Once again we throw ourselves into the arms of the Web to explore its offering of free games, and fortunately, this week is more loaded than usual. On one hand we have Jitsu Squad, a chaotic and colorful beat 'em up that deals violence in all directions, and on the other we find the very Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, ninth title in the franchise that expands the age-old conflict between assassins and templars.
Another weekend, another chance to grab the gamepad or do a little magic with the keyboard/mouse combo. Previously we talked about Deliver Us Mars, official sequel to Deliver Us the Moon that at the time of writing is on sale (70% off on the Epic Game Store). The experience was cinematic and a little slower than usual, but its story definitely kept us hooked. Today, the needle shoots off in the opposite direction: If you want action, you'll find it in this "special 2-for-1 edition."
Jitsu Squad: Ninja Animals Dealing Kicks
Inspired by old beat 'em up games that introduce a crisis from the start without much explanation, Jitsu Squad throws in your face a mystical stone called Kusanagi (?), an evil sorcerer named Origami (??), and a wise master known as Ramen (???), who manages to rescue and train the Jitsu Squad (Hero, Baby, Jazz and Aros). Our mission, if we decide to accept it, is to take control of a hero, finish off all of Origami's forces, and find the sorcerer to give him a beating.
In short, Jitsu Squad combines several clichés, references to games like Mortal Kombat and youtuber cameos with intense and demanding gameplay, full of transformations, power-ups, special attacks, enemies and classic scenarios (mobsters, elevators, arcade machines, and more), a solid soundtrack, and above all, the possibility of connecting four gamepads for a fabulous co-op session. Can you play with a keyboard? Yes, but the experience is much better with a gamepad.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: Ubisoft’s Peaky Blinders
Well, maybe on a more superficial level, but it's impossible not to make such an association (others suggest a similar 'vibe' to Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes). Regardless of the 'lore' that the Assassin’s Creed series carries on its shoulders, Syndicate shares the story of the Frye twins, Evie and Jacob. Trained as assassins, they both travel to London, a city controlled by the Templars after the destruction of the Brotherhood there. The Templars exercise much of their power through the Blighters, a local criminal syndicate feared and reviled on multiple levels. What do the twins do? Rise to the level of their opponents, form the Rooks syndicate, and take the fight to every corner of London.
It's not common to see Ubisoft organizing giveaways, and maybe some players feel worried about the amount of prior material to explore (Syndicate is the ninth game in the series), but it's an excellent opportunity anyway. Action, stealth, incredible acrobatics, historical characters, class conflict, corrupt politicians… yes, Syndicate is one of the best in the entire franchise.
Jitsu Squad is part of the Epic Game Store's weekly free selection and will be available until next Thursday. In contrast, the deadline for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is Wednesday, December 6. Downloading Jitsu Squad is a matter of a few minutes, but if you want to play Syndicate, I recommend you start now: It's more than 45 gigabytes. Links below!
Jitsu Squad free on the Epic Games Store: Click here
Assassin's Creed Syndicate free via Ubisoft Connect: Click here
