Assassin's Creed III

Assassin's Creed III shifted the series to the era of the American Revolution and introduced players to Connor Kenway, a young man of half-Mohawk, half-British blood who gets drawn into the conflict between the Assassins and the Templars against the backdrop of the American colonies' fight for independence. On PS3 the game offered a vast open world spanning bustling cities like Boston and New York as well as the wilderness of colonial America, which could be sailed, climbed through the trees, and hunted for game. The story is also framed by parallel modern-day sections featuring Desmond Miles, through which the series' broader mythology tied to an ancient civilization and its influence on human history is revealed, linking every Assassin's Creed entry into one larger whole.

The gameplay expanded the series with new elements such as a naval combat system built around Connor's own ship, the Aquila, a more elaborate crafting and trading system, and improved combat with an emphasis on smoothly chaining counterattacks against multiple enemies. Technically, it was one of the most ambitious titles of the series on PS3, with large crowds, dynamic weather, and changing seasons, accompanied by an epic orchestral soundtrack that underscores the historical, revolutionary tone of the narrative and the atmosphere of colonial America both before and during the war of independence itself.

Assassin's Creed III received a mixed reception from players and critics – while praised for the scope of its world, the naval sequences, and its production values, some players criticized the slow opening and a less charismatic protagonist compared to previous entries. Even so, it remains an important milestone for the series, laying the groundwork for the later naval focus of the sequel Black Flag, and even today it offers one of the most expansive open worlds of the PS3 generation, packed with side activities from hunting and trading to building your own homestead.

Why play it: For players craving one of the most expansive open worlds of the PS3 generation, full of hunting, trading, and homestead building, despite a slower start and a less charismatic hero than before.