[***Please Note*** This review is actually for Liberation HD on PS3, not the original Vita release. My understanding is that the HD version has some subtle graphical upgrades, and alters a few game play elements involving touch-screen/touch-pad mechanics in favor of a standard console controller. It seems like there is no stand alone listing for Liberation HD on Amazon, probably because it's DLC.]
I didn't think much of the recent AC movie trailer, but apparently it did put me in the mood to play some AC. I've replayed AC1, 2, Brotherhood and Revelations to death over the years, not sure when I'll be ready to replay any of them again. I've played AC3 twice but will probably never play it again; I eventually got over how disappointing it was when it first released, and was able to enjoy it more the second time around, but I still rank it as one of the worst in the series. I loved Syndicate, but that was only a few months ago and I really gorged on it; won't be ready to replay it for good long while yet. Shortly after wrapping up Syndicate late last year, I replayed Unity, which I happen to think is one of the better games in the series and was unjustly maligned. I was never interested in Rogue and vowed to never play it unless they release a PS4 version. So the only option seemed to be AC4 Black Flag, which I personally rank low in the series (which is part of the reason I was never interested in Rogue.) Swapping out the iconic huge cities in exchange for the open sea dotted with tiny island villages and a small version of Havana wasn't a good trade in my eyes, and I don't have a pirate fetish. I thought I'd never play it a second time, but that was the game I settled on. A few days later, I'd beaten it again. Then I decided to finally play the Freedom Cry DLC for AC4, which was good but only lasted a few hours. I still needed more! I briefly considered Rogue, but I decided to stick to my resolve to only play that if Ubisoft ever does the right thing and releases a current gen upgrade for it, same as they did for AC4. Then I remembered AC3 Liberation, and watched a few snippets on youtube. Then I booted up my PS3 and bought the HD version via PSN.
I never considered playing Liberation before, I never really even looked at previews. One of my pet peeves is when one of my beloved console franchises gets ground into hamburger so it can be shoehorned onto a handheld, various AC games on DS and PSP (and MGS Peace Walker) being perfect examples. If I'd had more positive feelings towards AC3 when played it in Nov 2012, I might have been more interested in Liberation. But AC3 left such a bad taste in my mouth that it put me off the series for a while. It's another reason why I wasn't enthused about Black Flag. Anyway, the point is that I went into Liberation with very low expectations, and as a result I was pleasantly surprised that it's actually a solid game.
The first surprise was that, unlike Peace Walker HD, it looks and feels like a proper console game, more or less. The scale isn't quite as majestic, but close enough. Early on I was somewhat annoyed by the game's one unique gimmick- the character you play as must adopt one of three "Personas"; Assassin, Slave, or Lady. You're free to switch between them any time you access a changing room. The Assassin can use all weapons/tools/abilities, but their notoriety can never be lower than 25%, and it doesn't take much to increase it. If a guard sees you so much as hop over a fence, it will go up. The Slave can have zero notoriety and can free run, but again gains notoriety easily and can only use certain tools and weapons. The Lady has no free running or climbing ability, but aside from that is free to go virtually anywhere she wants; she can bribe guards to let her pass, and she can charm victims in order to lure them into a secluded area and kill them with no witnesses; however she can only use an extremely limited set of weapons and tools. It was annoying at first because I felt constrained, especially if I was stuck in a persona that didn't suit what I wanted to do. However this became less of an issue as I progressed and unlocked more and more "changing rooms" around the city. Most of the story takes place in New Orleans, with occasional jaunts to the swamps of the Bayou, some Mayan ruins in Mexico, and a brief visit to a certain northern snowy location where you meet up with a surprise guest star for one mission. New Orleans feels similar to Boston in AC3, if a bit smaller and simplified. New game play elements include using a bullwhip as a sub-weapon and as a parkour tool a la Indiana Jones, rowing around in a canoe, and... uh... there's probably a couple more things worth mentioning, but they're not coming to mind. The final set piece in the game is an all too brief parkour extravaganza taking place in a very cool surreal glitching Animus environment. It was very fun, a great bit of eye candy, and I wish it was something that had recurred during the game. A missed opportunity.
The biggest flaw here is the writing. AC games tend to shine in that area, but this one is a low point. Aveline is already an Assassin at the beginning of the story and they never explain how or when she joined the brotherhood. (She actually refers to herself as a "brother" at one point, which I thought was cool.) Some of the plot twists are cliche and overwrought, even for an AC game. I rolled my eyes on more than one occasion and laughed out loud at what was supposed to be one of the story's most emotional crescendos. Quips that are meant to come off as clever and wry fall flat on their face. Most of the voice acting is at least decent, but sometimes it's terrible. These things occasionally happen in AC games, but Liberation is practically a showcase for them.
If I had played Liberation in 2012, I'm sure I would have hated it. Playing it years after the fact with low expectations was surely the key to enjoying it.
EDIT: Since I have a Vita that's been collecting dust for literally years, I decided it'd be a lark to go ahead and play the original Liberation so I picked up a copy on the cheap. It'll be a while before I'm ready to play through the whole thing again, but I did the first few missions just to check it out. Suffice it to say, Liberation HD runs and plays much better. Duh.
Graham Swearingen
Alpha Papa
D. K. Malone