Assassin’s Creed III Review

Posted By Yousif A. about 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Assassin’s Creed III Review

We moan and complain that EA Sports games and Call of Duty make appearances year on year, and yet Assassin’s Creed has somehow avoided the ire of the gaming masses despite doing the exact same thing since the release of AC2. Why don’t we complain? Maybe it’s because Ubisoft Montreal has improved the mechanics and gameplay with every installment, adding significant new elements to every title. Assassin’s Creed III is a truly superb answer as to why I, for one, do not complain. This year they have utterly knocked it out of the park.

Connor is nothing like Ezio. Let’s get that out in the open right now. While our Italian hitman varied from Altair, the similarities were noticeable. The second you take control in AC3 you realize this is not the same beast. From his combat style to his attitude, our native Indian protagonist makes his unique mark upon the series with style. You won’t be witnessing any reused animations in this game. This is new and it feels like it.

Not that you will get to Connor and his persona straight away. There are some twists and turns to deal with first as the new setting of the 18th century is firmly established. I will not reveal too much, having far too much respect for what I consider the best written and acted AC game to date. Many famous names will come and go past you so quickly that it’s hard to take them all in, but the developers have clearly done their homework. The characters are full of life and well fleshed out, and while Connor really stands out from the crowd, it’s the villain of the piece that steals the show. With the English involved, were you ever in any doubt?

Assassin’s Creed 3, as many of you will know, is based before, during, and after the American Revolution. With the game being developed by a French developer and marketed strongly to the American public, I was a little worried that the whole affair could get a little one-sided. I am glad to report that AC3 actually takes a very well rounded view on the whole revolution, citing many cases for and against both sides as the game continues, and even goes so far as to question the modern American notion that the founding fathers are people to be admired. It’s fascinating to see how the developers have taken the Assassins and Templar’s philosophies and applied it to this monumental moment in history.

Well, now his coat is red.

Of course, while the setting and hero may have changed, most of the familiar Assassin’s Creed staples have returned. Hidden blades, synchronization points, chapter-based progression, and the animus all reappear. This isn’t to say that game is without its improvements though.

For a start, and this is a big one, you can no longer accidently jump off anything. Say goodbye to those rage inducing lethal falls and unintentional swan dives into haystacks. Ubisoft Montréal has finally done something about the often criticized free-running system by dumping the high and low profile modes. Now, you will simply run when holding the trigger/shoulder button, leaping from roof to roof with the same reckless abandon as before, however, should the jump ahead of you be unsafe, your Assassin will simply stop. The games now requires you to decide when and where your will leap from, leaving you with only yourself to blame should you become a mess upon the cobbled streets.

Combat has also received a rather drastic makeover. Locking onto your foes to engage in a fight is now a thing of the past, and thank god. Health now recharges out of combat, but health packs are now gone, meaning there is no easy way out of big fights, but no annoying trips to the doctor every hour or so. All the buttons you need are also now on the face of your controller. Swinging your sword and countering the opponent are now one button actions, with blocking thrown onto the scrap pile. Everybody only used it to counter anyway!

There are more combat options than ever before.

Countering blows is perhaps even simpler than before, with the game often giving you visual indicators when a blow is coming, and easily being deflected with a single press. The difference here is that you then enter a slow motion state in which you can select from a number maneuvers you can perform on your helpless foe. Simply killing them may be the most obviously beneficial, however AC3 will thrown some much tougher enemies at you than previous games and simply going in for the kill will often get you a smack in the mouth. Throwing, disarming, and tripping your opponents are all viable options from a counter, and with downed and disorientated foes now so much easier to kill, sometimes being tactical can pay off. That or you can just shoot them with a selection of flintlock weaponry. That’s always an option.

This tactical approach is something that pays off in missions as well. If we’re honest, Assassin’s Creed isn’t exactly the stealth series it has often pretended to be, with blending and hiding usually working as tools to get you to your next massive fight. AC3 handles things a little differently, and while overt action will still see you to your goal, the options for a covert approach have increased dramatically.

Notoriety is now ranked in stages, rather than extremes. 3 separate states of alertness will simply increase the guard’s chances of coming to look for you or even reacted violently to you on sight. It makes more sense than the previous, “nothing to everyone-wishes-to-kill-you” system. This staged level of alertness also transfers into mission, making for interesting changes to your approach required depending on your notoriety in the area.

The beauty of the wilderness… let’s kill it!

Not only does AC3 promote the idea of stealth, but new environmental tools like tall grass and Connor’s natural ability to leap from tree to tree help you mask your approach in ways that Ezio and Altair could only dream of. Disappearing from view and slowly eliminating the guards like a native American ninja is definitely the most effective way to play the game and is highly rewarding both mentally and more often than not literally, with the games bonus objectives usually pertaining to stealthy actions.

Even blending in with the crowd is more effective, with simple actions like approaching a bar and leaning against it hiding you from searching eyes. Every action in AC3 is similar to the previous installments but with far more fluidity. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t played it, but after an hour or two with the new game previous Assassin’s Creed games started to look bad. Connor often feels like he is one with the environment rather than an object in it and that makes the experience much richer.

Once or twice I did find myself taking issue with the new free-running system and that is at least 100 times less than previous games. Unfortunately, the sound balance is a bit odd too. I often found myself suddenly unable to hear people directly in front of me, as the music overwhelmed the conversation. It’s not always a problem, but when plot points are being divulged I have a tendency to want to hear them.

Assassin's Creed III Review

By Yousif A.

The American Revolution is never an easy subject to talk about, so Blistered Thumbs decided that they would let their only English writer cover a game all about it. Smart move, guys!

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