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North American game fans (and non-game fans alike) are, no doubt, getting ready for upcoming Fourth of July festivities - and to kick things off Ubisoft is unleashing a wave of new independence-themed Assassin's Creed 3 info. Starting with the new "Independence" trailer (aka the official Fourth of July trailer) and continuing with a detailed breakdown of the North American Limited Edition, fans of Desmond Miles (and soon Connor Kenway) have a lot to celebrate this week.

Unlike prior Assassin's Creed titles, the American Revolution backdrop hits a bit closer to home than Ubisoft's adventures in Italy and the Middle East, stirring up a bit of controversy forcing the developer to assure gamers that, despite the Connor versus the Red Coats storyline, the game isn't anti-British. What better way to prove the point than to show colonists getting blown to pieces by British soldiers while a young singer performs "Amazing Grace"?

We're kidding of course; however, while the trailer does drop a few pieces of new footage (such as the naval warfare mission shown at the E3 2012 Sony Conference), the teaser is mostly just a rehash of trailer clips that we've already seen - set to John Newton's iconic 1779 hymn.

As a result, the more intriguing of the pre-Fourth of July reveals is actually the North America Limited Edition that includes, in addition to a standard statue replica, a 24" by 48" Assassin-themed colonial American flag and belt buckle. The edition is only available for console players on the Xbox 360 as well as PlayStation 3 and will retail for $119.99:

  • Assassin’s Creed III video game.
  • Stunning 9.44" Assassin statue featuring Connor poised to strike with tomahawk and hidden blade.
  • Embroidered 28"x48" Assassin’s Creed-inspired colonial flag.
  • 3"x3.25" sturdy metal belt buckle to proudly proclaim your allegiance to the Assassins.

Check out the Assassin's Creed 3 box art below and contents below (click to enlarge):

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As indicated, console exclusivity means bad news for swag-loving PC gamers - who, instead of the physical Limited Edition, will get a Digital Deluxe Edition (retailing for $64.99) that includes a number of in-game DLC add-ons and other all-digital bonuses:

  • Assassin’s Creed III video game.
  • George Washington’s notebook revealing the true story of the Assassins and the Templars during the American Revolution.
  • Three single-player missions taking players from the high seas to Cozumel Island in search of Captain Kidd’s fabled lost treasure.
  • The Captain of the Aquila’s uniform and traditional Colonial Assassin outfit, boarding axe and Scottish flintlock — rumored to have fired “the shot heard round the world” — for use in the single-player campaign.
  • Sharpshooter and Redcoat characters for use in multiplayer.
  • A collection of the best audio tracks from previous Assassin’s Creed games

That said, we might have some good news as well for PC gamers, since the official press release maintains that Assassin's Creed 3 will arrive on Windows at the same time as consoles (October 30th) - indicating that rumors of a PC delay might not be true after all.

Despite a steep price, and lack of in-game DLC content, the Assassin's Creed 3 Limited Edition is pretty slick - so be sure to order yours ahead of time (at GameStop if you want access to exclusive pre-order bonuses).

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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick.

Assassin’s Creed 3 releases on October 30, 2012, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC with a Wii U launch to follow shortly after.

Source: Ubisoft