Ubisoft reveals more about Assassin’s Creed 3

Just a week away from the release of Assassin’s Creed 3 and Ubisoft has began leaving a trail of information that will ultimately lead to its anticipated October 30 release. Among the more recent previews was the multiplayer trailer for the upcoming title, which featured its signature gameplay elements in a colonial setting. The advertisement boasted a new co-op mode for Assassin’s Creed 3‘s online and pulled the curtain on the return of the game’s customization options. Now Ubisoft is going into detail about Assassin’s Creed 3′s story mode.

The game’s protagonist Connor, an assassin of Mohawk and British heritage, is said to be situated in Davenport, New York. His manor will belong to his mentor Achilles, the leader of the Assassin Brotherhood in colonial America who settled there long before it became the New World. That goes without saying the house isn’t armed to the teeth; Connor has an entire arsenal he can access under the estate with a candlestick, and his house is neighbored by the famous naval vessel Aquila, which belongs to the assassins.

Assassin’s Creed 3‘s tunnel system will make a return in the upcoming title. Apparently constructed by Freemasons, tunnels allow for quick travel between Boston and New York. Assassin’s Creed will place added emphasis on puzzles as this game will have hidden routes that can only be found through decrypting codes and more. If you enjoyed the zone systems that focused on liberating Constantinople and Rome from oppressive rule then you will also be pleased to learn that these are making a return as well.

Not only will secondary missions be scattered across various territories, but naval battles will also be waged to gain maritime zones and trade routes. In a system that’s eerily reminiscent of Templar den defense in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Connor must fight to preserve these routes as well as hunt down two primary targets. One is the famous naval officer Nicholas Biddle, and the other is a notorious pirate named “The Captain Kidd.” Connor shall venture off to find letters about The Captain Kidd, which will also lead him to various islands for treasure before he can loot the pirate himself.

Did you like recruiting your own assassins? If you did then you’re in luck: Assassin’s Creed 3 will expand on its RPG-esque recruitment system, this time lowering the amount of blades at Connor’s disposal to six. Only six assassins will fight with Connor, but the recruiting will be far more in-depth than it used to be. Assassins now get special skills that can allow them to protect people, wear British uniforms and offer support, incite riots and a lot more. Some of their missions will even bring back important resources, money and experience.

Dominating Templars will take far more than just a stable blade. Assassin’s Creed 3‘s economy system is based on trade; players can increase their money by hiring special kinds of workers to manufacture and distribute new products, which are created through formulas that Connor happens upon in side missions and the like. Once Connor begins producing the item, he has the choice of sending it by foot or sea, which is where the trade routes and (likely) conquered forts come in. The more enemy zones the player gains, the more viable each mode of delivery becomes. If ever in doubt, the player can assign one of their assassins to protect their goods en route or do it themselves.

Templar dens return in the form of ‘forts ‘where players will still unlock zones through conquering each post. Players still kill the captain and send a signal for the soldiers to retreat (this time through removing their flags), however this time they will also be charged with the responsibility of destroying their armory. Assassin’s Creed 3 will heighten the importance of synchronization as well. When the player pauses, they will be able to see how many synchronization points they have, and when they have enough they’ll be able to unlock unique artifacts and customizations for Connor. The player can earn more synchronization points by completing one of the several bonus objectives in each mission.

Assassin’s Creed 3 is also bringing back the Codex of Altair, though this time it’s in the form of Benjamin Franklin’s almanac. Each page will give the player a recipe for a useful item, like a glass harmonica that can be installed within Connor’s manor. The game will come with a diverse selection of side quests such as mail and package deliveries, killing animals, and quite a few more. Players can also play various board games in Assassin’s Creed 3, such as checkers and fanaroo (which earns you a trophy).

Connor can join clubs in this game. There are fight clubs, hunting clubs, research clubs and thief clubs. Clubs are structured to rely on the zone system, for instance, joining the hunting club means you kill animals to unlock four zones. Once the player unlocks all four zones they get to attend a secret meeting about UFOs, sea monsters, and all kinds of crazy myths that Connor will later have to spread around. As Connor completes his missions, he’ll unlock various mementos that will be stashed away in his estate.

Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation for the PlayStation Vita, set to be released on the same day as Assassin’s Creed 3, is also a game that will push the envelope. Aveline, the game’s main character, will be allowed to switch costumes, which will alter things like her mobility and allow her to blend in every setting. Each costume will have a special perk. Aveline will also exploit the North American trade system as she delivers various goods for money by way of the sea. The player will be responsible for setting her course, and while some routes garner rewards, others will earn the player confrontations with pirates.

Assassinations will build meter for Aveline, which climaxes into chain kills where players can stop time, select the enemies they want to kill and murder them all simultaneously. Liberation players can expect Erudito to make frequent appearances, as the vigilante hacker group will continuously hack the animus to reveal truths to the player. Erudito will be instrumental in unlocking new targets, as they will randomly switch on the player’s eagle vision and reveal to them an investigation leading to someone someone that should be killed…which ultimately leads to a more important Templar target.

Do you think that Assassin’s Creed 3 will surpass the success of its predecessors?