AC 3 delivers, only a little to be desired (some spoilers)
I really enjoyed the game itself immensely, but was pretty disappointed in the ending. I will try and refrain from using spoilers as much I can. I really hate giving away information to people who are genuinely interested in the game, so if you want to be completely surprised, trust me, you will. Now go buy the game. Other readers / skeptics, continue on.
I'll hit on a few downsides to the game, then get to the good stuff.
- Glitches. While I hadn't come across more than a handful, glitches are not good to have in a game. Aside from the few that caused me to chuckle at people stuck in terrain, there WAS one that was pretty detrimental. During one of the missions as Desmond, a cut scene sequence failed to happen. This caused me to wander around and walk into crowds without knowing where to go next. While it sidetracked me for only a little while, it was slightly aggravating. Thankfully, it took up only a little of my time and I was able to use the restart from last checkpoint feature and finish the mission fine. The upside to glitches: Well, they didn't hinder *my* gameplay so much. It's a slippery slope to be on, nonetheless.
- Horses. OK, the franchise hasn't been the absolute greatest when it comes to horseback riding. While I kind of enjoy the realism, I think even in previous games, they went a little too far. Horses should travel at least a little bit faster and be perhaps a slight bit easier to control. This game was no exception, and in fact seemed to be a step back in the wrong direction.
The upside to horses: Riding very optional. I'm having a hard time thinking of any missions that required this.
- Similarities to previous Creed games. While this didn't bother me quite as much, I can see where folks would be upset at least. For a series which has mainly got it's toughest criticism for repetitiveness, they did come out with tons of new and original content. However, even though this game is a really fresh and different episode to add to the series, there are a quite a few missions that would have a skeptic player saying "Well crap, I've done *this* before!" However, I argue that most of the content is new, fresh and enjoyable. I find it difficult to nitpick at storyline missions that had been done previously in the series. Especially since the new setting, characters, and timeline, along with the amazing new combat system and content gave the game a fresh feel altogether.
Upside to similarities and repetitiveness: Well, the last games were awesome, so there's that. I'd also like to point out that a big percentage of the storyline missions had not entirely been done before. The chase missions seemed to take the brunt of repetition.
- Ending. I really don't want to give any spoilers, so I'm just going to say that it left much to be desired. At least for me, in any event.
Upside to ending: I don't really think there is one, besides room for a fourth installment. Still waiting for the announcement, though. I'm guessing the announcement for the Playstation Orbis (PS4) and the XBOX 720 will come first, however.
OK, well, those were the negative points to the game. While they warrant at least a half star off a full perfect score, I found the game incredibly enjoyable. Without further adieu, onto the bright side of things.
- Combat system. While it followed a pretty similar concept of dodging blows, parrying attacks with counters and generally staying away from large groups of the more difficult enemies, there was quite a lot of content added into the combat system, and I'm not just talking animations. Ranged weapons were much more frequently found throughout the game. Pretty much 99% of the enemies had a firearm of some sort. While this in a sense made it slightly more challenging, the good news is that Connor can not only wield firearms, but also a bow and arrow. Not to mention, using an opponent as a human shield! Another exciting new thing was the double-counter kill. While perhaps a little cliché in that it would make a kill-cam sequence happen, it was still really awesome to see added into the already souped-up combat style. All this, added with new animations, the addition of various combat techniques (such as switching from Connor's default dual-wield stance [which is also new] to two-handed blunt weapons, ranged, etc.) and the ridiculous ability to kill with ranged weapons in great frequency, makes the combat system one of the better parts of the game as a whole.
Downside to the combat system: I really can't think of much. I will go as far to say that the controls for the PS3 are a bit different than the previous installments. But repetition is bad right?
- Naval combat. This is a huge addition to the franchise. I really can't say much more than it is really, really awesome (well I could, but I don't want to be a bandwidth hog).
Downside to naval combat: There is none, really. I could make an argument that it was mission-based only and not free roam, but how many blu-rays do you think it would take to contain even a portion of the Atlantic Ocean? Yeah. So none, really.
- New setting. The American Revolution is a really cool time in history. Well at least for nerds like me, anyway. There's just a ton of awesome to factor into the setting, the timeframe and everything else. Historical names that even non-American citizens would recognize right away, the infamous redcoats, lots of historical places in New York, Boston and in-between (they did a great job with the database as well, by the way).
Downside to the new setting: There really isn't any. While it may show the more "bad guy" side of some key historical figures, if you really thought these people were saints in the first place, I'm not sure this page is the right place for you anyway. Moving on.
I will refrain from making new points, seeing as it might be good to stick to 3 good things and 3 bad things that came to mind regarding this game. (I could pick a looooot more good stuff, and perhaps nitpick a few other things, but bandwidth restraints and such) Just be aware that there are a lot of franchise-new features to this game that I haven't mentioned. I also want to point out that the overall experience is very satisfying, even if you hate the ending like I did. The graphics and atmosphere are really amazing, and it's easy to lose yourself on the Colonial frontier. Overall, I give this game a 4.5 stars. I really want to give it 5 stars, but the ending was a hard pill to swallow. If the game itself were flawless apart from the ending, I would give it a 5 nonetheless. But 4.5 stars is a great score regardless, and I can live with that. I definitely recommend picking up this game soon, even if you are new to the series!
