Assassin's Creed Liberation HD

Adding to my concerns over how a handheld game would translate to its bigger console brothers, I paid particular attention to the presentation. 'Liberation HD' has a leg up on most of its HD remake counterparts in that the game already looks quite good on the PlayStation Vita and is little more than a year old. As opposed to collections from an older console generation, one would expect that the port of 'Assassin's Creed 3 Liberation' would account for a smooth process overall; thankfully my assumptions mostly lived up to my expectations.

The interesting locations of 'Liberation HD' deliver a nice improvement over its original form. The textures and level of detail are all exceptionally rendered – whether during gameplay or more story-driven cut scene. The atmospheric lighting of the Bayou and densely populated and active city life help to further immerse the player into a world of slavery, voodoo, and brutality. I was also excited to see a broader range of animal life when navigating the swamplands, as well as the added feature of dynamic changes in the time of day. They were often subtle but did a wonderful job of helping to further set the tone and mood of a particular assassination or stealth mission.

Graphical improvements represented during the various cut scenes simply cannot go unnoticed. They are highly polished and nicely detailed. While I wouldn't say these improvements are any better than some of the more recent games released on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, they are certainly deserving of recognition. In particular, the attention given to the main playable character, Aveline, was quite impressive. From the slight imperfections on her face – a scar above her lip and the freckles on her nose – to the individual seams of her Lady persona's dress, 'Assassin's Creed Liberation HD' is a treat to play on a large, high-definition TV. However, with that said, the game continues to exhibit frame rate slow down and occasional screen tearing; particularly during combat involving a larger group. It was never enough to prohibit gameplay, but it was both noticeable and frequent.

A period piece like any Assassin's Creed game can be tricky to pull off. While 'Liberation HD' did an exceptional job in convincing me visually that I was adventuring my way across 18th Century New Orleans, a poor accent or misuse of accurate surround sound can quickly tear me out of the experience. Much like the updated video for 'Liberation HD', Ubisoft Sofia did an admirable job of presenting the game with believable characters, action-heavy set pieces, and mysterious locations. Aside from a handful of characters obviously not pulled from the same pool of qualified voice actors, I was generally pleased with the majority of the performances.

I was more impressed with the subtle surround effects 'Liberation HD' presented. Walking among the crowded city streets delivered an array of conversations, arguments, and business operations one would expect to hear – regardless of time period. Working my way across the Bayou as the sun began to set was often a haunting experience. Chirping crickets, squawking birds, and the hiss of a nearby - but unseen - alligator was often enough to set my nerves on edge. 'Liberation HD' makes full use of surround sound in subtle, yet appropriate ways.

Like so many single player games before it, once completed there is little 'Assassin's Creed Liberation HD' has to offer in terms of replay value. As interesting as Avenline's story could have been, short of being a dedicated trophy hunter, expect to look for something new after you've completed the game. Based on the success of 'Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag' it's unlikely the franchise will pull back the reigns on future development efforts. I, for one, am hopeful that they find enough reason to further develop Aveline's character and take her story to the next level.

'Assassin's Creed Liberation HD' is released with additional missions not seen in the PlayStation Vita version. New side missions specific to the individual personas account for 15 new objectives. Having never fully completed the handheld version of the game, it's difficult for me to accurately assess and describe the overall value of this bonus content. Still, I am generally of the opinion that anytime a developer adds new content and includes it with the base game is a good thing. Then again, this may be more a statement on how out of control I feel DLC and season passes have become.

'Assassin's Creed Liberation HD' is different from many of the Assassin's Creed games that came before it in that it is an Abstergo product - the player is playing in the Animus, rather than playing as the typical Assassin through the Animus. It provides a rare, yet incredibly strong female protagonist that has quickly become one of my favorites from the series. She is deadly and determined, wrapped in beauty and grace. Her heritage amid the game's pre-Revolutionary War setting promotes the idea of an incredibly deep character when faced with the tragedies of slavery and you cannot help but root for her throughout her journey. By porting this once Sony PlayStation Vita exclusive to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, Ubisoft Sofia has made her story, her struggle, and her adventure, available to millions of Assassin's Creed fans around the world. Common Assassin's Creed gameplay issues aside, it is a game worth experiencing, regardless of your devotion to the franchise.

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