How was it a joke? It had better gameplay than AC1 or AC2.....and continued the story.....
If you're talking about the multiplayer, then I would understand.
Anyway, to be OT: The new GameInformer will be awesome for many reasons, but it actually surprises me that Skyrim is making an appearance in each and every one for the past 3 or 4, now.
For one, the gameplay is not better. Heck, it has been the exact same since the first game. Ubisoft just adds in a couple new gadgets with the same exact rules.
Secondly, the multiplayer is a complete joke and a waste of time and resources that should actually be allocated towards working on the campaign.
Third, being stuck in only Rome was completely uneventful and somewhat boring. I enjoyed traveling around in AC1 and AC2 personally. I don't really care how "big" Rome is.
Fourth of all, I'm tired of playing Ezio! I enjoyed Altair much more, and even Desmond is a better character than Ezio is in my opinion. Ubisoft seems to be obsessed with his character though... At least you can play all three in Revelations.