After months of riding the hype train, Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed has finally arrived. The game puts you into the shoes of a medieval assassin named Altair, a nimble figure once part of an elite group of assassins. After a disastrous screw-up with an enemy that leaves a fellow Crusader slain, he must earn his leader's trust – by getting thrown into a series of missions to eliminate key targets in several corrupt cities.

After an initial foray into plotville with TV babe-of-the-moment Kristen Bell (which we won't spoil for you here) the game kicks into high gear. You'll learn the basics of Altair's skills, including identifying and zooming in on assassination targets (with the help of a color-coded body heat system); calmly pushing people aside without making them uncomfortable (this is real important, unless you want unruly citizens giving you away); attack techniques (we especially love sneaking up behind someone and impaling them in the neck) and stealth skills.

Most of these abilities get regular use as you complete the nine main and various side missions that make up he game. You'll use Altair's observation skills frequently, climbing up high structures to get a lay of the land, pickpocketing for information and listening in on conversations. Along the way, you ascend old buildings and move across loose boards, simply by holding the correct buttons down while moving with the analog stick.

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