Assassin's Creed 3 game review

Scales and tales

Fri 9 Nov 2012 // 11:30 UTC

Hit the town

When on foot such forests offer more excitement, providing opportunity for much free-running across beams, logs and branches – not to mention providing plenty of handy hiding places from which to ambush troops. Indeed, Connor's deadly toolkit includes all manner of gadgets to silently pick off unwitting patrols.

Wheel life

Town sections offer a couple of new tricks too, the most fun being the chance to throw yourself into open windows and out the other. The necessary low heights of buildings – early America hardly being renowned for its towering skyline – means that once you're viewed as suspicious by guards, getting away is far from simple.

It's an issue worsened by plentiful adversaries, their capacity for cat-like climbing and the many rooftop spotters dotted around camps.

Nothing for mills around

Hence, Connor will be chased by gangs of guards shouting such witty lines as "So slow!" over and over, which might as well be accompanied by The Benny Hill Show theme tune.

As with the horse-riding, such scenes serve only to dispel the illusion. Consequently, you become overtly conscious you're playing a game which lacks just that last little bit of polish, something that would turn a mostly enjoyable experience into a seamless one.

Heads up

Verdict

Earlier I speculated that AC3 marks the beginning of a new path for the series and of that I remain convinced. The new dynamism in terms of animation, mission variation and scope bodes well for the series and in Kenway they’ve hit upon a noble, if stern, warrior.

Now Ubisoft must tighten such irritations as overzealous AI and slightly too expansive environments – why not open up the world still further with building interiors too? Most of all, it must continue to surprise us and, in this respect, AC3 is worth playing if only for the odd moment of incredulity as, time and again, the developers throw the kitchen sink at us. ®