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"On this land, I am torn. Part of me wants to fight and repel all outsiders. The other part of me is the outsider. In the name of liberty, I will fight the enemy regardless of their allegiance. While men of courage write history of this day, the future of our land depends on those who are truly free."
―Connor Kenway, Assassin's Creed III Gameplay Trailer.
Assassin's Creed III is an upcoming game developed by Ubisoft. It is the fifth main title in the Assassin's Creed series, and is a direct sequel to Assassin's Creed: Revelations.[1] Ubisoft has claimed that the game will be bigger than its previous installments,[2] and will complete the story of Desmond Miles.
The game will be set between 1753 and 1783, and will focus on a new ancestor, Connor Kenway, who fought during the American Revolution.
Assassin's Creed III will be released on October 30 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (October 31 in Europe), while the PC version will be released on November 20 for the United States and November 23 for the UK.[3][4] The game will also be a launch title for the Wii U in North America.[5]
With the game in development since January 2010, by its release date, Ubisoft will have worked on the title for almost three years.[6] In a statement made by Yves Guillemot, he shared that "what we have seen is just fabulous."[7]
Despite the many possibilities for a new setting, according to creative director Alex Hutchinson, the team settled on the American Revolution "once we realized you could meet Washington, sail a boat, leap from tree to tree in the middle of winter and hunt wildlife".[8]
The game runs on a new version of the Anvil game engine called AnvilNext, which improves environmental effects. There will also be seasonal changes; the landscape is warm and open in the summer, but is covered in snow during winter, which subsequently affects gameplay.[9]
In winter, thick snow will cause people to move more slowly and stumble about in the drifts, and lakes and rivers will freeze over, allowing Connor to access new areas.[9] Although the seasons will change in line with specific memories, fog and rain will change naturally.[10]
Another technical aspect of the engine is that it can depict up to two thousand troops engaged in battle, in contrast to previous games' one hundred, along with detailed close-ups.[9]
Gameplay
Navigation
Connor free-running.
Exploration will be based around a large countryside area known as the Frontier, which is one and a half times larger than Rome in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and not as empty as the Kingdom in Assassin's Creed, as one third of the quests and gameplay content are in the Frontier. The cities of Boston and New York may also be explored, and will have new details and ambiance.[9]
Since there will be a lot more travel included within the game, the fast travel mechanic is making a return which now allows you to fast travel from anywhere in the game as opposed to previous games.[11]A whole new system of unlocking fast travel has been implemented, which is integrated into the natural game progress.[9]
More varied methods of movement have been added as well, including climbing trees, cliffs, and other natural elements, leaping over wagons, or sliding under obstacles. Other freerunning elements also have Connor jumping through windows, to trees, and then onto rooftops.[9] The zipline feature also makes a return.[12]
Combat
Connor in a fight with three British soldiers.
Players can dual wield weapons, while fighting and stealth have been completely overhauled with new features, such as "double-counters," "multiple takedowns," and chain kills. Connor will go into battle with a wide variety of weapons at his disposal, including the knife, tomahawk, flintlock pistols, rope dart, bow and arrow, and hidden blades.[9]
Context sensitive actions, such as using enemies as human shields, will also be included. The target locking system has been removed and replaced by automated enemy selection, effectively changing the combat dynamics.[9] In addition, assassinations can now be performed with weapons other than the Hidden Blades, most notably the tomahawk and bayonet.[13]
The combat system has been greatly improved, as there are thousands of new animations, few of which are carried over from previous installments. Simple defense and counter-attacks become more difficult, and combat is now focused on putting the player on the offensive, with attacks based on both speed and momentum.[9]
The Counter system has been completely revamped. As the developers wanted to create more strategy and options, they created new reactions based on button taps. To counter, the Circle (PlayStation 3) or B button (XBox 360) would be pressed, followed by a press of a secondary button, each having its own reaction.
Pressing the Square button (PlayStation 3) or the X button (XBox 360) allows Connor to kill his target.
Pressing the Circle (PlayStation 3) or B button (XBox 360) will simply throw the enemy to the ground.
Pressing the Triangle (PlayStation 3) or the Y button (XBox 360) will allow Connor to use his secondary weapon.
Pressing the X Button (PlayStation 3) or the A button (XBox 360) will stun Connor's enemy.
With those combinations, the developers were able to create combos and enemies to resist different types of counters. To get a kill spree going, the user will need to press an appropriate button for each enemy archetype. [14]
Memories
Desmond will use the new Animus 3.0, and will find himself reliving "significant events". 100% synchronization in memories returns, though synchronization will be treated more like experience in an RPG leveling system, except with a finite amount available.[9]
Activities completed within missions have their own value. The more synchronized Desmond become, the more the sync bar is filled, which can also be increased through replaying missions. Checkpoints will also be introduced to mission replay, meaning that entire memories need not have to be replayed in order to achieve the 100% synchronization requirement.[9]
Other
Connor hunting an elk.
Economy in the game will be different, as Connor can now hunt animals, and sell the resources gathered from them. The quality of the kill also increases the value of the resource. Along with this, a new property system will be implemented.[9] This new property system will be known as the Homestead, in which Connor will live in a manor, along with surrounding land, and will also be able to invite other people to stay at the manor. Here, the inhabitants will be given a second chance following the events of the war, and will bring in income through trade and crafting. Following this, the Homestead will expand along with every resident that inhabits the area.
The regenerative health system similar to the type featured in Assassin's Creed will return. In order to regain his health, Connor must escape from combat and rest.[9]
There will also be puzzles similar to the Glyphs, but they will not be given by Subject 16.[9]
Platforming missions, like the Assassin Tombs or Lairs of Romulus, are making a return, though it is unconfirmed in what way they will be implemented. As stated by Corey May, "People like those. We like those. It's not something we'd remove."[9]
Multiplayer
Ubisoft Annecy, who developed the multiplayer components for Brotherhood and Revelations, has been tasked with bringing multiplayer back with this installment, though they are staying tight-lipped about it and its features.[9]
So far, there will be a co-operative mode named Wolf Pack, where 2 to 4 players have to kill NPCs during a time limit, possessing 25 sequences. There is also the addition of Domination, a team mode, where Abstergo recruits will need to capture areas of the virtual map they are on, before protecting them from the opposite team.
Characters
So far, 13 Animi Avatars have been announced for Assassin's Creed III's multiplayer.
2.66 GHz Intel Core2 Duo E6700 or 3.00 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ or better
Memory
2 GB (4 GB recommended)
Hard drive space
17 GB
Graphics hardware
512 MB DirectX 9.0c-compliant with Shader Model 4.0 or higher
Sound hardware
DirectX 9.0c-compliant
5.1 sound card
Network
256 kbps or faster broadband connection
Following the official reveal, Ubisoft announced incentives for gamers who pre-ordered Assassin's Creed III from Amazon, GameStop, or BestBuy, in the form of a free steelbook casing that featured artwork by renowned comic book artist Alex Ross.
For newcomers to the series, the Assassin's Creed Double Edition was released on the PlayStation Network, which brought together Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II in a virtual compilation box.
Assassin's Creed III will also have four missions exclusive to the PS3, which will be available for download on the game's launch date.[15] The storyline will be based around Benedict Arnold, a Continental Army general who later defected to the British Army.[16]
At the 2012 Tokyo Game Show, Sony also announced that the 500 gigabyte bundle of the its new, slimmer PS3 would be available with Assassin's Creed III.[18]
The Xbox version of the game will come in a two-disc set. The first disc will contain the singleplayer gameplay, while the second disc will be required for multiplayer.[19]
Criticisms
Connor assassinating two Redcoats with a musket.
Initially, the pre-release media for Assassin's Creed III came under heavy criticism by some fans and critics for its portrayal of Loyalist Redcoats. This was mainly because, in every trailer and image released since the reveal in March 2012, the victims of the game's protagonist Connor Kenway were almost exclusively of British allegiance; leading some to suggest that the game would be an America versus Britain story.
This claim was repeatedly contested by the game's developers, with lead writer Matt Turner denying it would be an "America Ra Ra" story, and that there were members of the Templar Order on both sides of the conflict.[20] Despite these assurances, criticisms for the decidedly one-sided portrayal of Loyalists continued.[21] Following the criticism, Ubisoft released an AnvilNext trailer on 2 August 2012, in which Connor was depicted killing several Continental soldiers as well as Loyalist Redcoats.[22]
Achievments
These achievments are from gameinformer's website article about Assassins creed 3 achievments.Currently there are only 4 secret achievments and the achievments below are toward xbox achievments.Playstaion 3 trophies have not been released as of yet.WARNING SPOILERS ASSASSINS CREED 3 ARE IN THESE ACHIEVMENTS.
Rude Awakening (10 points) - Re-Enter the Animus.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (20 points) - Open the Temple Door and learn Desmond's fate.
The Sum of Truth (50 points) - Complete Sequence 12.
Perfectionist (50 points) - Complete 100% of all main mission constraints.
An Extraordinary Man (10 points) - Complete the Encyclopedia of the Common Man.
Patent Not Pending (10 points) - Craft one of Franklin's inventions to decorate your Manor.
House Party (10 points) - Recruit any of the Artisans and see them settled on the Homestead.
A Complete Set (20 points) - See all the optional characters settled at the Homestead.
Original Gamer (20 points) - Win a game of Fanorona, Morris and Bowls on the Homestead.
Bring Down the House (20 points) - Explore Fort Wolcott.
Kidd Gloves (30 points) - Uncover the mystery of Oak Island.
All Washed Up (40 points) - Complete all Naval Missions aboard the Aquila.
Entrepreneur, not Pirate! (20 points) - Complete all 12 Privateer Contracts.
Tumblehome (10 points) - Upgrade the Aquila.
By Invitation Only (20 points) - Be invited to join a Club.
In Good Standing (30 points) - Complete all challenges for any of the Clubs.
Man of the People (20 points) - Liberate all districts in Boston OR New York.
Monopoly Man (10 points) - Send a convoy to Boston, New York and the Frontier.
Blowing in the Wind (20 points) - Retrieve every page for one of Ben Franklin's Almanacs.
Completionist (50 points) - Complete ALL progress tracker grid entries.
Multitasking (20 points) - Complete 50% of the Progress Tracker entries.
Spit Roast (20 points) - Perform a double assassination using a musket.
Circus Act (10 points) - Kill 15 guards with a single cannon shot.
Predator (10 points) - Hang 5 enemies by using rope darts.
Prince of Thieves (10 points) - Loot a convoy without killing any of its guards.
Whit's fur ye'll no go by ye! (10 points) - Block a firing line 5 times by using a human shield.
Jager Bomb (20 points) - After becoming fully Notorious, kill 10 Jagers before losing your notoriety.
Magna cumLaude (20 points) - Have a Trainee reach the Assassin Rank.
Coureur des Bois (10 points) - Exchange undamaged pelts at all different general stores.
Eye Witness (10 points) - Witness a predator killing an enemy.
Fin (30 points) - Complete each of the epilogue missions unlocked after the credits roll.
Abstergo Entertainment (10 points) - Reach level 20 in the multiplayer mode.
Hunter/Killer (20 points) - Reach sequence 10 in a map on Wolfpack multiplayer mode.
Winning Team (20 points) - Be on the winning team at the end of a multiplayer game session.
Personalized (10 points) - Customize your multiplayer Profile and Character.
The Truth Will Out (20 points) - Unlock a hacked version of one of the Abstergo videos in the story quest.
Four Secret Achievements
Editions
Ubisoft has announced several collector's editions of Assassin's Creed III; with three available in Europe and Australia, one available worldwide,[23] and two available for North and Latin America.[24]
A retail copy of Assassin's Creed III.
A steel book case, with cover art drawn by award-winning comic artist Alex Ross.