First Impressions: Assassin's Creed 3

The Assassin’s Creed series returns and for the first time since “Assassin’s Creed 2,” introduces a new protagonist for real-world protagonist Desmond Miles to re-live. Moving out of the Renaissance, the series now finds its home during and in the events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. The new main character, Ratonhnhaké:ton, or just Connor, is half English, half Native American and thus has a unique view on the events of the days he is living in. Though Connor’s story is still the focus, Desmond’s storyline has also received a lot more play this time around. It feels a bit hokey, partly because of its subject matter but also because you’ll visit it so infrequently over the course of Connor’s story that it’s hard to stay interested.

Before I get into the meat of the game and its new additions I feel compelled to inform readers that while “Assassin’s Creed 3” is a huge step forward for the series in terms of inventive gameplay, breathtaking scenery and fluid character movement, the pacing and presentation of the story seems to have taken a few steps back. These problems are most noticeable in the game’s extensive (exhaustive) introduction. I call it the introduction for lack of a better term. The first, I’d say 3 to 4 sequences (the memories of an ancestor that Desmond must relive) put you in the shoes of a character who is distinctly not Connor. These sequences are entirely too drawn out but you’re forced to soldier on in the face of boring objectives and endless cutscenes if you ever hope to get to the “real” start of the game. And you do. You really do.

After finally taking control of the main character (and even at this point, it’s still another sequence or two before you’re actually donning the assassin’s hood), the game world opens up significantly and you’re given a wealth of tasks, side missions and collectibles to tackle. While “AC3” does feature urban centers, the Frontier – an expansive wilderness between Boston and your Homestead – is one of the most impressive additions. Unlike assassin’s before him, Connor can move swiftly through tree branches and scale sheer rock faces with astounding agility. The ease and fun of swinging through the trees, tracking human and animal prey alike is a true testament to developer Ubisoft.

The Homestead, mentioned above, is an aspect of the game similar to Monteriggioni in “AC2.” Your Homestead consists of a manor, watched over by your mentor Achilles, as well as a harbor and a large tract of land. As you play, you’ll encounter people who can take up residency on your Homestead and provide you with numerous goods and services. These items can be used to improve your Homestead, your inventory or be sent to town by convoy to be sold. Overall, I feel like “AC3” offers a deeper connection to your Homestead than any of the previous games could convey.

Along with improvements to the free-running and addition of the Homestead, combat has also seen a slight improvement. The combat continues to become refined and while some may think it’s become over-simplified, I’ve actually come feel that it’s the best combat system in any “AC” game yet. Connor’s actions are quick and fluid and he controls responsively making combat incredibly tense but flow smoothly. Blocking, countering, breaking defenses, dodging and attacking are all handled by a few face buttons.

But with all the great additions and improvements presented in “AC3” my absolute favorite aspect are the new naval missions. As the captain of the Aquila, you command your crew, steer the ship as well as engage in naval combat with other ships and even forts on land. Sailing the high seas is contained within missions given at any Harbormaster and unfortunately it doesn’t seem like you can just set sail any time you please. Still, the naval warfare is extremely fun. Raising/lowering sails, steering with the wind and firing cannons can all be accomplished easily with a few simple button presses, leaving you amply opportunity to marvel at the damage your cannon blasts produce on enemy ships.

Though “AC3” presents some of the most engaging and unique improvements to the series since “AC2,” the addition of numerous cutscenes and an extraneous introduction make it a hard game to quantify. If you’ve played and loved the previous “AC” games, you will definitely find plenty to like about this one. But if you’re on the fence about it or have never been into the series before, the work it forces you to do before reaching the actual meat of the game might be a bit of a turnoff. And with so many other high-quality releases on the market at the moment (Borderlands 2, Dishonored, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and a little game, you may have heard of it, called Halo 4) it could be, understandably, tough for some to justify picking up yet another full-priced game. Trust me when I say there is plenty of content in “AC3” (as well as multiplayer, which I haven’t even tried yet) to justify picking it up at full price but the time commitment needed, just to get into the meat of the game, might be too much for some.