Assassin's Creed III screens show more New World, Connor and gameplay details discussed

So here's something to get the week going: new Assassin's Creed III screenshots and artwork.  With Ubisoft's new interest in wilderness, we do see more of the game's Frontier shown off in the new images, but a couple of the screenshots do give us a look at the urban environments and British troops. 

We still aren't seeing any actual gameplay being reflected in these screenshots -- just small hints like Connor's choice of weapons.  There's also some... canoeing too, so that's something.  In Assassin's Creed III, the Frontier will be treated as a "third" city of sorts, given its own range of activities rather than treated as empty space between towns.  Hunting animals is, of course, one such activity reminiscent of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption.

Players will have to adapt to a new rougher terrain, with uneven surfaces and peculiar angles emphasized in natural environments.  Not that the lack of monumental buildings will give Connor too much trouble, because our man can swing through trees like a parkour pro. 

Dynamic seasons will also offer some additional complexity to the game, and weather effects can work with or against Connor.  Fog, for instance, can lower the enemy's visibility, letting Connor hide more easily.  Snow will alter how Connor (or his horse) gets around, and the development team is looking into implementing rain as well.  Tricky thing about rain is figuring out how it might affect the Assassin.  Seeing someone capable of taking down 30 enemies single-handedly slip in the rain would be pretty odd, Ubisoft noted, so options are still being explored. 

Born as a Mohawk, Connor saw his village destroyed when he was very young and becomes frustrated with his tribe's passive attitude.  He later joins the Assassins, promising to fight for freedom and the people, though we're not too sure at this point what threats he will face, aside from the Revolution.  His personality and firm convinctions set him apart from other protagonists we've seen in previous games, according to Ubisoft; quiet and earnest, Connor seeks to fight injustice and harbors a genuine need to help those around him.  Sounds like a pretty swell guy, right? 

Interestingly, Assassin's Creed III boasts the longest development cycle since the first game and involves more senior devs than any other Assassin's Creed title.  That gives us some renewed hope for the fifth game, in addition to creative director Alex Hutchinson's promise to clean up the series.

Connor trailer - YouTube