Despite appearing as the third game in the series, Assassin's Creed III is actually the fifth major release and a direct sequel to Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
Assassin's Creed III is set between 1753 and 1783, around the time of the American Revolution. A new main character is introduced - ConnorKenway (or Ratonhnhak:ton in Mohawk Native American) and a new game engine has been developed, which, unfortunately, isn't quite as revolutionary as the game's historical setting.
For the most part, the game is Assassin's Creed through and through. Missions where you are forced to go and kill someone, stealth sections and some forgettable chase sections all seem like chores you're forced to endure to get to the enjoyable stuff.
Which brings me to exactly that - there's a couple of gameplay features that make the game worthy of a purchase by themselves. The first is when Connor is at his "base", the Davenport Homestead. You can spend a lot of time here building a tight community, building relationships with non-playable characters and even running a market store. Recipes and resources for crafting can be found and sold as can skins from animals you can hunt for. It's a nice addition for RPG/Simulation fans.
Perhaps the most enjoyable element of the game is the sea-based action. These naval expeditions are a delight to play as your ship's movement is governed by wind direction, speed and other factors. There's ship-to-ship combat and various side missions.
