Assassin's Creed first look

With hands and legs accounted for, there's also a 'head' button as well. It enables you to look around in first person and triggers your intuition- a sort of medieval sixth sense that helps you pick your mark out of a crowd.

Your goal is always to make the kill followed by a hasty getaway, but you aren't totally helpless if things do go pear-shaped. When the quarry being tailed during the mission we were shownspottedhis pursuer(the flying leap from horseback probably raised his suspicions) he sent a group of sword-waving knights to dispatch Altair.

Above: Rooftops can be used not just for avoiding crowds, but also as an excellentvantage point for spotting targets

After felling two or threefoes, Ubisoft's man at the controls decided it would be wise to break off and run away from the blade brandishing enemies. An assassin's strongest moves are not direct attacks, but parries, like quick jabs when an enemy rears back, or a spinning counter that deflects a heavy sword slash and stabs its dealer in the back.

The crusades have been over for nearly 800 years, but all signs point to them feeling very much alive when Assassin's Creed arrives in 2007.