14 DAY TRIAL // Assassin’s Creed 3 came out last week and immediately impressed lots of players with its new protagonist, Connor, and its new historical setting, the American Revolution.
But while it’s still the core Assassin’s Creed mechanic when you get to basics, as players need to hunt down their targets through cities like Boston or New York, they’re also treated with a brand new section that’s never been seen in the franchise – the Frontier.
Here, those who played Red Dead Redemption will feel right at home, as you are faced with a wilderness that’s hardly been tamed by the English colonists.
Sure, you do find some settlements and you yourself maintain a homestead on the Frontier but, in most areas, you’re faced with nature and all of its aspects, from the geographical terrain, to tress, bushes and animals.
While the concept of the Frontier is a big departure from the roots of the series, it’s a pretty successful one, just like the Naval Warfare experience.
You get to explore the wilderness and really experience the raw beauty of the land before it was tamed by humans. This also brings its fair share of dangers, as you’ll encounter plenty of dangerous animals, including wolves, bears, or cougars, and its fair share of annoyances, like when you need to climb trees all the way to the top in order to survey your surroundings.
The Frontier may seem like Ubisoft’s way to show off the power of the AnvilNext engine, which can now render huge areas, but it feels like a living and breathing environment in which you can get lost.
Throw in the dozens of challenges that deal with exploration, like finding hidden chests or trinkets, as well as your hunting objectives, and you’ll certainly have plenty of reasons to explore the Frontier.
What do you think about this new aspect of Assassin’s Creed 3? Is the Frontier a great idea for the series or just a waste of time?