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Gamescom '12: Hands-on with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation

A Vita system-seller?

Gamescom '12: Hands-on with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
Back at E3 2012, we went hands-on with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. Here's proof. In the two months that have passed since then, so much has happened. US presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited our shores, Team GB went on a gold rush, and Spain won Euro 2012. Oh, and Ubisoft Sofia has been beavering away on Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. Hence, this second hands-on. Enjoy.

Of all the upcoming Vita titles heading our way in the run-up to Christmas, few will command as much attention as Ubisoft's system-exclusive Assassin's Creed III: Liberation game.

At this week's Gamescom showcase in Cologne, Ubisoft shed more light on some of the game's new features, including stealth and the use of disguises - but, more of that in a moment.

If you've been following the drip-feed of info on the game to date, you'll know that Liberation isn't your standard, cut-down handheld offering. No, sir.

In fact, Ubisoft is essentially treating the project with the same degree of respect that it normally reserves for its big budget, full-fat console titles.

And as we all know, the PS Vita is a capable beast of a machine. As such, the Ubisoft Sofia team has been able to deliver "a full Assassin's Creed experience on a handheld".

The real next gen

Just a quick glance at the game running would appear to confirm such lofty claims, with the mightily impressive AnvilNext engine utilised for the project - the same jaw-dropping tech used for the upcoming Assassin's Creed III home console game.

In short, Liberation has everything you'd hope for in, and expect from, an Assassin's Creed title: the crowd combat; the free running; the open-world exploration; the narrative interludes; the bustling, intricate streets; and the rich atmosphere.

But, there's one thing we hope it isn't: just another Assassin's Creed game. After so many of them in a relatively short period of time, even a full-featured handheld AssCreed might not be enough if it's a by-the-numbers affair.

With that in mind, Ubisoft was careful to talk up the game's point of difference during my hands-on with Liberation - specifically, its rather more flexible stealth gameplay.

Wearing disguises

Rather than just give you a standard loadout of gadgets and weapons, Liberation makes it easy for you to adopt one of three different disguises. This is a key element in the game, trust me.

By stopping off at one of the changing booths dotted around 18th-century New Orleans (1771, to be precise), you can make the game's female protagonist, Aveline, slip into something more... deadly.

With you dressed up in Aveline's default assassin's clothes, the game appears to play out much the same as it has throughout the series.

As such, you have the usual set of free running abilities, such as being able to clamber up buildings and creep over rooftops, but you now come equipped with a whip, which doubles up as a weapon and a navigational tool.

On top of that, you can also call upon the blowpipe in order to take down rooftop guards and secure a safe passage to your target.

Pause for fort

In this instance, you're expected to sneak into a fort, kill an enemy agent, steal his documents, and make it back outside the walls of the fort without being detected.

As ever, it's very much up to the player to choose the best route and the best course of action, but stealth is almost always the safest option if you can manage it.

And on that note, the graceful aristocrat disguise provides perhaps the stealthiest option of all, with Aveline dolled up in appropriate high society garb, complete with fancy bonnet and frilly dress.

Although Aveline's aristocrat disguise doesn't afford her the opportunity to climb or do the usual free running, this rather slower-paced-style of stealth does give her some major advantages.

In the outfit that her friends and neighbours typically associate with her, she can not only stroll around without arousing much suspicion, but can also use her charm and riches to persuade or even bribe guards who deign to get in her way, and even have a soldier act as a bodyguard.

Parasol stars

She also carries a spring-loaded poison parasol gun, which, as you might expect, allows her to pick off her targets silently, and do so with a weapon that doesn't alert anyone to its death-dealing potential. It must be used wisely, though, for it's a particularly slow-loading device.

But, as well as being able to down her targets, she can vary the type of poison dart utilised. Aveline can, for example, set her enemies against one another by firing a Berserker dart at them. As a result, the innocent-looking aristocrat can lay waste to the city's soldiers and get the job done without even breaking a sweat.

For the third and final disguise option, we see Aveline change into servant clothes, which gives her a kind of working-class anonymity that you can turn to your advantage.

By hiding in plain sight, Aveline can go about her business by, for instance, carrying boxes to slip past inattentive guards. Although at first glance, the servant doesn't appear to have too much going for her, her common touch allows her to get other people to do her bidding for her, such as creating distractions to enable her to slip through.

Although we weren't allowed to go hands-on with the game at this stage, there's plenty of reason to feel confident that Liberation will live up to the rather weighty expectations.

Cage fighter

Typically, Ubisoft was cagey about revealing too many details, but we did manage to glean from it that, yes, there will be multiplayer, but, no, Ubi can't tell us anything about it yet.

Interestingly, there won't be any present-day missions this time around, but the entire game (including side-quests) should provide between 15 and 20 hours of gameplay, depending on your experience and skill. However, Ubi wouldn't be drawn on specifics, such as the number of chapters and so on.

But, with the game slated for an October 31st debut, we won't have too long to wait until all will be revealed. Check back soon for more news when we get it.

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation will be released by Ubisoft exclusively on PS Vita on October 31st.
Kristan Reed
Kristan Reed
There's no such thing as 'not enough time' in Kristan's world. Despite the former Eurogamer editor claiming the world record for the most number of game reviews written before going insane, he manages to continue to squeeze in parallel obsessions with obscure bands, Norwich City FC, and moody episodic TV shows. He might even read a book if threatened by his girlfriend.