"I realise now that it will take time. That the road is long and shrouded in darkness. It is a road that will not always take me where I wish to go. But I will travel down it, nonetheless." - Ratohnhaké:ton/Connor Kenway

Goodbye Ezio, and hello Connor! Assassin's Creed III takes place during the 1700s with the American Revolutionary War and switches to present day with Desmond Miles. It starts out on October 31st, 2012 with Desmond out of a coma and held hostage by his father William, Rebecca, and Shaun to help save the world from being burned by a imminent solar flare that previously wiped the First Civilization by using the Animus in the Grand Temple located in a cave in Turin, New York. Beyond the temple is a locked door in which Desmond has to discover where the key is by bleeding back to his ancestors while the Templars are a constant obstacle in their path, in both present day and past.

Thoughts on Connor

Samimista

I liked how we witnessed a Native American-English boy transform into a strong willed assassin. He had tragic hit his life which would normally be a key point for the main character to seek revenge but Connor refused to let the pain distort his views as he remained sane and grew stronger each time someone would kick him down. He dedicated his whole life to fighting for his tribe's land and freedom with the help of friends along the way.

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Coming from Ezio and Altair, Ubisoft made a lot of effort to make a whole different protagonist with Connor, he is a justice-driven, clean cut Luke Skywalker type hero, instead of a lovable rogue like Ezio or a stoic badass like Altair. One could argue he is bland and uninteresting, but that is because of the rushed narrative that doesn't let him shine. I find Connor interesting because he mixes traits from previous Assassins like Altair's sense of duty and justice and Ezio's search of revenge, he is very kind, brave and noble so much you feel his pain in the Hell he is pushed through the game (specially in the final act). While he himself is fine, his story arc meets the short end of the stick, with a very slow first act and a really rushed and abrupt final act. It doesn't take until sequence 3, where we finally get to play with him and things doesn't really get going until Sequence 5. The second act is without a doubt the best part of the story, when all hell breaks loose and his character has a lasting impact in everything around him. As the last act nears, things fall apart when Connor discover other character's true intentions and when we finally reach the climax, the result may not be exactly fullfilling.

Thoughts on Desmond

Samimista

I really enjoyed Connor's story but it was Desmond who got the short end of the stick. In fact, for a character that's story was supposed to be finished in this game I don't feel as if he got the right amount of scenes he should of had. From my impression, Desmond became more darker from the previous games and is just tired of always being kidnapped for the Animus. Even pisses him off more that his father who's a bit of a jerk is working alongside him.

Honestly, I never liked Desmond until Brotherhood but I was really expecting the III to incorporate a wonderful ending for him but truth is, I didn't feel anything with how Ubisoft handled his character at the end. The Connor's story was perfect but really? Desmond deserved so much better. The ending did however confirm an Assassin's Creed IV but, I'm sure everyone didn't doubt that.

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No longer just the audience surrogate from previous game, Desmond is without a doubt the hero of this game. He is no longer whining around with no reason, and his character not only has a actual impact in the world, but its future hangs on the balance for him. In addition, he has inherited Altair's knowledge and Ezio and Connor's strength and abilities, turning him into Death incarnate just like his ancestors. The action modern day sequences are amazing, one resembling a third person Mirror Edge, other set in Brazil and the most satisfying one is charging alone through the Abstergo Lab from the first game. Unfortunately his conclusion is no less satisfying than Connor's for its just as underwhelming and disappointing, and its telling when this is his final game in the franchise. The ending didn't frustrate me more than say Mass Effect 3, or exactly has the same reasons, but it had a poor execution nonetheless.

Soundtrack

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To be honest I never really pay attention to the Assassin Creed music. Maybe that's because the composer really knows how to create a regular atmosphere without making it stand out from the others.

My favorite song was however, Amazing Grace. I don't recall it being featured in the game but it was used for one of the trailers. I thought the song really suited what the game represents; freedom. However, Assassin's Creed III really showed how patience one must be to earn freedom.

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Being one of my favorite parts of the entire franchise, I was hoping that Lorne Balfe would live up to Jesper Kyd's impressive record. While he doesn't upstage his predecessor, he performs a fine job with the soundtrack with the highlights being the Main Mission theme, Homestead, Connor's Life and Freedom Fighter which fit the setting nicely.

Graphics

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The graphics in the franchise are always beautiful. However, it doesn't seem Ubisoft can make their mind with Desmond's looks. I'm unsure if it's aging or Ubisoft forgets his previous designs but Desmond's nose sticks out a bit more. Other than that though, I have no complaints. I like how Connor has his father's physical features which his mother even made notice of.

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The landscapes and settings are simply gorgeous. In order to make the game more alive, they introduced a season-clock system that switches between winter and summer in some hours, which will affect greatly your movement and gameplay. In addition, you are finally allowed to climb over trees in the Frontier is huge, almost the same proportion as Rome in Brotherhood and is filled with several wild animals for you to hunt and sell their pelts. While the cities have been reduced, they just as more life than in the wilds, with the returning side quests like recovering treasures and missing Almanaque pages for Benjamin Franklin, the returning notoriety system and also the Homestead where you live and perform several missions to improve it.

Gameplay

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I don't know if it was just me but I found it rather difficult to use the arrow and pistol so I just stuck to the hidden blade. It was also a pain chasing one of the Patriot messengers who was heading to the village. You had to head close up while you both are riding on horses. It took me a few tries and I actually had to check a guide to see how to speed the horse in order to get further in the game. It was only a few things I had problems with but the storyline and everything else made up for it.

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Combat this time around is a lot more difficult, which is noticeable in this series after Brotherhood and Revelations, you could wipe out entire rooms of enemies just by countering. While countering is still present, you going have to use different tactics to kill your enemies a lot like the Batman: Arkham Series. Instead you have kill-chains, a sort of limit break that allows you to kill several enemies at once if you keep fighting but don't get injured. The thing most players agree its the best thing ever is probably the Naval Battles. While they are quite simple to perform, I found myself frustrated at using their full speed without being knocked by rogue winds, which restrict some of its potential. Still, its telling when a stealth game like AC makes a sailing game better than several other pirates and sea-based games.

Veredict:

Samimista

Honestly, I really did enjoy this game just as much or more than the II with its storyline and how fun the hunting was. I couldn't help but think of Pocahontas and Pirates of the Caribbean with how the game was a cinematic movie itself that shared similarities to the other two. I could definitely see myself replay this many times and someday do the side quests. It really showed that when people unite as one we can truly make a difference. It may take time but there isn't anything we can't do. Ezio will probably always be my favorite assassin but I can't help but fancy Connor. It was just the little things that took points down but, this still was and is truly an amazing gaming experience and I could see the story of this being passed down to many generations.

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Though I had a lot of expectations for this game which were not met, the story' execution and the ultimate conclusion to Desmond's storyline being a massive letdown. Still I would still take this game for the massive and beautiful world to explore, improved and challenging combat, the multitude of activities to perform and the likable protagonists. AC II is still my favorite one in the series, I know it had its problems and while AC III tried its best, still can't take its place.

Please, tell us what you think of our review and the game in the comments section. Thank you for reading :)