If you are reading this, I take it you’re asking for my thoughts on where 1666: Amsterdam is in the early phases of “Early Access.”
And my answer is that this game feels almost like it’s a familiar product of its extensive, long, and fraught development period.
That is to say, it feels like there is a game here that is worthy of waiting for, one that is a stalwart spiritual successor to Assassin’s Creed, as well as a new game on the block, imbued with individuality.
I see why fellow Canadian Patrice Désilets fought for this after he and Ubisoft fought about the series he created, and they have carried on.
So far, that fight has turned out well, and this game is the same.
Three stories in time that don’t work all of the time
1666: Amsterdam holds true to the beliefs in the world of magic and the occult that everything is tied together and connected.
As such, it tells three linked stories of Noa in 1666, Aaron in 1999 and his daughter Clara in our time.
An occult ritual links the three across time: Aaron can go back in time, Noa can hop into 1999, and Clara reads through her father’s notes on everything up to that point.
Additionally, Noa belongs to an ancient order that uses magic responsibly to keep it from those who use it with reckless abandon, known as Originals.
Noa is the Collector, a sort of private-eye witch equipped with magical means of investigation à la Harry Dresden.
Noa and Aaron then find themselves working together during the day to investigate the Originals and learn about the deals they’ve made with the devil, deciding how to handle them when the full moon comes up during the Esbat, a time when the Originals are at their strongest, but so is Noa.
If you are thinking this sounds like the timeless fight between Assassins and Templars, but with a Dutch magic twist, you’re right.
For me, this is where 1666: Amsterdam shines. What’s currently on offer has me spellbound because it feels familiar and yet new at the same time. But the spell breaks when it comes to gameplay as of right now.
Noa can effortlessly transition from proper Dutch lady to crimson lady of the cloth and magic in a moment and with a button input, but she’ll attract attention as both, leading to combat.
Elementary, my dear Noa.
During my time with 1666: Amsterdam, I felt like I was playing the offspring of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate‘s Sherlock Holmes cases, but with them also taking place among the structured assassinations that game introduced. I know these elements came in long after Désilets’ Ubisoft exit in 2010, but it is worth noting that 1666: Amsterdam was a concept around that time, and I can’t help but wonder if some of these share origins.
Sadly, 1666: Amsterdam‘s strong premise is let down by its currently lacklustre gameplay.
Combat is currently at its worst. In a gaming world where the attack, parry and counter meta has become the way games are played practically across the board, but with games adding their own little flair, 1666: Amsterdam tells you to jump out of the way. In fact, it’s all you can do.
For now, combat is limited to boss battles against the Eszbat and waves of combatant witch hunters that appear as locked-on instances when you are suspected of being a witch.
Noa’s physical exploits are sluggish and overly standardized.
To be fair, I appreciate that 1666: Amsterdam adds its own flair with “Nux” and “Lux.” These are black and red magics tied to life and death, allowing Noa to use magic in battle through a QTE that will reward you with a refill for casting correctly, while the latter enchants her surroundings and opens new paths, and the former is used in battle magic.
It’s a unique system that’s sadly pretty flat as of right now. Casting properly grants you a return on your Nux, and sees magical terms float around the unfortunate target of your magical assault.
Another area I would like to see some improvement is seemingly an ironic one for something Désilets has touched: character rubber-banding.
While he didn’t invent synchronized movement or rubber-banding in games, one could argue that the early Assassin’s Creed games used this element to great effect. Ezio is a true Renaissance man when it comes to keeping up with an NPC who is moving while talking, as he does it with such refinement.
Rubber-banding appears in two main forms. First, it is used, as in Assassin’s Creed, to move characters through story elements without loading screens. Second, when playing as cats, Aaron and Noa can take over control of those afraid of black cats, in what becomes a softer sort of rubber-banding intended for stealth and combat à la Watch Dogs: Legion.
This movement currently feels and looks jarring. Movements feel awkward and forced, and models look extra static during them. I found myself wondering if this was done by a person(s), or if this was an example of generative AI use?
1666: Amsterdam And AI
A lot of the discourse around this game so far has come from two issues: should this game exist at all after all it has been through? And its use of generative AI (Gen AI).
During my time with the game, I looked for instances of Gen AI being used. And I will admit that it is incredibly hard to detect.
1666: Amsterdam excels in its visual representation of the Dutch city’s 17th-century appearance with a vivid and bright aesthetic seemingly inspired by the artworks of the Dutch Masters. But it is also seemingly entirely the studio’s own work.
Where things seem to change is in the art and animations around combat, which, as I’ve said, feel choppy and simplistic right now.
I must admit that I’ve been overly excited for 1666: Amsterdam.
And I still find myself sufficiently satisfied with what’s here one month in.
The magic of this game is that it feels familiar and of a time that is now considered gaming history, but it also feels modern and individualistic.
Right of the start, I was entranced by a story and gameplay loop that felt like what Assassin’s Creed was at it’s finest.
At the same time, there’s enough of a powerful personality that make me feel like this game has a new spell the cast on gaming.
But like any great spell, there’s work to be done here. And it will take time to land the perfect cast.
I really hope it gets there, because there’s magic here.
