By Patrick James
Hey guys, and *inserts Effie Trinket’s voice* welcome to this month's Gaming World! This issue is going to be explosive as I will be reviewing Assassin's Creed III, which is already out, but is also selling out like hotcakes! The Nintendo Wii U has released in North America from November 18th and November 30th and ahead for Europe and other countries!
The upcoming 2013 releases which are anticipated are:
Aliens: Colonial Marines - due for release in February
Tomb Raider (yes, I know.) - due for release in March
Gears of War: Judgement - due for release in March
Also, I have been aware that the Black Ops 2 server for Nuketown 2025 crashed and Treyarch is apparently apologizing for this inconvenience (my friends moaned and cried for days without their Nuketown action..). The servers should be back on but I am not sure about other countries; do let me know if you are still experiencing problems with the servers!
Now for the review:
Assassin's Creed III
Broad, majestic landscapes are a backdrop to the final chapter in the Assassin's Creed saga, as the battle between the Assassins and Templars aim its direction to the American War of Independence. A new game engine makes movement and climbing much smoother, although combat's still a little jerky, and the addition of flintlock muskets and pistols - and three masted sailing ships - gives this game the feeling of Red Dead Redemption crossed with Last of Mohicans and Master and Commander.
The scope and scale of the game is truly impressive: 30 years of pivotal American history, played across the 13 colonies and up and down the Eastern Seaboard. There's an impressive cast of historical characters, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, and some truly impressive battlefield scenes. All the factors that made Red Dead such a hit are also present: an open world environment with beautiful landscapes to explore (and they are amazing!), game to hunt, and missions to fulfill.
The game starts, as with its predecessors, with Desmond Miles, the modern day descendant of the Assassins, searching now for the Key which will open an ancient temple. Before long, he heads into his ancestral memories to find it. The first character is Haytham Kenway, a suave English Assassin with a stiff upper lip and a plum in his mouth. Kenway, who seems like Roger Moore's James Bond with a frock coat and lace at his wrists, will travel from London to Boston in a series of vignettes intended to introduce new players to the controls, then seek to create allies among the native Americans.
Eventually, the action shifts to Haytham's son, Connor, the iconic half English, half Mohawk Assassin you see on the cover of the game. If there's a model for this character, it must be Daniel Day Lewis' Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans.
Playing the game is only half the pleasure in Assassins Creed III. Taking advantage of the open world and head out to explore the untamed wilderness is just as much fun - rather like it was with Red Dead. The Assassins Creed series has earned an impressive reputation; this final installment seems ready to justify the passion with which gamers regard the series. It's worth what you pay for! review by Andy Staples
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Historical third person sneaker
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 (PC and Wii U versions to follow)
Pat's Rating: 10/10 - simply amazing graphically as well as the story line.
That's all for this month, folks! Sorry for it being very short but I haven't had time to game much this month as it was packed with events for me! Hopefully I can get around reviewing COD BO 2 next issue, but until then, keep gaming!
The upcoming 2013 releases which are anticipated are:
Aliens: Colonial Marines - due for release in February
Tomb Raider (yes, I know.) - due for release in March
Gears of War: Judgement - due for release in March
Also, I have been aware that the Black Ops 2 server for Nuketown 2025 crashed and Treyarch is apparently apologizing for this inconvenience (my friends moaned and cried for days without their Nuketown action..). The servers should be back on but I am not sure about other countries; do let me know if you are still experiencing problems with the servers!
Now for the review:
Assassin's Creed III
Broad, majestic landscapes are a backdrop to the final chapter in the Assassin's Creed saga, as the battle between the Assassins and Templars aim its direction to the American War of Independence. A new game engine makes movement and climbing much smoother, although combat's still a little jerky, and the addition of flintlock muskets and pistols - and three masted sailing ships - gives this game the feeling of Red Dead Redemption crossed with Last of Mohicans and Master and Commander.
The scope and scale of the game is truly impressive: 30 years of pivotal American history, played across the 13 colonies and up and down the Eastern Seaboard. There's an impressive cast of historical characters, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, and some truly impressive battlefield scenes. All the factors that made Red Dead such a hit are also present: an open world environment with beautiful landscapes to explore (and they are amazing!), game to hunt, and missions to fulfill.
The game starts, as with its predecessors, with Desmond Miles, the modern day descendant of the Assassins, searching now for the Key which will open an ancient temple. Before long, he heads into his ancestral memories to find it. The first character is Haytham Kenway, a suave English Assassin with a stiff upper lip and a plum in his mouth. Kenway, who seems like Roger Moore's James Bond with a frock coat and lace at his wrists, will travel from London to Boston in a series of vignettes intended to introduce new players to the controls, then seek to create allies among the native Americans.
Eventually, the action shifts to Haytham's son, Connor, the iconic half English, half Mohawk Assassin you see on the cover of the game. If there's a model for this character, it must be Daniel Day Lewis' Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans.
Playing the game is only half the pleasure in Assassins Creed III. Taking advantage of the open world and head out to explore the untamed wilderness is just as much fun - rather like it was with Red Dead. The Assassins Creed series has earned an impressive reputation; this final installment seems ready to justify the passion with which gamers regard the series. It's worth what you pay for! review by Andy Staples
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Historical third person sneaker
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 (PC and Wii U versions to follow)
Pat's Rating: 10/10 - simply amazing graphically as well as the story line.
That's all for this month, folks! Sorry for it being very short but I haven't had time to game much this month as it was packed with events for me! Hopefully I can get around reviewing COD BO 2 next issue, but until then, keep gaming!