I have played almost all of the Assassin's Creed games over the years, so of course this is not the first time I play this game. For reference, I played the Remastered version on PS4 (2014 model). Without going into it too much, it's a bad remaster. They barely changed anything. Anyways...
I always felt like this was my favorite game out of the whole series, but I had to replay it from start to finish to really confirm that, now that I am older (and hopefully wiser). I also finished Black Flag in early 2020, so I was keeping that game in mind for comparison. As soon as you start the game you're transported into an interesting universe as Desmond and Haytham. Immediately, the graphics are not what I remembered... This game aged mediocrely. Sometimes it looks like absolute garbage for 2021 standards while sometimes it's acceptable. This is just something you l have to accept when playing older games.
Nonetheless, the setting is very interesting and complex, especially if you take the time to read the various data entries that are given to you as you discover the world. Speaking of, the world is full of life. The AI is terrible, but that doesn't change the fact that Boston and New York are animated as they should be. You walk around (or jump around) from markets to harbors, churches to forts, trees to homes... It's great for the most part. Unfortunately, the parkour mechanics are rudimentary. They are often clunky and frustrating to play around with.
This brings me to my man gripe. Most of my criticism feel unfair because this game is almost 10 years old. I mean do you know a lot of AAA open world games from 10 years ago that NEVER feel clunky? They are rare.
So I can excuse this, along with visual bugs and bad animations. What I can never forgive is a bad story. So how good is it in this instance?
Personally, I feel like the narrative greatly surpasses Black Flag's. And that's why I slightly prefer this game. I get the dislike that some people have for the protagonist, but Connor is PURPOSELY made immature, because it makes sense in the context of the story. This is a typical "arrogant apprentice and wise master" trope, but it works tremendously well within AC3. The conflict between Connor and Achilles, and Connor vs his ennemies is truly compelling. The music is fantastically crafted to reflect the different moods of the game. Sometimes it sounds orchestral, sometimes tribal, sometimes traditional. Great job by the composer there. It truly expands the feelings you have when playing.
Connor is a badass. He moves with strength while staying agile. His tomahawk is possibly one of the cooler weapons of the game. He is a brutal killing machine and often considered the best CQC assassin in the whole saga. I agree with that consideration. What he lacks in charisma (like Ezio) he makes up in relentlessness and badassery.
Anyhow, I feel like this game gets shadowed by Black Flag unfairly. Black Flag is great, but the gameplay is still essentially the same. I feel like most people's love for Black Flag is for the pirate setting and not for the story and map. Story > setting, even though they are intertwined. Play this game AND Black Flag and arrive at your own conclusion. Don't let the lower ratings keep you away from this legendary AC. Trust me it is one of better ones. Enjoy the setting and don't focus on surface things like graphics and animations and you will come out satisfied.
