Over the years, the "Assassin's Creed" story has grown, telling more about the ambitious plan by the Templars to gain absolute power and the dedicated few who rise up to stop them. This tale continues in "Assassin's Creed III," which takes place during the American Revolution in the old colony towns of Boston and New York.
This "Creed" story focuses on hero Desmond Miles taking on the persona of a new killer named Connor, a man seeking vengeance against British forces and working with the likes of George Washington and others to turn the tide of war. He's quite a capable fighter, able to leap across buildings and trees with ease and drop in on a group of soldiers, killing them with a tomahawk, spring-loaded blades that pop out through hand holsters and even an enemy's own musket.
(Ubisoft has also released a separate "Assassin's Creed III" game for the PlayStation Vita titled "Liberation" that features a female assassin, Aveline.)
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"Assassin's Creed III" has no shortage of things to do, between main missions that tie into the story, secondary missions that teach you a thing or two about American history, and side tasks that include pig farming and decorating your home. Perhaps the best new addition is being able to captain your own pirate ship and engage in huge sea battles. If you prefer, you can also hunt small animals, though human targets are more challenging.
The game allows you to listen to conversations through hiding (a bit imperfect, but enjoyable once you get the hang of it) and provides an array of tools to spill blood. "Assassin's Creed III" also improves on the series' parkour -style free-running capabilities, so you'll barely trip up while pursuing targets and avoiding capture. The multidirectional combat system is also superb, though it's too easy at times to counter some enemies' incoming attacks. (Bigger foes pose more of a threat, however.)
The presentation is stunning. Seeing these vintage towns recreated, right down to the citizens that walk around and the interiors you can visit, is breathtaking. There are occasional glitches with character animations — including one that had us jumping 50 feet in the air for no apparent reason. The sound equally lives up to the promise, with solid voice acting (including Benjamin Franklin) and old Revolutionary tunes.
Even though parts of the story – mainly revolving around Desmond – can get a little silly, there's no question that "Assassin's Creed III" is one of the best entries in the series. The fresh new location and the hours' worth of game content really push things forward. If you're in a "killer" mood for a great game this holiday season, look no further.
"Assassin's Creed III" sells for $60 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. A Wii U version is coming Nov. 18th.
RATING: 3.5/4