Why Assassin's Creed III is the best in the series

I think I've always been on the fence about Assassin's Creed. It was always a worthwhile game to play, but never really stood above the competition. The first game was good, albeit a little repetitive at points. The second game was even better with the character of Ezio Auditore and gameplay was much better. However two more sequels were released that felt like they were just developed on the successes of Assassin's Creed II. In both those sequels the gameplay was only slightly different and it felt like the Ezio's story had overstayed its welcome, especially with Revelations. A new Assassin's Creed was needed to revitalize my interests. Assassin's Creed III proved that the series was still great and in my opinion is the best one yet.

Assassin's Creed III improves a lot of aspects over previous entries in the series, e.g. controls, graphics, etc. I don't think many would disagree that the game is an improvement over others, but I want to focus on what I believe sets this Assassin's Creed above others. For one, Templars aren't seen as "the bad guys" like they were in previous games, for example the Pazzi family in Assassin's Creed II kill Ezio's brothers and father in an attempt to prevent intervention from the Assassins in their scheme. In Assassin's Creed III, almost every Templar presents their ideology as just another view to the interests of the people. Connor and the Assassin Order believe that people can be protected by granting free will and promoting individuality and new ideas. Haytham Kenway and the Templar Order believe that to protect people, free will cannot be granted to them. While it seems the Templars are bad because they want to prevent free will, allowing it presents chaos and uncertainty. Take for example when Connor assassinates William Johnson.

 
According to history, the British were able to convince the Native Americans that if the Colonists won the Revolutionary War then the Native Americans would lose their lands. This ended up being true later on when Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. Every assassination follows this scenario where you question whether killing Templars is what is best for your people. Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelation were all completely devoid of this unfortunately. The reason being is because Connor is protecting his people and others that are oppressed whereas Ezio was very focused on revenge in the beginning of his story; Connor begins more in line with the ideals of the Assassin Order than Ezio does. Along with the Templar Order being realized as an opposing faction rather than a malevolent entity, the game fits in with history.

Playing through the game, there is a lot that we can draw from our experiences with the Revolutionary War, be it through school, movies, novels, etc. In The Patriot, the main character uses a tomahawk with deadly efficiency in hand to hand combat, as does Connor. Let's look at a clip  from The Patriot.

As you can see the main character is using a tomahawk/knife combo and moving around constantly. He doesn't just strike once, but multiple times and for different reasons, i.e. disorienting, wounding, etc. He even knocks a person down by using his own body. Now let's compare this with how Ubisoft animated Connor's fighting style. 

The similarities are almost uncanny: you really feel like you fit in with the fighting that was going on during the Revolutionary War era. There are other elements that immerse you into the time period the game is set in. You have to bribe the owners of printing presses to stop printing posters of you when you are notorious, rather than killing officials like in the Assassin's Creed II era. The Assassins you recruit are not bums from the street but fully fleshed out characters with a back-story that ties in with the historical setting of the game. All of these elements are combined in the game to make it feel more like a game based off of the Revolutionary War than the Assassin's Creed history, which isn't a bad thing. One of the biggest flaws I thought about this game was that the events with Desmond felt out of place. On more than one occasion, I found myself wanting to go back to the Animus to explore the rich and immersive history that Connor was a part of. Even the ending to this game left me more confused and dissatisfied than in previous Assassin's Creeds. However the complaints aside, the history both of the Revolutionary War and Assassin/Templar rivalry are more real in the third numbered installment to the series. You're not just fighting Templars, you're fighting for ideals, for people, for the belief that American Colonists have to right to become free and independent when their home country has abused and mistreated them.

Tutorials and Immersion

Something I have always wondered, but have only taken note of recently, is why can't non-playable characters (NPCs) be more...real? It's a pretty broad statement, but what I'm referring to are sequences (often tutorials) where the player is at a stage and there is an NPC telling him/her what to do, e.g. move forward, do this action, etc. I'll use Far Cry 3 as an example, mainly because I've seen it recently but, because it'll prove my point (watch 6:00 and onwards).

Several times Grant (the guy in the red shirt) tells the main character, "You have to distract him, create a diversion, etc." While the developers wanted Grant to present some sort of realism or immersion, it doesn't work: no one is going to keep repeating their directions to you like a broken record. This happens in other games where you're progressing through a stage and an NPC is like, "This way, c'mon, the village is this way, let's go, etc." It really brings you out of the moment even though developers are trying to keep you immersed in the game. NPCs should not be forcing/reminding/babying you to do X so that you know how this game mechanic works. If it works naturally, i.e. if the player can teach themselves that "I have to create a diversion by throwing a rock because it makes being stealthy easier," rather than "I have to throw a rock because the game won't progress forward," then the game will be more immersive. Let's watch another example where immersion fails (12:42 to 13:00):

 

There was an update to the system so you want to run some tests to make sure there aren't any bugs? Yeah that's kind of believable, but it's obvious that this is the tutorial. In my opinion this whole sequence could be removed and the game can get right into it with Haytham at the movie theater and a few prompts to guide you on the controls. Let's look at the intro for Dead Space 2, where immersion works well:

Now you can't tell, but if you decide not to run, you will end up dying. From a gaming perspective, this means dying in the tutorial section, which doesn't happen often; the tutorial is there to tell the player how to play the game, not kill him/her needlessly. However, in the case of Dead Space 2, killing the player works well because it teaches him/her when necromorphs are swarming you, RUN. It also works naturally, since in real life most of us would not stand still waiting to be killed like that last guy. To the benefit of Dead Space 2, it is a horror game and so horror will be the main drive in having the player immersed. With the segment in Far Cry 3, some sort of time based segment could kick in where if the player doesn't create the diversion, the enemy knows they're there or Grant creates the diversion and berates you for not listening to him. Some sort of segment like this would make the game more realistic.

My critique is moot, but I feel like if games have become much more engrossing and in depth, why can't tutorials follow in their footsteps?

What makes Dragon's Dogma an amazing (and terrifying) game (SPOILERS)

Dragon's Dogma is a game that any fan of RPGs should check out. It always is compared to other games like Skyrim, Dragon Age, etc. However there are things that it does really well. Most notably the transition between night and day. It draws similarities to how Minecraft executes it: enemies get tougher, any light source available becomes your friend, and you're trying to return home so you can wait the night out. All of these create a fantastic environment of testing to see how long you can endure the dangers of the night.

When Dragon's Dogma first begins, you get used to the combat mechanics. Simple aspects like watching your stamina, making sure each blow counts, and status effects become commonplace. You then start to become acquainted with nighttime and here's where the real challenge of Dragon's Dogma begins to take shape. No longer can you search for enemies by sight; it's much too dark to do that. Instead, you have to listen and tread carefully. A scream from a goblin or the flapping wings of a harpy can put you on the edge of your seat because you never really know how many are out there. You have to stick to the main roads since your lantern illuminates only so much. Any travel off the beaten path could land you in the jaws of a chimera. For the budding adventurer night is extremely terrifying, but it doesn't take long to overcome it. Soon you'll be making frequent night trips from Gran Soren to the Greatwall Encampment. The game almost starts to get easy, but really this is just the tip of how much the game can test your skills in combat.

Sometimes it's best to run for your life

Spoilers below if you haven't beaten the main game yet

After you defeat Grigori, a third of Gran Soren is destroyed, the sky is now a dreary, black emptiness, and all the monsters are much tougher. I mentioned before how you first get used to the mechanics and then become acquainted with nightime. Well now you have to embrace all the mechanics or you will die. Almost all the monsters now are more resilient and can hinder you with status ailments. If you don't bring curatives or have a mage with Halidom, you will be killed easily. Not to mention all the monsters are dark colored which doesn't make it any easier to spot them in the darkened environment. The first grimgoblin I went up against was what really opened my eyes to the danger I was about to face.

For those of you that don't know, goblins (before you defeat Grigori) are pushovers. They're like the goombas in the Mario Brother Series: easy enemies to defeat. The Hobgoblins are a little tougher, but not significantly. Grimgoblins, on the other hand, don't get knocked down easily, don't run away, and don't take shit from you. This has yet to happen to me, but I know they can knock you down and jump on you several times taking chunks of your health away. Imagine if goombas did that, Mario would be screwed. The game forces you to treat all enemies with equal wariness. Not only are the basic enemies tougher, but there are more boss enemies lurking around. Before you just had to deal with zombies and Salvation mages lurking around Gran Soren at night. Now deadly drakes lie waiting, while hellhounds prowl for the most inopportune time (for you, of course) to strike at you with full force.

And for those who want more of a challenge, visit The Everfall. It is a 15 level dungeon under Gran Soren with some of the hardest battles imaginable. Creatures like the Evil Eye and the Hyrda were in the main story, but you never actually faced them until now. Even more horrifying is the immensely powerful Ur-Dragon, a creature with so much strength it requires players from around the world to whittle away at its health. Each level a greater hazard than the last to see whether you have what it takes to become the true Arisen.

"Fire works well." Nope, try again.

Everything about the game has changed so much that it almost feels like a different game. You have to adjust your playstyle or face the wrath of an ArchHydra tearing you limb from limb with its many regenerating heads. The transition from night to day becomes even more dangerous as its nearly one and the same after defeating Grigori. You need to prepare against any predicament imaginable because you never know what you'll face. That's what makes this game much more different than those it is compared to. Some games there's a peak in difficulty and, once it's reached, the game becomes boring and repetitive. Dragon's Dogma is always increasing its adversities, throwing more obstacles at you to struggle with and overcome. Some games offset repetitiveness by introducing DLC with increased hardships. Dragon's Dogma doesn't need to do this; it's already a part of the game you'll play.

End of Spoilers

Like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, this game isn't for the faint of heart. I think it's more accessible than those two games, but it definitely has that challenge for more hardcore players. The true draw to playing this game is after you beat Griogri; the game doesn't hold back and shows you its true nature. To even assume the game at certain points is done challenging you is a foolhardy notion. So if you find that Dragon's Dogma is too easy, beat Grigori and ask yourself: Am I ready to experience the true challenge Dragon's Dogma has to offer?

 

A taste of the dangers you'll face after defeating Grigori

What could've made Sleeping Dogs an amazing game

I finished Sleeping Dogs about a week ago and I have to say it is a great game. The story really picks up in the end and there's also an interesting twist. However the one complaint that I really have with this game is the girlfriend system they implemented. It could have been a great addition to the game's story had it been better implemented.

When I was playing the game, I didn't understand how girlfriends worked into the gameplay mechanics. Doing some research I later found out that you can take certain women you meet throughout the game on dates. Now I had no idea how many dates you could go on nor how many girlfriends you had. So I figured, I might as well just see how it works out: enter Amanda Cartwright (voiced by Emma Stone). She's the first woman you meet who is touring Hong Kong, so of course you, Wei "the undercover cop trying to infiltrate the Sun On Yee" Shen (voiced by Will Yun Lee), starts to fall for her. It's a pretty classic scene of guy has secret life and meets girl who doesn't know exactly who he is. It's been done in "The Departed", "The Town", and more movies (especially those cop movies). So right off the bat I'm thinking, "Oh I bet I'm gonna have to choose a girlfriend and Amanda Cartwright is gonna be the one because I want Shen to stay a cop." Then later on I meet Tiffany Kim (voiced by Yunjin Kim), the owner of Club Bam Bam who enjoys being with bad boys a.k.a. triads. So now the game has introduced two women: one who doesn't know Shen is a triad and one who does. It's starting to be really obvious that I have to choose one.

Living a normal life as a cop with Amanda Cartwright.....

There are other girlfriends besides those two, but for the sake of explaining all of them I'll just focus on the two that will illustrate my point. Unfortunately, my previous assumptions proved to be false. The only gain from going on dates is that markers appear on your map of where special items are located like security cameras, health shrines, etc. While this isn't a bad thing, it would have been better if the game forced you to choose a girlfriend. Ultimately this would have changed the whole story in that there would have been multiple endings because the girlfriend you choose would have pushed you to either be a cop or a triad. 

....or becoming a member of the Sun On Yee with Tiffany Kim?

Looking back though, it's really sad that United Fronts didn't go this route. Even some of the reports you unlock hint that some potential girlfriends are more beneficial to Shen being a cop than others. Shen even acts differently around the two, which is understandable since those two represent the different sides of his life. Really that's life though. You choose certain people to associate with because they define who you are as a person. Throughout the game, your point of contact with the police tells you he's worried that you are getting too attached to the Sun On Yee. In the beginning, one of the Sun On Yee suspects you of being a cop and you have to convince him otherwise. Clearly the game is showing you that choices have to be made, so why can't you choose one girlfriend to have her define you?

You have to choose Shen!

My complaints are minor. This game is still great and anyone reading this should not pass up the opportunity to play it. This, I feel, is just one of the things that could have elevated it to a much better game.