Assassin's Creed 3 Preview & Series Review
Assassin’s Creed 3 is one of the most anticipated games of the year and it looks to be another great edition in a revolutionary series. But how did we get to this point?
Assassins Creed 3 is one of the most anticipated games of the year and it looks to be another great edition in a revolutionary series. But how did we get to this point? The first Assassins Creed was innovative but it had many, many faults. It was a relatively short game with a repetitive mission structure and an uninspired combat system. For all the shortcomings, many of those who played it acknowledged the untapped potential. The parkour style of movement was ground-breaking but what stood out was the focus on the story, the characters and the setting. Many games are based on the future or on events or places in the last century; few games have ventured so far into the past. So far weve explored the Crusades and the Renaissance Period, often cited as the intellectual and cultural bridge between the dark ages and the modern era. Scholars believe that the Renaissance began in Florence, the main setting of the first game, in part due to the Medici family and figures such as Leonardo Di Vinci and Machiavelli, all people involved in your story. That era is also viewed as significant due to the fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, the setting of the third game. Its the use of historical events and people that bring the story to life. The Assassins Creed series has done a great job of creating an arching story; the battle between the Templars and the Assassins, and individual stories that each add to the series. 
Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad was set the task of assassinating nine Templars after his failure to stop Robert de Sable from stealing an important artifact. Eventually, he confronted Sable, and at the behest of King Richard the pair battled. Altaïr defeated Robert and with his dying breath he revealed the identity of the tenth Templar: Al Mualim, the leader of the Assassin Order. The Syrian assassin returned to his brotherhood and after witnessing Mualim harnessing the influence of an Apple of Eden, he killed his former mentor. If the original AC displayed massive potential then Assassins Creed II was the pinnacle of the series. It made up for the mistakes of the first; the parkour style was much more fluid, the missions were more varied, improvements were made to the combat and it was much, much longer. Ezio Auditore was a naïve youngster who had no idea of the battle between the Assassins and the Templars. When his father and brothers were murdered Ezio was forced into and unknown world, but with the support of his family and the Assassin Order he started unravelling the secrets of the first generation and began his mission to avenge his family. His task took him all across Italy, before he finally confronted Rodrigo Borgia, the conspirator behind his fathers murder. He didnt kill the Pope, instead choosing to enter a hidden vault in the Vatican. AC: Brotherhood didnt make too many changes from AC II. The major innovation was the use of multiple assassins and tweaks made to the combat system; sword fights were much more fluent. In the previous two games you were always isolated, but the introduction of an assassin community allowed for more options in battle situations. In Brotherhood, Ezio displayed his dedication to finishing his mission; killing the Borgia family. Ezio hunted and eventually had a chance to murder Rodrigo Borgia and reclaim an Apple of Eden but before he could the Pope was killed by his son Cesare. Ezio discovered the Apple of Eden and using the power he defeated Cesare, before hiding it beneath the Santa Maria. He had finally avenged his father. 
The third game in the Ezio trilogy and the fourth in the series; Assassins Creed: Revelations was the weakest in terms of innovation but perhaps the strongest in terms of story. The game brought a conclusion to the story of Ezio and Altaïr, the latter whose story is dealt with at the end of each chapter. This edition takes place in Constantinople during the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Ezio wants to discover the secrets of the Assassin Order and the fate of Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad. He returns to Masyaf, the setting of the original AC, but finds that the vault door needs five keys. Along with Sofia Sartor, a young Italian traveler, Ezio embarks on a mission to collect the keys, which were scattered throughout the city by Nicollo Polo. Every time Ezio collected a key he relived a memory of Altaïr. Following the battle with Al Mualim Altaïr took control of the Assassins, despite the feelings of Abbas, who had resented Altaïr for his fathers death. When Altaïr and his wife Maria left to repel a Mongol invasion, Abbas took control and murdered their youngest son Sef. When the former leader tried to confront Abbas, Maria was stabbed in the back by an assassin. Altaïr entered a 20-year exile before returning to kill Abbas and take his place as leader of the Assassins. The now-elderly leader decided that the Assassins should leave Masyaf to spread the Assassin Order around the world. Before the assassins left, he encoded his memories in the keys, which he entrusted to Nicollo Polo. Back in the 16th century, Ezio returned to Masyaf with the keys to finally open the vault and finish what had become his mission in life. He entered the vault to find the skeleton of Altaïr and his Apple of Eden. Ezio decided to leave the Apple, saying Ive seen enough for one life, and as he dropped his weapon and armour he spoke to Desmond, who he knows is watching due to the events of AC II. He hoped that Desmond could discover the secrets that he could not. At that point, Ezio left the vault; finally leaving his life as an assassin to marry Sofia. During the four games we had spent little time as Desmond, despite him being in each edition. From what we know from our time spent as him: the world is coming to an end, the Templars want control of the world using a Piece of Eden, a mystical race created the first humans, they were destroyed by a world-ending solar flare and the assassins must find a hidden vault, which the mythical race used to try and find a way to stop the end of the world. So after the sacrifices of Altaïr, Ezios search for understanding and the many revelations that have faced Desmond to this point, we are finally ready for Assassins Creed III. So, what do we know of the game so far? We know it is based around Connor Kenway, a Native American, before, during and after the American Revolution from 1753 to 1783. It is based in Boston and both George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and many more important historical figures. The New York area will also be explorable as will the surrounding frontier. There are clues from previous games as to why we are in Boston. In AC II Ezio uses a map showing the locations of Pieces of Eden to find the Rome vault. The map also shows other locations, one of which is Boston. Another clue is in one of the Subject 16 puzzles from the same game. One of the Apple of Eden pictures is of George Washington, who has an Apple in his hand. Whether or not his inclusion in the game has to do with the Apple of Eden can only be speculated. Most importantly, Ubisoft has told us that this is the finale of the Desmond trilogy, as he tries to halt the 2012 apocalypse and discover the temples which were built by the first generation. In terms of gameplay, the choice to use the American Revolution seems to be a popular choice. The game has been in development for three years which is evident by the new developments. The movement system has been overhauled and now Connor isnt just limited to buildings like his predecessors; he can now seamlessly glide through the trees. The animations shown in the demo are very smooth and impressive; they seem to open up a new number of options in taking down an opponent. Assassins Creed 3 could prove to be the best since AC II, if not the best of the series. 
What about the future? Well, although we cant begin to predict the future of the story, we can at least talk about what wed like to see kept the same. Whats made the Assassins Creed series so special and so popular? As mentioned earlier, the use of famous eras and the use of historical figures and stories to bring them to life. Few games explore the past like AC does and it would be a huge disappointment to see the series jump to the last century. Ive respected Ubisoft for visiting Florence and Rome during the Renaissance and covering the third Crusade; it makes a difference from going to modern-day America or Europe during World War II. Future games should stick to that same concept of exploring different times. In terms of gameplay, the parkour movement has become a centerpiece of the series and, as shown by the demos of AC III, Ubisoft are still making the most of that system. The combat has improved over the years, becoming more fluent and effortless, and the introduction of guns would be a step back in my opinion. Whatever the future holds for the series Assassins Creed III looks special and the series as a whole is a great example of innovation and storytelling at its best.