A brutal action adventure game, due for release next month, is shaping up to be the next big thing in gaming, according to industry critics.

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed sees players take control of a daring acrobatic hitman stalking and killing his targets, and features characters that are "living and breathing".

The 18-rated game, which will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, has created a stir amongst industry watchers.

Website IGN counts the title amongst "our most anticipated games of 2007', adding: "From our initial couple of hours with Assassin's Creed though, we're incredibly impressed at how true to Ubisoft's initial ambitions this near-finished build actually is. Put simply, we can't wait to get our hands on the finished game."

Assassin's Creed, which is said to feature beautifully-rendered visions of cities such as Jerusalem and Damascas in 1191 after the developer hired an Oxford historian to recreate the time period, launched an online trailer in May. It enjoyed a record 1.3 million downloads in under a week.

"We wanted to create a crowd that not only was believable - living and breathing and did things that were interesting - but also created gameplay," said Jade Raymond, the producer on Assassin's Creed.

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Assassin's Creed will be launched November 16, while the PC edition will be available January 2008.