Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (Video Game Review)

Assassin's Creed: Liberation came out for the Vita last week and the first thing people note are the quality of graphics, especially for a little handheld console. The setting and characters are beautifully rendered. We play as Aveline de Grandpré, a French-African woman who lives at home with her father and stepmother in New Orleans. Although an assassin, she is also a high-society lady, and the game employs the use of “personas.” Aveline can enter dressing rooms and come out dressed as a “lady,” “assassin,” or “slave.” Each persona has its own advantages and functions, along with its own weaknesses and notoriety.

As a lady, Aveline can pass through the streets of New Orleans easily, without worrying about guards and can charm guards for added protection. However, in this form, Aveline cannot move too quickly and has poor climbing abilities, which nullifies stealth options as a lady. As a slave, she is incredibly quick and agile, and can climb virtually anything, but is fairly weak in combat. Aveline can also blend in with other workers and slaves in order to be virtually invisible to the guards.

Gamers familiar with the Assassin's Creed franchise will be familiar with the third persona – the assassin. Quick to move and kill, the assassin persona is probably the best blend of combat and stealth. While the graphics are jaw-dropping for the Vita, where the game suffers is in its story. Aveline is a young girl, arguably a daughter of a slave, who is lost and abandoned and suddenly grows up to be a high society assassin in a mansion with a father and stepmother. Other than that, we know nothing else about Aveline, and the game suffers from it. Maybe with a little more backstory, we could feel more invested in the character and story of the game; instead, this lets Liberation gives off a casual game vibe, instead of a more immersive experience.

The controls on the Vita work for the most part, especially with the dual analog sticks, but when it comes to the touch screen and the gyroscope, it would probably be better without. Too many bells and whistles added with too little story creates a nice little game that does nothing to compel you to continue playing.

Ultimately, it's great that the big Assassin's Creed franchise is branching out to the Vita, especially after the disappointment that was Bloodlines on the PSP, but if a little more attention was given to the character development of Aveline and the overall story, it may have served to be the Vita game of the year. The Assassin's Creed games have been known for their immersive and story-rich content, making it a delightful and addicting gaming experience. While the Vita has features that should be utilized and taken into account, in this case it only served to pull the gamer out of the story, achieving the exact opposite of what the franchise has always stood for.


Game Features:
Single & Multiplayer
Playstation Trophy Support

Game Information:
Published by Ubisoft
Developed by Ubisoft Sofia
Rated M for Mature
Available for PSVita (reviewed)

Score: 6.5 out of 10