In 1187, the Christians of western Europe looked on in disbelief as Saladin and his Muslim armies stormed through the Holy Land, reclaiming Jerusalem. As you can probably imagine, pope Gregory VIII wasn't best pleased with this turn of events and did what religious leaders do best: he went to war.

He immediately ordered a campaign to regain the Holy City for the Christians. Known as the Third Crusade, it was to last from 1189 to 1192. The period, in fact, about which Gameloft's Assassin's Creed tells its story. This is an ambitious platformer for the mobile, with a variety of hacking 'n' slashing, intricate jumping and stealth gameplay thrown in. And, best of all, it works.

From the moment the loading screen appears and the moody and mystical score kicks in, expectation levels for the game skyrocket, and the graphics in-game bear the promise out. Indeed, on looks alone, we'd say that Assassin's Creed could well be one of the best-looking 2D games we've set eyes on.

As Altair, you are one of the finest assassins in the land. Inexplicably shunned by the assassins' order, you've taken it upon yourself to sort out the problems in the Middle East, in the hope of being welcomed back by your brethren.

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