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 While DLC has proven a hot topic in recent years, as developers and publishers are accused of removing missions to be released later, or locking on-disc content for an extra charge, Ubisoft seems to be doing things right with Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.

Instead of additional missions, the developers have crafted a standalone campaign surrounding a secondary character from Black Flag's story. 'Freedom Cry' casts Adewale as the new hero, and the DLC's launch trailer shows that the developers weren't exaggerating when they called him "one of the most brutal assassins ever."

Although the campaign of Black Flag wasn't as steeped in the social mission of the Assassin Order as prior entries in the series, that doesn't seem to be the case with 'Freedom Cry.' In the fifteen years that passed between the game's events and those of the DLC, Adewale has been transformed from Edward Kenway's quartermaster into a full-fledged member of the Assassin Order, combining (as the developers claim) the "strength of Connor and the finesse of Ezio."

Whether picking his way through the new location of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, or at the helm of his very own ship, the Experto Crede, the trailer and latest screenshots show that he may even be more lethal than his former captain.

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Hidden Blades, pistols, a blunderbuss and his soon-to-be-iconic machete are clearly all effective in Adewale's hands, but executions and assassinations aside, the story concocted for 'Freedom Cry' is turning out to be equally intriguing. It's been known for some time that Adewale would end up drafted into a conflict between slaves and their oppressive masters, but with each new trailer, those elements seem to be shifting from broad references to the Assassin's own history to a potentially powerful plot.

There's a good chance that fans of the series will pick up the DLC (free to Season Pass owners) strictly to seek out the hints at Assassin's Creed 5 contained within, but if the trailer is any indication, Adewale may end up grabbing more of the spotlight than some might think. And even if Ubisoft stumbles in handling an issue as charged as slavery in the Caribbean, Adewale's brutality is still something to look forward to.

Will you be picking up the 'Freedom Cry' campaign when it's released Tuesday, December 17? Or have you had enough of Black Flag's campaign already? Sound off in the comments

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Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag‘s Freedom Cry DLC releases on December 17, 2013 for the Ps3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Confirmation for PC and Wii U dates is awaited.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.