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An assassin comes out of a bar...

Today I want to talk to you about the Assassin’s Creed-series. After recently playing through the latest installment Valhalla , I had to think back to the old games. To the great pirate adventure Black Flag. To the lesser offshoots Syndicate and Odyssee. And, of course, the best part of the series, Assassin’s Creed II. Ubisoft's assassin series is now probably the action-adventure franchise that I have invested the most time in. With 12 main games, various add-ons and countless DLCs, this is hardly surprising.

However, looking back at my ratings of the individual parts, I suspect that the early parts were more fun than the current ones. Oh, God, is it that time? Have I reached that age? Is it true that everything used to be better? Probably not, I didn't like the 3rd game one hundred percent either. And what about the first Assassin’s Creed, the cornerstone that got the whole thing rolling in the first place?

To put it bluntly: no idea. The game is now 14 years old, having been released in 2007 - same time as the first Crysis or the last good offshoot of the Command & Conquer-series, Tiberium Wars, were released. I can still vaguely remember the story, but as far as graphics, gameplay etc. are concerned, I can only assume that it was less fun as a prototype than its direct successor in Renaissance Italy. At least that's what I can say about the soundtrack.

Jesper Kyd is an excellent composer. It's not just me who says that, but the numerous nominations for his soundtracks and awards for the scores of Darksiders II (Global Music Awards 2012), Hitman: Contracts (BAFTA Awards 2005) as well as Assassin’s Creed II (GoldSpirit Awards 2010; HMMA 2009). However, the score for the first part only received one nomination in 2009, and I can fully understand why.

The OST in itself is fine. It is identity-forming with its dualism of modern science fiction synthesizer and medieval oriental soundtrack. All you need to do is compare Access the Animus and Spirit of Damascus . The first track sounds like it was borrowed from a modern spy action movie and brings back memories of a Splinter Cell-soundtrack, which unfortunately never existed in this form - most likely in Double Agent. Fast strings and hard beats provide a good tempo and the clicking and tinkling evokes the image of The Matrix-like rows of numbers cascading down in the background.

Spirit of Damascus is the exact opposite: Oriental instruments such as sitars and flutes herald the arrival in the Middle East and, like Anno 1404 or the Prince of Persia-series, raise expectations of adventures in the setting of 1001 Nights. However, those familiar with the Assassin’s Creed-series will of course know that we are not entering an idealized fairytale world here. Musically, Kyd sets himself apart from the aforementioned with his compositions, for example with vocals that sometimes recite Latin verses in a chorale, sometimes in a whisper. This creates a conspiratorial atmosphere for the Da Vinic Code-like plot about Templars and Assassins. Sometimes it is even enough for a bit of horror. One example of this is Acre Underworld.

And as soon as you want to dive into the analysis, the OST is already over. A meagre eleven tracks have made it onto Ubisoft's data carrier, which is why large parts of the score, which is not just okay but good, fall by the wayside. But I wouldn't be here if I hadn't also listened to the gamerip, which softens the dualism described above. Suddenly, it is no longer possible to draw a clear dividing line between the Middle Ages and modern times. This becomes particularly clear in the action tracks with (Fight or Flight – Red in the Face) in the title. There we hear powerful beats and synths that harmonize wonderfully with the meditative, oriental sounds.

But even of these tracks, only a very small proportion is entertaining when separated from the gameplay. The shallow, restrained background music may be appropriate for sneaking, hiding and stealthy assassination, but apart from that it is at best suitable for the next pagan sacrificial ritual in the conservatory. And unlike its successors, there are virtually no leitmotifs to play with or around. There's not a single track that makes you say: "Sure, that's the theme from the first Assassin’s Creed“.

Two years later, Kyd rectified this point of criticism so thoroughly in the next installment with Earth / Ezio’s Familie that the themes continue to reappear to this day. And that's what we want, that's identity. But more on that in due course, this is about the score from the first Assassin’s Creed. This OST gives us the feeling that we are in a medieval computer simulation. The OST for the sequel, on the other hand, makes us feel like we're in an Assassin’s Creed-game. And that's why, for me, the first game flies a bit under the radar, because although it kicked things off, it was its successors that won the race.

Assassin's Creed

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	City of Jerusalem	Jesper Kyd	3
02	Flight Through Jerusalem	Jesper Kyd	5
03	Spirit of Damascus	Jesper Kyd	4
04	Trouble in Jerusalem	Jesper Kyd	4
05	Acre Underworld	Jesper Kyd	2
06	Access the Animus	Jesper Kyd	4
07	Dunes of Death	Jesper Kyd	2
08	Masyaf in Danger	Jesper Kyd	5
09	Meditation Begins	Jesper Kyd	3
10	Meditation of the Assassin	Jesper Kyd	3
11	The Bureau	Jesper Kyd	2

Assassin's Creed [Gamerip]

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Opening	Jesper Kyd	1
02	D.N.A.	Jesper Kyd	1
03	Solomon's Temple	Jesper Kyd	2
04	Spill the Beans	Jesper Kyd	1
05	The Creed	Jesper Kyd	2
06	Knives Out	Jesper Kyd	1
07	Masyaf	Jesper Kyd	3
08	Masyaf (Fight or Flight - Yellow Belly)	Jesper Kyd	4
09	Masyaf (Fight or Flight - Red in the Face)	Jesper Kyd	4
10	Masyaf Under Siege, Part 1	Jesper Kyd	2
11	Masyaf Under Siege, Part 2	Jesper Kyd	3
12	Masyaf Under Siege, Part 3	Jesper Kyd	2
13	Masyaf Under Siege, Part 4	Jesper Kyd	2
14	Office Space	Jesper Kyd	1
15	Kingdom	Jesper Kyd	2
16	Kingdom 2	Jesper Kyd	2
17	Masyaf Horse Ride	Jesper Kyd	3
18	Damascus	Jesper Kyd	4
19	Assassin's H.Q.	Jesper Kyd	1
20	Good Job	Jesper Kyd	2
21	Dirty Deeds (Damascus)	Jesper Kyd	3
22	Damascus (Fight or Flight - Yellow Belly)	Jesper Kyd	3
23	Damascus (Fight or Flight - Red in the Face)	Jesper Kyd	4
24	Tamir	Jesper Kyd	3
25	Damascus Horse Ride	Jesper Kyd	3
26	Acre	Jesper Kyd	2
27	Dirty Deeds (Acre)	Jesper Kyd	2
28	Acre (Fight or Flight - Yellow Belly)	Jesper Kyd	3
29	Acre (Fight or Flight - Red in the Face)	Jesper Kyd	4
30	Garnier de Naplouse	Jesper Kyd	3
31	Acre Horse Ride	Jesper Kyd	4
32	Jerusalem	Jesper Kyd	4
33	Dirty Deeds (Jerusalem)	Jesper Kyd	3
34	Jerusalem (Fight or Flight - Yellow Belly)	Jesper Kyd	4
35	Jerusalem (Fight or Flight - Red in the Face)	Jesper Kyd	4
36	Talal	Jesper Kyd	3
37	Jerusalem Horse Ride	Jesper Kyd	5
38	Abul Nuqoud	Jesper Kyd	3
39	William de Montferrat	Jesper Kyd	2
40	Majd Addin	Jesper Kyd	1
41	Sibrand	Jesper Kyd	2
42	Juban Al Hakim	Jesper Kyd	3
43	Arsuf	Jesper Kyd	2
44	Robert de Sable	Jesper Kyd	2
45	Return to Masyaf, Part 1	Jesper Kyd	2
46	Return to Masyaf, Part 2 (Something Is Rotten in Denmark)	Jesper Kyd	2
47	Return to Masyaf, Part 3	Jesper Kyd	3
48	Return to Masyaf, Part 4 (Have at You, Snake)	Jesper Kyd	3
49	Access the Animus, Part 1 (Red in the Face)	Jesper Kyd	5
50	Access the Animus, Part 2 (Yellow Belly)	Jesper Kyd	4
51	Access the Animus, Part 3 (On High Alert)	Jesper Kyd	4
52	Golden Globe	Jesper Kyd	4