Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China , the first game of three in the Chronicles spin-off series based on the main Assassin's Creed franchise, is a 2.5D platform game similar to the earlier Assassin's Creed II: Discovery . The game is set in China in 1526 with Shao Jun as the protagonist, a character that was earlier introduced in the short film Assassin's Creed: Embers .
The story follows Shao Jun as she is sent back to China by her leader Wang Yangming to push back the Templar influence. Her brotherhood was wiped out by Zhang Yong, and she must infiltrate a former Assassins stronghold to gather information.
The gameplay of Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China has a linear side-scrolling design with a lot of vertical movement. The game encourages stealth play, and the player's performance in each level is rewarded with a Shadow Style rating based on their ability to complete objectives without alerting guards. Jun has a variety of abilities at her disposal, including the use of stealth, gadgets, and combat.
Enemies have a visible awareness cone based on line of sight, which allows the player to plan their approach carefully. The game also features puzzle elements, such as levers and objects that need to be interacted with to progress through levels. Jun can assassinate with a hidden shoe blade or engage in regular combat with a sword.
The game features a variety of upgrades and abilities that can be unlocked throughout the game, including new gadgets and stealth techniques. The game also includes secondary objectives and optional collectibles to discover. Overall, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is a challenging and rewarding platformer that builds on the parkour movement and stealth gameplay of the main series.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China was released for the PlayStation 4 in April 2016 and offers a unique blend of action, adventure, and stealth gameplay.