Colonial Assassin

After trading blows for hundreds of years in Europe, the war between the Assassins and the Templars is coming to Colonial America.

Set around the time of the American Revolution, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a brand new assassin, Connor, a half-English, half-Mohawk who decides to take the fight to the Templars after his home is invaded. The game will span 30 years of Connor’s life, taking you from Boston to New York and Philadelphia.

Taking a series known for vertical gameplay and acrobatic terrain navigation to cities made up of mostly one- and two-story buildings is a bit of a challenge. In response, Ubisoft is building the series core gameplay into new areas, including a wide-open woodland area and the high seas. Connor can stalk enemies through the trees, deftly navigating from branch to branch as he hunts down his next target and avoids detection.

While in cities, Connor can easily leap from building to building and use a slew of new moves, such as looking around corners. Connor can also hide in crowds and make use of mobile haystacks to hide.

While in the wilderness, called the Frontier, Connor can ride horses and tangle with the area’s wildlife. During the demo, Connor stalked a deer through the wilderness, killing and harvesting it for meat. His hunt was interrupted by a pack of wolves, showing off the game’s brutal combat system. Scavenging through the wilderness isn’t a mindless quest; foraging for items in the wilderness ties into gameplay. For instance, the deer meat was part of a quest handed to Connor by a butcher in a nearby army camp.

Connor’s arsenal of moves and weapons has expanded, making him one of the series’ deadliest protagonists. Past assassins have relied heavily on their hidden blade. Connor has use of the blade, but can also pull out a pair of tomahawks to take down foes. He also has access to a crude pistol and a rope dart. The rope dart may turn out to be one of Assassin’s Creed III’s more interesting weapons. During the demo, Connor snagged a British solider and used his body as a counter balance to lower himself to the ground (meanwhile leaving the solider hanging).

Connor also has access to more assassination types. Nearly any weapon can be used to kill targets. One particularly wicked assassination type saw Connor snagging a rifle from one target and stabbing him with the bayonet, then shooting another nearby solider.

Assassin’s Creed III also features naval combat, with Connor taking control of ships and taking the fight to whoever gets in his way. Connor does not play sides in the Revolution, choosing to let the Colonial Army and British fight their own battles. He’s only interested in hunting down the Templar, so players can expect to do missions for both sides. Players can also expect to run into several notable figures, including George Washington, Paul Revere, and Benjamin Franklin.

With faster combat and a wide-open space to explore, Assassin’s Creed III offers a different take on the series.

Assassin’s Creed III hits stores on October 30, 2012.