Since there are no other good games coming out this year*, I'm pleased to provide everyone with the wonderful news that Assassin's Creed will be hitting in the fall for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. November-ish to be semi-precise.

Taking place in 1191 during the Third Crusade you play a member of the Hashashin, a secret group of Muslim assassins from which the word "assassin" is derived, bent on taking out the "impious". Sounds somewhat familiar.

One thing that's been bugging me though. I seem to recall some manner of info, leaked or otherwise, mentioning that the game is actually taking place in some dudes mind - IN THE FUTURE - not the ancient past. Perhaps it's some sort of Michael J. Fox-esque adventure to change events in present/future by altering the past? Does anyone else remember hearing this? Or is it widely known and I'm just slow? Game looks wild either way.

*(Kiiii-hiiiiding!)

RELEASE ME!:

SAN FRANCISCO - June 7, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced the worldwide launch for the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed Assassin's Creed™ will be November 2007.

The Assassin's Creed franchise will make its debut on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC. Assassin's Creed is being developed by an all-star team from Ubisoft's world-class Montreal studio. As a testament to its pre-launch following and buzz, the latest Assassin's Creed gameplay trailer, released on May 23, exceeded more than 1.3 million downloads via GameTrailers.com in less than a week.

"Assassin's Creed is going to be a huge launch for Ubisoft this year along with the added prestige of being the start of this exciting new franchise that is bringing something completely new to the market," said Tony Key, vice president of marketing, Ubisoft. "We're confident that Assassin's Creed will exceed expectations as a 'must-have' title this holiday season and will achieve both critical and commercial success."

The game is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players will assume the role of the main character, Altair, and will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and truly experience the art of a master assassin.

In 2006, Assassin's Creed received the Game Critics Award: Best of E3 2006 for "Best Action-Adventure Game" and swept the "Best PS3 Game" category across numerous video game Web sites.*

Assassin's Creed will be available in North America at the MSRP of $59.99 with the Limited Edition priced at $69.99 - ESRB rating is pending. For more information, please visit www.assassinscreed.com.