While Electronic Theatre recently brought you new details on how Assassin’s Creed III plays as an extension of the established franchises, today we’ll be looking at how these innovations affect the gameplay itself. Specifically that of ‘Sequence 6,’ a portion of the videogame made playable to journalists at a recent hands-on event, chosen as it introduces a number of new activities and characters without spoiling the plot.
Characters, however important they may be to the main plot, are not why Electronic Theatre is taking this time to discuss Sequence 6. There are many elements in the chapter which are of more importance to the way the videogame plays, such as new weaponry, mission types and the beginning of your Assassin’s Creed III brotherhood. And this is clearly while Ubisoft chose to demonstrate this particular part of the 
videogame as, while they refused to reveal just how far through the adventure it occurs, Sequence 6 is obviously a notable point in the videogame where the player is fully geared-up for their mission, but has much more to be discovered should they choose to do so.
Of course, Electronic Theatre did decide to do exactly that; exploring the great outdoors while taking part in some of the many optional sidequests available throughout Boston. Beginning at our hero’s Homestead (more on this later), Electronic Theatre enters the boots of Connor and heads towards the city. A huge wilderness lay between home and destination, and within that mass hides many opportunities: hunting for pelts, forgotten treasures and ambushing Redcoat patrols. Quickly traversing the uneven ground to the Frontier, the latter mechanic became available, and of course, Connor decided to dive straight in. A small amount of stalking from the overgrown weeds aside the beaten track and it was 
apparent that there was a significant window to take down the enemy patrol, but missing that opportunity would result in being caught between a convoy of two units. Swift and decisive action is what was required, and thanks to the revamped combat system that was exactly what Connor presented.
The same command of awareness and abilities is required when engaging in the first structured objective Sequence 6 offers. When reaching the developing city of Boston, players are instructed to assault a keep at the far end, broaching the sea as a commanding sight on the horizon. The task set is to infiltrate the keep, take out the commander and destroy the weaponry arsenal, and finally replace the redcoat flag with one of your own. There’s many ways to tackle this objective, but as our Connor hasn’t had the opportunity to develop his skills across the six earlier episodes, he simply takes the path of least resistance: eliminate the guards at the staff entrance, head to the battlements and take 
enemies out from a position of authority determined by height. Easy picking then, until after the detonation of the arsenal: if there was anything likely to alert every guard in the area, a dozen loud explosions and a raging fire would be the thing to do it.
Dispatching the hordes of guards with ease, thanks to the much more fluid combat system that has been developed specifically for Assassin’s Creed III, the flag was soon raised and Boston became a different city. Whereas once we had to stalk across rooftops and avoid detection at all costs, now the townsfolk welcome Connor. In fact, not only do they approve of him, but they look upon him as a friend: asking for assistance and relying on him. This is the point at which Sequence 6 really opened up, delivering the usual assortment of optional sidequests 
and distractions that one might expect from an Assassin’s Creed videogame. Dozens of new activities became available, offering new rewards and continuing the storyline in a similar fashion to that of the Assassin’s Creed II trilogy. However, perhaps more interesting at this point is the Brotherhood mission that became available.
As far as Electronic Theatre could tell, this was the first point at which such an option became available (though we won’t know for sure until the final build arrives). Approaching a previously unseen icon on the map Connor became locked in a protection mission: another character would march through the city, taking down guards as they journeyed to a destination several streets away. Connor would remain by his side, assisting him when necessary and preventing him from becoming too injured to continue. Upon reaching his destination Connor’s new friend turns to him and offers his allegiance, and from this point our Brotherhood is formed. Much like the system first witnessed in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, 
players can call upon their recruits for many tasks, be it assaulting locations on the outer map or calling for their assistance within the local area, and these recruits will level-up, increasing their abilities and earning the player significant rewards.
As stated above, Assassin’s Creed III does feature an inordinate amount of distractions and alternative gameplay options, including everything from fully fledged missions and collectables to find, to simple mini-games such as lock picking hidden chests and the hunting of wild animals. Everything has a purpose, however, with sidequests and adventures into the wilderness offering rewards that go beyond their immediate financial gain. Many of these revolve around the Homestead mechanic, an evolution of the Villa seen in Assassin’s Creed II, which Electronic Theatre will bring you more details on next week.
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