Explore the new world and the American revolution

The PC version Assassin’s Creed 3 comes out soon. The following review is based on the XBox 360 version, but we don’t expect major differences, except for an improvement on the already excellent graphics.

Although Assassin’s Creed 3 begins trying to be a different from its predecessors, overall it maintains the same virtues and defects of them despite the new American revolution setting.

You play as an Anglo-Native American called Connor, who will find himself present at many decisive moments in the early history of the US. While that might sound a little Forrest Gump, it does make Assassin’s Creed 3 genuinely fascinating, as feeling a part of these historical moments is a great feeling. The atmosphere in Assassin’s Creed 3 is beautfully captured by the excellent graphics in all the locations. Like previous games, Assassin’s Creed 3 has some jaw dropping vistas and really succeeds in bringing its historical setting to life.

Combat is what you will expect from Assassin’s Creed, and although there are new weapons to try out, it can be as repetitive as ever. A new area of combat is naval battles, and they are spectacular. Controlling your boat is simple, but great fun, and amazing to watch.

The problem with Assassin’s Creed 3 is essentially hand-holding. Unlike say, Dishonored, where you are left to your own devices to achieve your goals, AA3 always suggests what you should do. Too often you’ll find missions are sequences of cut scenes with very simple action in between. In Dishonored you feel like the protagonist, but too often in AA3 you’re just an observer.

Despite this, Assassin’s Creed 3 has some great moments. There are wonderful recreations of the American wilderness, early Boston, and New York to enjoy, but if you weren’t convinced by the earlier games, this won’t convince you.