London, 1868. Factory smoke clings to the rooftops and two twins drop off the chimneys like cats.

When the community picks on gut feeling alone, Syndicate only edges ahead of a little more than a third of games. Nothing to write home about. But put a controller in your hands and it climbs: the feel of play sits ahead of nearly 80% of titles. The art style ranks even higher, though that rests on just a couple of votes, so take it with a pinch of salt. Where it really stumbles is the mark it leaves. Almost nobody dreams of rediscovering it, it lands right at the bottom there, and it takes hardly anyone to a desert island. Fun over the long haul stays low too. That's the portrait: a game that's pleasant to roam, then slips out of memory the moment you set it down.

Within the Assassin's Creed series, it's the classic symptom of a polished episode you still forget. Lovely playground, well-oiled mechanics, and yet nothing that truly sticks.

So, who's it for? For you if you love wandering a period city, climbing, brawling, expecting nothing more. Much less if you're after the game that leaves a mark and stays with you long after.