Finally got a chance to play this after missing out on some of the older releases and I was not disappointed. This in my opinion is my second favorite Assassins creed game besides for part 2. I was amazed at how much they actually added to the game and wasn't even sure how it was possible. It feels very new and different from the previous entries which is just what the series needed. The graphics from the lighting and weather effects to the amazing water and snow effects put me in awe. I kindof wish there was more time spent in the snow and on the open sea. The character models are as good as they get in a current gen game, and the animation is done extremely well.
The main differences is now you play as a Native American assassin Connor and have a vast open countryside to explore as well as Naval missions which are amazing fun. I guess they were preparing players as to what to look forward to in part 4. Theres still towers to climb and people to assassinate, however in this game the towers can be trees, windmills, cliff faces as well as buildings. You can also hunt the various animals that inhabit the frontier like elk, rabbits, wolves, bearns, n racoons. There are also lots of optional enjoyable side missions and collectibles such as feathers and almanac pages. They all seem to be more easily completeable then the earlier games and are fun to do in between missions. One of my biggest problems with the assassins creed games is the combat isn't all that much fun most of the time and mainly involves annoyances with guards and button timing. The climbing exploration and interaction and gadgets is where the game really shines. There are also optional crafting and transport missions which I really didn't think were implemented as well as could be.
The setting and story are very interesting once things get rolling. The beginning few hours are a bit of a letdown but once get to around the three hour mark things are on! I really like playing as a native american during this time period and think the story and characters were all really well done. I liked the fact that you actually had some interaction with the villians and got to know them pretty well before the ending so actually had some connection there. The voice acting is top of the line and the sound effects and music made everything believable.
Overall if you like Assassins creed you must play this game!