The general gameplay has been streamlined from the previous titles, with a bigger emphasis on open-world environments. 47 himself handles a lot simpler than he used to, seeming more dynamic and human, rather than feeling like controlling a robot with a sniper rifle in its stiff arms. He is as athletic as ever, and can use ledges to approach targets from above, or slip into areas he isn't supposed to be in.

The combat is also a lot leaner, though as usual your character's enormous arsenal beggars belief. Also - weirdly - the black power pistols and muskets on offer in the firearm department take twice as long to reload as previous Assassin Ezio's gauntlet-mounted weapon. This means that blades are still king, despite the advanced era - an admirable way of keeping AC's swordplay at the forefront of the action.

Corvo's powers allow him to teleport short distances, climb to the roofs of tall buildings, possess rats, fish and humans, summon swarms of man-eating rodents, pause time and more. As with Deus Ex and Thief, you'll never be able to upgrade all the powers, so choosing the ones that match your particular play style is key.

Some of the tasks are run-of-the-mill challenges like 'go here, collect this', while others prove quite a challenge, requiring teamwork and careful planning. The game never takes itself too seriously, however, and one of the missions demonstrates this in its title: "Go shoot this guy in the face".

Picking up shortly after the events of Mass Effect 2, ME3 sees Shepherd under investigation for working with (and possibly aiding) the terrorist organization known as Cerberus. However, before long an ancient race of sentient, battleship-sized robots known as 'Reapers' show up and invade the Earth - as Shepherd's been warning for six years...