Assassin's Creed 3 Preview

Via 1UP.com:

A Revolutionary Walkabout in Assassin's Creed III's Impressive World

(Wii U, PC, PS3, XBOX 360)

Ubisoft finally seems primed to deliver a true successor in the historic franchise.

By Marty Sliva   09/24/2012

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There was something initially unnerving about being given permission to roam around the world of Assassin's Creed III at my leisure. No one from Ubisoft was looking over my shoulder, ushering me on to the next objective. There was no timer hanging in the air to warn me of when my play session was coming to an end. In an era rife with handholding and tutorials, I was free to pick up one of 2012's most anticipated titles and simply indulge in the act of playing. Ubisoft awarded me with a wealth of freedom, leaving me to explore the world of colonial New England on my own accord. After a few hours, I realized that this freedom to take on the world as you see fit is exactly what ACIII is all about.
For the past few months, it's been common knowledge that the historical franchise has now moved forward in time to the American Revolution. Our demo began just past the halfway point in the game at the Homestead of Connor, ACIII's new protagonist. The Homestead acts as an analogue to Assassin's Creed II's Villa system, in that the player's actions can help forge and ultimately grow a sort of home base for your hero. From here, we were given the freedom to venture forth into the world and do whatever we desired. As I ran forward into the lush greenery of the frontier, an absolute truth dawned on me -- ACIII once again reaffirms the series status as the king of video game movement.
No 3D title this generation makes the act of walking, running, climbing and jumping feel as fluid and responsive as Ubisoft's historical journeys. When it was first announced that the game would place a heavy emphasis on nature, forcing the player to traverse across forests via trees, branches, and logs, the question became just how this kind of movement would actually feel. If Ubisoft took too much control out of the players' hands, then the thrill of the chase would be severely lessened. Likewise, without a bit of direction behind the hood, frustration could easily set in. Thankfully, covering the length of a forest while high above the ground is a fantastic, thrilling addition to the series' stellar movement mechanics. Subtle elements like Connor's posture as he ascends a steep angle, or the way that he balances himself while skirting around the edge of tree trunk adds wild amounts of realism to the experience. While in the middle of the frontier, I found myself mesmerized by the mere act of movement. But knowing that I only had a limited amount of hands-on time with the game, I needed to shake myself of its curse.
The world of ACIII is vast, and we were dropped right smack dab in the middle of it. Although a small beacon on my map gently urged me to head south towards the civilized world of Boston, I decided to simply ignore this suggestion and wander the land without a destination. After stumbling across a small grove of animals, I decided to test out the game's new hunting mechanics. Connor's bow awarded me the opportunity to stealthily hunt a variety of animals including otters, wolves, and even massive bears. Of course, after downing your trophy, Connor can skin the body to collect a variety of pelts, claws, and teeth which can later be used for recipes and upgrades. In typical Assassin's Creed fashion, the game desynchronizes you as a warning when you commit an act that the protagonist wouldn't have actually done in history. This comes into play in III if you kill an animal and neglect to collect its remains -- a neat feature that does its part in placing you in the role of Connor.
My treeline journey through the forest eventually led me to a sharp cliff overlooking a bustling dock. Swinging the camera around at this moment made me realize just how gorgeous of a game ACIII really is. The title's color pallet is much richer than ever before, and the sheer variety of landscapes and geometry that reside in this small slice of the game truly astounded. But after this brief moment of zen, my Assassin's Creed instinct kicked in, and I made a death-defying dive into the cool blue waters below. After swimming my way to harbor, I came across a peg-legged sailor in search of a collection of trinkets. One lay relatively close to the man, though it was guarded by a pair of savage wolves. Taking them out required a short QTE that eventually ended with Connor slaying the two beasts. Upon returning the trinket to him, a series of sea-based missions opened up that allowed Connor to command a vessel and take to the water for some nautical combat.
The one sortie I engaged in tasked me with protecting an unarmed vessel as it made its way through a twisty reef. Having to juggle the act of attacking oncoming enemies while safely navigating between the rocks proved to be an interesting play dynamic. Once the friendly ship was safe, the mission ended with Connor having to use his vessel to take out a trio of towers that lined a shoreline fortress. Success depended on your ability to gauge the speed and direction of the wind, use misdirection to fool the enemy towers, and ultimately line up your cannons correctly until the fortress fell. Unlike the tower defense minigames of Assassin's Creed Revelations, the nautical combat of ACIII was robust, strategic, and most of all, entertaining as hell. I'm glad to see that Ubisoft decided to put a lot of time and effort into a relatively small slice of the game, as opposed to simply tacking on a shallow experience.


Suddenly I realized that I was well past the halfway point of my time with ACIII, and I hadn't even touched any of the game's main missions. For the sake of a full experience, but much to my own personal chagrin, I abandoned my aimless walkabout in favor of heading to Boston and participating in some good old fashioned revolutions. Entering the coastal town immediately brought back memories of the previous four Assassin's Creed titles, but still managed to exude a very fresh quality in its geography. The city was vibrant and alive, filled to the brim with all manner of activity. Kids played in the streets, dogs chased each other through alleyways, and workers went about their daily routine. Of course, no Assassin's Creed game would be complete without throwing the player into a massive brawl, which is exactly what I found myself a part of moments after I stepped foot into Boston. Combat in ACIII is built upon the familiar system of counter/perry that has been prevalent since the series' inception. The variety of animations and situations that you're able to dispatch your enemies with is staggering -- I honestly killed dozens of guards without ever stumbling across the same animation twice. Where Ezio's style may have been built around the concept of control and finesse, Connor's trademark tomahawk adds a bit of a savage edge to the game's combat. But for as great as the action looked, I still couldn't help but lament how it felt. Much of this is due to the fact that we're now living in a post Arkham Asylum/Arkham City world. There's no question that Rocksteady's superhero series was heavily inspired by the traversal and combat mechanics of Assassin's Creed, but the Batman titles managed to evolve battles into an artform. In those games, the player is fully responsible for each success, as well as every failure. This sense of control is still not quite there in ACIII; despite the action looking amazing, I never feel like I'm entirely responsible for the outcome of any given battle.
In my short time amidst the civilization of Boston, I was pleased to discover that Connor isn't some binary character who can easily be pegged to one side or another. My initial fears that the game's depiction of the American Revolution would simply play out as "British = Bad" were quelled when I witnessed Connor get in a scuffle with the iconic Samuel Adams. Our hero began to feel as though he were being used as a pawn in the revolution, and his frustration played out in a way that made the whole story seem as if it would be painted in various shades of gray. I obviously can't speak for the rest of the game, but what I witnessed during my time with it pointed towards a rich, deep, and complex experience that shined a new and creative light on a pivotal and familiar piece of American history.
As I walked out of the massive demo hall to grab something to drink, I couldn't help but notice that every single one of my fellow journalists was doing something completely different. Despite all of us being dropped in at the exact same point in ACIII, the freedom of the experience allowed for us to engage and progress in whichever manner we desired. Some were sailing the seas, participating in all sorts of maritime nonsense. Others remained in the wilderness, hunting or simply navigating the environment. Then there were those who most likely chose to mainline the story missions. I spied players escaping from burning buildings, engaging in massive fights against dozens of guards, and participating in the infamous Boston Tea Party. But what pervaded throughout all of my colleagues was a general sense of wonder and exploration throughout the entirety of our experience. A single slice of ACIII allowed us to all play in a manner that we saw fit; I can only imagine what sort of tailoring the final product will award those who seek the freedom to create their own narratives.
Eventually, my session with Assassin's Creed III came to an end. But in the time since then and now, the world still hasn't left me. I can still feel the dirt beneath my fingernails as I traversed the wilds of the frontier. When I close my eyes, I can feel the wind of the open seas during the nautical missions, and hear the slightest twig snap during a suspenseful hunt. I need to know how the story will play out, and just what role Connor is going to have in that impossibly important revolution. But most of all, more than other other game in 2012, I want to dive into Assassin Creed III's world without any plan of surfacing whatsoever.