Assassin's Creed 3 to take place during the American Revolution

Assassin's Creed 3 has been announced in name only. While unconfirmed, a series of leaked images reveal the new setting: the American Revolution.

Andrew Yoon

March 1, 2012 6:30 AM

[UPDATE: Since the time of our initial post, Ubisoft has released the official box-art for Assassin's Creed 3, which confirms that the game will indeed take place during the American Revolution. New image added, at the end of the article.] Assassin's Creed 3 has been announced in name only. Fans have been speculating wildly what the next setting in Ubisoft's stabbing adventures will be. It appears Desmond's final story will take place in America--during the American Revolution. While unconfirmed, a series of leaked images reveal the new setting. This promotional image captured by Kotaku shows an 18th century Assassin in front of ye olde American colonial flag. The site speculates that the character will be half-Native American. More compelling evidence comes via a Game Informer leak. The site accidentally promoted an Assassin's Creed 3 "hub" with the following image:

Whoops.

Given GI's hubs are reserved for their cover stories, it's likely that Game Informer will "reveal" Assassin's Creed 3. (Except for the fact that it already has.) [UPDATE: Here's a close up of the official box art released by Ubisoft after our initial report.]

You say you want a revolution? Well, y'know.

Assassin's Creed 3 will be available this October.

Andrew Yoon

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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March 1, 2012 6:30 AM

Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Assassin's Creed 3 to take place during the American Revolution.

Assassin's Creed 3 has been announced in name only. While unconfirmed, a series of leaked images reveal the new setting: the American Revolution.
- mwasher
  
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  March 1, 2012 6:32 AM
  
  yawnnnnnn
- baron calamity
  
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  March 1, 2012 6:39 AM
  
  I'm on board now. Love concept. Guess i better play all the other AC games I have in my steam backlog.
- snubble100
  
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  March 1, 2012 6:43 AM
  
  Which of the founding fathers will Ubisoft turn into secret Templar Agents?
  
  I'm personally hoping for Alexander Hamilton.
  - dirge23
    
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    March 1, 2012 6:51 AM
    
    Thomas Paine is an Assassin, i reckon.
    - OzzieMejia
      
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      March 1, 2012 11:52 AM
      
      That's a very safe bet. Given that Paine and Franklin were both deists, it's easy to assume that they'll be on the Assassins' side.
  - OzzieMejia
    
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    March 1, 2012 11:55 AM
    
    Can't see the founding fathers being Templars. I'd imagine they'd make the British into Templars in this instance.
    
    As far as familiar names, you'd almost have to believe Benedict Arnold's a Templar.
    - dirge23
      
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      March 1, 2012 12:16 PM
      
      hey, they made the pope a templar and nobody got into a twist.
      - Conan
        
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        March 1, 2012 12:23 PM
        
        I still love that a major triple A game ended with getting into a fistfight with the pope.
        
        I'm surprised they went for it even though the real Borgia was enough of a bastard that really no one should take issue.
        
        dirge23
        
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        March 1, 2012 12:43 PM
        
        yeah, i am surprised this didn't make fox news or something.
      - OzzieMejia
        
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        March 1, 2012 12:29 PM
        
        Well...the pope they chose to make a Templar was Alexander VI (a.k.a. Rodrigo Borgia) and he didn't leave the best of legacies.
        
        http://www.penitents.org/AlexVI.htm
  - Iazu
    
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    March 1, 2012 1:39 PM
    
    Didn't they already implicate George Washington in AC2 or ASSBRO?
    - dirge23
      
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      March 1, 2012 2:01 PM
      
      ahh, yeah, forgot about that. he had one of the apples
      - Donborvio
        
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        March 1, 2012 3:59 PM
        
        Just look at a list of Founding Fathers that were Freemasons - pretty easy to pull from.
        
        James Madison (Templar) vs Thomas Jefferson (Assassin) would be the obvious twist I can think of...
  - Vorlonesque
    
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    March 2, 2012 10:43 AM
    
    Hamilton was kind of an asshole...but a glorious asshole!
- Sexpansion Pack
  
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  March 1, 2012 6:43 AM
  
  Awesome choice. I love it.
- dirge23
  
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  March 1, 2012 6:50 AM
  
  you know the DLC is going to take it into the French Revolution, too.
- [deleted] 265451412
  
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  March 1, 2012 7:14 AM
  
  [deleted]
  - dirge23
    
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    March 1, 2012 7:18 AM
    
    hahahaha yesssssssssss. needs eagle vision bifocals.
- ramshot
  
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  March 1, 2012 7:15 AM
  
  This is a time period that I haven't played much games placed in. Not an especially interesting one for me, but just because it's not been done to death, I'm excited.
- MatthewPhillips
  
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  March 1, 2012 7:32 AM
  
  Love it! Expect more from the Tower Defense minigame, and ship-to-ship warfare.
  
  http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-american-revolution-vue-de-boston-everett.html
  
  It's too bad all of the women of the time were hosebeasts:
  http://www.google.ca/search?q=american+revolutionary+women&tbm=isch&source=og&biw=1504&bih=800&sei=e5ZPT-DVOMPiiAKk7M20Bg
  - dirge23
    
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    March 1, 2012 7:34 AM
    
    i better be able to bang Sally Hemings
  - Iazu
    
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    March 1, 2012 1:42 PM
    
    That didn't stop them with Lucrecia from ASSBRO
    
    Real
    http://www.notablebiographies.com/images/uewb_02_img0101.jpg
    
    AC
    http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-16/art/acb-lucrezia-borgia.jphttp://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-16/art/acb-lucrezia-borgia.jpg
    - Iazu
      
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      March 1, 2012 1:44 PM
      
      2nd link's busted, here's a good one
      http://images.wikia.com/assassinscreed/images/4/4e/Lucrezia.png
      - MatthewPhillips
        
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        March 2, 2012 3:24 AM
        
        Haha WOW
- Gwyndion
  
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  March 1, 2012 7:50 AM
  
  I've always thought that early American time... Colonial etc.. is a time period which games (or even movies) rarely touch on. There must be room there for some very interesting settings and stories.
  - dirge23
    
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    March 1, 2012 7:52 AM
    
    that's definitely one of the best things about the AC series, the unique historical settings. not a lot of games set in the crusades or the renaissance or the american revolution, for sure.
    - Gwyndion
      
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      March 1, 2012 8:36 AM
      
      Yup, and it ended up being extremely cool. I loved just looking over Damascus etc and seeing these old cities somewhat the way they used to look... that is a very cool part of these games for me.
- [deleted] 39885873
  
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  March 1, 2012 7:57 AM
  
  [deleted]
- Downforce
  
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  March 1, 2012 7:59 AM
  
  sounds good. where religious freedom went to expand... and religious control of course followed.
  
  pretty sure they hid some pieces of eden here so that should be interesting.
  
  what I really want to know is if we get a european main character or someone from this side of the pond...
- Godhatesfatpeople
  
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  March 1, 2012 8:22 AM
  
  White Guilt: The Game
  - Rauol Duke
    
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    March 1, 2012 8:23 AM
    
    The end boss is a blanket with smallpox.
    - Godhatesfatpeople
      
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      March 1, 2012 8:26 AM
      
      It's the "N-Word" and you have to kill it by getting angry about it. Like really angry.
      - Rauol Duke
        
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        March 1, 2012 8:31 AM
        
        The bad ending has it raining during your symbolic funeral where they bury the word in a KISS casket.
  - [deleted] 39885873
    
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    March 1, 2012 8:26 AM
    
    [deleted]
    - LoioshDwaggie
      
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      March 1, 2012 8:40 AM
      
      Hahahah
    - GreggD
      
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      March 1, 2012 12:56 PM
      
      Different war, same guilt.
    - Sailor of Fortune
      
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      March 1, 2012 3:12 PM
      
      It was the Origins of White Guilt
- Jobos
  
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  March 1, 2012 8:28 AM
  
  I wonder how they'll handle the costume design. It's one thing to portray clothing of the Dark Ages or Renaissance, but we have a firm grasp on the 17th century. A man running around Philadelphia in a white cloak with daggers bristling all over him would certainly be conspicuous.
  - mopic42
    
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    March 1, 2012 9:07 AM
    
    Tri-corner hats and long blue capes FTW.
    
    For a cool concept of what this might look like, check out Brotherhood of the Wolf. For example, 0:17 in this trailer:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSjvrlDxlaQ
    - [deleted] 39885873
      
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      March 1, 2012 9:12 AM
      
      [deleted]
    - jake
      
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      March 1, 2012 9:39 AM
      
      I thought for sure the sone was going to turn into this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pCv7k_Hzvg
      
      Which makes me want to go watch LofM again.
    - waxthirteen
      
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      March 1, 2012 12:59 PM
      
      i loved that fight scene so much.
    - bolneze
      
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      March 1, 2012 2:00 PM
      
      haha whoa old school
  - thebigbeefsandwich
    
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    March 1, 2012 9:54 AM
    
    Fable style I guess. It's weird they're promo'ng a dude in that out of place costume though. No way he could be hidden in that.
    - dirge23
      
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      March 1, 2012 1:11 PM
      
      it was always pretty absurdly conspicuous anyway. like Agent 47's bald-head-with-barcode
  - bolneze
    
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    March 1, 2012 2:02 PM
    
    yeah the guy looks weird with the backdrop
  - ghostdad
    
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    March 1, 2012 6:04 PM
    
    18th century.
    - Jobos
      
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      March 7, 2012 8:56 AM
      
      Oh, right. I meant the "1700's"
- Jobos
  
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  March 1, 2012 8:33 AM
  
  That Game Informer banner is entitled, "Smell My Finger, George."
- hijacker02
  
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  March 1, 2012 9:16 AM
  
  WTF AMERICAN REVOLUTION????!!!!??!?!?!
  So does that mean there'll be guns (muskets being used) and a Assassins Creed 4 then???
  Cuz it feels like there making the game from a history textbook
  - [deleted] 39885873
    
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    March 1, 2012 9:19 AM
    
    [deleted]
  - snot3353
    
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    March 1, 2012 12:31 PM
    
    The last few games had both guns and crossbows.
  - Sailor of Fortune
    
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    March 1, 2012 3:13 PM
    
    Have you even played any of the games?
    - hijacker02
      
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      March 2, 2012 10:35 AM
      
      Guy I have all of them (games)
- MatthewPhillips
  
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  March 1, 2012 9:34 AM
  
  They just debuted the box art:
  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150594293448068.391304.6119163067&type=1
- at0micgarden
  
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  March 1, 2012 9:37 AM
  
  This is awesome, there aren't enough games set in this period.
- Trips
  
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  March 1, 2012 9:47 AM
  
  I think the potential for this time period is huge.
- Jumperus
  
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  March 1, 2012 10:01 AM
  
  Awesome, I was hoping for this. Hopefully it also means you travel to multiple cities, unlike the last 2 games.
  
  The prevalence of firearms in that era might make gameplay problematic, though. Wonder what they're planning to do about that.
- akiratea
  
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  March 1, 2012 10:24 AM
  
  I guess Benjamin Franklin is replacing Leonardo Da Vinci as the inventor.
  The Freemasons are with the Assassins...?
  - Conan
    
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    March 1, 2012 11:58 AM
    
    Unless they want to risk pissing off people they'll have to be with the assasins, given how many founding fathers were associated with them.
    - Conan
      
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      March 1, 2012 11:59 AM
      
      Then again, they've been willing to make figures like Roosevelt and the current Chief Justice Templar collaborators, so I wouldn't necessarily put it past them.
- [deleted] 1789559702
  
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  March 1, 2012 12:25 PM
  
  [deleted]
  - dirge23
    
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    March 1, 2012 12:43 PM
    
    if it's anything like the previous games, the protagonist of AC3 will survive into that time period in succeeding games/DLC.
- [deleted] 1750374658
  
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  March 1, 2012 12:34 PM
  
  [deleted]
- wvuong
  
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  March 1, 2012 1:03 PM
  
  colonial philadelphia? that would be a trip.
- dirge23
  
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  March 1, 2012 1:10 PM
  
  a friend of mine pointed out that there weren't a lot of tall buildings to climb on in colonial america.
  - MaxPete82
    
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    March 1, 2012 1:13 PM
    
    Personally I was hoping for late 19th/early 20th century New York. Got some sorta tall buildings and some cool history.
  - byorn
    
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    March 1, 2012 1:15 PM
    
    Maybe they will have you climbing trees.
    - dirge23
      
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      March 1, 2012 1:18 PM
      
      that would be pretty awesome.
    - at0micgarden
      
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      March 1, 2012 1:42 PM
      
      Mario 64 already did it.
  - Downforce
    
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    March 1, 2012 1:40 PM
    
    we're going underground, brosef. assrev showed us templars will hollow out a mountain. :D
    - thebigbeefsandwich
      
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      March 1, 2012 2:30 PM
      
      is AC3 going to make any sense if we just played AC2 and skipped the side games? I really didn't feel drawn to playing them.
      - dirge23
        
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        March 1, 2012 2:34 PM
        
        probably not. ASSBRO and ASSREV directly continue the storyline. i haven't finished REV yet but ASSBRO certainly moves the story along a lot.
        
        Downforce
        
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        March 1, 2012 2:35 PM
        
        there is a risk we're about to jump the shark with AC3. but it's been a really good run.
        
        dirge23
        
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        March 1, 2012 2:39 PM
        
        totally. i liked AC2 and ASSBRO so much i don't know how they'll match it. that's most of why i haven't played REV yet, because i know it doesn't really measure up (even though i'm sure it's pretty good)
        
        supaLink
        
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        March 1, 2012 3:04 PM
        
        Rev's alright, the introduction of tower defense (optional) and a single smaller city to play by don't really change much of the core gameplay. Play it more for the story and to go on killing sprees with some of the newer animations.
      - invisible_kid
        
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        March 1, 2012 6:42 PM
        
        I thought the plot of these games is you are some dude from the future playing a VR game in a lab where you jump off buildings and kill people. What's the plot in that? But I only played half of the first one.
    - mopic42
      
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      March 2, 2012 8:50 AM
      
      So did National Treasure... I bet there's going to be some homages to those movies in the game.
  - node
    
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    March 1, 2012 2:04 PM
    
    Yup, I wondered this too.
  - OzzieMejia
    
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    March 1, 2012 2:17 PM
    
    Climbing the Liberty Bell would be the money shot.
  - [deleted] 1269966748
    
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    March 1, 2012 3:38 PM
    
    [deleted]
  - Home Nugget
    
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    March 1, 2012 4:51 PM
    
    True, but there were lots of tall trees!
  - ghostdad
    
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    March 1, 2012 6:17 PM
    
    Maybe big naval battles with lots of rigging and shit to climb?
- bolneze
  
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  March 1, 2012 2:04 PM
  
  i only finished 1 - the games looks cool but theyre kinda boring to actually play
  - node
    
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    March 1, 2012 2:05 PM
    
    The mistake you made was finishing the shit one. 2 and AssBro are awesome. Rev, not great but still way better than 1.
    - bolneze
      
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      March 1, 2012 3:18 PM
      
      i also tried the one with Ezio and the "its a me Mario" line but didnt finish it
  - [deleted] 1789559702
    
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    March 1, 2012 2:10 PM
    
    [deleted]
  - Downforce
    
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    March 1, 2012 2:12 PM
    
    ass2 and assbro are incredibly good games. gamer card material in my opinion.
  - Donborvio
    
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    March 1, 2012 4:05 PM
    
    Yeah, 1 was like "proof-of-concept" almost. A prologue. Play AC2 and AssBro and you should be pleasantly surprised!
- thetangent
  
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  March 1, 2012 2:43 PM
  
  AWESOME! :D
- Damann66
  
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  March 1, 2012 2:44 PM
  
  love the john lennon reference on the pic!
- peanut-
  
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  March 1, 2012 4:12 PM
  
  I was hoping for London. It's hard to imagine how they're going to make this work.
  - node
    
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    March 1, 2012 5:03 PM
    
    I would love that team to make Victorian London. Shame all we've got so far with a sandbox London is The Getaway.
    - Vorlonesque
      
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      March 2, 2012 10:45 AM
      
      Victorian London with Jack the Ripper could be fucking amazing...that should be the next one maybe!
- thejm4n
  
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  March 1, 2012 5:26 PM
  
  Sigh, enough AssCreed. Splinter Cell info please.
- [deleted] 744961335
  
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  March 1, 2012 10:27 PM
  
  [deleted]
- BillPaxtonator
  
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  March 2, 2012 10:22 AM
  
  so will this be more or less historically accurate than "The Patriot "?
  
  at the very least can Francis Marion be a Templar? since well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Marion#Legends_and_modern_opinions_about_Marion