THE creed, adhered to by the twelfth-century assassins' guild depicted in the game, is simple and noble: thou shalt not take innocent lives, thou shalt stick to the shadows, and thou shalt not compromise the brotherhood by placing a fellow comrade in unnecessary danger.
So when Altair - a revered member of the guild - breaks all three doctrines of the creed by jeopardising the game's introductory mission, he is forced to repent.
His punishment: demotion to the lowest rung, and the bitter mission of assassinating nine corrupt lords.
You guide Altair through his paces, and it is up to you whether he, well, reforms or not (although your decision has no impact on the story).
You could choose to abide by the rules. Blend in with the crowds. Lynch enemies only when the opportunity makes itself available. And take pride in being the smart and skilled killer who leaves no traces.
I, on the other hand, prefer to take a more egregious approach, running through crowds with disregard and engaging in combat against all who dare oppose me.
Blame my brutish behaviour on the game's simplistic, yet exceedingly satisfying combat system, which emphasises skilfully timed button presses to break through opponents' defences.
That said, regardless of which approach you prefer, chances are at some point you will switch to the other to inject some welcome variety into the repetitive and rigid proceedings.
In each mission, you perform more or less the same tired tasks as the preceding one. By the time you get to the ninth and final assassination, you'll be glad the game is over - even though you took less than 10 hours to complete it.
Side-missions that require you to comb the articulate recreations of Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus to find flags or save civilians are available. However, they are too frivolous and confer rewards so lousy - like restored health - that you won't bother. For all intents and purposes this is a 10-hour experience.
It may be short but it's highly worthwhile, if not for the stealthy thrills, then for the stunning narrative that features well-executed themes of manipulation, betrayal, and science-fiction.
By the latter, I'm referring to the game being set in 2012. This is revealed to you in literally the first minute of play.
Altair is already dead. But his memories live on through direct descendent Desmond Miles' DNA. A machine that offers virtual simulation of these memories is how Desmond role-plays as Altair.
And while Altair's story is brought to a sweet close, Desmond's isn't. In fact, the game's ending blatantly alludes to a possible sequel where we might see great things from Desmond.
In the meantime, do savour Assassin's Creed for what it is: a unique and intriguing blockbuster that will leave you craving for a bigger sequel.
