Major things left out of AC1
I was watching this video earlier today and it showed a lot of gameplay from the early stages of Assassin's Creed. We all know that Altair eventually lost the crossbow and arrows, but there are subtle differences with the game we all know and love and the one included in this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HlTXdjnEeE&feature=related
For example, during a chase (2:29) you could cut down loose structures for barricades your pursuers couldn't get through. At 2:02, the entering into a city was completely rearranged. And at 1:30, Willam's death was taken place in an entirely new area and fashion, even including a more cinematic death portrayal (goldish color with different camera angles).
It seems this version would have been more realistic than the finished product and I think any of us at THB would like to know how it would have played out. If they focused more on that game's theme of realistic historical fiction than a historical and fictional action game, would our opinions be different? Would THB even exist?
I don't like that gold execution effect. I just want that big aqueduct to run around on.
Probably made early on before certain features had to be modified or removed. The barricade thing looks cool and was obvioulsy taken out but maybe it was mainly to show that many structures can be destroyed and broken...?
That assassination was most likely never part of the story and was only made for the trailer to allow for the most cinematic and action-packed kills/effects to be shown off.
The first footage I ever saw of ac1 was an e3 demo. A few other things it showed that you didn't mention were riding a horse into a city, switching the camera view to look behind you (to see pursuers), and pushing people kind of the way guards shove you.