When Assassin's Creed appeared on the next-generation horizon last E3, Ubisoft was likely unprepared for the inundation of attention lavished upon what has become one of the year's most anticipated titles. Countless trailers, cryptic screenshots, and speculations aside, we finally went hands-on with Assassin's Creed in a private meeting during E3 2007.

The game is set in 1191 AD during the Third Crusade. You play the role of Altaïr, a shamed former Master Assassin who seeks to restore his status within the Order of Assassins. Our play through was set in the domain of Jerusalem, where we controlled Altair in a mission to kill local slave trader Ta'lal. Altair started the demonstration atop the roof of a tall cathedral, which provided a gorgeous view of the city below. Jumping from the building, Altair safely landed in a cart full of hay and commenced with his mission.

Assassin's Creed uses a context-sensitive button system that changes the functions mapped to the face buttons depending on your surrounding environment. Movement is always handled by the left analog stick, but the face buttons constantly change their functions based on your situation. For instance, when weaving through a crowd of people in a small open-air market, the circle button can be used to gently push people aside, whereas the square button allows you to fling individuals aside forcefully. When near walls, the controls change to facilitate climbing and jumping. Varying use of the face buttons ensures plenty of interactivity, although it also means a steeper learning curve.

Maintaining a low profile in social situations will be important in keeping Altair alive. How you interact with citizens influences your social status, which is tracked via a meter at the top left of the screen. When suspicion has been aroused, such as when unnecessarily pushing down people or picking a fight with a guard, the meter turns red. Simple disturbances can evolve into global conflicts that alert the city guard of your presence, so you have to be mindful of your actions. When faced with a local confrontation, it's best to finish the fight rather than run around the city drawing unwanted attention.

Guards are fully capable of chasing you down, even if they don't possess the ability to climb like Altair. Staying out of eyesight and waiting for the social status gauge to turn yellow is your best bet when guards have been alerted. Once yellow, you can blend into the city's background by sitting on a bench, hiding in a bale of hay, and taking shelter within a building.

Should you be forced into combat, Altair comes equipped with four weapons: his fists, a sword, throwing daggers, and an assassin's blade. Each of these are mapped to the directional pad, with a quick tap bringing up a weapon. Like the rest of the game, combat controls are context-sensitive, differing for each weapon and situation. For example, equipping the daggers provides an option to target enemies and throw them for an instant kill. Wielding the sword, you can counter enemy attacks with the same button used to throw the daggers. Again, it’s a control scheme that allows for a wide range of actions, but could prove difficult to master.

Completing the demonstration required locating Ta'lal in his secret den and silently killing him. Unfortunately, the slave trader was all too aware of Altair's motives and prepared a trap. Surrounded by guards, we quickly went into a defensive stance in order to counter incoming attacks. Once the guards were dispatched, we chased down Ta'lal as he ran through the city, taunting Altair. By equipping the assassin's blade and rushing up behind him, we were able to kill Ta'lal and finish our assignment.

Assassin's Creed looks fantastic. E3 presentations are made to look good, but it’s hard not to get pumped about this game. While the controls might be a barrier to casual play, they do afford a wide range of interaction that goes beyond most action-adventure games. With its release just around the corner, expect a full review of Assassin's Creed when it hits PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in November.