Assassin's Creed III is a historical action-adventure open world stealth video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Microsoft Windows. It is the fifth major installment and the third numbered title in the Assassin's Creed series, and a direct sequel to 2011's Assassin's Creed: Revelations. The game was released worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, beginning in North America on October 30, 2012. It was released on November 18, 2012 for the Wii U, and on November 20, 2012 for Microsoft Windows.
The main portion of Assassin's Creed III is set before, during and after the American Revolution from 1753 to 1783, featuring a new half English and half Mohawk protagonist; Ratonhnhaké:ton (Template:IPAc-en; "Ra-doon-ha-gay-doon"), also known by the adopted name of "Connor". In addition to the historical period, the game also features the "present day" setting, where series protagonist Desmond Miles must adventure to prevent the 2012 apocalypse, as his story develops and reaches a conclusion. The game features a new engine, Anvil Next, built from the ground up, the engine is said to utilize full capability of current generation systems to deliver a "next-gen Assassin's Creed experience."
Gameplay
The game follows the series’ standard level-based gameplay during the 21st century, as well as the open world gameplay set in 18th century colonial America, in which the player has access to a huge wilderness known as the Frontier (which is 1.5 times bigger than Rome in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood),the cities of Boston and New York as well as a huge chunk of the Eastern Seaboard,which can be explored via a ship, the Aquila.
Free running has been simplified to allow for more fluid, parkour in the cities as well as in the wilderness, such as climbing and running on trees, mountains, cliffs,etc. Close combat has been modified, allowing Connor to duel-wield weapons and take down multiple opponents at once and players no longer need to manage the lock-on mechanic.Aiding this, Connor has access to a wide range of weapons which include musket rifles, pistols,native weapons such as the tomahawk and bow/arrows, a rope dart (used to pull foes or hang them, while on a tree) as well as the Hidden blades. Human shields can be used against firing lines of enemies. Medicine is no longer used as health recovers automatically. Stealth is also revamped, allowing players to use natural elements such as tall grass and trees to hide, along with the ability can blend between any two people.
Assassin’s Creed III features new weather simulations such as snow, fog, and rain. The seasons can also change i.e, Summer and Winter,which not only effect visuals but also gameplay. Unlike the past games, this one includes animals varying from domestic (horses, cows, dogs) to wild (deer, wolves, bears). The wild ones are found in the Frontier,and can be hunted for meat or marrow in order to be sold. The quality of the kill determines the price, encouraging the player to hunt silently. For this, traps and bait can also be used.
Economy is now based on the Homestead, located in Davenport, New York, which also acts as Connor's house. The site can be visited by people such as carpenters, tailors etc. suffering from displacement due to the war. Helping and interacting with these NPC's will encourage them to settle in the Homestead. From there on, the player can craft various items and trade with them, and then sell the goods to the cities via caravan. The player can also help them build relationships with each other, which will then result in the formation of a small village. The player can also upgrade the Homestead manor as well as Connor's ship, the Aquila.
A revamped version of the Brotherhood feature returns as players can recruit citizens by completing liberation missions. They also have a much larger skill set, which allows them to start a riot, provide a covert escort, act a as a personal bodyguard etc. Other side missions include collecting Almanac pages, exploring the underground tunnels, joining hunting and fighting clubs, investigating the tall tales of frontiersmen about UFO's and monsters, and 'The peg-leg missions' in which Connor goes to underground forts and wastelands to uncover the legend of 'Captain Kidd's treasure', and others.
Assassin’s Creed III also features naval expeditions. Using Connor's warship, the 'Aquila', the player can navigate the high seas, which can turn from a cool, calm sea to raging storms. Control of the ship relies on environmental factors such as wind direction and speed, local presence of storms, high waves, and rocks. Engagements are by cannon, with broadsides covering both flanks of the ship, and swivel guns that can be used to damage smaller ships which can also boarded on to find treasure. The Aquila is used in the side missions known as "privateer missions" and is also used in some of the main missions.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer returns in this installment by Ubisoft Annecy. Along with returning modes, new ones feature a co-operative mode named wolfpack, in which 2-4 players are charged with killing certian NPC's within a time limit, through a sequence of 25 stages.it also features Domination, a team mode where players will have to capture certian areas of the map, protecting them from the opposing team.
Wii U version
The Wii U version of the game has extra features. The player has the ability to change weapons on the go and the map is always visible on the Wii U Gamepad. The Wii U version also supports Remote Play. With this feature enabled, the main screen is redirected to the Wii U Gamepad.
Retail editions
On March 26, 2012, Ubisoft announced three collectors editions of Assassin's Creed III, The Freedom, Join Or Die and Special editions, exclusive to EMEA countries and Australia. On June 1, 2012, Ubisoft also announced another collectors edition of Assassin's Creed III, the UbiWorkshop Edition. Ubisoft and Sony partnered to offer the game as a bundle with the PlayStation 3 console, which was offered from the day of the game's release. On the day of its release, Assassin's Creed III on the PlayStation 3 received 4 exclusive single-player missions, titled The Benediict Arnold Missions. The gameplay revolves around Benedict Arnold and his connections with turning West Point over to the British. Script writer Matt Turner stated that the Benediict Arnold missions were some of the most historically accurate missions in the game, as "some scenes have the actual words spoken by key players in the events at West Point, according to the records from the court proceedings following what happened."
- The Freedom Edition features a retail copy of the game, a steelbook case with cover art drawn by award-winning comic artist Alex Ross, George Washington's notebook, a 24 cm high-quality figurine of the protagonist Connor and 2 exclusive lithographs. In-game content included is two exclusive single player missions (Ghost of War & Lost Mayan Ruins) and an additional multiplayer character (Sharpshooter). The Freedom Edition is a GameStop retail exclusive in the U.K.
- The Join Or Die Edition features a retail copy of the game, Connor's medallion (The medallion of the Assassins with its high-quality curd ladle) and George Washington's notebook. In-game content included is one exclusive single player mission (Ghost of War) and an additional multiplayer character (Sharpshooter).
- The Special Edition features a retail copy of the game and special packaging. In-game content included is one exclusive single player mission (A Dangerous Secret).
- The UbiWorkshop Edition features a retail copy of the game, the second edition of the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia, exclusive packaging, 5 rare prints, and a new graphic novel titled Assassin's Creed: Subject 4.
- The Limited Edition features a retail copy of the game, a 24 cm high-quality figurine of Connor, an embroidered 28" x 48" Assassin's Creed-inspired Colonial flag, a 3" x 3.25" metal belt buckle with the Assassin insignia and George Washington's notebook. In-game content included is an exclusive single player mission (Lost Mayan Ruins). Although not originally planned, George Washington's notebook was later included in the edition due to popular demand. This edition is not available in the UK or Europe due to perceived anti-British sentiment portrayed in the content.
- The Digital Deluxe Edition features a retail copy of the game, George Washington's notebook and the official Assassin’s Creed III soundtrack. In-game content included is three exclusive single player missions, two skins (The Captain of the Aquila's uniform and The Colonial Assassin outfit) and two additional multiplayer characters (Sharpshooter and Redcoat). It also includes the Benedict Arnold DLC previously exclusive only to the PS3. The edition is exclusive to PC.
| Features | Standard (all consoles & PC) |
Special Edition (Xbox 360, PS3, & PC) |
Join or Die Edition (all consoles & PC) |
Freedom Edition (Xbox 360, PS3, & PC) |
UbiWorkshop Edition (Xbox 360, PS3, & PC) |
Limited Edition (Xbox 360 & PS3) |
Digital Deluxe Edition (PC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game disc | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exclusive packaging | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (Steelbook case) | Yes | Yes | No |
| George Washington's notebook | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| 24 cm figurine of Connor | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Connor's medallion | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Embroidered 28" x 48" colonial flag | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Exclusive Lithograph(s) | No | No | No | Yes (2) | No | No | No |
| 3" x 3.25" metal belt buckle | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Single-player missions | Yes (4 PlayStation 3 exclusive missions) | Yes (A Dangerous Secret) | Yes (Ghost of War) | Yes (Ghost of War and Lost Mayan Ruins) | Yes (4 PlayStation 3 exclusive missions) | Yes (Lost Mayan Ruins) | Yes (All) |
| Multiplayer packages | No | No | Yes (The Sharpshooter) | Yes (The Sharpshooter) | No | No | Yes (All) |
| Second Edition Encyclopedia | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Assassin's Creed: Subject 4 | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| The Official Soundtrack | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Rare Prints | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Downloadable content
On October 3, 2012 Ubisoft officially revealed a Season Pass for downloadable-content. The pass will be available for purchase 6 months after the game's launch at £23.99/$29.99 on PlayStation Network and 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live. Alternatively, the pass can be purchased at Best Buy and GameStop. The pass will allow players to access the three "King Washington" story packs, "The Hidden Secrets" pack with all the preorder, retailer exclusive, bonus material, and "The Battle Hardened" pack, featuring new maps and characters for multiplayer. Purchasing the pass will be a 25% saving over buying each pack individually. Furthermore, players with the pass will have access to DLC a week before other gamers. Details of the Pass' availability on the Wii U version are yet to be determined.
Uplay content
Ubisoft's Uplay system enables further in-game enhancements which can be redeemed by points that are given when playing the game. The available awards are an "Assassin's Creed III Theme" (available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC), "The Life Scratcher Pack" which allows the player to increase capacity of ammo and unlock multiplayer profile items, "Ezio's outfit'" from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and "The Renegade Pack" which unlocks the Multiplayer Night Stalker's costume and additional profile items.
The Hidden Secrets Pack
On December 4, 2012, "The Hidden Secrets" Pack was released for Season Pass players on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, with all gamers getting the pack December 11, 2012 and Wii U players at a later date. The pack includes three missions (The Lost Mayan Ruins, The Ghost of War and A Dangerous Secret), which unlock the Sawtooth Cutless, Pontiac War Club, and Flintlock Musket respectively, two single-player costumes (the Captain of the Aquila and the Colonial Assassin), and two multiplayer characters (the Redcoat and the Sharpshooter). All of the content was previously available as preorder bonuses through different retailers, or in different editions of the game.
The Tyranny of King Washington
On October 3, 2012 Ubisoft revealed the first portion of DLC for the game. Entitled "The Tyranny of King Washington", the non-canon story revolves around an alternate history where George Washington seizes power and becomes 'King of America' following the events of the American Revolution. The player will be tasked with overthrowing the dictator. The single-player campaign will be separated into 3 episodic installments which will be available post-launch.
The Battle Hardened Pack
Announced on December 4, 2012 with "The Hidden Secrets" Pack, "The Battle Hardened" Pack will include new maps and characters for multiplayer.