Assassin's Creed III

The main storyline has various optional missions and tasks that can be found by exploring the environment. The fighting system uses melee and ranged weapons with various actions to disarm, attack, parry, fire, and assassinate based on the equipped weapon. Counter attacks are new and shown in slow motion to make room for a fluid motion of striking. Ranged weapons such as muskets and rifles are new to the series and they have a considerable reload time.

Next to the main storyline there are various optional missions and tasks that can be found by exploring the environment. The fighting system uses melee and ranged weapons with various actions to disarm, attack, parry, fire, and assassinate based on the equipped weapon. Counter attacks are new and shown in slow motion to make room for a fluid motion of striking. Ranged weapons such as muskets and rifles are new to the series and they have a considerable reload time.

Hunting and trapping animals in the wilderness to sell their skin is also a part of the game, along with building and managing the settlement Davenport Homestead. Starting out with a single building, NPCs called artisans can be convinced to settle near the Homestead, bringing raw materials and facilities that can be used to craft. Raw goods and crafted items form a local economy where the player can decide to sell them through land caravans or via sea convoys.

Progress in the homestead is also shown visually with new people working and buildings that appear. Artisans receive upgrades after completing missions for them, providing better equipment and weapons. Money is earned through the Homestead economy, but also by discovering hidden chests, selling spoils of hunting, looting opponents, and pickpocketing.

The game also contains three historical board games that can be played on the ship, in the cities, or at the Homestead: Bowls, Morris, and Fanorona. Additional challenges are unlocked by joining the three clubs: hunting, brawling, and thieving, which each offer optional goals in different tiers.

Multiplayer includes 12 different game modes and is presented as an entertainment product of Abstergo Industries. The Wii U version also uses the gamepad to display the in-game map and players can quickly equip different weapons using it.