Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Ambitious"

Pros:
- Improved combat and game mechanics
- Beautiful open world
- Great characters, both fictional and historical
- Many options to keep the player busy
- Naval gameplay is the best in a game. Ever
- Surprisingly fun multiplayer
- Educational?
Cons:
- Some glitches and bugs
- Some moments are clearly out-shined by others
- Mixed bag of an ending

Assassins Creed 3 is a fitting end to one of this generations best series. It sets the player in a new setting, a new time, and best of all- a new protagonist.

Story-wise, it is difficult to review any game in the Assassins Creed series without spoiling anything. There is a future/ past play on timelines, and I will not say more. I will talk about the past aspect; however.

Assassins Cree has always strived to take place in a setting usually unseen by gamers. In 3, this setting is the American Revolution. It is new, and very interesting. The gameplay does a great job working around this time period's weapons, environments, and tactics. You play as a British/ Mohican born native Ratonhnhaké:ton , given the colonial name Connor (because lets face it, thats a mouthful).

Connor is an interesting and likable character. He is respectable and has a believable backstory. However, he's almost too good. As strange as that might sound, Connor is eclipsed in likability, a few times, by his enemies. This isn't a bad thing, as it shows that the story and writers have done a great job with the story. Among other characters, you will meet historic figures like George Washington, Ben Franklin, Samuel Adams, and more.

Gameplay in Assassins Creed 3 has improved on what was already an excellent system from previous games. Combat is fast, brutal, and very fun. Connor is a killing machine, and an expert with a bow, knives, swords, and guns alike. His heritage plays nicely into the game and makes sense. Connor hunts in the woods, scales trees with ease, and can adapt to any weather. Combat isn't everything though. The big surprise of gameplay though, are the naval battles. Connor will helm a ship at certain points, and is assigned to do battle on the high seas. These segments are fun, exciting, and a breathe of fresh air to games. Stealth plays a bigger part in AC3 than any of the previous games...unfortunately, THAT hasn't improved. It still feels rough around the edges. You can't go prone, hug every wall, and are so easily detected at times theres no point. As mentioned above, it's easier and faster to just go into a fort guns (and swords) ready than taking out enemies one by one. This leads to what I consider one of the games most aggravating spots- a rating at the end of a mission, know as "synch". In missions, you are assigned optional objectives, usually pertaining to be being stealthy or not killing anyone. This takes away the games idea of freedom in my opinion, but to each his own.

So, in the end, Assassins Creed 3 is a fantastic game with a few setbacks preventing perfection. Add in some beautiful graphics, a fun multiplayer, and plenty of replay value; Assassins Creed 3 is one of the best games of the year.