Ubisoft is no stranger when it comes to developing great franchises. From Splinter Cell to Prince of Persia, the company has seen more than its fair share of success when it comes to creating and developing entertaining worlds. That tradition continues next year when the company introduces PS3 owners to the world of Assassin's Creed.

The first game in the series is set during the course of the Third Crusade in 1191 A.D. According to history, members of the Assassin sect worked to end conflict in their region by eliminating threats to the general peace. In the game, players take on the role of Altair, an Assassin whose purpose is to minimize the bloodshed of the Third Crusade by killing key figures whose actions have prolonged the fighting and caused the suffering of the innocents. Apparently, this story is a part of a larger futuristic epic as well, as evidenced by occasional "transmission distortion" in the game. Also, when Altair died during one part of the demo, the screen shifted to a first-person view of someone seemingly coming out of a VR environment with references to "Genetic Memory."

Assassin's Creed plays out over a series of different cities in the Middle Ages, such as Jerusalem and Damascus. Altair must infiltrate each city, locate and eliminate his target, and quickly escape from pursuing forces. One of the things that makes Assassin's Creed unique is the flexibility the game gives players in accomplishing their goals. For starters, there are no pre-planned paths that players have to take through each level.

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