1666: Amsterdam is the newest title from the mind of Patrice Désilets, better known as the creator of Assassin's Creed. The game was originally announced in June of 2026, but launched into Early Access at the end of August. During this time, we here at Netto's Game Room were given the opportunity to preview the game and share our thoughts. However, at the request of the developer, this will be an "unscored" review, and we will only be discussing the game in its current, launch, state.
To be completely clear, this is an Early Access title, and that is felt throughout the entire experience. As with most Early Access releases, the idea is to allow fans a first look at the game, and possibly help shape its future with useful feedback and criticism. When used correctly, it can be a great way to help shape a game into what it was always meant to be, but when developers fail to listen to constructive complaints, that's when games eventually hit rock bottom and ultimately crash and burn. We can't say where 1666: Amsterdam is heading at the moment, but when the title was first revealed, we were eager to check it out for sure! But then some unfortunate news came to light.
After already expressing interest in covering the title, it was revealed the development team relied heavily on the use of generative AI when it came to developing the game—a fact that has not been disclosed on the Steam page at this time. As we had already made a commitment, we have followed through with giving our first impressions, but that doesn't mean we support AI in the slightest. In fact, AI has made our lives a nightmare in more ways than one, and it is an ongoing battle. From Google's automated system completely deleting our site Netto's Game Room on a whim, erasing 15 years' worth of articles and causing us nearly a month's worth of anguish as we attempted to correct issues once the site was restored, to AI constantly stealing and repurposing our content, which will most likely include this article. Let's just say, we do not have a very high opinion of the technology, and we've been forced to accept its inclusion within the apps we use on a daily basis.
But these struggles are not why we are here today; it is to look at 1666: Amsterdam itself.
Putting aside where AI might have been used, or not used, I jumped into the game with as open a mind as possible, and simply approached it as I would any other title. Obviously, I kept in mind its form of release, but I also took note of the current issues and rough edges.
In the end, I'll admit that I like a lot of the ideas in place here, but the title still has a long way to go.
The Story:
1666: Amsterdam is a story that spans three time periods, and in some ways is very reminiscent of the original Assassin's Creed.
The game begins with our protagonist Clio in the modern day, as she goes to visit her father's friend to learn more about her family's past and the mysterious letters and documents that simply cannot be read by a "normal" person. It is thanks to her father's letter, however, that she finds herself being pulled into his memories and is able to experience his own past firsthand—with his story beginning in 1999. This is when the perspective changes to her father, Aaron, and we are introduced to Clio's mother. At this time, Aaron is unaware of her past, but the two head to their hotel room for one reason, though Aaron doesn't realize the true nature of the act.
During their "ritual," Aaron opens his eyes to discover that he is no longer on the bed in his hotel room, but rather in the body of a cat. At first he thinks it is a dream, but the more he explores, the quicker he realizes it is actually reality. As he feels the fur on his own body, the disturbing fact fully sinks in, but he isn't given much time to think. Instead, he encounters Noa, a so-called "witch," and is forced to follow her lead to complete some type of ceremony. It is then that he realizes he's been brought back to the year 1666, and that the only way to return home to 1999 is to obey her every command; however, this isn't how things were supposed to be. According to Noa, Aaron should've been informed about the ritual he was performing, but that wasn't the case. Instead, the clueless Aaron was forced into things, and now he must accept his fate.
While living in the past, the story focuses on both Noa and Aaron as they navigate Amsterdam during the witch trials. Noa is part of a secret organization that has been branded as witches by the general public, but the reality of her job is not exactly what one would expect. As something known as a "collector," her job is to hunt those who have been corrupted and to ultimately prevent the destruction of the world. This record of her life is then written down into a mysterious book known as the Nuxefer, which allows Clio in the modern day to tap into the memories and live out Noa's life. All three time periods play a role in the overall mystery, but 1666 itself is in fact the main focus—with Aaron himself being from 1999.
Again, this setup shares a lot in common with the original Assassin's Creed: a modern-day story focused on a secret organization, a book that allows its user to relive the memories of their ancestors, and evil people living in the past who are basically marked as targets for execution. All of this is framed within a fictional retelling of the Esslingen Witch Trials and incorporates history along the way. It is a very familiar style, just told in a new "magical"-focused way rather than going full sci-fi.
With the story on display in early access, it is interesting to say the least, but it takes a good four or so hours before we are given a full grasp of the situation. Of course, Aaron himself is completely lost as well, so it makes sense, but the constant terms and seemingly random nature of your actions early on might be a turnoff for some.
A Witch and her Cat:
The general gameplay of 1666: Amsterdam is a bit more involved than one might originally think, but unfortunately some of it comes down to extra busywork that feels unneeded.
When the game first begins, it asks players to use Clio to locate specific books within a library and conduct research regarding her father's past. This simply comes down to reading a document that contains a list of sections, reviewing the map next to said document to find the correct area, and using the focus ability to mark the location. The game asks you to do something similar time and time again during the intro, but it is ultimately there to teach players about the focus system. Similar to a point-and-click adventure game, many objects in the world can be examined manually, tagged to remember their location, or investigated to learn more about them. Sometimes this information is key to progressing, while other times it provides tips on what you can do. For example, focusing on a guard with a club will note that weapon and let you know it is something you can use when controlling Aaron. Outside of this, however, one of the best uses for the mechanic currently suffers from a lack of polish.
As previously mentioned, Aaron himself is a major part of the story, and players will be controlling him quite a bit. Considering he is a cat, Aaron is able to walk past guards, squeeze through tight spaces, and meow to distract those around him. He is also eventually able to possess enemies and take control of them, though his initial use is focused on scouting and collecting items Noa cannot reach herself. He can unlatch locked doors from behind and pounce on rats that can be found munching on rotting food throughout the city. Additionally, he can jump up onto objects and reach greater heights, which is where the game's platforming elements come into play. In its current state, however, platforming is an extremely clunky mechanic, and most of the time players will need to resort to mashing the jump button as they wait for it to take effect. This isn't a manual jump by any means, as it can only be performed when a ledge or object allows it, but using the focus feature can help aim where you would like to go. This keeps Aaron from launching himself across the room onto a random ledge and helps him climb down when he gets stuck on geometry—which happens quite often given how unpolished the mechanic currently is—though he can also instantly return to Noa if he is truly wedged somewhere and unable to escape.
The final main feature Aaron has access to is transmuting energy from Lux into Nux, or vice versa. These types of energy can be found throughout the world and are key for Noa to use her magical abilities. Lux represents Environmental Magic, which allows Noa to alter the world around her, while Nux is used for Combat Magic. Both are essential when it comes to progressing through areas and clearing hazards in your way, and Aaron will need to transmute the energy seen floating around if the required type is not accessible. Again, this is another part of the title that feels like extra busywork, but it isn't an issue that arises as frequently as the prologue leads you to believe—at least not in the current build.
When switching control over to Noa, she has two forms available. Her default human form allows her to blend in with the world, though she can do little more than walk around and pick up items. Her witch form allows her to cast magic—requiring the use of Lux and Nux—fight enemies, and quickly glide across the surface of water. Using her witch form will attract the attention of guards, though being a human in an off-limits area will trigger a response as well. This is where the main combat comes in, which sadly amounts to mashing the right trigger button on your controller and dodging before taking a hit. Noa has very limited health early on and can die easily, making healing items crucial. While the combat system initially looks flashy, it is basic and overly challenging simply because of how unrefined it is at the moment. Sometimes you can knock everyone out with no problem, while other times guards trap you and beat you down with little effort. Noa can use her magic to take them out from afar, but that completely depends on whether she has the energy to do so.
Outside of combat, Noa's time is mostly spent searching shelves, chests, and other spots for loot drop items—which fly out to be picked up off the floor—reading notes, and crafting items at her house to aid her during the adventure. Her magical abilities also allow her to destroy and recreate objects as needed, incorporating a bit of light puzzle-solving. Players who find themselves struggling can press a button to talk to Aaron, initiating a conversation between the two that often provides hints and tips on what to do next. Additional narrative details can be heard this way as well, as the two will converse about their current goal, so it is worth checking out even if you aren't stuck.
Along with these general abilities, Noa's traversal options are initially limited to walking through town and using the waterways to speed things up. Once on the water, she can zoom along at high speeds and hover a slight distance above the surface to reach higher ground. These abilities can be upgraded later using a system that asks players to choose between three options. It is unclear what will be most useful when making these decisions, introducing a bit of risk, though prioritizing overall movement upgrades yields the best results. Noa isn't necessarily slow, and she can walk faster by tapping Aaron's jump button, but it does take time to get around—especially once the city opens up.
The Missions and the City:
While the introduction to the game is extremely linear and takes multiple hours to progress through, players will eventually arrive at a point where the game opens up a bit more: when they step out onto the city streets themselves. However, even at this stage, the game remains quite linear and places floating black symbols to mark your current boundaries. These help direct players to their next objective, though a city map also exists to highlight key locations. At this time, the world is very small, consisting of only a handful of main streets and a central waterway, but current plans are to continue expanding upon it.
In the city, the game once again adopts a very familiar format. Every chapter features a main target that must be taken down, culminating in a fight against a corrupted boss. Until that point, however, Noa must traverse the streets, talk with NPCs to gather clues about where her target might be hiding, and then begin the actual subplot once she arrives at the destination. This is where the game gives players concrete objectives to accomplish, which eventually lead to the boss fight at night.
Outside of these main missions, players are free to explore the world to gather materials and resources, which can be brought back to Noa's house to craft new items. Collectibles typically provide additional story details and will be worth seeking out for some, while side activities act as optional missions alongside the main focus. That being said, this isn't really a sandbox game, though the city itself is surprisingly where its roguelike elements come into play.
As mentioned before, you gain new abilities at the start of a mission, but others are also hidden throughout the city. With most doors actually leading somewhere, the game rewards players who scour every square inch of the map. Keys are needed to open anything locked, but thankfully they can be found everywhere. There are also times when Aaron will need to possess someone to access restricted areas, but where there's a will, there's a way. Finding new abilities and perks is key to survival, and having the right ones can certainly make bosses easier. New recipes can also be discovered by searching bookshelves, chests, and other interactable objects, though they often require multiple parts to complete. It is certainly a massive undertaking if you want to discover and unlock everything, and it would be quite easy to overlook a single shelf in a random house that might contain the last missing piece. That is part of the fun, however, and it makes exploration feel much more rewarding—even if the game's rough edges make it a bit more challenging than it should be.
A Currently Very Unpolished Experience:
Once again, to be very clear, this is an Early Access title, and it shows. Right from the start, the lack of polish is on full display, featuring objects you can clip through, awkward controls that cause sliding during the "walk with this person" mechanic (which can actually come in handy when Aaron possesses a human who can then guide Noa), and generally unrefined animations, models, and textures. It is strongly recommended to increase the upscaling if your PC can handle it, because otherwise character faces—mainly those of random NPCs—suffer visually. As mentioned before, the combat is lacking, and countless small bugs rear their heads from time to time. Don't be surprised if Aaron or even Noa gets stuck, requiring a reload. Additionally, location markers can freeze in place even after a target is gone, Aaron's jumping is sporadic—making platforming sections much more of a puzzle than they should be—and enemy detection can be unpredictable. At one point, I meowed as a cat two floors down, and a guard instantly ran up the steps and killed Noa while my focus wasn't on her. Because the game uses a checkpoint system for saves, I lost about ten minutes of progress, as Aaron's actions do not seem to trigger autosaves.
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| (Testing out the lower upscaling while on higher graphical settings) |
Despite these issues, there is no denying that the game is playable, though there is plenty of room for improvement. Fixing the platforming alone would go a long way, and the introduction could use work to help hook players right from the get-go. I was at least intrigued, but the library section felt unneeded. Matching book titles to numbered sections and picking books off shelves repeatedly felt like overkill. While it doesn't last forever, being sent back multiple times made it feel endless—not what you expect from an action-adventure game with roguelike elements.
The boss battles were also something I dreaded encountering, as they can be an absolute pain. Even the first fight was a drawn-out game of hit-and-run, with the stockpile of potions I had gathered previously being the only reason I survived. While combat improves slightly as your abilities and stats increase, the current system does these encounters no favors. It simply needs to be refined, which honestly describes most of the overall experience.
Should you play it?
1666: Amsterdam isn't a game I expected to like going in. The initial trailer had me interested, and, as a fan of the original Assassin's Creed, I wanted to see what the developer could do with a new IP. This is why we originally reached out and expressed interest in covering the title once it was available. At the time, I had no knowledge of AI usage, though it was quickly discovered in the demo, and the full extent of its use has yet to be revealed. That being said, we here at Netto's Game Room turn down countless review offers a week simply because the games themselves are AI-generated, and 1666: Amsterdam would have been one of them with how much it was apparently used. But we honor our commitments, and because of that, I jumped into the game with as open of a mind as possible. In the end? I did have fun "most" of the time, and it is easy to see the potential the game has yet to realize. That being said, there's no denying that I have countless complaints!
The long, drawn-out intro, the initially confusing story, the poorly designed combat, unresponsive and sometimes broken platforming, and the countless glitches all damper the experience. There is a lot that needs to be cleaned up, but at no point did it make me give up on the title. I really do like the general mechanics and ideas on display here, and I especially enjoyed playing as both a cat and a human to figure out my way forward. There was just something fun about scouting the area as a cat, figuring out a path, and then using Noa to throw open windows or clear the way forward for Aaron—so he can then return the favor by unlatching doors or distracting guards. It is a fine balance where the answer to advancing isn't always black and white, and you are always rewarded for your efforts. A lot of the environments do look the same, and you can expect the same objects to be reused over and over again, but how you reach these places is always different. This puzzle-based exploration is where the game truly shines in the gameplay department, but it is the story itself that will encourage players to keep moving forward. Of course, I'm still not fully sold on the story yet myself, but we'll see how it changes and develops as Early Access continues.
For players who refuse to support any type of generative AI, this game already isn't going to be on your radar, and there is no changing that. If you are willing to look past that, however, 1666: Amsterdam might be worth considering once it is touched up a bit further. The game doesn't even truly start until well after Steam's refund window has passed, and even the demo doesn't show the main experience. This will make it hard for many to judge if they'll truly enjoy it or not, and by the time they find the answer, it will be too late to back out. If you still think it sounds interesting, and do not want to wait for future updates, then feel free to give it a try.
Just make sure you are willing to put up with the technical issues, because there is no escaping them.
Reviewed on PC
Review Copy was Provided
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