The latest issue of Game Informer has first details on Assassin’s Creed III. A reinvention of the series, it will feature a new assassin who goes by the name of Connor, although his real name is Ratohnhake:ton (pronounced Ra-doon-ha-gay-doo).
Connor has an English father and a Native American mother. As a child, he was raised on the American frontier by the Mohawk. After white colonists attacked and burned his village, Connor dedicated his life to justifying injustice. His character has thousands of unique animations, none carried over from older games in the series.
The game is set in 18th century America, between the years 1753 and 1783, basically during the American Revolution. Key locations include Boston and New York. Considering we’re not in Rome, anymore, Connor will utilize trees and mountain cliffs, as well as buildings and related structures, for climbing.
When in combat, the game focuses on putting the player on the offensive based on speed and momentum. Target-lock is gone, and is instead replaced by target auto-detect. Connor will play a role in major battles, where thousands of enemies can be seen on screen. In older games, the on-screen enemy cap was set at about 100. Of course, he’ll still have his hidden blade, as all assassins do. You’ll also be able to upgrade Connor’s gear and outfit as you progress. The tomahawk and knife are a “constant presence” in battle. They’ll allow Connor to perform double-counters and multiple takedowns, chaining kills. You can also use enemies as human shields. The team wants you to be on the constant move during battle (and even outside of battle!). A new dynamic camera will track the action and make battles look as cinematic as possible.
Some iconic faces will be making an appearance in the game, including the likes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Lee. The relationship between Connor and Washington is a core piece of the story. Lee’s role is still a mystery.
However, not all colonists are good people. That said, not all British are oppresive. As the game is still centered around the Assassins and Templars, it aims to display how both groups’ viewpoints exist in a gray morality – the Templars really believe what they’re doing is right. The French and Native Americans are also in the game. The team is aiming for accuracy – they’e even hired historical dialogue consultants and have Native American actors.
The game will feature an open wilderness known as the Frontier. The Frontier’s map alone is 1.5 times the size of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood‘s entire map. It’s not an empty wasteland, either. One-third of the game’s missions and gameplay content will be done on the Frontier. You’ll be able to hunt animals for resources. Depending on how you kill them, you’ll get different rewards. If you kill a bear in one hit, you’ll get a more valuable pelt than you would if it took you eight stabs.
If you hadn’t already guessed, travel in the wilderness plays a big role, as Connor will make use of trees, cliffs, ledges, and more to set up kills and combat. You’ll also be able to fast-travel, as the game has a lot more going from place to place.
A new sprinting system has been created for the game. It’s been made so you can hold the button to instantly turn around and flee from combat. You’ll also be able to kill people while still moving, so you’re able to keep chasing a target.
Cities are much more subtly detailed. You’ll be able to leap over wagons, slider under obstactles, and make your way over and around moving objects. Free running additions include things like jumping through windows to trees, and then on top of church rooftops.
As time passes, the game world will change. You could do battle in a huge field one year, and the next year it will be filled with encampments. Additionally, the world changes with seasons. So all cities and the Frontier will have both summer and winter versions. During the winter, soldiers will move slower and stumble as they move about, and all water will freeze, allowing you access to prveiously inaccessible locations.
Like past entries in the series, Connor will be able to take on quests from different clubs and groups. Separate from the mission system, you will be contacted by clubs depending on what you do in the game. If you hunt a lot, for example, you’ll get an invitation from the hunting society.
Here’s an example of an event that will occur during the story: “You will see the great fire of New York. You will visit Valley Forge as a location that is currently occupied by Washington’s forces. You will visit these places in the moment that they were important, and hopefully, experience the reason why we know where they are today. That’s the goal.”
The game will feature a goods-based economy, as well as a new property system. Desmond will also make a return, if it wasn’t obvious. Speaking of, there will be a new Animus database known as Animus 3.0. Multiplayer will also return, though Ubisoft has not yet shared details.
Full syncronization is back, but with major modifications. Missions have checkpoints, and you’ll get rewards for performing these tasks, rather than a 100 percent clear notice. “Imagine a leveling system in an RPG, except there’s a finite amount of XP to find,” reads the magazine. “The more in-sync you get, the more you fill your sync bar. Within each mission, each activity you complete has a value.”
A Brotherhood-esque Assassins system will also be in place, though it was not detailed. On the subject of factions, aligned groups are no more, but something new will replace them. That said, don’t expect any more tower defense.
Assassin’s Creed III is built on a new version of Ubisoft’s Anvil engine, which can “depict thousands of troops engaged in bloody battle,” as well as highly-detailed closeup faces. The game has the longest development cycle since the first Assassin’s Creed, and twice the production capacity and budget of the latest release, Revelations. They want it to feel like ‘Assassin’s Creed 3.5.’ The first version of the game will be complete in just a few weeks, at which point they’ll spend the rest of its development period polishing and refining it. The game will be released on October 30 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
Thanks, NeoGAF.