Assassin’s Creed III (Video Game)
Amanda Dyar
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Developer & Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (reviewed), PC & Wii U
Developer and publisher Ubisoft brought this generation of gaming one of the best franchises ever when it introduced players to the universe of Assassin’s Creed back in 2007. Since then, the series has spawned 6 different titles and featured a handful of protagonists, and the story of the ongoing war between the Assassins and Templar continues in the newest outing, Assassin’s Creed III. The new adventure is completely different from any other game in the series in that players will take on the role of a new, Native American protagonist named Connor during the American Revolution of the late 1700s, and yet, the game stays strangely familiar with much of the core gameplay remaining untouched including the easily recognizable hidden blades to the faces of the enemies. The game is also built on a new engine known as Anvil Next, and although the platform allows the developers to add plenty of great things for players to experience throughout the game, it could all use a bit fine tuning moving forward in the series. Assassin’s Creed III is likely the last in the series for this generation of consoles, but the future looks as bright as ever for Assassin’s Creed fans.
Assassin’s Creed III stars a new main character named Ratonhnhaké:ton also better known by his adopted name of Connor. The new follows the life story of the young Native American to show what would turn a troubled young man into the hot tempered Assassin players will control throughout the course of the game. Connor soon finds himself in the middle of a Templar trap that will have him becoming a wanted man in the American Colonies, so the character will have to move carefully through the world to avoid detection and perform the necessary assassinations over time. During the game, action will switch to the current year as Desmond and crew attempt to stop a devastating event that would bring about the apocalypse. The two stories are both crafted very well and carefully executed, but the Desmond storyline will still leave players out in the cold and hoping for a full Assassin’s Creed release staring the other protagonist we’ve all grown so close to over the years. The Connor storyline also doubles as a nice refresher of history class, with the exception of the Assassin and Templar storylines that were never featured in any history book we’ve read, and fans can look forward to more great content when Ubisoft imagines a world with George Washington as king in future DLC for the game.
Gameplay is still roughly the same as its been for several releases now; Connor will begin the game on a very linear path as new and preexisting mechanics are introduced to the player, but soon the world opens up with plenty of side quests, mini-games and hidden collectibles to be found in the huge open world of Boston and the American Colonies. Assassin’s Creed III features even more bonus missions and content than usual as players complete missions to convince other characters to move nearby and open a homestead that provides the newly opened town plenty of resources and a nifty economy system. Players can also explore the wilderness with the changing of the weather to hunt and track down wildlife and bring back their products for additional resources and money. Naval missions are also a big addition to Assassin’s Creed III. The new game modes features tons of quests and treasures, and the fun addition is sure to occupy plenty of players’ time with the game. Of course, free running your way across the land while assassinating high priority targets and completing story missions is still most prevelant in the game, and even with the few glitches you find while running around, this bread and butter of the series is as tasty as ever.
Assassin’s Creed III is easily the most ambitious and most impressive game in the series to date. The game features an excellent single player experience that continues to establish Assassin’s Creed as one of the best video game series of all-time, and players have been treated to the return of multiplayer with new cooperative game modes for those who like to team up and battle against other players online. If you’ve never played a game in the Assassin’s Creed series, you may find yourself lost during the modern New York missions of Desmond, but you can enjoy the fact that a new protagonist gives the series its best setting and one of its best stories ever. Longtime fans of the series will find the game a no-brainer to pick up this new throat-stabbing adventure. The game is also now available for Nintendo Wii U with even more features including a map and inventory on the gamepad and the ability to play Assassin’s Creed III Remote Play. Pick up your copy of Assassin’s Creed III this holiday season and become the ultimate killer!
Assassin’s Creed III is now available from all major retailers for the MSRP of $59.99 and can be purchased for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC & PC.
Assassin’s Creed III is rated M by the ESRB for Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes & Strong Language. For more information on the game, check out the official Assassin’s Creed III website.
Game Features:
4 out of 5
Categorized:Horror Gaming Reviews
