screenshot from IGN

Ok, it’s been like 6 months but I will finally write my brief thoughts on the Washington fangirl game of 2012!

The Good: The storyline! Colonial/Revolutionary America is my favorite era. I REALLY like the whole starting sequence as Haytham. I actually think the structure of the game is great. The historical cameos (Sam Adams! Paul Revere!) are fun, or really cool (Thomas Jefferson!), or amusing (Charles Lee!).* Free running through the woods is a great feeling. I love the music. The ship stuff is awesome, once you get the hang of it, and I’m stoked about Black Flag.

The Bad: I had forgotten how frustrating the gameplay of AC could be. The mechanic of fighting wolves sucks (button mash!). Hunting is terrible. Many of the missions are trial and error, with no direction from the game itself except learning from failures and restarting the missions. One of the last sequences involves a chase through Boston and I seriously almost quit the game then and there – brand new mechanics (sliding under obstacles!), not being able to see your quarry on screen or on a map (hesitate=desynchronized!), you get the idea. The riding is awful, too, with horses getting stuck on every rock or invisible glitch.

Overall, though, it is a pretty good game, and I’m not done with it yet…
The Infamy! This is the first episode in the three episode DLC “The Tyranny of King Washington.” It’s an alternate universe from the main game, and gave me a funny feeling upon waking up to see my (Connor’s) mother. More wolves, ugh, but it pays off with a sweet invisibility power which I LOVE. More trial and error and dying to discover your power’s limits. Not enough Washington. Can’t wait for part 2.

*If you’re an actual historian (or a Canadian), it may just annoy you.