A History of (Stylish) Violence: The Evolution of Combat in Assassin's Creed

If you’ve seen any of the numerous (and rather substantial) Assassin’s Creed 3 gameplay videos that have been released over the past few months, then you are well aware of just how ambitious Ubisoft Montreal’s latest acrobatic sci-fi adventure is. Nowhere does the laundry list of improvements, additions, and tweaks shine through more than in the game’s retooled combat system.

Dual wielding, contextual takedowns, a dedicated counter button, and momentum-based combos are just a few of the big changes poised to make AC3’s combat the most visceral and cinematic of the series. Hardly a bold claim, but rather than simply wondering aloud about how AC’s combat has evolved over the past seven years, we decided to put together a little video detailing this very thing. Fancy that!

And be sure to tune in tomorrow for a closer, frame-by-frame look at Connor’s new abilities and the animation wizardry that brings it all to life in our Assassin’s Creed 3 Takedown Breakdown.

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