Ubisoft changing reviews policy, working with gamers in wake of Assassin's Creed Unity

In responding to a story about widespread criticism about the unstable nature of Assassin's Creed Unity, publisher and developer Ubisoft told the BBC that it is working to change the way it works with game reviewers and gamers.

"We are working to adapt our services and communications with consumers accordingly, both by changing the way we work with reviewers and by offering customers open betas or other early access to some games, all so that they have the information they need and want," a spokesperson told the BBC.

The official told the BBC that issues that arose out of Unity, including the late embargo for reviews, was driven by the changing nature of games.

"Having the online elements available and having populated worlds is essential to creating a representative and complete experience for reviewers," the spokesperson said. "Achieving this prior to launch is incredibly complex, which is why some games are being reviewed much closer — or as was the case with Destiny, even after — the game launches."

Some believe the noon review for Assassin's Creed Unity was tied to some foreknowledge by the developer that the game had serious stability issues. We've reached out to Ubisoft numerous times for comments on this and other issues and will update this story when they respond.

Earlier today, Ubisoft detailed some of the work it is doing to fix major problems, like the protagonist falling through the ground or getting stuck in hay bales. The post on the official blog did not address how the problems made it into final, retail code.

You can read the full BBC story here.