Monday, October 28, 2013

Buy now, or wait until Next Gen?

Tomorrow is the day. After almost a year long wait, Assassin's Creed IV will be finally hitting the shelves; however, this time around things are a little bit different. Throughout all of the seventh generation of gaming, the Assassin's Creed series has been one of them "heavy hitters." Although the series began with a semi-rocky start, it quickly grew into a phenomenon that fans just couldn't get enough of. So, why should things be any different for Assassin's Creed IV? Well... Because of the 8th generation; that's why.

Assassin's Creed IV is the first game to truly make the jump to the 8th generation of gaming. Sure Assassin's Creed III was in fact released on the Wii U, but it was also the very same game which we saw on the Xbox 360, and PlayStaiton 3. It wasn't a true jump in quality, and was nothing more than a flat out port. AC IV on the other hand, it is a true change in the game.

The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Assassin's Creed IV feature quite a few differences from the version which will be released tomorrow. They are built with the new console's power in mind, and they make use of every bit they can. The PS4 and XBO versions of the game not only feature a lot more detailed textures and character models, they also have improved physics, they make use of particle effects, the game will have a much steadier frame rate, and there are a few extra features as well. Although Ubisoft has yet to confirm all of the differences between the versions, they did go on to show how the game could be streamed from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation Vita, and they stated it would run in native 1080p as well (as opposed to the PS3, 360, and XBO which run games at 720p).

So, with that being said, is there really a reason to pick it up tomorrow? The answer to that is completely up to you. If you are a die hard Assassin's Creed fan, and you cannot wait another moment to play this one; then you might as well pick it up. When it comes down to it, you really have no way of knowing when you might get an Xbox One or PlayStation 4. With the Xbox One legal issues in the EU region, EU players will have no other choice but to pick up the game for either the Xbox 360, PS3, or PS4 (assuming they are willing to switch to a Sony console). On top of that, the consoles are expensive, and they will be hard to come by. At this moment, most game stores (both online and off) are no longer allowed to accept preorders for either console. Unless you have already had the console on preorder; they may actually be hard to find. You have to ask yourself, "will I be able to find that console and play Assassin's Creed? Or will I spend months, or even a year looking for it?" Like I said, it is up to you to decide what to do.

Personally, I plan on waiting. Although I'm a huge Assassin's Creed fan, I just don't see a reason to buy this one twice. Even if I end up loving the game, and despite being able to move data between the versions; I just don't see a reason to buy the updated version when I have already completed it. Sure, it would be nice to see the newer graphics, and extra content, but I know it would end up just sitting on my shelf before too long. This is why I plan on waiting.

Overall, I'd rather experience AC IV the way it was meant to be; as a launch title for the 8th gen. The series has come a long way over the past few years, and I personally cannot wait to see where they take it from here on out. I will hold off on getting it for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and I will be sure to pick it up the moment the PS4 hits the shelves.

So, what about you? What do you plan on doing; not just for Assassin's Creed, but for the cross generation games coming out over the next few months. Will you buy them now, or hold off until later?