Assassin’s Creed is all about delivering an authentic, engrossing atmosphere in which the appreciative gamer can ply his stealthy trade. The series gained critical acclaim for offering unbelievably authentic environments, which are almost unparalleled this generation in terms of detail, design, vibrancy, and nuance, and now one such enviroment is coming to the PlayStation Vita. In fact, Liberation will launch alongside Assassin’s Creed III for the PS3 and true fans of the franchise will certainly want to play both.
For the very first time, we get a female protagonist. The assassin’s name is Aveline, and she apparently has roots in the history of New Orleans, which is where the game will take place. This young assassin is the daughter of a wealthy French merchant and unsurprisingly, it’s not exactly normal – in that particular era, especially – for a woman to be involved in such a bloody mode of business. But Aveline is not only skilled, she’s also quite determined, as players are bound to discover. Her character design is also fantastic; one of the best I’ve seen to date, in fact.
It’ll be interesting to see if she uses similar weapons as her male brethren; according to early information and what we’ve seen in trailers thus far, however, she will have a few unique weapons at her disposal. The blowpipe should be useful for some long-range stealth work, and what the developer is calling a “sugar cane machete” should do the nasty work when up close and personal. This brings up another intriguing question, though: Realistically, can Aveline be as strong in melee combat as her male counterparts? If not, maybe stealth will be all the more essential…
As for the story, the game’s plot will be spread out over a span of 15 years, during which the Louisiana Rebellion is in full effect. New Orleans natives are a little peeved at the idea of the city falling into the hands of the Spanish, so you can bet that most of Aveline’s foes will be dressed in the uniform of Spain. We will explore this meticulously created environment in much the same way we’ve done in past AC entries; the landscape will consist of both urban and rural areas (from buildings to swamps), and this variety should keep our wanderings fresh.
The Vita’s cool features will be utilized to some extent, as the touchscreen will come into play. As you fight, a power gauge will fill up and once it’s full, you can execute a special chain kill. The latter is accomplished by freezing the action (niiiice), tapping each victim in the order you wish them to die, and then returning to real time. Aveline will go into a deadly flurry in which all the targeted/tapped enemies will fall automatically. You can also use the touchscreen to steer when on a horse but really, that chain kill touch feature has gotta be where it’s at.
Themes such as smuggling and slavery will rear their ugly heads during the course of the story and yes, there is a connection to Connor’s story in ACIII. That being said, it’s important to note that Assassin’s Creed: Liberation for the Vita is every inch a standalone title and one that should be well worth the cost of admission. If it turns out as expected, this game will undoubtedly be one of the biggest reasons to own Sony’s new portable.
Can a woman protagonist be strong enough to fight without a heavy emphasis on stealth?
You tell me if you think this woman could swing a machete hard enough to kill a man in a single blow.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibDULUUtizk/T4GIEdObS2I/AAAAAAAATg8/FnWET6YdUwk/s400/333wbanyim-anani396.jpg
That's a woman?
I see no woman here.
It's a video game.
lol – two things:
– What Mell said – there are _very_ few video games where the protagonist could get through 10% of the game, or do a quarter of what they do, whether they were a woman or a man!
– A lass can build up a good deal of strength, and at least as much coordination, as a bloke. Easily enough to be a formidable combatant in a fight. Further, it's important to note that technique and positioning is at least as important as strength in a fight with blades or firearms.
Jeeezus!
Sorry Underdog, didn't see vid, and didn't pick up on irony, my bad ;).
haha no worries, I just had like 5 completely different things to say after reading everyone's comments, all of which were probably at risk of being misinterpreted since they were all going to be jokes. lol It was easier just to breath a single word. haha
I wish they wouldn't show the Vita in the trailers. Bugs me.
I dont like it either developers seem to do that alot with handheld game trailers.
Yeah me too, it's just *so* weird! I don't think I've seen a single trailer in full screen, only stamp sized.
There got to be a technical reason for this? Maybe the resolution is too low to be viewed in full on a PC screen? After all the Vita screen is tiny so it would make sense that way.
I can understand with DS/3DS games because there are 2 screens, but yah, I agree that the Vita should be absent from that video.
Seconded. (Or third-ed?) Can the Vita output to a television or monitor for screen grab?
The reason they show the VITA is exactly that. To SHOW that it is clearly a VITA game. Of course that fact can clearly be stated in writing but what if someone is just skimming through the website. The VITA visual will definitely stick in the viewers mind. That said, we should at least have the option to go full screen.
Still bugs me.
Im really surprised they chose a female assassin. Liberation sounds damn good and I do love the AC series but I cant see myself paying 400 to play it.
I *love* female protagonists in my games. They are usually just so elegant, beautiful, stylish… And this seems to not be any exception.
I wish this was the main game and the other the Vita version. Ubi, could we swap please?
I felt the same about 3. A female protagonist would be awesome. But it may be a bit late to swap versions. 🙁
Somewhat of topic:
So, it seems that Aveline will be the VITAs second female lead. Kat from Gravity Rush has the honor of being first! Great game by the way, Im close to Platinum and still want to keep playing. DLC to the rescue. There better be a sequel too. I can also see the Gravity Rush engine powering other titles.
really looking forward to this, however its a shame its releasing the same day as AC3.
i can see this selling 2 units because everyone will be busy playing AC3!
they should of released this a week or so before AC3 and make it a prequel, fill in the story a little.
its nice to see one of the biggest games for the vita is not just a port!
developers need to do this allot more for the vita!
its nice to have some ps3 experiences on the vita, but it needs new unique titles for it too.
Didn't you sell your Vita?
No…he SAID he sold his vita. Two different things.
…Atleast it is with this guy. Just kidding noname xD
since when are you not allowed to look forward to something if you dont have the particular system?
and yes i did sell my vita.
I agree, selling both titles same day will be detrimental to each other. The VITA being the obvious underdog here. Releasing Liberation a couple of weeks ahead of AC3 could remedy this. I wonder if there will be some sort of bundle. I'm picking up both either way but…
There will be many gamers who will buy both. I know I am going to get both, but not at the same time. I will more than likely get ACIII first and then ACIII Liberation 2nd.
Also, it's ok that he sold his Vita. You know he'll buy another one come this fall. The Vita is going to explode in the next 6 months.
I believe I read somewhere there would be a Vita AC Liberation bundle. It may even be a white system!
I've already decided to get the vita when that bundle comes out.
Yes, it is white. I was going to get the bundle until I learned that detail. I prefer black (or nearly black) electronics.
I still may.
Yeah, found it. Here's the bundle.
http://psvitagamer.net/threads/assassins-creed-3-liberation-coming-to-vita-with-white-ps-vita-bundle.4284/