9 Great Video Games That Did Not Deserve The Hate

Ezio Auditore was always going to be a tough act to follow. Having cemented his place as one of the greatest video game characters of all time, the worst thing Ubisoft could have done would have been to produce a thinly veiled copy. Sensibly they opted for a brave step into the New World, both literally and figuratively.

Unfortunately, the result was a game dismissed as American propaganda and roundly criticized for its ‘bland and uninteresting’ protagonist.

Thing is, Connor was not bland. His surly brand of stoicism is the product of the untimely and violent death of his mother and the slow, agonising death of his people to European encroachment. So, far from a pro-American bias it is with Connor’s quest to save his people that the game’s true sympathy lies.

And with that failure to understand, all of what AC3 did well was ignored. Revolutionary-era America was faithfully portrayed, with the contrast between the untamed wilds of the frontier and the bustle of burgeoning cities beautifully realized. Combat was made faster and more fluid. A much-loved feature from AC 2 made its return, allowing the player to guide a settlement from a mere woodland clearing to a thriving community. Naval combat made its well-received début. And arguably, for the first time, the good/bad duality of the Assassin/Templar conflict began to be deconstructed.

As a serious and complex game AC 3 was a risky but much needed foray into new territory. Fans may have flocked to the more flamboyant Black Flag but to those looking for a more thoughtful experience AC 3 had more soul to offer.