Assassin's Creed III: The Most Ambitious Game Of The Generation?

Desmond heads West – By Staying In The Same Place

Due out on 30 October, less than a full year after Ezio’s gallivant around Constantinople, Assassin’s Creed III has itself been in development for three years.

It’ll be larger than any of its predecessors (obviously), not star historical rake Ezio Auditore di Firenze (duh), instead starring an at least partially Native American assassin who is thus far nameless.

So far, so predictable. As has always been the case with this chronologically flexible series, it’s the finer details that matter – though some crucial crumbs of information are filtering into view.

Ever since Ubisoft posed the question of ACIII’s setting directly to gamers via an online poll, offering a bluff-heavy list of eight alternatives, speculation has focused on one of several frontrunners.

Options at one point included Feudal Japan (yawn), Ancient Rome (which would be too convenient a drag and drop exercise) and Victorian England (too many rapscallions).

Medieval China and the American Revolution emerged to lead the field. Rightly too, since, as you can see from the splendid pieces of art shown, the American Revolution is indeed where it’s all at.

Featuring a land riddled with conflict – between the settlers and the British, the settlers and Native Americans, early Freemasons and the general population – there’s scope here for an assassin to pursue causes gamers can get on board with.

There’s certainly far greater reason for an assassin protagonist to restore property and land than ever existed in the Ottoman Empire. Indeed, the hero himself being of mixed European and Native American heritage, seats him automatically within a plotline instantly familiar to anyone who knows what America is.

Hopefully, gamers should stay on our new hero’s side, even through dozens of hours of relatively indiscriminate killing. The return of multiple bona-fi de gameplay venues is also on the cards – as opposed to fresh environments introduced only to service a few mandatory plot points.

Period New York, Boston and Philadelphia have been suggested – before the term ‘skyscraper’ was even invented, treating our protagonist to slightly less perilous falls. Trees, too.

The American Revolution evokes nothing if not the great outdoors and leaping from tree to tree instead of roof to roof is at least an adequate (and most would say necessary) change.

There are Eyewitness accounts of missions tracking British redcoat soldiers across frozen lakes, and the fact that Revelations’ ‘making of’ videos featured revolutionary soldiers as a background image.

Besides, well, the fact that George Washington possessing an Apple Of Eden could hardly be more ridiculous than the modern-day President becoming a zombie.

As far as videogame stories go, all gloves are off, people. Which is probably why are as-yet unnamed assassin opposite has a tomahawk in the shape of the assassin’s guild symbol.

Somebody, somewhere, thought that was a good idea. Think about that.

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