18. Assassins Creed 3/Assassins Creed Liberation
So how about that first act in Assassins Creed 3, huh? ACIIIs got a myriad of problems pace, glitches, so-so protagonist but the last few minutes of that prologue are great. Plus, its just plain neat to cause havoc in the beautifully reconstructed American colonies. And as if that wasnt enough, Assassins Creed 3 features the best Pirates of the Caribbean mini-game ever! Overall, the third numbered entry of the series is uneven, with a fairly large amount of blah designed to string together some adrenaline pumping, sublime moments. The Battle of Bunker Hill and stalking Braddock stick out, in particular. Equally impressive (if not more so) is the other Assassin's Creed game that came out this year, for the Vita. Liberation is a pretty incredible game when you realize that youre actually playing a mobile version of Assassins Creed and leaping from rooftops to impale guards or blending in with crowds to track your target just as smoothly as you've done on the console/PC versions. The disguise mechanic designed around the infinitely-more-interesting-than-Connor protagonist, Aveline de Grandpre a privileged aristocrat of French and African heritage living in New Orleans is fun and appropriately subversive. The lack of Desmond doesnt hurt, either. There are some technical hiccups, like the poor frame-rate from time to time and the hallmark awkward controls of the series, but its still a pretty impressive game that will please fans. Heres hoping Aveline gets a sequel.