I finally picked up AC3 on a Steam sale since I had heard such great things about it, but I have to say it's a huge disappointment. This was the chance for Ubisoft to do something new with the series. New setting and new character. They could have changed, or improved the game mechanics as well. But instead they have released another derivative AC game, no different, yet somehow worse than previous iterations.
First off I'll start with the positive notes. I have always played the AC games for the story and for the environments. And in this game things are as good as always. Boston and the surrounding wilderness is truly beautiful. Even though the game is not that impressive on a technical level, it is still very nice to look at. For the most part the places feel real and alive. The story is still intriguing as well, and having all kinds of bits of American history makes things very interesting.
Too bad this is where the positives stop for me. The gameplay is exactly as it is in every other game in the series. There can be depth to the combat, but for the most part it's simpler just to draw a sword and counter kill, until the mob is dealt with. Sure there are other ways to deal with an encounter, but the game does a particularly bad job of motivating you to mix things up. The game is also littered with optional stuff to do, but again the game gives you no reason whatsoever to bother with any of it. There are optional mailman quests, assassinations, collectables, and even optional objectives in the main missions. None of it seems to have any reward. You always have enough money to keep your ammo and bombs fully stocked, and completing optional objectives seems to have no reward whatsoever.
But where this game really falls apart for me is in the controls. When the originally Assassins Creed game came out the idea of free running and climbing was revolutionary. Since then other open world games like Arkham City and Sleeping Dogs have improved by leaps and bounds in that category. AC3 though is the same old thing. First off the camera is just far too close to the character. You cannot get a clear view of your surrounding. Secondly the free running/climbing mechanic is just plain bad. I am running through the streets and suddenly the character decides that he wants to start climbing a wall I wasn't even pointed at. Or I want to jump to a ledge, but for some reason that ledge isn't grabbable even though it totally should be. I want to drop down off a ledge, but for some reason I need to press the button 30 times before it seems to register. And don't even get me started on the horses. The horses can jump a fence, but god forbid they come across a stick or a rock. That's just too much for them to handle!
Mind you these issues are nothing new for the AC series. But with the yearly iterations of the franchise I am tired of seeing a new game every year with no significant changes or improvements whatsoever. And the controls are so clunky, and dated they completely ruin my enjoyment of the game. Honestly I think this is the last game in the AC franchise I will play. Playing through it just feels like a slog at this point, which is really too bad for a series that started with such pedigree and promise.
First off I'll start with the positive notes. I have always played the AC games for the story and for the environments. And in this game things are as good as always. Boston and the surrounding wilderness is truly beautiful. Even though the game is not that impressive on a technical level, it is still very nice to look at. For the most part the places feel real and alive. The story is still intriguing as well, and having all kinds of bits of American history makes things very interesting.
Too bad this is where the positives stop for me. The gameplay is exactly as it is in every other game in the series. There can be depth to the combat, but for the most part it's simpler just to draw a sword and counter kill, until the mob is dealt with. Sure there are other ways to deal with an encounter, but the game does a particularly bad job of motivating you to mix things up. The game is also littered with optional stuff to do, but again the game gives you no reason whatsoever to bother with any of it. There are optional mailman quests, assassinations, collectables, and even optional objectives in the main missions. None of it seems to have any reward. You always have enough money to keep your ammo and bombs fully stocked, and completing optional objectives seems to have no reward whatsoever.
But where this game really falls apart for me is in the controls. When the originally Assassins Creed game came out the idea of free running and climbing was revolutionary. Since then other open world games like Arkham City and Sleeping Dogs have improved by leaps and bounds in that category. AC3 though is the same old thing. First off the camera is just far too close to the character. You cannot get a clear view of your surrounding. Secondly the free running/climbing mechanic is just plain bad. I am running through the streets and suddenly the character decides that he wants to start climbing a wall I wasn't even pointed at. Or I want to jump to a ledge, but for some reason that ledge isn't grabbable even though it totally should be. I want to drop down off a ledge, but for some reason I need to press the button 30 times before it seems to register. And don't even get me started on the horses. The horses can jump a fence, but god forbid they come across a stick or a rock. That's just too much for them to handle!
Mind you these issues are nothing new for the AC series. But with the yearly iterations of the franchise I am tired of seeing a new game every year with no significant changes or improvements whatsoever. And the controls are so clunky, and dated they completely ruin my enjoyment of the game. Honestly I think this is the last game in the AC franchise I will play. Playing through it just feels like a slog at this point, which is really too bad for a series that started with such pedigree and promise.