Assassins Creed 4 Aveline DLC

Playstation 4 Version

The French-African Assassin makes both her return to the saga and debut on the Playstation 4 in the form of downloadable content riding shotgun with Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag. The Aveline DLC is a stand-alone side-story taking place completely outside the events of Black Flag, but after the events of Assassins Creed Liberation HD, the game in which Aveline was the protagonist.

At the request of Connor Kenway, the hero of Assassins Creed 3, Aveline is sent to 1784 Rhode Island on an infiltration and rescue operation in order to recruit an escaped slave, named Patience Gibbs, into the Assassin’s order. Aveline eventually learns that Patience has been captured by a Templar doctor named Edmund Judge, due to his obsession over a mysterious charm that Patience has in her possession. Aveline is ultimately successful in her efforts, and is able to recruit Patience into the Brotherhood, at which point she’s able to briefly learn the secret of the charm.

The Aveline DLC directly follows the evolution of the Assassin’s Creed saga by bringing the most effective combat and climbing mechanics ever seen before in franchise history, which were introduced in Assassins Creed 3. Players are able to fluidly climb mountains, fortresses, and houses like it’s second nature, and combat is just as effortless as ever. Since the DLC is so limited in scope, Aveline doesn’t have the amount of weaponry available that she may in a full scale title, and that’s unfortunate.

Coupled with the evolution of climbing and combat mechanics are spectacular graphics. Worth noting is the fact that the Aveline DLC is my first experience of a three dimensional Assassin’s Creed title on the Playstation 4, regardless of the fact that I was able to finish the DLC in under forty-five minutes. The scenery is beautiful, and Assassin’s Creed has never looked better.

Despite the fact that the Assassin’s Creed Aveline DLC continues on with some of the series’ best gameplay elements ever seen, I can’t help but feel disappointed at is length, conclusion and content. Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD, which was Aveline’s debut, wasn’t exactly the most spectacular of Assassin’s Creed titles… But a questionable DLC follow up to an originally questionable video game only serves to solidify Aveline as one of the weakest protagonists throughout the entire saga.

OVERALL RATING

6.1/10