Assassin's Creed 3 review on PS3

Rest assured, we won't tell you anything about the scenario of Assassin's Creed 3, a question of respect and physical integrity. On the other hand, it is common knowledge that the successor of Altaïr and Ezio is called Connor, an ideal name for moldy puns; unless you go by his original surname: Ratonhnhaké:ton. Son of a British father and an Amerindian mother, he remains very attached to the Mohawk tribe whose interests he defends throughout the adventure. If he does not hesitate to shed blood to achieve this, he will realize that conflicts are also made up of nuances and do not necessarily fall into Manichaeism. In fact, Connor's personality is much more complex than that of his predecessors, which doesn't make him a more charismatic character. Heartbreaking when you know that the Assassin's Creed myth is based above all on the brilliance of its main protagonists, and Connor is sorely lacking at times. The other open secret concerns the context that was chosen to sculpt the scenario of the game: the American Revolution. The frame covers around thirty years – from 1753 to 1783 – and demonstrates, if necessary, all the studio's know-how in terms of historical research. As required by the ancestral rules of the series, this new adventure will be an opportunity to meet personalities of the time such as Georges Washington, La Fayette or Benjamin Franklin. Rots, there are also in Assassin's Creed 3, which makes us swallow Connor's journeys in one go so much the story is gripping, and that we want to slit their throats. Without spoiler, really, the game begins with a really well brought surprise, before sticking us in the face with a twist that we do not expect at all. In short, well played, except for the soundtrack which seems to us a tone below what we have known so far, especially in Italy. There are good songs, it's true, but not as sensational as Venice Rooftops or The Brotherhood Escapes.

To the galleries, Lafayette!

Now let’s come to the content of Assassin’s Creed 3 which is not as revolutionary in the end, insofar as it still takes up a lot of elements developed in previous episodes, but presented in a more intelligent way. The assassins of the brotherhood for example, which it is now possible to send on a mission at any time of the game (except when you are outside a city) by pressing L2/LT then Square /X, whereas until now it was necessary to systematically go through a dovecote. Super practical. Still in this idea of ​​dusting off the game system, finding recruits to swell the ranks of the brotherhood no longer involves the destruction of an enemy tower; the two objectives are no longer linked. To convince the oppressed to join his cause, Connor will first have to liberate each district of the city (usually three in number) by carrying out so-called Liberation missions (stopping a balance from denouncing rebels to the Templars, transporting wounded to the corner clinic, releasing detainees about to be executed…), until the protest rate reached 100%. Only then is it possible to subsequently access the lair of our future ally, who will then indicate the location of the Templar to be slaughtered. Fans will no doubt notice that assassins now have skills (Bodyguards, Secret Escort, Snipers, Assassins, Riot, Ambush) that offer the opportunity to approach a situation in different ways. We are not going to describe each of them to you here, but we will specify nevertheless that we had a big weakness for the Secret Escort skill (Connor is then the prisoner of assassins disguised as Templars), which is particularly effective when it's about infiltrating a monitored area. The least interesting skill remains Bodyguard which does not bring much to the gameplay, except for a certain inconsistency: seeing a group of individuals following a hooded guy, it never arouses suspicion in Assassin's Creed 3. Weird.

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Real nuggets often put forward to praise the qualities of the game, naval battles represent one of the major innovations and quite simply put the pressure on. Not only from a visual point of view with seasick waves, but also and above all in terms of immersion. It howls, it yells on the deck when Connor gives instructions to his crew, and each cannon shot that hits is an opportunity for them to shout before returning to battle. Terrible. What about orders? Nothing fancy actually. The left trigger allows for accurate shots, while the right trigger is useful for unleashing a burst through the battery bridge. Afterwards, it is above all necessary to be able to coordinate the movements since while we target an opposing boat, it will also be necessary to keep an eye on the bar so as not to run aground on a Costa Concordia-style reef. For the rest, it's just a story of finesse and common sense. For example, we will avoid being surrounded by enemies so as not to be taken as a traitor, and shooting while we are in the hollow of the wave will be the best way to undergo a devastating counter-attack. Besides, pressing Square/X allows you to dodge projectiles just in case. Ah yes, we were going to forget to specify that it is possible to approach an enemy boat after having dismasted it. Unfortunately, this action remains scripted and is only accessible within the framework of a specific mission. Hunting is one of the other major additions to Assassin's Creed 3. It's hard not to think of Red Dead Redemption when you wander around the Frontier in search of the smallest animal to fill your pockets, or to collect food. raw material.

Hunting and fishing

Nevertheless, the interaction with wildlife seems less extensive than in the Rockstar Games title, because at no time did a wolf or a puma attack our mount. But hey, it's still solid anyway and approaching an animal is not easy. Indeed, depending on the target prey, the hunting techniques used will be different: if you have to shoot an arrow or place a trap to bring down a hare, you will have to hide yourself or even leave bait lying around to grab a hare. bigger game. The QTEs are even required when facing a rabid beast, knowing that in any case, it will be imperative to respect the animal and to carve it up in the rules of the art under penalty of being desynchronized, or else see the value of the depreciated meat. Like the town of Monteriggioni in Assassin's Creed 2, Connor has the huge domain of Davenport that he can make prosper over the course of the adventure. Here, there are no buildings to renovate but raw materials to be developed to promote trade with merchants from the big cities. The Domain missions - which mostly consist of freeing the inhabitants subjected to the Templar regime - offer the opportunity to surround yourself with a farmer, a lumberjack, a hunter, a fisherman, a carpenter or even a blacksmith capable of manufacturing products through a system of recipes. If it will be possible to find new ones by searching every corner of Assassin's Creed 3, we can also play it Peter Blood and concoct it ourselves, with the risk of losing the ingredients used if the sauce does not take. Once the ordered items are ready, they will be placed in a convoy that can be attacked at any time during the game depending on the value of the goods. To tell the truth, money is not really a concern in the game, and we regret once again that it is so easy to accumulate pounds, which suddenly reduces the importance of these commercial transactions.

When it comes to directing, Assassin's Creed 3 shoots straight lines at the speed of light, and those who giggled at Ezio's birth in Assassin's Creed 2 will cry with the battle of Bunker Hill; undoubtedly one of the most spectacular passages of the game in our eyes. It's not Battlefield 3 either, let's not exaggerate, but when you've followed the series since its debut, it's a huge step up in terms of graphics and visual effects. The damage caused by explosions has been the subject of particular care by the developers, and we are not even talking about the approximately 2,000 NPCs present on the screen once on the battlefield. It blows up everywhere, and we didn't notice any slowdown during the whole sequence, which is quite a tour de force, it must be admitted. Overall, Assassin's Creed 3 plays the card of authenticity above all else, and even if we were not born at the time to be able to make the comparison, Ubisoft Montreal swears to have relied on archives to reproduce the locations accurately. In any case, it lives in each of the cities explored by Connor who has the opportunity to rub shoulders with different social strata. Not everyone could afford to walk around with a three-piece suit on their shoulders, and many children beg for alms in the streets to try to survive. Churches with a steeple pointing over 800 meters were not legion either, and as it was absolutely necessary to maintain this verticality which has always characterized the series, the developers got around the problem by making nature a zone in its own right. with Border. Climbing trees, jumping from branch to branch and scaling dizzyingly high cliffs - all amidst ultra-detailed flora - is child's play for Connor, knowing that the US Northeast border in Assassin's Creed 3 is 1, 5 times larger than the total area of ​​Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. As for the facial expressions, they have been completely reworked, as have the hero's animations. You can even hide at the corner of a wall to listen to a conversation, the kind of detail that reinforces the infiltration aspect of the game.

The end of Desmond?

The combat system has also been revised to model itself on the famous free-flow introduced in Batman Arkham Asylum. Connor is thus able to execute devastating combos against an army of redcoats, knowing that it is possible to change targets at any time by tilting the analog stick in one direction or another. Even if it is essentially a question of bludgeoning Carré/X to distribute slaps, the sequences are no less spectacular and the system remains fluid from start to finish. An icon is systematically displayed above the head of the attacker about to strike, so that we have time to place a counter. Naturally, the trick won't work against slightly fiercer enemies, so you'll have to break their guard first before delivering the finishing blow. The Templars are less dazed than in previous Assassin's Creeds, and they don't wait quietly for a slap to react. The clashes are truly barbaric fights, with an ambidextrous Connor showing extreme brutality with his tomahawk, especially during contextual actions where he eliminates several opponents at once. As a result, some soldiers do not hesitate to distance themselves to better adjust to the trigger. And since it is no longer possible to stuff yourself with drugs to regenerate your vital bar during fights, the task can quickly become complicated if the timing of the counters is not scrupulously respected. The gameplay of Assassin's Creed 3 also benefits from the appearance of weather (snow, rain, fog), although this is scripted from what we have seen. In addition, it has no real impact on the behavior of enemy troops. Alright, the guards might take a little longer to make out Connor's silhouette in the fog, but that's really all. One last thing: it is very difficult to evade the guards in the alleys. While it was enough to take two turns to drop them in previous episodes, this time it will be necessary to graft a third lung. Hot.