Those of us who have stuck through mainstream Assassin's Creed (AC) titles, may have been disappointed missing Assassin's Creed : Liberation, which was released only on Vista. Yet, Ubisoft, has decided to graduate the title from the small screen to a truly enormous screen, via the PS3 and Xbox 360. The publishers boast new upgrades and modifications, especially in terms of visuals. The additional HD element will doubtlessly please those who like playing their games on large screen excess. While this game doesn't come close to the thrills of Black Flag, it is an interesting addition and comes loaded with a few unique features that might drag you back for more.
Plot
Players are thrust into the boots of Aveline de Grandpre, the first playable female assassin in the franchise. Aveline has her own intriguing ties to Connor Kenway but don’t expect any collaborative action between the two. The game itself serves as a prelude to the AC IV. Set in the New World in the 1700s, and as things stand the Spanish have taken over New Orleans from the French. As a result there is a defection in the ranks of the Assassins and the governor of the province turns out to be in the thralls of the Templars. These events set the stage for a story arc that spans over about 12 years. Needless to say, in these years she will come across various colourful characters including her smugglers, native Indians, and her sidekick/mission support, Gerald Blanc. Occupying a similar role to Enzio's sister in AS II, or perhaps Lara Croft's team back in the mansion, Gerald is in charge of keeping the books balanced and making sure all the assassin's missions runs smoothly. However, he also seems to have a crush on Aveline, which unfortunately is more cliché and annoying than funny and endearing.
Gameplay
Most of the missions are classic assassin missions with which fans are obviously familiar. However, apart from the stalking and escort missions, it’s a little too easy to get around New Orleans. There also means there is no incentive for mastering side alleys or hiding spots because players may not need them to evade hostile enemy units. The bayou, on the other hand, is much more intense and requires players to be on the constant watch for things like alligator ambushes. The objectives and missions, in the bayou can lead to a sense of déjà vu if you already played the Black Flag missions centred around the woods.
One of the most interesting features of the game is the innovative disguise system. Aveline can don the personas of a socialite, a slave and an assassin. The options also reflect part of her complicated history as a child of a French merchant and a slave. The game should be credited for forcing players to give each persona equal importance. Each persona also comes with its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. For instance, disguised as a slave you won't have a problem sneaking into a plantation but you are not going to have the best weapons to do the job. Yet, trying to go in as an assassin will result in sticking out of the crowd; there goes the element of subtlety. As a socialite, Aveline gets access to all the big social events, allowing her to get close and personal with her targets. Moreover, she also gains the ability to charm targets. These features are something I wish the previous games included throughout the history. It would have been nice to see Enzio, as the man he is seduces his way through parts of the game.
Not everything, however, has turned out for the better. Liberation HD does a poor job of forcing players to move away from the standard storyline and experience side missions. As a result there is no real incentive to explore the rest of the game, which is a shame because the game has plenty of interesting side missions. The main reason for this is the lack of financial hurdles. The mission setup in black flag, forced players to take on side missions in order to earn the necessary funds to continue with the main story line. However, with Liberation, the key items such as poison and berserk darts, often auto-replenish throughout the story. As a result, there is no real need to raise funds to replenish ammo. This is more than a small flaw as side-missions give a welcome diversion from the main story line and prolong the game as long as possible. Moreover, it allows players to get deeply engaged in the economy system. For instance, players could go around killing rival businessman for lower the costs of the goods.
Verdict
Ultimately, Assassin's Creed Liberation is a great re-mastering of a classic. The HD version and the new features of the game make it well worth the experience despite the occasional glitches and the disappointing economy/reward system.
Text by Navam Niles
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