Experience action, stealth and intrigue in the New World!
There's probably nothing I can say about Assassin's Creed that hasn't already been said. The franchise is so huge that a film is about to release in theaters as I write this. What I can do is express my first impressions of the title from the standpoint of someone new to the series, but not to gaming.
As someone that's never played any AC titles, this game was very easy to jump into without feeling overwhelmed by both the story or controls. You certainly don't have to play the previous titles before this, as the important story points are highlighted in the introduction. Likewise, the game eases you in to becoming the roof-hopping, wall-crawling, mystery-solving assassin with a lengthy but always interesting series of encounters.
As a fan of the climbing and jumping gameplay found in Prince of Persia, I was happy to see the open-world parkour playground presented in Assassin's Creed III. The combat is fluid, with the ability to counter attacks and fend off multiple enemies - which serves useful as you're almost always outnumbered when it comes to a fight (though most foes are fairly easy to dispatch). I also like what little I've seen of the lockpicking mechanic here, as it does away with confusing tumbler UIs found in most games. Instead, it requires you to listen for the clicks of the lock as you attempt to find the correct angles, which is far more immersive.
In addition to the various sidequests scattered throughout the world, you can also find NPCs willing to wager some coin to play a handful of mini-games (Bowls, Morris and Fanorona). For me, this brought back memories of Pazaak from Knights of the Old Republic, though mini-games have been a fairly common sight in larger titles for some time now.
As you might expect, Assassin's Creed III is a well-polished title both practically and aesthetically. The world really feels alive with scores of "extras" going about their day - from kids stealing apples, to fishermen and craftsmen applying their trades, to rats scurrying aboard ships, to friendly cats on the streets. One could easily lose track of time just taking in the atmosphere of the bustling city of Boston.
What are you waiting for? Go get this already, while it's still free on Uplay!
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