Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
First female-led Assassin's Creed spin-off set in colonial Louisiana.
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, known in Japan as *Assassin's Creed III: Lady Liberty*, is a 2012 action-adventure title from Ubisoft Sofia and published by Ubisoft. A spin-off of *Assassin's Creed III*, it first hit the PlayStation Vita in North America on October 30, 2012, with a global release the next day. The story, set between 1765 and 1777 in French Louisiana, follows Aveline de Grandpré—the series' first female lead—a French Assassin battling Templar influence in New Orleans after the French and Indian War. Players explore an open world from a third-person view, relying on Aveline's combat, stealth, and parkour skills to complete missions.
Critics gave the original Vita version mixed reviews, praising its setting and protagonist but criticizing the narrative's execution, certain gameplay elements, and its spin-off limitations. A fully remade version, *Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD*, launched in January 2014 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows via digital platforms. A remastered version of *Liberation HD* was later bundled into *Assassin's Creed III Remastered* for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in 2019.
**Gameplay**
The game keeps the series' trademark open-world structure while using the Vita's touchscreen, rear touch pad, cameras, and gyroscope. Aveline controls like other Assassin protagonists, with free running, social stealth, and a counter-based combat system. Since it runs on the same engine as *Assassin's Creed III*, many animations are reused, though Aveline has unique moves and can dual-wield weapons like a blowpipe, swords, knives, pistols, and Hidden Blades. New features include a Chain Kill ability for taking out multiple enemies in sequence, a trade system where Aveline manages her father's shipping network, and three personas: the Assassin (strong in combat but easily spotted), the Slave (blends in with crowds or carries crates but has fewer weapons), and the Lady (charms or bribes guards and is detected slowly but cannot free run). The Vita-exclusive multiplayer mode has players tapping map nodes to capture bases and collect supplies using static character portraits, a departure from the series' usual competitive assassination matches.
**Synopsis**
**Setting**
Like *Assassin's Creed III*, this game takes place in 18th-century Colonial America, but focuses on French Louisiana under Spanish rule aft
- Release Year
- 2012
- Developer
- Ubisoft Sofia
- Publisher
- Ubisoft Entertainment
- Platform
- PlayStation Vita (original)
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Protagonist
- Aveline de Grandpré
- Setting
- French Louisiana, 1765–1777
Lore & Background
The game follows Aveline de Grandpré, an Afro-French Assassin, as she fights the Templars in New Orleans and the surrounding bayou from 1765 to 1777. Born to a wealthy French father and an African slave mother, Aveline uses three distinct personas—Assassin, Slave, and Lady—each with unique advantages and disadvantages in combat, stealth, and social interaction. The story incorporates historical figures such as Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie, Antonio de Ulloa, François Mackandal, and Gilbert Antoine de Saint-Maxent.
Reader's Guide
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation received mixed reviews upon its original release, with critics praising its setting and protagonist but criticizing the narrative's execution and certain gameplay aspects, feeling limited by its spin-off status. A fully remade version, Liberation HD, was released in January 2014 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows. A remastered version of Liberation HD was included in Assassin's Creed III Remastered for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in 2019. The game is significant for introducing the series' first female protagonist and for its depiction of historical French Louisiana, a setting rarely explored in video games.
Did You Know?
- The game was released in Japan as Assassin's Creed III: Lady Liberty.
- It is the first Assassin's Creed game to feature a female protagonist.
- The original PlayStation Vita version included a multiplayer component where players tapped nodes on a map to capture bases.
- A remastered version was released as part of Assassin's Creed III Remastered in 2019.
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