Assassin's Creed 3

Set in the mid to late 1700's, Assassin’s Creed 3 charges headfirst into the American Revolution. The story follows Half-English and Half-Mohawk assassin Connor Kenway (Ratonhnhaké:ton) as he forms an apprehensive relationship with the founding fathers and fights to avenge the destruction of his village by the elusive and deadly Templar Order, in an effort to help bring about peace to a newly forming country.

A revolutionary story

Connor's story follows him from his life as a young mohawk boy, through his stubborn teenage years and into his aggressive and impulsive adulthood. Connor's character is not always likeable but he is always relatable in his motivations, actions and relationships with other characters. His meeting and subsequent apprenticeship to the abrasive master assassin Achilles and, on the other end, his tenuous "ends justify the means" relationship with his father Haytham are organic and enjoyable to watch unfold. Outside of the Animus, Desmond Miles embarks on the final chapter of his journey with more precursor civilisation secrets to unearth. I also found this part of the plot to be compelling and engaging but I was unhappy with its ending.

Freedom of Movement

In this instalment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, character movement and general mobility have been pushed to greater heights with the introduction of the tree and rock climbing abilities, which add a new dimension to the already stellar gameplay. An incredible new parkour system accented with beautiful animations make for an engaging experience that I found to be the most aesthetically pleasing yet.

Look at all the pretty fights

Tied in with upgraded movement is the combat. Although the fighting formula hasn't made a far departure from the slash and parry style the games were founded on, it does well to add stunning new finishing animations for Conner to unleash upon his enemies, which bring some diversity and some serious cool factor. The conflicts held within are a far departure from the copy and paste combat in games such as Max Payne 3, released the same year, where the only combat mechanic is to dive and shoot in slow motion before walking to the next shootout.

Set sail for adventure

With the introduction of sea battles, a new level of depth is successfully added to the game, which allows for a greater assortment of mission styles. This further accents the general improvement Ubisoft was displaying in their game design. I found the sea missions to be a refreshing break from the dense cities and sprawling frontier that makes up the rest of the playable maps.

In closing, I have a lot of praise for this game. Many past reviewers were not kind to it but I think it paved the way to a higher standard of game that Ubisoft became known for. The story is engaging and interesting. The world is pretty and rich in flora and fauna that I had a blast hunting. My main gripes are the homogeneity of the main quest missions, in terms of design, as well as the lack of compelling characters as, other than Conner, I only really found myself drawn to Haytham Kenway.

Pros

• Greatly improved parkour system
• Diverse gameplay opportunities
• Cleaner, sharper look

Cons

• Abrupt and unsatisfying end to a major characters story
• Very few compelling characters
• Lack of diversity in major story missions