For months now, we’ve analyzed Assassin’s Creed III in its American Revolution milieu through the lens of cinematic trailers, breathtakingly beautiful and brutally violent screenshots, and imparted wisdom from the creative minds at the reigns. Gameplay footage, however, has sidestepped the spotlight with all the deft of an Assassin Order master, and it wasn’t until last week that Ubisoft teased teased a full trailer in exchange for 1,776,000 Facebook likes.
Soaring past that number, the trailer has now arrived. Not only does it delve further into the mind of Native American protagonist Connor, providing his motives for involvement in the conflict, but it also sheds light on how we play the game: It’s safe to say you’ll be planting as many tomahawk blades as seeds of revolution.
Ubisoft recently hinted that Assassin’s Creed III wasn’t a black-and-white red-white-and-blue, flag-waving American story – whatever banner Connor might carrying out orders under, he’s an Assassin, steadfast in the notion of freedom from Templar oppression. That’s expressed immediately here by the character’s narration. “The future of our land depends on those who are truly free,” and other declarations, could signify competing visions between the colonists’ version of liberty, and the Assassins’.
Of course, the trailer’s ultimate emphasis is on Connor’s highlight-reel kills and how the player will facilitate them. For this, we’re taken to the Battle of Bunker Hill mission (in a scene-for-scene carbon copy of our extensive PAX East AC III preview) where Connor picks off detachments of British soldiers on his way to assassinating a high-horsed officer. The new Chinese rope dart makes an appearance as Connor, perched on a tree limb, can be seen firing it into the neck of an unsuspecting redcoat. He then drops off the tree, his weight leveraging the rope around the limb, and the snared soldier is flung into the air like a child’s toy. It’s giddily satisfying to witness in action – as are the human shields and in-transit assassinations that are later shown.
Woven between the Bunker Hill and some woodland traversal scenes are new glimpses of Connor darting through the crowded city streets of Boston. With soldiers giving chase, he’s able to jump through the window of a street-side house, sprint across an enclosed bedroom, and exit the opposite side. It’s unclear if this is a partially scripted sequence, but it does present the possibility that Ubisoft is meshing interior/exterior environments for a more open-world feel.
Ranters, what did you take away after finally seeing Assassin’s Creed III’s gameplay in action. How do you think the story might unfold after listening to Connor’s mini-manifesto?
Assassin’s Creed III releases on October 30, 2012 for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
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Too many good games this fall but this is definitely a day 1 purchase.
A must have! Truly impressive!
This looks conspicuously polished for something that is “pre-alpha.” And I don’t know why that should impress me anyway… It looks good, I don’t care at what point in the process it BEGAN looking good, I just want it to be good by the end of development.
I was thinking the exact same thing. The last trailer had me worried, but if this is pre alpha….No worries at all.
What if Connor shot the shot heard round the world?
Never thought of that but that’s an amazing idea.
I haven’t played any AC games, but this game looks fun!
If this epicosity is Alpha-Footage…then God knows what the final product beholds. Either way this is Game of the Year already sooo….
thinking the same thing.
why are all the good games coming out in november or october 31 Shift but im not complaining my birthday is on the 28 of november so im bound to get them all
I hate the fact that all these games are coming after school just starts..it just makes my parents comments that video games take our attention off our education and etc become truer and truer, because basically instead of spending the time to study and keep up our grades, we’ll mostly be busy with the games coming out…why can’t they come out right before summer?? -__-
your right its like they want to let the adults get them first but idc im homeshooled next year so i can camp out at gamestop to buy it the day it comes out because i start school at like 10 in the morning
homeschooled, eh? kool. how is it compared to going to regular school? o_o
well you cant realy compare them in a good way school you get to hang out with your friends and actually have a teacher help you with your work while homeschool helps you have more time for a job wich means more $$$$ but there are 2 types of home school 1 they send you books for the 4 main classes social studies, math, science, and language arts. 2 they send you a computer and they give you lessons and homerwork online, and you can go ahead as far as you want to in your lessons. but they wont let you pass the lesson unless you get a c+ or higher on the test you take when your done with each lesson.
hmm, not bad, that actually sounds kinda fun! You get more freedom by homeschooling