Ubisoft explains the world of Assassin’s Creed III

Among other things, the Assassin’s Creed series has become known for allowing players to explore some of the world’s most beautiful and interesting locations, including Jerusalem, Constantinople, Venice and many more. With Assassin’s Creed III taking place during the American Revolution, players will be able to explore the likes of New York City and Boston, although Ubisoft’s new push with the wilderness setting is what’s getting the most attention at the moment.

In previous Assassin’s Creed games players have been able to explore the regions between cities, but to a limited degree. Seldom was there much to do other than evade guards and track down flags. Ubisoft plans to build a far more compelling natural world between cities in Assassin’s Creed III. In some ways, the frontier can be seen as a sort of “third city” in Assassin’s Creed III, and Ubisoft is loading in various new activities which take place in the wild.

Roughly 30 percent of the game’s story missions will take place in the great outdoors, and Ubisoft is promising to deliver a huge expanse of land. “The map of the Frontier is 1.5 times bigger than the entire map of Brotherhood,” said creative director Alex Hutchinson. “It has this sense of exploration about it, which I don’t think we’ve had before. That notion of you versus the wilderness.”

These wilderness regions will include fields, lakes, farms, mountains, dense forests, cliffs, caves as well as recognizable landmarks. It will also be dotted with Native American and European settlements, such as logging cabins and trading posts. These locations will apparently change and evolve as time passes and the fighting takes its toll. Ubisoft promises no loading times when exploring the frontier.

With such a large area to explore, Ubisoft is promising some “entertaining navigation options”. Tree traversal has already been shown off in the trailers, and of course horseback riding will be available for faster travel.

Ubisoft also promises to cycle through different seasons, and the environments will be drastically affected by snowfall, not only aesthetically, but also in terms of where players can move.

“We wanted winter to matter,” Hutchinson says. “If you lived in the northeast of America in this period, winter is scary. If you’re not prepared for winter, you will die.”

One of the most important things for Ubisoft is to make sure there are enough fun activities to perform in the frontier world. Hunting is one of the primary examples, and if you’re any good at it then you will be invited to join a gentlemen’s hunting society. Upon joining the club, you gain access to exclusive locations, and if you perform missions for the society you rank up. Upon reaching the top you receive a special reward. Players will also be able to skin animals and sell their pelts, and the cleaner your kill is, the more money you get for the pelt.

Apparently there will be various similar outdoor activities, as well as different clubs and unique mission opportunities contained in the frontier.