The first Assassin's Creed was incredibly pretty and ambitious, but very repetitive. When the second game in the series came out, it was breathtaking; all criticism had been heeded, and it was a game enjoyable as it was good looking. I hoped the third game would be as big a jump, but sadly it seems a small, uncertain step.
AC: Revelations was the first title that felt a little unnecessary: new features such as the tower defence sections or Desmond's Portal style puzzle platformers weren't great, but also seemed optional. And this is a route that the main game has gone further down, so many teams working on so many optional little extras while the main game separately needed more polish.
It seems buggier (I had a couple of times where I had to restart missions because I'd got stuck in objects I shouldn't have been able to walk through), horse riding is horrible and the AI enemies seem either oblivious to you or leaves you wondering how you were spotted.
Two things were great about the game: the naval missions (one in section 11 left me feeling like a boss) and the Peg Leg treasure map sections. These small levels seem to focus on one aspect of the game play and deliver thrilling levels in a way the main game doesn't.
Maybe Ubisoft are spreading there talent too thin, maybe the current generation is holding them back but AC3 should have been better. I can't help but think that the forthcoming Black Flag, wouldn't have been a numbered sequel if 3 would have turned out better, but as it is, they're just trying to put this game behind them.
6.5/10
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