Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Negative: 1 out of 21
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  1. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 30, 2012
    40
    Bloated and hubristic, Assassin's Creed III is a shocking disappointment. If you adored Assassin's Creed II, you would be better served replaying that and forgetting this even exists. [Jan 2013, p.77]
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2408 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Nov 21, 2012
    2
    This is one of these games that could've been so insanely amazing because of it's insane quality. Instead it falls flat because of game designThis is one of these games that could've been so insanely amazing because of it's insane quality. Instead it falls flat because of game design errors and a story not really suited for a "open world/free roaming"-game. So, what is good about AC III? The music is the best in the series, the score really adds a whole new level of cinematic feeling. The world is so huge and detailed it really makes everything feel like a real world. The art design is also amazing, making the houses, the characters and cities come alive like never before. The quality of the voice acting is very varied, with some of the best and worst voice acting ever heard in a game (the voice actor of Haytham Kenway is doing an amazing job while whoever voice acts Braddock does one of the worst and most overacted voice actings ever done). Also the PC-port is really good. The controls work well and the graphics are well optimized. So what is bad? Basically everything that has to do with the game design. The choices made make this, what could've been an amazing open world game like Red Dead Redemption, a linear "Call of Duty-style" game - with about every mission being linear with some cutscene cinematics that totally breaks the immersion of being in a living world. The combat could also have been amazing, if it weren't for the broken balance. You can EASILY kill up to 40-50 enemies at the same time without being hurt at all (haven't had the chance to meet more enemies at the same time). Not to mention the extreme curvature of difficulty levels. One mission can be dead easy (kill 100 enemies and murder some random bloke that you don't know why you are killing) while the next one is some kind of sneak mission, where when you are seen, you have to restart from the start of the mission. However, the animations are brilliant, probably some of the best combat animations I've seen in a game up to this date, the controls work great on a keyboard and the weapons are all interesting. Too bad the game designer destroyed both the combat and the immersion of the missions. So what about the plot? Is it good? Well, the plot is all just very jumpy. The "jumpiness" does not add any depth (such as seen in movies like Donnie Darko) and just destroys the immersion even more. The whole animus thing just feels stupid (I think it was better made in Assassin's Creed II, where the immersion was pretty good) and the twists and turns are all very cliché and predictable. Basically I think the story harms the game more than it helps it. So, instead of having an awesome "open world"-esque game (such as AC II) we are left with a jumpy, linear piece of garbage (that overuses cutscenes like never before - making this feel like a linear movie more than a game) only made for total newbs of PC-gaming. Why not add difficulty levels?? And then there are the minor flaws. The game is very buggy compared to the earlier games. The story is very predictable. The player is thrown between indoors, outdoors, animus and real world. In all these 4 different kinds of places different rules apply. You can only walk indoors (which once again removes immersion - why suddenly can't I jump, run or w/e). The UI is filled with strange popups (mission popups, Uplay popups, **** achievement popups that I don't care about at all and worst of all mail popups - why do an indian guy way back in time have access to mail??). All in all this game has amazing music, amazing voice actors, amazing combat animations, an amazing world with amazing art design but on the downside really bad game design, an UI that removes immersion, only easy difficulty with a strange difficulty curve and a strange, cliché and jumpy plot. Full Review »
  2. Nov 22, 2012
    3
    Gorgeous game, game-breaking controls and AI.

    First off- every British soldier in this game is a master marksman with XRAY vision and the
    Gorgeous game, game-breaking controls and AI.

    First off- every British soldier in this game is a master marksman with XRAY vision and the reaction speed of a fighter pilot. Jump from one building to another, you just alerted a guard who was standing below you who takes aim- shoots you in mid air (1.5 seconds airborne from one building to the next) and using his IPHONE notified every single British in Boston to your EXACT location- Every British soldier converges on your location and using their extensive PARKOUR training they all leap from building to building to kill you. All while moving around the base of the building underneath you constantly tracking your location with their XRAY vision.

    This coupled with the fact I have 1600 pounds and cannot buy a new outfit so I'm not the ONLY NATIVE IN BOSTON. While every soldier is on the lookout for... a native.
    Full Review »
  3. Apr 1, 2013
    2
    This game is awful... I seriously want to write a long review but even then thinking about all of the bad just enrages me. Story was soThis game is awful... I seriously want to write a long review but even then thinking about all of the bad just enrages me. Story was so predictable that I got to the part where you first get to sail your boat and gave up. That's it. I was done. I knew exactly what was going to happen. Wasn't worth my time playing if I knew the story already. What awful story telling Combat is boring more counter fun. Graphics are no big improvement but the visuals are great. The characters I don't even remember... seriously who was in this game? Never touched multiplayer as this game disgusted me to no end. It was... just... awful. There is no more Assassinating in Assassin's Creed too... I noticed as I watched my friend Livestream it he just tomahawked all his victims... there was no stealthy approach or anything... 2/10 because of visual... love of God gaming industry you're just failing. Full Review »