1666: Amsterdam, discovering the indie Assassin's Creed in the time of the Inquisition

Amsterdam, 1666 (duh): dark forces plot in the shadows and only an enchantress, branded a heretic by society, can stop them, in a story that unfolds through the ages to the present day. This is the (somewhat lightened) premise of Panache Digital Games' latest work, available in early access on Steam. The title stands out for its very distinctive settings and atmospheres, offering a gameplay formula that winks at the assassins of the French company. This is no coincidence: the director, Patrice Désilets, played a key role in the creation of the first chapters of the saga.

However, the Canadian studio's resources are decidedly more modest, and these constraints emerge strongly during an adventure that wants to dare, but doesn't quite succeed. In its current state, we can sample a decent portion of the single-player campaign, enough to get an idea of its potential. And its limitations.

We will play as Clio, a student capable of reliving memories contained in particular mystical tomes through a magical artifact (much like the Animus in Assassin's Creed). Her powers will allow us to move from the present to the seventeenth century, where we will control Noa, a Collector, tasked with, precisely, "collecting" the spirits of evil creatures disguised as humans. Then there's a third point of view: that of Aaron, Clio's father, who in 1999 was dragged back in time and transformed into a cat to serve as Noa's familiar.

We will therefore shuttle between the various timelines to mark key events, but the bulk of the action will take place in 1666. The opening moments are those that leave a mark, with an intriguing narrative hook and a directorial style that seems to prepare the ground for a thriller with horror notes. On the other hand, technical shortcomings weaken the impact and the continuous jumpscares quickly become tiresome. I would also have done without Aaron's narration and the meticulous description of his hot night with a witch (addressed to his daughter, I might add).

In general, the brief phases in the turn-of-the-millennium hotel are the most jarring. The experience in Baroque Holland is rather sober and will see us explore discreetly so as not to attract the attention of the crowd (at the risk of jail). Then we return to the recent past and find ourselves in our underwear destroying statues with Free Bird in the background, or clubbing guards who for some reason don't react to our presence. It's all very surreal, perhaps intentional, but hard to take seriously. It doesn't help that Aaron moves as if he urgently needs to go to the bathroom and it's already too late. I'm not saying it could be done without, however, for now, these are interludes that don't add much to the package.

As already mentioned, our task as Collectors will be to find the Originals, once-human demons who have been granted supernatural powers to live longer and lead the community. Their contract, however, has long expired and they are taking advantage of it to keep their positions. Once a month, during the full moon, Noa will be at full strength and can begin to hunt them down. Information always comes to the player cryptically, but the objective each time boils down to: locate the target, confirm their identity (we will need their "true name" to make them spill the beans), wait for nightfall, and beat them up.

The investigative phases take place within rather vast areas, among period buildings, canals, and alleys. Noa can eavesdrop on passersby's conversations to obtain useful information, or rummage around for documents and materials. This will attract public attention, as indicated by the bar at the top and the fact that every single person on screen will turn in our direction (effective, no doubt). If things go wrong, we can transform and run away, or wield our staff and eliminate witnesses using a rudimentary third-person combat system.

Noa is still a kind of witch, so she can channel surrounding energy to light braziers, detonate furniture, and reassemble it on command. No fireballs, unfortunately, and magic is rarely used creatively. Floating on the water, however, is fun, even if not being able to jump is a bizarre choice. Alternatively, we can unleash Aaron, in his feline form, to explore crevices, climb buildings, unlock doors, and, most importantly, possess people who are afraid of cats, using their skills to navigate dangerous areas undisturbed. There's even a vague roguelite component, as we can find useful random power-ups, but we'll lose them if defeated by a boss. In that case, we can re-roll them, and then make some permanent at the end of the chapter.

On paper, the mix of sandbox, stealth, and action-RPG has immense potential, however, the execution leaves much to be desired. 1666: Amsterdam boasts a lot of ideas, but at the moment very few of them work. Take "stealth" for example: since the alarm doesn't go off immediately, we can steal resources from stalls, cross off-limits areas, and even transform in plain sight, as long as we don't overdo it. NPCs have no memory or peripheral vision, so just retreating for a moment is enough to return to absolute neutrality. It's not a matter of accessibility, it simply lacks balance.

And the battles? Unresponsive and lacking bite, you go from defeating hordes of soldiers to being knocked out in half a second against the first idiot due to attacks that don't connect or dodges that don't register. It's also not uncommon to get stuck in the corners of the level and get badly beaten, given that we have no defensive options. The clashes with the Originals are the most haphazard. The game doesn't have the pedigree of an action game and it shows, with weightless slashes and clumsy movements. Perhaps a different, more discreet and less "theatrical" solution could be adopted; it seems unwise to fight in the middle of people.

Technical glitches such as a fluctuating frame rate, poor optimization, and sporadic crashes are present, but the title has just been released in early access, so we'll grant it that. The same cannot be said for softlock situations like prompts that don't appear and invisible walls that prevent progress, forcing a restart. Finally, finding a foothold to jump on with Aaron can become a nightmare, even if you just want to get off a table.

It's a shame, because the presentation is captivating, with dark atmospheres and a very fitting orchestral soundtrack. The English voice acting is also excellent. In close-ups, however, especially during cutscenes, the image appears a bit blurry. Is it the upscaler's fault? I can't say, even fiddling with the options I couldn't find an acceptable compromise. Fortunately, you don't notice it during walks through the streets of Amsterdam, where the attention to architectural details and the density of on-screen elements offer a rather nice visual impact.

Does 1666: Amsterdam therefore deserve your attention? Not yet. Panache Digital Games' work is an open construction site, with numerous dynamics to expand and refine, others to abandon or completely revise. Overall, something very appealing can be glimpsed, a bit Assassin's Creed, a bit Hitman, but with a personality all its own. Unfortunately, at the moment it's difficult to recommend it lightly considering the price, unless you find the setting particularly interesting and have full confidence in the development team. Keep an eye on it anyway. The passion is there, and that's what counts for a good final result.