Assassin Creed 3 Review...

 

So much Promise... yet did not fully achieve 7 /10 ...

 

After much success from previous franchise (AC: II, Brotherhood, Revelations,) it was no suprise that AC fans were excited about the next Assassin's Creed game. The first teaser trailers showed the face of a new assassin confronting a Templar while a battle was occurring. Racing through cannon fire and masses of British soldiers: this immediately filled this game's atmosphere with high expectations and excitement. From then on; it seemed as though everyone was falling in love with the new concept, environments, historical figures and the different methods of confronting your enemies.







From the trailers I have to admit, I was very impressed, not just with the imagery but with the small hints of combat and bonding with a new Assassin. The first hour of gameplay is always about learning the ropes... literally. Here you play as Haythan, (Pictured above) who recently arrives at an Opera House to receive a mission. As you can imagine, this being in an Opera House, there is some degree of not running into people, climbing across balconies and stage areas, pick-locking doors and creeping up on some poor sod who so happens to be carrying the compass you were after. After these events, you find yourself on a ship for several weeks identifying the mysterious aspects occurring on the ship. After a couple of hours and some twists to the story, not only have you been playing as this guy for 2 - 3 hours but he is in-fact a Templar. It was only after, that we were introduced to Connor. The journey of Connor transforming himself into an assassin was quite long. The first time you see Connor was when your play hide an seek with his friends, with the village mothers telling them not to stray far and be back by a certain time. I understand that this mission was a somewhat tutorial to teach the player how to track animals or humans but there are better ways to teach the player these skills without resorting to learn them as a child. Upon leaving your village for training, the next part is convincing your mentor to take you on as his apprentice and then running errands for him while in Boston. I could go on a on with the journey missions, but I fear this would be unfair to you all.

So what were the good aspects of the game?

 

 

Well, certainly the game graphics! The environments for one thing. They are a lot more improved with unlevelled terrain and great use of weather systems. This forces the player to take to the trees to out-flank your attackers (when there's snow.) And let's not forget the use of contrasts between the seasons of the year etc. It was a great feeling to be using this method in navigating across the terrain and hunting animals. The action was smooth and unique, with stealth areas being added to creep up on an unsuspecting enemy. Let's take a look at the combat or gameplay. First off, I adored the brutality of taking out enemies with my Tomahawk and Assassin's blade. Those are my favourite weapons by far as they felt true to me as an assassin. The History. As someone who doesn't know a lot about the American War of Independence or why the British were colonising American lands, I thought this would be a great learning curve. Upon playing the game, I understood that the founding fathers were very strong, good-willed men who could lead their men well during battle. I believe that there was a lot to learn from, not only from your enemies but also important historical figures, the cities etc. From this I discovered that the cities in the game were almost identical replicas of vast maps and drawings the developers had access to during production. Not only this but also learning that American tactics were deeply frowned upon by their British counterparts. I quite enjoyed building my own community where my homestead is situated as well as building relations with the people. Connor's language and culture was very rich and fresh to the franchise. And lastly lets not forget being commander of your very own ship. The callouts and weather conditions really add a realistic atmosphere to the mini-game.

 
 

And the bad parts?

Playing as Haythan. If you guys enjoy playing as Connor's father, then by all means skip this comment. But to me, this would explain why so many people ( especially my university colleges and friends etc) felt as though they didn't have enough time to really bond with Connor's character. So I asked around... and many of my findings show agreement in my concerns for this game. Personally; Haythan should not have occurred for such a long period of time. Although it was a change to play as a former Assassin, I fear this is one of the main reasons why the game let it self down. Combat. Now before you scream at me, I have already praised the brutality of combat etc. But for me, the combat is quite long and tiresome (especially if your fighting against hoards of enemies.) Community. In previous AC games, you had allies (the Romanies, Courtesans, Mercs, and thieves) but in this game, you have none. The only faction that is mentioned is the thieves guild. This is a great shame, especially if the game is about fighting for independence. Also there is no town improving system. I know we have had this system thrice but I believe the developers could have made it a lot more intricate in terms of what uniforms you want your tenants to wear, what services you want them to offer. They could have done so much in just a faction of a game. The Chase. As the game progressed, I noticed the speed in which you kill/chase your target. I found that it was far too quick and unrewarding. Your mentor. Compared to Uncle Mario or Theodora, Achilles was by far the most uninspiring of all mentors. Yes he is wise but lacks the charisma of others. There were numerous petty conflicts between Achilles and Connor. While Connor is decisive, Caring, strong willed and filled with a strong sense of justice, Achilles shows more caution, in-action, intelligence and reluctance in Connor's actions. Time Gap. I was surprised to learn that the game was situated in the 18th-19th century. Not that I thought it was an terrible idea but I just believed the taking such a huge step in time was random and suspicious. Freezing Bugs. During certain moments of gameplay, there have been numerous times where the game completely freezes.

Conclusion



For three years of work, I believe the developers could have done a lot more. When you think of the content shown in AC2 and Brotherhood for example, AC3 is a huge step down in terms of what the other games offered. I preferred the Renaissance period as well as the sense of community around that time. It's such a great shame that for all AC3's efforts, they didn't amaze the critics.

Since the games release, I have heard vast reports confirming my concerns for the game. Could this explain why Ubisoft has already released trailers and pre-orders for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag? Have the developers realised where they went wrong? I can only hope that they have listened the fans and applied the much needed change to redeem the series.

So there you have it guys, Please feel free to get in touch. Do you share the same concerns? What did you enjoy about the game?  Feel free to share your opinions :)