Assassin's Creed 3 - Game Review

Assassin's Creed 3 - Game Review

Released by Ubisoft
Platform: PS3

Revolution is a word oft bandied about, but in Assassin's Creed III, it's totally appropriate.

Not just because of the game itself, but it's setting as well. And man, oh man, what a complete ride it is.

You take on the role of Connor Kenway at the time of the American Revolution in the 18th Century, as well as Desmond Miles in the current day.

While initially, you relearn the controls from playing as Desmond Miles, who's negotiating a cavernous world, you're soon thrust back into the Animus and back to the American Colonial times of 1753 to 1783 where you play on as Connor. (After completing an assassination task as his father).

From there, it starts off as life on a boat, trying to prevent the onboard mutiny before heading to the shores and cities of  Boston and New York and to a series of missions to complete your quest. I'm loathe to reveal too much about the actual plot of Assassin's Creed III because to be frank, some of the joy is watching it unfold.

The scope of the actual game is mightily impressive - from brilliantly cinematic visuals which unfold in cut scenes to the wondrous scope of roaming the various cities and wildernesses, there is much to marvel at and to cause the eyeballs to drool excessively. It's not just the main story arc of this game which commands your attention - it's the world around you. It only becomes clear at one point what this open world game has to offer - and that was when I'd spent a good 45 minutes to an hour, exploring the world around me, interacting  with the locals and going so far off track, I had to re-check exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

Richly detailed and with a life completely of their own, the surroundings are truly astounding. From a thief stealing an apple at the docks when you first pull into Boston, through to petting animals which litter the world, there's so much to lose yourself in. You can tell a game is vibrant when you don't realise how much is actually going on in the background - it's almost as if the developers had created such a world around the main protagonist that it's exactly what you'd expect if you were watching a historical TV series playing out; that's to say everything feels so naturalistic and of the era, that nothing stands out.

As for Connor himself, he's a lithe creature. Whether it's jumping from roof to roof fleeing the authorities, or negotiating deeper patches of snow in a white wilderness, to playing games for money with the bad pennies which litter various parts of the game, this is an experience which is utterly engrossing, and totally addictive.

There's no jerky movement from the character, no real glitches which I've found and no odd moments which take you out of the game-play. Stealth missions, chase missions, assassinations - there's plenty to hook you in once you're into the campaign itself.

If there's to be a criticism, it's that a lot of the cut scenes interrupt the flow of the story initially. But, given how stunning they look, that's a minor niggle which you can soon skip through or sit back and wallow in. With technical prowess and game-play which offers online potential as well, there's plenty to give you bang for your buck here.

Overall, Assassin's Creed III is a richly rewarding experience. From the main storyline, through to the options to look around the world and explore, there's so much to do within the game that you really can't afford not to own this.

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