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Preview: Assassin’s Creed III

My first look at a Wii U controller, up close, came from my hands-off preview of Assassin’s Creed III yesterday.

I’ll admit it: it was pretty shiny.

First, let’s just get this out of the way: the Assassin’s Creed III Wii U will essentially be the same as other console editions, but with the addition of a permanent, more detailed map on the Wii U gamepad, plus an ever-present weapon wheel that lets you change weapons and navigate on the fly.

That aside, the representative from Ubisoft Montreal took be through a variety of the game’s innovations whilst in the “Boston” area of the title. I watched in awe as Connor performed moving assassinations that behaved much in the same way as the moving take-down from Assassin’s Creed: Revelations.

Continuing on, Connor went into stealth mode before taking out his next target. He crouched in some bushes, leaped into a moving cart filled with hay, and most importantly — peered around the side of a building waiting for his prey. That little move is something the Assassin’s Creed franchise has been missing since its first game…and shows that Ubisoft has really taken player feedback to heart this time around.

Combat is very different to what we’re all used to, and that’s a good and bad thing. Enemies who circle Connor will no longer have a go one at a time. Instead, you’re really going to be attacked from all angles; spending too much time trying to open up an opponent means your flank will be exposed and sliced up. It’s a refreshing new combat system, and one that’s improved long-standing issues. Though, at this point…aren’t we all experts at cheating the old system? The representative insisted that fighting as if you were in Revelations meant certain death.

Still on combat, I was told that you won’t be able to replenish your health mid-fight; to regenerate health, you’ll need to escape or eliminate your foes. It’s another simple change that alters the whole dynamic of the game. Strategic combat is now a must. There are also more guns in the game, but they’re usually single-shot firearms, meaning you’ll have to be careful when and how you use them.

Blending into a crowd has also been improved; in fact, crowds are no longer required if you need to hide from Redcoats. An on-screen indicator over Connor’s head will indicate those around you (as little as two people, and they’re not required to be huddled together), and when you’ve gotten close enough to blend with them. It opens up opportunities to evade capture and plan the perfect assassination, and what I saw worked very well.

Your Assassin Brotherhood is back, and I got to see a group disguised as Redcoats. Connor called them down, they surrounded him and acted as if Connor was being arrested…and bam! The Assassin’s got past a Redcoat checkpoint. Again, it’s a simple act, but one that adds quite a bit to stealth tactics in the title.

As if you couldn’t tell, Assassin’s Creed III is shaping up quite nicely. Look for it on 30 October for Xbox 360, PS3, PC…and on Wii U as a launch date title.


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About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.