Alongside the release of Assassin’s Creed III came Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, which is more commonly referred to as Assassin’s Creed Liberation. This game was unique because it was released exclusively on the PlayStation Vita when it first came out, making it its original platform and hardware. This makes revisiting Liberation interesting because while it’s available on other platforms, looking back at the game as it was initially intended to be played is also beneficial. Let’s go back to Assassin’s Creed Liberation.
Assassin’s Creed Liberation
Like most Assassin’s Creed games, Liberation is set within real-world events. The game is set in Louisiana during the 18th century, and we’re following Aveline de Grandpré, a young biracial woman whose mother was enslaved. While she goes about her life during the day, passing and being a noble, she goes out at night to liberate the enslaved. Aveline was raised in a wealthy environment, mainly by her stepmother, Madeleine, as her mother disappeared when she was a child.
Mentor Agaté
At a young age, Aveline met a Master Assassin, Mentor Agaté, and was taken into the Brotherhood. She used her skills as an Assassin for good by freeing the enslaved people wherever possible. Both she and Agate shared this desire. She spent her time freeing enslaved people and carrying out the will of the Assassins, including fighting the rise of the Templars in New Orleans. This rise was primarily due to a mysterious figure, The Company Man, whom Aveline later discovered was her stepmother.
Madeleine eventually offered Aveline a place within the Templar. Aveline could trick her stepmother, making her think she would betray the Brotherhood and join the Templars. Instead, Aveline killed Madeleine and the rest of the Templars who were in New Orleans, freeing the city of their influence. The game lived up to its name, Liberation, in more ways than one.
PlayStation Vita vs. Other Platforms
Assassin’s Creed Liberation was released as a PlayStation Vita exclusive and released on other consoles years later. Many were excited by the prospect of playing a full-length Assassin’s Creed game on a portable device. The game was well received; IGN initially gave it a 7.2/10, reviewing the Vita version. “When it comes to looks, Assassin’s Creed Liberation alternates between looking stunning and substandard,” the review said. It continued by talking about the framerates of Liberation, “Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation struggles with framerate issues from start to finish. Sometimes, it feels like Aveline is running a bit slower than she should be, and other times, she’ll practically teleport from place to place as the game catches up with her.”
This is still true today. Assassin’s Creed Liberation has two updated versions: an HD one released in 2014 for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 and a remastered version attached to the remastered version of Assassin’s Creed III in 2019. That version was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. Both versions address the framerate issue, which is highly prevalent in the Vita version. When playing the Vita version of Liberation, you get a feeling of novelty, playing it on original hardware. But once that feeling wears off, you’re left to deal with a character that feels like she’s moving incredibly slowly.
Differences
The beginning scene of the game differs between the three versions, with the remastered being the best version. Not only does it visually look better, but it’s a much smoother playing experience, even on the Switch, which is a statement. Small details like Aveline’s skin tone and facial features were fixed and enhanced.
In the beginning sequence of the game, when you’re fighting for the first time, the Vita version only has you non-lethally beat up your adversaries, whereas the HD and remastered versions have you kill them as an Assassin would. Playing Assassin’s Creed Liberation would be a pleasant experience if you already have a Vita. However, it’s certainly not an experience to track down a Vita, especially if you already have the remastered version of it in your game library.
Final Thoughts
Assassin’s Creed Liberation is an addition to the Creed franchise that is rarely spoken about. Between its powerful plot and PS Vita exclusivity, one would think that it would stick in the hearts and minds of players more. Nonetheless, Assassin’s Creed Liberation was a great companion to Assassin’s Creed III, seeing the other side of the time that Haytham Kenway lived in while working as a Templar. While we wait for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, this is an incredible franchise installment to revisit when you’re doing your playthroughs.
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