After “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations” came out in 2011, Ubisoft immediately began development of the final installment of “The Desmond Miles Saga” known as “Assassin’s Creed III.”
Assassin’s Creed III was released in 2012. (same year the controversial Mass Effect 3 came out) It received positive reviews from critics, fans and gamers alike. Plus, it sold millions of copies worldwide. A follow up titled, “Assassin’s Creed IV” released in 2013 is the first game set in the post-Desmond Miles Saga focusing on Desmond’s ancestor Edward Kenway set during “The Golden Age Of Piracy.” A spin-off game titled, “Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation” was released in 2012. This game focuses on the first playable female assassin.
“Valhalla is the most recent installment of the franchise. Netflix announced a live action series based on Assassin’s Creed is in development. I want to share my thoughts on Assassin’s Creed III before the upcoming series streams in the future. I’m also a huge fan of the franchise.
This review contains no crucial SPOILERS. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article.
Unforgettable & Forgettable Aspects
Unforgettable: Nolan North (my favorite voice actor) reprises his role as Desmond Miles. He did an excellent job for his voiceover performance.
Other Voice Actors also did an excellent job for their respective voiceover performances.
Graphics still hold up for a game that came out in 2012. The remastered version slightly improves.
Gameplay retains elements from previous games. Parkour plays a big part to run and climb on trees, mountains, cliffs and houses. Combat allows you to attack, block, dodge enemies. If you’re discovered by an enemy performing illegal activities, fleeing is the best option. Another important thing is hiding from your pursuers by staying hidden in tall grass and blend in front of a crowd. Recruit and send your soldiers on missions. If they do a good job depending on a stable level, they’ll be rewarded with skills points. Eagle Vision allows you to highlight your surroundings. Red is enemy, blue is friend, white is object and gold is target. Economy System still plays a huge role giving you options to purchase upgrades, weapons, ammo, materials for crafting and
Lorne Balfe (The Lego Batman Movie, Mission Impossible: Fallout) composes music for the game. He also composed Revelations.
Ubisoft made innovation designing new gameplay mechanics giving you the ability to dual wield. A weather system is introduced for the first time simulating snow and rain. Taking a page from “Red Dead Redemption,” hunting is added. You can sell meat/bones for money. Mini-Map displays enemies as red dots. Crafting System is introduced yet evolves as each game is released. Pilot a ship in naval combat, later expanded in Assassin’s Creed IV & “Odyssey.” Firearms are new serving as a replacement for Ezio’s hidden gun from the last three games.
Set immediately after the events of Revelations, Assassin’s Creed III is the final entry of The Desmond Miles Saga. In 2012, time is running out, Desmond must find way to prevent an apocalypse from happening with help from his father William and his allies Rebecca Crane & Shaun Hastings. This time Desmond relives the memories of Haytham Kenway and his son Connor during “The American Revolution.”
Character Development involving Connor. As the game progresses, you masters all his skills and abilities becoming an expert like “Leon: The Professional.”
Real Life historical figures including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams & Charles Lee play crucial roles.
Shaun Hastings provides comic relief.
A Plot Twist is revealed. I can’t tell you all about it. You’re gonna have to play the game and find out.
Main Missions presented as “Sequences” contain 12 Chapters and an Epilogue. You also play Desmond in a certain missions outside The Animus now that he fully mastered his skills and abilities.
Side Missions has a lot of variety of things to do. Retrieve Benjamin Franklin’s almanac pages. Find buried trinkets across the wilderness. Liberate places from Boston, Massachusetts and New York. Enlist “Privateer Contracts” with your trusty ship using your crew to eliminate a target. Hunt rare animals. Synchronize via viewpoint reveals a small portion of a map. Help your community by doing chores at Achille’s homestead which is your headquarters. Open treasure chests. Frontiersmen missions involves investigating surreal urban legends. Participate in a fight tournament. Remember Brad Pitt’s advice from “Fight Club.” “The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club.” “Second rule of Fight Club is YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB.”
If you bought DLC or the remastered edition, a non-canon storyline titled, “The Tyranny Of George Washington” is presented as “what if scenario” with George Washington becoming a power hungry warlord using The Apple Of Eden.
Forgettable: Underground Tunnels are a pain in the butt to navigate. I prefer actual fast travel from Brotherhood or Revelations.
The Ending was a letdown. If you already played the game, you get the picture.
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BREATHTAKING!
Despite my two gripes complaining on underground tunnels and the underwhelming ending, I actually enjoyed the final chapter of The Desmond Miles Saga. I’m happy Ubisoft is keeping the Assassin’s Creed franchise alive. I hope they continue to evolve. I cannot wait for Netflix’s upcoming live action series.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 