After playing through the first sequence of Assassins Creed 3, it is evident that the game is redeeming itself for the last few lackluster titles. In the new world of Assassins Creed 3, things feels refreshed and new again – from Desmond's new role with the assassins to the history Desmond begins to re-live through the Animus.
Assassins Creed 3 opens with the wonderful voice of John deLancie giving us the backstory of the previous games. This was actually a very good narrative that serves to not only catch up new players to the franchise, but also to clear up some of the vagueness that haunted Assassins Creed Revelations.
The Assassins Creed 3 gameplay begins with Desmond and the assassins team discovering a cave where the previously-retrieved Apple opens doors to what must be part of the world the original beings left behind. It is there where Desmond returns to the Animus, this time falling into the partial story of a man named Haytham, an assassin from Great Britain. This first sequence serves as the game's tutorial, all the while telling us how Haytham crossed the Atlantic (and fended off those who would have his head) and ended up in Boston.
I played through this first sequence on the Xbox 360 and only had one complaint: lockpicking. I am not sure how prevalent lockpicking is in-game, but the controls are extremely clunky. I felt like I was making pretzels out of my fingers just trying to pick one lock.
Fortunately, the rest of the controls are as easy as the previous games. In the first sequence, you are taught (or re-taught as the controls are the same as the previous Assassins Creed titles) how to parry and attack with both fists and swords. There's also an early trainer that teaches jumping and climbing. The tutorial is done so well that it feels as much a part of the game's story as anything else.
And that's where I feel Assassins Creed 3 is going to excel: in the story. As much as I adored Ezio Auditore, his storyline grew stale towards the end. Not only do we have to look forward to meeting Connor and seeing his role in the American Revolution, but we also learn something about Hatham, as well. And if I had to hazard a guess, I'm thinking Haytham is probably Connor's father, mentor or other such authority figure (no spoilers, please).
Graphically speaking, I always forget how gorgeous the Assassins Creed games are until I play one of the games. And then I'm amazed all over again. The characters, especially, seem even better than in previous titles and the movement is smooth enough to be realistic.
All in all, I feel the Assassins Creed universe has rectified mistakes made in previous games, but I won't know that for certain until I've had a full playthrough. But so far, if my initial impressions are correct, this game is better. With just the first sequence played, it already stands apart from the previous games in the series.
So now I return to Assassins Creed 3 for what I hope are countless hours of enjoyment, stealth, assassinations and learning about American history from an entirely new perspective.
http://www.rantgaming.com/2012/11/04/assassins-creed-3-is-about-the-story-initial-impressions-review/
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