Help me decide my next game, this or Horizon Zero Dawn?
For me personally, Horizon is my 2017 goty and I honestly say that after playing The Frozen Wilds which is also my 2017 dlc/expansion of the year, it just confirmed what I have thought and felt since March when I finished Horizon. It's just too damn great. The only major negative I have is that when aiming, the camera zooms in too close but at the same time, I have realized that this is the majority of games where developers want to shove the camera up the character's ass. Aside from that, any other complaints that I have are so minor that they aren't even worth mentioning.
ACO is an excellent game but lacks the responsive polished controls and combat that Horizon has. It's good but not at Horizon's level in that regard which is to be expected seeing as how Horizon is an exclusive and ACO is multi-platform. The combat in ACO is more varied and requires strategy unlike all previous AC games. The world is amazing. All the quests (main and side) seem to be at the very least above average to good to great like every open world game. I have only played 15 hours of it and my only concern would be how the story and characters play out which based on comments here seem like a letdown but I'll judge it myself when the time comes.
I'm also waiting for Ubisoft to release the individual HUD options patch. In Horizon, playing through the expansion, you can literally customize the HUD and the WORLD MAP icons to your liking. It's fucking great. Every open world game should be setup like this. Playing with the compass off and all the icons off on the world map in Horizon to me makes it way more immersive than it already is and kills Zelda in terms of exploration because you literally have to go explore everywhere since all the icons are turned off. I'm hoping Origins ends up the same with the HUD patch.
As of right now, I would choose Horizon but at the same time, ACO would be right behind it. In other words, if possible, buy and play both. Or buy one on disc, play and complete it and then trade it in towards the other game. Either way, you can't go wrong but I do favor Horizon as it is my 2017 goty after all.
I can't, for the life of me, understand how people believe this game is worse or on the same level as Unity and Syndicate.
I have just reached Level 26 and probably spend around 30 hours already. This game's atmosphere is mind-blowing and keeps making me come back.
You know you created an amazing game world when exploring takes over the need to level up or finish the story.
ACO is easily better than Unity and Syndicate. ACO has the best open world, atmosphere and immersion since Black Flag in my opinion.
General question: Black Flag or Syndicate which one do you prefer?
BF is my second best AC game (Rogue is first) and Syndicate is third but will be fourth once I complete Origins. I enjoyed both BF and Syndicate but for different reasons. Syndicate is the more familiar grounded AC game with a good story and characters, solid missions and good side content. Best of all, it was all single player. Great game.
Black Flag though is better in regards to controls/free running (I hate the free running/controls in Unity/Syndicate) in my opinion. Story and characters are also good. It's the location, atmosphere and immersion that really pulls you in. Plus, I LOVED all the ship battles. So much fun!!!
If you want to be a pirate at times and are interested in the ship battles and whatnot, then Black Flag easily but if that stuff turns you off and you want a more grounded AC game, then Syndicate.
For me, in order of best and preference, it's Rogue > Black Flag > Syndicate > Unity > Liberation HD.
Once I complete Origins, it will be at the very least third best ahead of Syndicate but after Black Flag. However, it does have a chance at being my second best AC game. Don't think that it will match Rogue for me personally though.
