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Showing posts with label Assassin's Creed 3:Liberation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Assassin's Creed 3:Liberation. Show all posts

Exploring Assassin's Creed 3's Revolutionary combat mechanics

Anindo | 21:27 | , , ,
Assassin's Creed 3 combatting the franchise's history of combat

Assassin's Creed 3's gameplay elements will feel very familiar to longtime fans of the franchise, with the significant exception of the combat mechanics. It'll be interesting to see how fans adapt and newcomers react.

"We rebuilt the combat system. I think one of the most striking comments we've heard in the last two days is how different it feels to fans of the franchise to previous game. I think you can do a lot," Alex Hutchinson, creative director on Assassin's Creed 3 told me at a recent press preview. "The whole flow of it is different, the archetypes are different, the old strategies just won't work."

Curious about the specifics, I asked Hutchinson for standout examples of differences between the previous four installments in the series and the latest iteration.

"For example, before, a counter was an automatic kill. You didn't have to make a decision after that, you could just spam the attack button. Before, you had to target everyone individually by using the left trigger, which you no longer have to do. You would block on the right trigger, which is now a face button. You couldn't run out of a fight in the old version, but now you can, because the right trigger is still free run. Nobody attacked simultaneously, which they do now. It's virtually a complete rewrite."
Assassin's Creed 3 combatting the franchise's history of combat
 
What actually struck me about the combat system is how much it was trying to capture that Batman: Arkham City magic, though it didn't seem to achieve the rhythmic flow of the Dark Knight's games. Hutchinson is pleased with the scenarios capable in the new combat system, however.

"I'm much happier than we were before. It's much more fluid, and if you're a good player, you can run into conflicts, pick everyone off, be interrupted by a guy attacking you, counter him out, take his weapon and move out of the fight in one fluid motion. Before we felt the combat was very stop-start and that it had degenerative strategies, which you could discover and start spamming particular buttons," expressed Hutchinson.

I did find myself spamming the normal attack button during my session. Steven Masters, lead game designer, believes that may be due to my having been dropped right into sequence six of the game at the preview event, instead of building up a muscle memory of skills over time.

"Getting in and out of combat is completely different. It's now completely state based, if you're standing near an enemy you're automatically fighting. You don't have to lock in and lock out, so you can move in and out of combat really fluidly," Masters explained.

There are also moments in combat, when surrounded by a group of enemies, that a line of redcoats will form a musket line. It's actually possible to grab someone as a human shield at that moment to absorb the lead balls.

I spoke with Masters how we've seen an ever-growing selection of weapons in the series, but they've never seemed to take the place of the trusty hidden blades with a secondary projectile weapon.

"How we balance them is the different weapons have a certain number of hits before they trigger a combo. As you, say, get your tomahawk, the first one will take five hits to do [a combo], then as you upgrade it'll go down to three," said Masters, expressing that the variety of weapons allow players to choose the types of animations they prefer to see. "The different weapons offer a different style of fighting, it's really down to personal preference. Me, I like the war clubs because they're big and brutal. There's just sort of a 'Wham!' feeling to them."

Both Hutchinson and Masters stressed that the new counter system adds many more dynamics to combat situations, with many enemies having natural resistances to certain moves and players needing to identify the best strategy for different types.

I'm looking forward to trying the combat again in more natural increments, getting some time to find the nuance in it. Thankfully, not going to have to wait too long, Assassin's Creed 3 will have players reliving the American Revolution October 30.

Take a look at the screens only:















 







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Desmond's big payoff in Assassin's Creed 3 will make him 'amazing'

Anindo | 08:17 | , ,


Assassin's Creed III Image

The role of Desmond Miles in Assassin's Creed 3 has been the hot topic of late, mostly because we don't really know what's going to happen. We're pretty sure, based on everything we've heard to date, that Assassin's Creed 3 will somehow tie-up Desmond's storyline.
Creative Director Alex Hutchinson has dropped numerous hints and, although he hasn't flat out said it, we're pretty sure this will be the end of Desmond's story. Hutchinson has already expressed his concerns that Desmond's story has gone on far too long. To that end, Assassin's Creed 3 is a 90% new game. We've got a new character in Connor, a new setting in Colonial America, and a new time period during the

Revolutionary War. As Bob Dylan once wrote, The times, they are a-changin.
With that being said, Assassin's Creed 3 will still have plenty of Desmond. In fact, Hutchinson has already confirmed that it will have "more Desmond material than ever before", but that it will likely also end with this game. We just don't know how.

According to an interview Hutchinson had with EDGE, we'll at least be happy with how his story concludes.
"The story of Assassin's Creed, AC 2, Brotherhood and Revelations was to build Desmond up," Hutchinson started off. "He's this guy who's a bit of a nobody when it starts out, and gets new abilities through reliving the lives of his ancestors."

"So we've built this guy up over the course of the games, and I really believe that we can pay that off, and in retrospect he'll be terrific. I don't think anyone really liked Luke Skywalker in [Star Wars] A New Hope, but by the end of his character arc, this journey that he goes through, makes him amazing."
"We're really trying to pay off the investment of the people who've been with the franchise since Assassin's Creed 1, or even just somewhere in the middle, to make this guy cool," he added, basically echoing sentiments expressed in a previous interview.
Hutchinson went on to ease the concerns of players who may be diving into the franchise for the first time with Assassin's Creed 3.

"But at the same time [we] acknowledge those who are just playing Assassin's Creed 3," he said. "We catch you up on where he's been pretty quickly, and it absolutely works as a standalone game, but the full payoff will be for those who've been with us since the start."
Are you ready to say goodbye to Desmond?
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Assassin's Creed 3 on Wii U Gameplay News

Anindo | 19:53 | , , ,
It's Assassin's Creed 3 on the Wii U! Find out what's new for this version.
For the first time ever at the New York Wii U Preview event, Assassin's Creed III was playable on Wii U hardware. And let me tell you, it looked sweet. On the show floor of the event, I was able to check out the "Naval Battle" gameplay demo. Followers of the upcoming game might be familiar with the section of the game that requires you to man a battleship while attempting to either destroy or capture other ships.

One of the things I was worried about with Assassins Creed III in general, was how the GamePad's screen would be dealt with. Coming away from the demo, I can say with confidence that the additions they made for the touch screen were not phoned in, at least in the section I played. While controlling the ship, a nicely done map is conveniently displayed on the GamePad's screen. With a press of the R button, the game instantly pauses and enables you to select from four different ship weapons via the GamePad screen. While nothing on the GamePad screen looked particularly amazing, I could see fans of touch interfaces really digging it, not to mention the fact that you have access to a full blown map directly in your hands.

The demo looked amazing, and ran like a champ. The detail of the huge waves, cannon shots, and boat damage were quite impressive. From what I played, it does seem as if the graphics were on par if not slightly above the PS3 version that was demoed at an earlier Ubisoft event in New York.

Even though a more traditional gameplay demo was not available, from what I have seen so far, It looks as if Ubisoft Montreal is doing right by the Wii U version of Assassins Creed III. I can't wait to get my hands on the full version for the Wii U.
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Assassin's Creed 3 And Splinter Cell Publisher Ubisoft May Sell Third-Party Games

Anindo | 21:28 | , ,
Ubisoft
 
Latest New on Assassin's Creed III
 
 
Ubisoft has recently stated that the company may add games that are published by other companies to its Uplay app in the future.

In an interview with website MCV, Ubisoft's worldwide director for online games, Stephanie Perotti, revealed that although Ubisoft's digital distribution service, Uplay currently only offers the company's own PC titles, Ubisoft is looking to challenge EA's Origin service and Valve's Steam by adding third-party games.

"We remain open to opportunities," Perotti told MCV. "Right now, we're starting the service with our own games, but as we go forward, we plan to potentially add other titles."

Uplay was originally an achievement tracking service when it first launched in 2009. The service allowed players to use points to unlock DLC and extras in Ubisoft's other titles. But last month it was revamped and re-launched to allow gamers to download games directly. Uplay has also added features like friend's lists and chat systems, making the service comparable to Steam and Origin.
Perotti also told the site that Ubisoft plans to make further changes and to re-incorporate the best features from the original site's design with the new digital distribution platform.

"The plan for UPlay goes beyond digital distribution," said Perotti."We continue to evolve the service across all platforms, including PC, console and mobile. The more Ubisoft games you play, the more rewards you can get, as well as several online services that players would expect."
Ubisoft recently dropped "Always-on" a digital rights management system that made the company's PC title's impossible to play without a constant internet connection. Although, gamers will still have to register their game online before being able to play the title.


What do you think about Ubisoft trying to compete with Origin and Steam? Comment in the section below....
 
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'Assassin's Creed III' developer calls out video game press

Anindo | 08:36 | , , ,

"Assassin's Creed III" creative director Alex Hutchinson said many Japanese game stories are "literally gibberish."

"Assassin's Creed III" creative director Alex Hutchinson levied some strong criticism toward the gaming press Friday, saying there's a "subtle racism" in the industry when it comes to Japanese games.
In an interview with CVG, Hutchinson was discussing how the "Assassin's Creed" series was becoming an annual franchise when he was asked about Nintendo and its franchises. The interviewer, Rob Crossley, suggested that the company is given a pass when it comes to releasing their games annually.
"I think there's a subtle racism in the business, especially on the journalists' side, where Japanese developers are forgiven for doing what they do," Hutchinson said. "I think it's condescending to do this."
Hutchinson elaborated, saying game journalists often give Japanese developers a pass on what he feels are bad stories.
"Just think about how many Japanese games are released where their stories are literally gibberish. Literally gibberish. There's no way you could write it with a straight face, and the journalists say 'oh it is brilliant.'
"Then 'Gears of War' comes out and apparently it's the worst written narrative in a game ever. I'll take 'Gears of War' over 'Bayonetta' any time," Hutchinson said.
Now, I'm all for critcizing what I've always felt is a press corps that coddles and soothes the industry it covers. And it's hard to call Hutchinson ignorant of game journalism when he worked as a journalist himself before moving into development (which sort of reinforces my first point, but that's another article. Greg Kasavin, I'm looking at you, too).
But Hutchinson is way off, especially when it comes to his views on game stories. Japanese games haven't exactly been polling well in the West lately; that's been a running storyline in the past couple of years, in case you haven't noticed. I suppose I feel I have to point it out because Hutchinson apparently hasn't himself.
Japanese and Western tastes have become increasingly polarized since Microsoft first challenged the Japanese-dominated industry with the Xbox. The West has favored an endless parade of first-person shooters and violent, crass action titles. Meanwhile, Japan's tastes have skewed into the realm of games featuring cute anime girls and endless collection quests.
Japanese developers have also struggled to compete against the Western big-budget action titles, and their efforts to appeal to Western tastes have come across as transparently laughable. Square Enix's failure "The Last Remnant" comes to mind, but even successful games like Capcom's "Dragon's Dogma" also come to mind.
Critics have noticed these changes, and the reviews reflect it: Japan is struggling. Mega Man is dead. Final Fantasy is in ruins. Even Nintendo, one of the few who still enjoy top billing in America, wasn't spared when the latest "Zelda" title received less than golden reviews.
Hutchinson's comments are also odd, because he had just finished praising Nintendo earlier in the interview: "[I]f you can keep a series interesting and fresh then I don't see why it shouldn't go on. Nintendo has been great at reinvigorating their franchises, as have other Japanese companies, so we feel we can too."
Instead, Hutchinson seems more interested in taking the opportunity to express his displeasure with Japanese storytelling than anything. Unfortunately, his idea of a good story in a game is "Gears of War," whose developers were so worried that players thought its protagonists were gay that they felt the need to constantly remind them that one of the heroes had a "[bleep]ing wife" in its sequel. I haven't played "Bayonetta," but it's hard to take anyone like that seriously.
It's ironic, because Crossley doesn't challenge Hutchinson on Western development practices or stories. Crossley's assumption that Nintendo gets a pass seems to be meant to please his interviewee, since he doesn't elaborate on what he means. I can only assume he's criticizing Nintendo for releasing a ton of "Mario Party" games, because Nintendo is certainly not EA, and Zelda isn't Madden, nor are the Mario Brothers The Sims.
In fact, Crossley doesn't really ask any questions at all. When Hutchinson calls Japanese stories "literally gibberish" (again ironic, because "literally gibberish" means literally nothing), Crossley doesn't ask about how companies are increasingly placing backstory and character development in books and comics rather than the games themselves - let alone ask for some specific examples.
That's not "subtle racism." It's just bad journalism.
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Ubisoft Won't Mind Ten Assassin's Creeds

Anindo | 20:54 | ,



The future for gaming, according to Ubisoft, is branching out across multiple platforms under a single brand. It's not a surprising or shocking move when you consider their inspiration in terms from Nintendo's championing Mario or how the Xbox and Master Chief are synonomous. But while speaking to Gamasutra about this, Ubisoft North America Executive Director Laurent Detoc remarked that he wouldn't mind multiple additions to the Assassin's Creed franchise:

"I also hope we'll be able to branch out from within the franchise. It's very simple to me: There's no such thing as not being able to annualize a franchise. If it's good, people will come."

It sounds redundant almost. But the shocking thing is by this October, Detoc's wish comes true. Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed: Liberation will technically be the ninth and tenth game respectively released under the franchise across multiple platforms. If you're keeping track, it means the regular Ubisoft system of a main console platform release assisted by a portable has been steadily going on since the first Assassin's Creed's release in 2007.

The Ubisoft mantra is craft a franchise that can be spread multi-platform, regardless of format, just so long as the branding exists. From Ghost Recon being a traditional squad shooter to Facebook cash-cow, their goal is creating a general blanket with occasional success. The impeding concept of next gen could be the water mark for whether this approach is actually feasible when toting the Wii U version of Assassin's Creed III is the "definitive version."
We just hope that in the future, portables and spin-offs aren't seen as just a throwaway device when, especially in the Assassin's Creed universe, the side-stories are just as important as the main paths. Or else, that encyclopedia isn't really worth jack is it ?

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Assassin's Creed is '90% a new game', time for Desmond Miles to go?

Anindo | 02:11 | ,



For what it's worth, Assassin's Creed 3 is practically a new IP. With a new character in Connor, a new story, time period, setting, and game mechanics, creative lead Alex Hutchinson described Assassin's Creed 3 as "90% a new game".
What's the other 10%? Series protagonist Desmond Miles, which Hutchinson said, during a Ubisoft press conference, could be coming to an end.
Desmond Miles is really the only factor linking Assassin's Creed 3 to the other games in the popular franchise which dates back to 2007. According to Hutchinson, it's beginning to ask a little too much of people to remember "years worth of story" surrounding Miles.
“It’s more like the Twilight Zone. There’s always a guy introducing it and he’s there every episode, but each game completes its own story, ” he said via Polygon. “Assassin’s Creed 1 was Altair’s story. Ezio has been and gone. You can engage with these historical stories individually without having to necessarily understand Desmond’s story. But yes, we eventually do have to wrap it up."
“I think what you do is you finish it. I always pitched it to the guys on this game to think of it almost like Star Trek. Each game is a season… each big number is a sub-title," he explained. "We’re not changing the universe, but we’re being given the reigns to the equivalent of The Next Generation. Yes, it’s the Star Trek universe, and that has certain immutable laws and there’s a base kind of tone to it, but within that you can do whatever you want."
He added: “I think Desmond needs to end, at some point. You know what I mean? Things that go on too long lack resonance. We’re asking people to remember seven years worth of story. Which is like saying you were in junior high and now you’re finishing college. And you need to remember what you were doing in junior high.”
To be honest, I think Assassin's Creed 3 could be just as successful even without Desmond. A lot of the hype leading up to its release has been around the change of environment and new character. It's like a breath of fresh air and, to a certain extent, almost like a new IP.
“Without Desmond, we could have called it anything else, and people would have said okay,” said Hutchinson. “It’s just we like the wrapper of being an assassin and being in this continuing war against Templars. There’s huge value in that. But [AC3] is 90% a new game.”
It's not hard to imagine Assassin's Creed 3 without Desmond. In fact, it looks like Ubisoft is slowly trying to move away from him. Aside from Assassin's Creed 3, Ubisoft has plans to release Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation, which introduces yet another new hero - Aveline, the first female protagonist - and further expands on the 18th century Colonial America environment.
Over the weekend, a leaked GameStop document allegedly from Ubisoft seemed to indicate plans for future Assassin's Creed 3 DLC.
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Assassin's Creed 3 to receive episodic DLC, according to leaked letter

Anindo | 01:55 | ,



According to a leaked letter from Ubisoft to GameStop stores, Assassin's Creed 3 will have DLC following its launch in October.
The letter, outed by Kotaku, was a "BIG thank you" to GameStop for helping Ubisoft achieve their Assassin's Creed 3 pre-order goals, but further on the letter indicated plans for post-release DLC.
"We are currently in the process of creating a complementary development team that will begin working on post-launch episodic cotnent to continue the Game of the Year experience that Assassin's Creed 3 will undoubtedly deliver," the letter detailed. "With a dedicated team specifically to this content we plan to set the bar for quality DLC in our industry."
The letter didn't specify if it would be single player or multiplayer DLC, but the fact that it's episodic content makes me believe it will further expand on the single player campaign. Although I'm sure we'll see the typical multiplayer skins and maps, as well. The document mentions a "Season Pass" concept, which the company will begin taking pre-orders for soon.
"We'd love your continued assistance in informing pre-order customers that a better value is available for those who pre-order Assassin's Creed with the 'Season Pass'".
As a side note, GameStop also received an exclusive necklace from the Assassin's Creed team "in recognition" for all they do. I suggest you ask to see it next time you find yourself in a GameStop.
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Assassin's Creed 3 PC version expected to launch 'before Christmas'

Anindo | 01:51 | ,



The release of Assassin's Creed 3 on PC has been up in the air for quite a while now, but creative director Alex Hutchinson has given us a more specific launch window for the highly anticipated game.
While the console release of Assassin's Creed 3 is slated for October 30 in the U.S., Hutchinson has confirmed the PC version will release "near the time of the console launch".
Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, Hutchinson confirmed it will arrive "before Christmas".
A promotion image, spotted by the Czech arm of Eurogamer, first revealed the delay of the game, noting a November 23rd release for the game. Ubisoft later responded that the "Windows PC release date is still to be announced."
While we don't have any official date for Assassin's Creed 3 on PC, we at least know it will arrive this year.
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Assassin's Creed: Forsaken novel out Dec. 3, will tell story of Connor

Anindo | 01:48 | ,



Ubisoft has announced a new novel set in the Assassin's Creed universe, coming about a month after Assassin's Creed 3 hits stores on October 30. Assassin's Creed: Forsaken will be written by Oliver Bowden, and will focus on "the story behind who Connor really is and how he has become a deadly killer."

Expanded Details:
Written by author Oliver Bowden, Assassin's Creed: Forsaken is the latest novelization to expand the rich universe of Assassin's Creed, one of the biggest video game franchises in the world.
Based on the new upcoming game, Assassin's Creed: Forsaken takes a look at newcomer Connor, who has sworn to secure liberty for his people and his nation by unleashing his skills on the battlefields of the American Revolution and in the wilderness of 18th century Colonial America. Forsaken will take a look at the story of Connor, exploring who he really is and how he has become such a deadly killer.

Sales of the Assassin's Creed novels, at around 380,000 copies, haven't come very close to the games' 38 million sales, but there's clearly an audience for the historical fiction. Assassin's Creed: Forsaken will be out for $9.99 on December 4. 
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Propaganda and the New World: We talk with Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation’s lead writer.

Anindo | 01:39 | ,


We sit down to chat with Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation lead writer Richard Farrese about how the game steps away from Desmond's story and what it actually means to be an "Abstergo entertainment product."


Ubisoft Montreal is striking out in a different direction with fall 2012′s PlayStation Vita game, Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation. You’ve got a new main character in Aveline, an assassin and the first female protagonist that the series has focused on. The setting is all-new, 18th century New Orleans during roughly the same period that Assassin’s Creed 3‘s Connor will be warring with the Templars against the backdrop of America’s Revolutionary War. The biggest shift in direction of them all, however, is how Liberation is framed within the fiction of the Assassin’s Creed universe. It’s a product, something created by the Templar-owned Abstergo Industries, for reasons that aren’t yet entirely clear.
I sat down with Liberation lead writer and AC writing staff member, Richard Farrese, to chat about what’s to come in the Vita game during a recent Ubi preview event. It was an infuriating interview, filled with vague responses and the frequently repeated mantra of “no comment.” I can understand the hesitation, of course. Mystery is one of the key narrative pillars in the Assassin’s Creed universe, and revealing too much about a game’s story before it’s released risks spoiling some very good and rewarding twists. Liberation is a unique situation, however; it’s so dramatically different on the story level in terms of the tone and approach that it doesn’t compare easily with what we’ve come to learn from seeing the past and present through Desmond’s eyes.
Given all of that, my first question for Farrese was simple enough: going into Liberation, what are the most vital points to keep in mind? “The first thing you need to know is: Aveline is not related to Desmond. That’s important to know,” he replied. “There’s no present in our game, it’s an Abstergo entertainment product. The game was released by Abstergo. Because of that it’s a really different kind of experience. You’ll have to play the game to find out how. There’s a lot of twists and turns in the story, and if I go into it too much I’m going to spoil some surprises.”
The phrase “entertainment product” carries a very general connotation; Liberation‘s place inside the AC-verse is actually more well-defined than that, even if we can’t know exactly how just yet. “It’s actually a game [inside the fiction],” Farrese added. “You can almost see this as a kind of public– how can I say this–everything is based on the Animus technology. So Abstergo… basically took that technology, extracted out those memories, and created a game out of it. In the fiction, as you play the game you’re actually exploring the Animus in your own way.”

Farrese pulled up short of saying anything about why Abstergo would release such a thing.  Based on everything we’ve seen in the series so far, the modern-day Templars continue to wage a war against the modern-day Assassins. There is an agenda behind the fictional release of this “entertainment product” which puts players in the shoes of a member of the ancient group’s mortal enemy. Does Aveline do things that make the Assassin’s order look bad? Does she turn on her former brothers and sisters to sign up with the Templars? Or is it something else, something we can’t even predict simply because there are layers to the fiction that we’re not yet aware of?
Farrese isn’t saying. He’ll go as far as admitting that the larger framing narrative helps to paint the right picture for Liberation, in much the same way that the framing narrative for Assassin’s Creed multiplayer establishes the mode as an Abstergo training program. Asked whether the fictional side of the game is released for the wider public or if it too lives in the realm of Abstergo training materials, Farrese admits that he “can’t comment on that.” Nor can he say anything about why the game’s title — Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation – calls out so directly to Connor’s upcoming adventure. Why couldn’t it simply be Assassin’s Creed: Liberation. There’s a reason, but it’s one that Ubisoft isn’t willing to talk about yet.
Farrese graciously fielded all of these sticky questions, but he remained strong and kept the spoilers at bay. He did admit, however, that the Assassin’s Creed writing process is a team effort, and that the big picture story concerns are never sussed out in a vacuum. Continuity is important to this crew. “There’s a group of writers that focus on Assassin’s Creed at Ubisoft Montreal,” he said. “When the idea first came up of doing this game, of course [Assassin's Creed 3 lead writer] Corey May was involved. We sat with Corey a few times to discuss ideas. But Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation is completely different [from Corey's game]. We’re showing Aveline’s story, and it’s a really different tale from what you will see with Connor in Assassin’s Creed 3.”

More Info To Come Stay Tuned!

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