Navigating the Terrains of Time: A Review of Assassin's Creed III Remastered

Launched years after the original Assassin's Creed 3, the remastered edition hits the platforms with a notable adjustment to the ravages of time. As a massive fan of its successor, the legendary Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the formative works in AC3 have always intrigued me. Its evolution since then, piggybacking on RPG elements from Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, has given the series a welcomed overhaul, but revisiting the predecessor unfurls a bit of rigidity that even gameplay upgrades cannot entirely iron out.

This complete edition welcomes all DLC, from the infamous journey through the Tyranny of King George trilogy to AC 3: Liberation HD's exciting mission lines. What's more, it sweetens the deal with additional behind-the-scenes content thrown in for good measure. Notably, Assassin's Creed Odyssey season pass owners can enjoy this remastered edition at no extra cost.

Leaping into the future from 2012 to 2019, the tangible aspect of the upgrades is strikingly apparent in the graphics. AC3 and Liberation are accessible in 4K resolution, ideal for Xbox One X or PS4 Pro users. A chance to explore the game with an EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW and Intel i7-7700K Gaming CPU rendered a breathtaking spectacle. The inanimate takes on an eerily realistic sheen. From the profound detail of the Boston brick buildings to the cobblestone streets, the exploratory experience is nothing short of astounding.

Moving into the countryside heightens the awe. The vivid variety of plant life and the entrancing shimmering snow portray a tranquility that rivals Far Cry's exquisite setting. While AC3 does not outshine Red Dead Redemption 2's scenic brilliance, it offers an immersive experience. Even Liberation manages to impress despite it being merely an upgraded port.

While the remaster enhances aesthetics with improved textures and animations, it exposes the dated skeleton of animations. Movements seem stuck in the past, and glitches often puncture through the polished surface. From bodies clipping through clothes and horses to the doll-like eyes, the visual dissonance is glaring. Lip-sync lags in many instances, a critique that the original game endured to a more significant degree. While there is improvement, it falls short of perfection.

An inescapable feature of Assassin's Creed III that reemerges in its remastered version is the mission structure. The main sequences are plagued by an abundance of cutscenes and expositional exchanges. When the pace eventually picks up, the missions prove to be somewhat repetitive, with Desmond's segments being particularly tiresome.

The remastered version does incorporate several pleasing quality-of-life updates. The minimap, for instance, now offers increased precision in identifying enemy locations with a more descriptive icon system, which significantly eases the covert combat difficulty level. More stealth possibilities and weapon crafting give the gameplay a much-needed boost, subtly enhancing the playing experience.

PROS:

• Improved graphics and textures;
• Comprehensive package including all the DLC, extra content, and AC 3: Liberation HD;
• Numerous quality-of-life upgrades;
• Enhanced stealth options and weapon crafting.

CONS:

• Outdated mission structure;
• Persistent animation glitches.

Despite its age-related grievances, Assassin's Creed III Remastered delivers a visually stunning experience. And while not all previous flaws are rectified, this edition certainly brings a wave of nostalgia for the fans, bundled with a dose of fresh, enriched content to explore.