First Look: Assassin’s Creed III

Fans of the Ubisoft’s blockbuster series have been gagging for a taste of the action since Assassin’s Creed III was announced. This year at E3, the development team were able to take us through a live demonstration, showcasing new weapons, environments and, most importantly, a new assassin.

Connor is a half-British, half-Mohawk assassin living through the American Revolution. The game itself is based over 30 years; before, during and after this period.

This first part of the live demo was set in the wilderness, and was an ideal way to prove that Connor is just as agile, fast and fluid as his predecessors as he balanced in trees, climbed through branches and scaled rock faces with ease. For the first time, enemy soldiers – in this case, the Red Coats – are not our hero’s only threat. In Assassin’s Creed III, there will also be wild animals to tackle. We watched with anticipation as Connor was set upon by a pack of ferocious wolves which he swiftly eliminated with a blade.

From the snowy hills and forests we were transported to an equally impressive suburban setting: Boston, 1773. The whole city is based on historic maps and features some buildings that still stand today, and the mission began outside the Old State House – the location of the notorious Boston massacre. Here, Connor was able to display incredible combat abilities with a range of weapons both old and new. His token weapon, the tomahawk, is an axe suited to close combat, while the rope dart allows him to shoot then instantly string up an enemy for ultimate satisfaction from a further distance.

Some classic Assassin’s Creed features remain, such as the optional side missions, allowing you to interact with other characters. Another returning feature is the haystack – a safe landing point after jumping from a tall building. This time, however, there are movable haystacks on the back of peasant wagons, meaning Connor can secretly move through the city.

The demo ended with Connor boarding a boat at the dock. We were shown that not only will Connor be able to take full control of a vessel, but also engage in epic naval battles on the high seas.

Keep up with the rest of our E3 coverage at eu.playstation.com/e3 and here on PlayStation.Blog.

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