about but if anyone could get me to watch a retrospective on the newer games itd be you. Itd probably be torture for you tho so I understand if you never do them.

Watching your video few months back made me replay AC 1 and now that I am playin Syndicate (being bored to death), I am itching to play AC1 again. It's just a masterpiece. One of the things that annoyed me was how fast Altair is. I loved the Chase theme song and I used to intentionally slow down to let the song play out.

Oh boy extremely excited for this! Will be watching in chunks throughout the weekend, thank you ❤

Of COURSE this started the way it did, goddamnit. 😂 Really excited to watch this, this and Revelations are two of my favourites and I know you'll do this game justice.

Loved the video. Really good in depth analysis of one of my favourite games. You can really feel the dedication and passion you have for the game. Awesome editing skills too!

Your AC retrospectives are actual masterpieces man. I hate what has become of the franchise and won't play any of the new games, but watching your videos on these old gems puts me back 13 years to when I first played them as a kid. Thx so much for that.

It's not unbelievable that I just watched a 4hr+ ac video, the unbelievable thing is that I'm about to watch it again!

I think the most disappointing thing abt the ezio trilogy it started the trend where it feels like you can do what ever you do with no consequences while in ac1 if you run in the street the streets are way more packed and have way more guards walking around so you could risk bumping into a guard or losing your balance and so on I just miss the dense crowds the most where I felt like I'm in a city and there are things going on constantly and I miss the brotherhood being a brotherhood not just a hidden group but a group that has established themselves and the Templar feel more like people same with the assassin's

Amazing video. I thought I'd watch this in chunks, but I was enthralled all the way through and watched it in one sitting. Great analysis, editing and loved the humour throughout.

i really love this re-examination. you do such a great job putting into words the many ways this game created the full assassin experience. one thing i was disappointed that you missed is talking about the overall soundscape of this game. the animus is such a unique aspect of the game, and all the blips and beeps in combat and chases are crucial i think in the feel this game offers. the sound cues of being caught, breaking line of sight, hiding, and escaping an encounter create such a satisfying feeling when the music transitions away from the hype combat music to the ambient sounds of the city and you watch all the guards run past you sitting on a bench. thanks for the trip down memory lane ❤

Fantastic video ! Really really outdid yourself on this one. Thanks for posting this I really enjoyed sitting through the whole thing.

Desmond sleeps with his shoes ON and THAT'S CANON 😂

I have a game design degree, and this analysis of the medium stands super tall in my book. The passion, the insight, the expertise… well done, sir. Got myself an xbox copy to dive into right after your vid.

Not a word wasted, grey morals, fantastic world building, encouragement and opportunity to plan strategically. Also Altaïr and his relationship with other Assassins is fantastic. It's emphasis on deeper questions baked into the opposing sides and the conflict is incredibly thought provoking. You sum it up perfectly, it's a perfectly crafted Assassin's Creed game which was never really perfected again. I dislike with the future titles that you can't scour for information and the set up of these major Templar targets. Acre is amazing, I honestly thought Altaïr had gone to England. A bleak and depressing wartorn shithole. Genuinely surprised to see Nigel Farage talking about Assassin's Creed. 😆 Jesper Kyd makes the atmosphere just that much more richer and I miss his music. Also the lights breaking through the clouds is just 👌 Love Malik ❤

Fantastic! I didn't play AC until much later in my life than you did and long after it's release (2015) but i got the same feelings you so excellent put forward in this video. Nothing that has come later have so profoundly put the struggle between order and freedom to the forefront and had the courage to explore it. This video was not an analysisof a video game. It was a love letter to a masterpiece.

OMG I just watched this whole thing and its 4 h long!? You got me hooked , line and sinker! The way you tell things is really capturing and entertaining. Well done sir!

I think, because I just started playing the game again when you were talking about the tutorial, that Altair is portrayed both ways. Obviously, that first sequence shows his arrogance, and you can tell from whatshisname that he must be kind of cocky all the time, because of the way he talks to Altair. However, the other guy, whatshisname's brother, seems to look to Altair as a bit of a mentor. The guy in charge of combat training also treats you like the wise big brother, as well as the guy in the gray robes who speaks to you when you return to Masaif, and leads the counter attack on the Templars in Masaif. So from the way others talk to him, we can see that he is both cocky and insolent, as well as knowledgeable and skillful and is usually willing to teach his brothers. So, most likely everyone can see his arrogance, but most of the brotherhood is willing to look past it. Just a few guys, like whatshisname, have had enough of it and regularly call him out on it. He must genuinely be a goid person, though, for so many to overlook his flaws. In Solomon's Temple Altair says something like "My way is better". This tells me that he never took the Creed too seriously. He was talented in combat, stealth and sleuthery, but he mistakes his own talent as him being knowing better than his masters. This is how his confidence in himself manifests in the disaster we see at the beginning. I'm sure he had broken the tenants before, but Solomon's Temple was the first time it happened with others present. We must assume his former missions were solo missions. You even hear him tell a different story to Al Mualim before whatshisname shows up.

I've noticed that some of the games make it clear that, while the Templars still want peace through control, some leaders are more evil than others. Leaders like Robert, Haytham and De La Serre, they strove mostly for peace (hell De La Serre created a cease fire with the french assassins) while leaders like the Borgias and Starrick, sought power and control and didn't care who they stepped on to get it. It's a nice reminder that a groups morality is affected by it's leader

Liked and subbed, i love this video very well put together, first time i played it i got kinda board with ac1 and didn't even finish it, but after many years of playing it i came to respect the game for how deep it was and how genius the writing was, hell i didn't know english all too well when i first played it, but when paying attention to it i realized how good it was, and this video made me appreciate the game even more, so thank you making this video it was a blast of nostalgia and fun watching it, i absolutely cannot wait to see what other content you have planned.

I recently went back to this game after only playing 2 and brotherhood and found myself greatly appreciating the slower pace and the prioritization of more subtle storytelling than later entries. While some games later on improve in terms of presentation and scale I feel that this one tops them in illustrating its themes with every aspect of its design. I also really enjoyed your retrospective. While many people tend to put lots of padding in these types of videos everything here, much like the game, is very intentional and is used to broaden our perspective.

"it is al mualim who has betrayed us" there's some heimskr-type who was preaching that in ac, I've been quoting it for years and never knew it wasn't his name. cool to learn some Arabic retroactively.

The ability to fundamentally break this down, capturing every essence of this game without going off on a tangent is truly remarkable. I didn't think I'd sit through a 4 and a half hour video and enjoy it the whole way through. It reopened my eyes to AC1 again and i'm starting to enjoy it the more I play it, as it seems. Great job on the vid! :)

I remember when i started playing these games, Black flag had already come out, but i decided to play them in order, and this video sums up EXACTLY why i am so glad i did. Just watching this video was such a nostalgia trip for me. Something about this game is haunting in a way none of the others are, and you've expressed why here perfectly!

I have never wanted to go back and play AC1 like I have after watching this video. Keep up the good work!

How did you make me feel nostalgia for a game I didnt even play? Great video as usual James!

Thank you so much for making this! I actually did listen to all 4 hours and 43 minutes of this while doing my job. Well, not all at once, I took some breaks. Your passion and love for this game was felt and was very contagious. While I share in the criticisms of this game that others have, I agree with you on certain things that make this game good too. I’ll always prefer the Ezio Trilogy, but you made me appreciate this first installment even more than I did before. It truly is one of a kind. Also, will you do a retrospective for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag in the future? It is turning 10 years old this year. And now I feel old just thinking that.

Absolutely criminal how far this series has fallen from grace

I love that you feel the same way about Assassin's Creed like I do, and I only got into the series last year. No nostalgia, nothing, I played through AC 1 to AC Rogue, and AC1 just felt the best game in the series, and Altair was just so cool and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole video

What an amazing video love the take on not only the gameplay but the story the philosophy and the spirit behind the gameplay, gonna have to replay it now

It took me 4 days to watch the whole video, and I was always drawn back to it. Usually I'd think people look too far into things, that not everything has a deeper meaning or a message to convey. However here, with this game, it all clicks. I feel as though your video has made me see AC1 in a different light. I always loved the game, but until now it was just a good game with a perfectible gameplay loop. However now I see it as you do, as a near-perfect experience Ubisoft has changed so much the words Assassin's Creed don't mean anything anymore now. Thank you for this video, you've earned a subscriber

amazing video. keep up with the retrospectives!

This whole video just made me want to play AC 1 again. What a fantastic game!! Personally, it's been so many years since i last played it. It's just frustrating that it can only be played on pc

I’ll be honest, I have this video on my phone downloaded, and listen to it almost every day at work and I always seem to catch something I missed any other time. I truly do love this video and the in depths you put into AC1. Still my favourite AC game. Also the fact it’s Canon that Altaïr never took a single hit is fantastic 😂

it took me a while, but I've finally finished watching the entire video, and I just wanted to thank you. Lately, I've been deprived of a lot of free time, and haven't really had the ability to just sit down and appreciate a good video game for what it is, fundamentally. The passion and exceedingly intriguing insight you've provided here was simply an absolute delight to listen to. Also, your speech towards the end about 'getting' a video game was very touching, as it truly encapsulates and reminded me why this hobby means so much to us in one way or another. Thanks again, James.

I think what Al Mualim meant when he said he has killed 1,000 men and all of them superior to you and all of them dead by my hand is that he is boasting about all of the skilled and powerful warriors he’s probably killed over the years as he is the head of the Assassins so he must be truly more capable than even the most skilled of warriors and has nothing to fear from Altair. That’s my interpretation of that line. Anyway, what a banger video. Love AC1 so much and probably always will.

I've never had another individual rip the words out of my mouth that let me express how I feel about AC1. when I tell ppl AC1 is the best in the series ppl look at me like I had a stroke. The best story, time period, locations, progression with your gear, antagonist, combat, stealth, literally for me every aspect (with the exception of unitys parkour) is better in AC1 than any other in the franchise. Altair is the best protagonist. Even more so when the building of his character in revelations. You sir have made a fucking masterpiece with this video. Thank you. I needed this homie.

Fantastic work James. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is probably the most entertaining and in depth assassin's creed analysis I've ever watched. What a pleasure to hear you talk almost 5 hours about ac1

this game is literally the only reason i have kept my xbox 360, i play my ps5 most days but every so often i hop on the 360 to replay this masterpiece

This got me to go back and play it again and I must say it looks really good on new hardware. The textures are still dated, but the lighting, load times, the fps, and colors really pop! I’m enjoying it more now than I did in ‘07. Thanks man!

Watched this in two sittings to really assimilate everything and I have to say you've outdid yourself here almost as much as the people who made this gem did. For once, this is one thing I'm romanticising the hell of fully knowing it has absolutely nothing to do with any nostalgia for that period of my life. Good fucking shit Laz!

Wow this was an amazing video. I listened through the whole thing at once while working. I'm totally going back and replaying. I loved it when young, and there were some historical things I'd point out about Acre and such, that might influence how you view some things, but I really hadn't considered how excellent it was and specifically why. Thank you! Amazing effort and accomplishment with that game and with this video.

Such an amazing and well detailed video James. You showed just how underrated this game is, in a way I don’t think anyone else has ever done