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.
