Assassin's Creed 3

[ChiTownBluesFan]

@Pogue Mahone

It’s at least a step up from Red Dead Redemption where pretty much all you can do in the event of a cougar or bear attack is bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

For 99% of the game, absolutely. I’ve missed a button press here or there, but never had issues killing animals that attacked. Even Bears. And never had an issue with Wolves - again, until the very last Peg Leg mission. That was just impossible.

And when I rage-paused to go look up online what was going on, found out I wasn’t the only one w/ the isuse. It’s common. Possible everyone sees it. Or maybe not. All I know is the timing that works the rest of the game didn’t work in that instance. Like, at all. Had to resort to different methods, and even then barely survived.

I don’t mind tightening up the timing a little bit, but that was ridiculous. Even if the reward is sort of worth it.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Finished the campaign. Overall, I consider it the most ambitious AC since the first game, and the most buggy. I’m willing to accept the latter in exchange for the former if necessary.

The story continues to be half-ass history combined with sci-fi gibberish, but it is delivered well enough that I actually cared about Connor’s story, and Desmond’s had some high points. The decision to make Connor’s story more about a personal journey than Assassins and Templars helped the franchise, IMO.

Combat and parkour, which I consider the core gameplay elements, are improved. In combat, the franchise still seems to struggle with adding meaningful mechanics beyond countering people, but the rock paper scissors nature of tougher enemies is the least gamey the series has fielded thus far. Moreover, simple as it may be, cutting a swath through weak enemies has a gratifying flow to it. In parkour, the game broadens the types of surface interaction and, consequently, broadens the types of surfaces that can exist in the world. It’s a good synergy, though I still sometimes find myself hopping onto fence posts I wanted to run around.

Sci-fi plot spoiler

Modern setting is always the direction I’ve salivated over seeing the series take, and they’ve had a stab at it here. It’s not there yet, but getting closer. The Brazil sequence was one of my favorite in the game, and makes me think the series is training players for a more unforgiving and organic experience (minimal hud, no magic objective indicators). More technology would help, for sure, but they will also need more refinement to the mechanics so that they interface well.

The series also maintains a laundry list of unnecessary side-activities that I’ve never indulged in overmuch. They enrich and do not hinder the game in any way, though this is perhaps because they are unnecessary. Difficulty settings or some kind of strategic layer to the campaign might be a way to make these things matter more without also introducing undesirable suck and/or grinding.

Also, the gunstock war club wasn’t available until near the endgame, wtf Ubi?

[peterb]

The fundamental problem with the game in my mind is one that is also very hard for them to solve: Colonial Boston is approximately 8789.552% less interesting than either Firenze or Rome.

[Razgon]

@peterb

The fundamental problem with the game in my mind is one that is also very hard for them to solve: Colonial Boston is approximately 8789.552% less interesting than either Firenze or Rome.

I don’t remember if you have the game or not, but I found Boston teeming with life, in a way the previous titles never did. While there aren’t as many interesting old buildings, I have so far found the city quite large and it has a certain charm. I’m still early in the game so that may change, but that added with the huge open wilderness areas I traverse makes sure I don’t tire of the areas (yet.)

[peterb]

I do have the game. I have found Boston to me meh, for me. However the wilderness areas are great. I think they being something to the game that feels legitimately new.

[peterb]

Am I the only person that can’t tell the difference between “This is a sheer mountain cliff you can’t climb” and “This is a sheer mountain cliff you can totally climb, dude” without trying to climb them?

[Giaddon]

Anyone try the multiplayer?

[divedivedive]

Seems like the ones you can’t climb are completely smooth? That’s about as best I can tell anyway.

[ColonelT]

@Giaddon

Anyone try the multiplayer?

This is shameful, but I’m playing on 360 and I’m too lazy to switch discs. It’s an active deterrent to multiplayer.

That said, I tried it once, and it felt largely unchanged from the previous two installments.

[Razgon]

I cannot believe I am the only one cringing every single time Connor is whining? Its too much whiny brat from Star Wars…

The first time I noticed who was doing the voice over, I considered playing without sound.

[Razgon]

Also, whomever thought it was a fun idea to have a chase through a city where the SECOND you touch a wall you have lost and have to restart was fun, needs to be drowned.

There are just too many idiotic things in this game - The side goals arent even fun! Avoid running into people? When you AT RANDOM place people EVERYWHERE in front of you?

Its such a shame, because it tries so hard to be Red Dead Redemption Assassin, even down to the skinning of Animals with a comment, but it tries too many things at once.

I’d settle for sidegoals that are fun, or possible to do, and a game that is less glithchy by now.

I had a lot of fun up’n till now, but I seriously doubt I’ll turn on the game again after this race through the city. Its just too stupid.

[ChiTownBluesFan]

@Razgon

Also, whomever thought it was a fun idea to have a chase through a city where the SECOND you touch a wall you have lost and have to restart was fun, needs to be drowned.

There are just too many idiotic things in this game - The side goals arent even fun! Avoid running into people? When you AT RANDOM place people EVERYWHERE in front of you?

Its such a shame, because it tries so hard to be Red Dead Redemption Assassin, even down to the skinning of Animals with a comment, but it tries too many things at once.

I’d settle for sidegoals that are fun, or possible to do, and a game that is less glithchy by now.

I had a lot of fun up’n till now, but I seriously doubt I’ll turn on the game again after this race through the city. Its just too stupid.

Which mission is that? I don’t recall having that issue, and I just finished up.

Now, the chase in the last mission was a bit absurd, in terms of tightness and what constituted being desynced, but I don’t remember anything where touching a wall killed the mission.

[ChiTownBluesFan]

Speaking of the end-game, heard some people were complaining about it. Avoided everything about the ending until I got there. I don’t know what people are complaining about. Wasn’t OMG BEST ENDING EVER, but wasn’t ME3 level of stupidity either.

[Miramon]

@peterb

Am I the only person that can’t tell the difference between “This is a sheer mountain cliff you can’t climb” and “This is a sheer mountain cliff you can totally climb, dude” without trying to climb them?

Yeah, climbable cliffs are generally scarred, broken, or craggy, and the unclimbable ones have much smoother textures. But sometimes they like to place partially climbable areas that just sort of dead-end.

[Manresa]

Assassin’s Creed 3’s lead character made NPR:

A Mohawk Hero In The Not-So-Diverse Gaming World

The Assassin’s Creed video game series has become a megahit for gaming enthusiasts. The story line follows a bloody war between Assassins and the Knights Templar, first during the Crusades and then in Renaissance Italy.

The newly released Assassins Creed III crosses the ocean and a couple of centuries so the action could take place during the Revolutionary War and would be wildly anticipated on its own.

But the third installment is getting a lot of special interest for another reason: The game’s principal character is Native American, and he’s played by a Native actor — a rarity in the not wildly diverse gaming world.

[tomchick]

@Giaddon

Anyone try the multiplayer?

Yes! I love it. And even if you’re not into the latest iteration of AC’s unique multiplayer, at least try the co-op mode. Wolfpack is awesome.

-Tom

[Giaddon]

Awesome! I’m sure I’ll dig it, considering how much I love Revelations and Brotherhood. Can’t wait for it to hit PC.

[Razgon]

@ChiTownBluesFan

Which mission is that? I don’t recall having that issue, and I just finished up.

Now, the chase in the last mission was a bit absurd, in terms of tightness and what constituted being desynced, but I don’t remember anything where touching a wall killed the mission.

You have to catch a counterfeiter? If you touch a wall, you’ll jump up at it, and you cannot catch the guy anymore. That, combined with the random placement of people makes it incredibly frustrating.

I don’t understand why the game has to be so god damn linear in its storytelling - Aren’t we past the Dragon’s Lair games at this point?

I really think they should have paid more closely attention to Red Dead Redemption - While they certainly tried to emulate it, they also never understood what made the open world part interesting.

[ChiTownBluesFan]

@Razgon

You have to catch a counterfeiter? If you touch a wall, you’ll jump up at it, and you cannot catch the guy anymore. That, combined with the random placement of people makes it incredibly frustrating.

I don’t understand why the game has to be so god damn linear in its storytelling - Aren’t we past the Dragon’s Lair games at this point?

I really think they should have paid more closely attention to Red Dead Redemption - While they certainly tried to emulate it, they also never understood what made the open world part interesting.

Yeah, I looked it up before you responded. I do remember that mission and the frustration behind it. I didn’t have an issue with walls or people in that one (I wasn’t worried about the optional objective, and plowing through people didn’t slow me down much or knock me down like in prevous games). I did have issues where I’d be running by a pile of hay and decide to jump backwards into it. Really annoying.

The one thing I found about that, tho, was that the dude your chasing runs in a circle. Same path over and over again. And once you know where the shortcuts are, you can eventually catch up to him. Giant PITA, but yeah.

Not the rage-quit for me that the last peg leg mission was, but definitely annoying.

[Razgon]

@ChiTownBluesFan

Yeah, I looked it up before you responded. I do remember that mission and the frustration behind it. I didn’t have an issue with walls or people in that one (I wasn’t worried about the optional objective, and plowing through people didn’t slow me down much or knock me down like in prevous games). I did have issues where I’d be running by a pile of hay and decide to jump backwards into it. Really annoying.

The one thing I found about that, tho, was that the dude your chasing runs in a circle. Same path over and over again. And once you know where the shortcuts are, you can eventually catch up to him. Giant PITA, but yeah.

Not the rage-quit for me that the last peg leg mission was, but definitely annoying.

I just tried again, and ended up throwing the controller across the room after the 4th try.

I don’t have the patience for idiocy in games like this anymore. Its a bit sad, but that game is over for me.