Jesus, that was a mouthful. Anyway, the newest DLC for Assassin’s Creed 3 dropped yesterday. It is part one in a three part “What If” story line, wherein Washington never gives up his power, and becomes the new King of America. It is named Infamy, and the launch trailer makes it look pretty damn interesting.
But are a non-canon story and an intriguing trailer enough to draw your attention throughout all of the to be released packs?
Well, yeah, actually. The short answer is that it’s awesome, but allow me to elaborate.
I went into this DLC not knowing what to expect. An alternate timeline? I didn’t much care for the story in AC3, so I wasn’t too sure how changing history would help. But honestly, within the first few minutes of the game I was hooked. I won’t spoil any of the story, but needless to say the DLC does a very good job of both confusing you and making you curious for more right off the bat.
Thrust into an alternate timeline where Washington is King of America, you must journey as Connor across the Frontier, saving all who are suffering, and trying to put an end to the mad king’s reign. Along this journey you receive The Power of the Wolf, which is a new way for you to feel like a total badass. I thought we might have seen the peak of what Connor could do, but this new ability makes you invisible, and able to stealth kill someone in the middle of a crowd. It makes you feel like the worlds greatest assassin, something that I felt had been missing since Ezio was last in the spotlight. The only drawback to using this power is that it drains your health rapidly, but hiding in bushes and regaining your health is simple, and allows you to quickly recover before taking out an entire squad of enemies. It is nothing short of being purely awesome.
The DLC itself can be completed in under 3 hours, and I’m including all side quests in that time. But being a short DLC actually really works in this case. You get just enough story, just enough taste of new power, and just enough confusion to make you hungry for more. I finished up the DLC and immediately looked up when the next part was set to release, which is March 19th by the way, wondering when I was going to experience the next part of the story.
Ubisoft Montreal really blew me out of the water with the first part of their DLC. As I said, I didn’t really care for the third game as a whole, and felt that it took away key elements that really made me enjoy what Assassin’s Creed was. But the DLC brought me back to the roots of my love for the series. New abilities, an interesting story, and even Connor felt better as a character, but maybe that last part was just me, I’m not sure. Honestly, I can’t wait for the next part to drop, and getting gamers craving more is a true sign of accomplishment in the gaming industry.
If you haven’t played AC3 yet, I still recommend you do, as the game itself is rather fun, and does have its moments (Story-wise I think it’s piss, but hey, you have to form your own opinions sometime). But more importantly, if you have a copy, do yourself a favor and grab this DLC. It’s available for only 800 Microsoft Points, $10, or it’s free with the Season Pass. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Unless you do. Regret it, that is. In which case… Well, there’s no refunds, so I guess you’re stuck. Tough luck slugger.
Gamenomics & Comicology 