The frame-rate no longer crumbles as the action heats up, and Aveline spends less time getting stuck in the scenery. ![]() It’s not just a visual thing, though refined character models, new textures, proper facial animation systems and new particle and lighting systems make Liberation HD a closer match to Assassin’s Creed 3, though not up to the exceptional standards of AC4: Black Flag. Most importantly, the remake no longer seems to struggle with the limitations of the platform. Sequences have been skipped or adjusted here and there to up the pace, and some of the more annoying, gimmicky features of the Vita version have been excised or replaced, so there’s none of the envelope opening, lens-focusing, screen-tapping nonsense that occasionally spoilt the flow. Liberation HD also benefits from some clever trimming from the original. Sure there are optional side-quests, a simple trading sub-game and various bonus items to discover, steal or collect, but the focus of the game is very much on free-running exploration, stealth and the careful slaying of deserving parties. One of the reasons why Liberation HD works is that it’s a stripped-back Assassin’s Creed, freed from all the ballast and baggage – all the endless economies and systems – that have been bolted onto the franchise over the last five years. In short, it’s a classic pulp-fiction ripping yarn, but one that’s not nearly as self-consciously epic or ponderous as the Revolution narrative of Assassin’s Creed III, and Aveline makes a likable, spritely heroine with a clear sense of right and wrong. It’s a struggle that will take her through daring rescues, bold assassinations and trips to the bayou, Mexico and the wild frontier, and one that sees her learning the truth about herself and those she holds dear. For once we have a heroine, Aveline de Grandpre, who leads a double-life, on the surface the spoilt mixed-race daughter of a wealthy French merchant in 1760s New Orleans, but underneath a crusading Assassin, battling against slavery, colonial tyranny and the Templars. Liberation HD also has two other things going for it: a simple but satisfying plot, and a protagonist you can actually root for. It keeps all the modern day framework stuff to a minimum, takes a lighter approach, and has a similar focus on ancient Mayan ruins and conflicts with a predominantly Spanish ruling class. Yet, coming to it fresh from Assassin’s Creed 4, Liberation HD seems like a stepping stone between ACIII and its pirate-themed sequel. The Vita original was released to tie-in with Assassin’s Creed III, with the same colonial American setting and roughly the same period – and even a guest appearance from a well-known member of the cast. The good news with Liberation HD is that it’s mostly a case of the former. Others merely expose the limitations of the original, proving that on a big console with a big screen it just can’t cut the mustard. ![]() Some, give the game the extra space it needs to shine, removing hardware constraints and improving the action in a range of subtle ways. Now, whether they’re reworking an old console game or making a handheld game available on other platforms, these HD remakes tend to go down in one of two ways. Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD sees 2012’s PlayStation Vita game remade for PC and last-gen consoles, with a few adjustments to the gameplay and some fairly serious graphical enhancements.
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