While Ubisoft hasn't exactly been skimping on Assassin's Creed III's marketing and info, that doesn't mean we won't jump at the chance when we learn something new.
Speaking of which, Ubisoft developers Dii Rancourt and Gabriel Graziani reveal a few things in the official Assassin's Creed III podcast, which I'm sure AC fans will appreciate.
In this rather lengthy 47-minute long podcast, the developers reveal a host of things about the game's protagonist — Connor — and in regards to the game itself.
First up, it's still not known by both devs if Connor will have a love interest in the game. Mind you, this doesn't mean they haven't implemented it yet, but seeing as these guys are focused more on the game's combat development, they're left out in the dark in regards to that — which, to be honest, seems like a voluntary choice as they don't want everything in the game's story spoiled for them.
Now, on to the weapons. Previous reveals of the game focused more on Connor using his tomahawk along with his bow and arror in dealing with enemies. It wasn't until later that we learned that the franchise's trademarked wrist blade would be in use again. The devs reassure fans that the blade will be part of his arsenal in the game. If you've seen any of the gameplay trailers at E3. you'd know what they're taking about.
Next on the weapons list is the "in" weapon these days — the bow and arrow. For some reason, Crysis 3, the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot and Assassin's Creed III all seem to focus on this little old-school hunting weapon. Mind you, this coincidence isn't lost on them, either.
Ubisoft reveals that they're still unsure if auto-aim for the bow and arrow will be implemented or not. This is something that continued playtesting will answer as they near release.
One thing people noticed in the vids is that Connor seems to be able to use weapons on either hand. The devs confirm that he is, indeed, ambidextrous — both in melee and ranged weapons.
Now, on to the the franchise's hidden blade that makes assassinating people ten times more fun. Connor can be seen sporting a modified version of the wrist blade, which seems to be something he made to tailor his fighting style. Ubisoft confirms though that the blade doesn't detach as previously believed. It can, however, be used as a short stabbing weapon as it's "turned down; which will let players use it in two ways: the traditional way of assassinating someone and it goes back in to his wrist, and the modified version which acts as a short knife of some sort.
Another new weapon in the AC franchise is the introduction of the "Rope Dart." While it seems to have grappling hook capabilities, the devs confirm it won't work that way in the traditional sense. They do state that it can be used to hang someone over a tree or something similar, though.
They also reveal that Connor will interact with someone from Asian descent that will give or show him these (including the wrist blade!) weapons. And that explains how they wind up in his arsenal.
If you've seen any of the trailers containing combat, then it's plainlfully obvious that the combat mechanics themselves have been given a major overhaul. While the developers confirmed this detail, they can't exactly go into specifics for obvious reasons.
Graziani also mentions that it's now easier to "get in and get out" of fights, this also plays hand-in-hand with the new combat system. He also states that players don't actually need to lock-on to enemies like in previous entries in the franchise. Now the protagonist can fight within a "space of enemies" and Connor will react accordingly.
If you want to know how Ubisoft is advancing the free-running system of the game, along with knowing who's doing the game's soundtrack and more, head on over and give it a listen.
Are you liking what you've read/heard so far in regards to ACIII's changes? I know I am. I can't wait to fight off multiple bad guys without feeling like they're taking turns in taking me out. I don't know about you, but that certainly lowers the bad-ass factor by a notch.
We'll know if all these changes are embraced by the fans once Assassin's Creed III ships on October 30 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
