38 million worldwide sales later, Ubisoft this week announced (on the anniversary of the Boston Massacre non less) details regarding the latest title in the Assassin’s Creed series and it appears to be the refreshing change fans have been waiting for. One of the best-selling franchises ever, Assassin’s Creed III will see bartender and assassin descendent Desmond Miles once again using the Animus to unlock his ancestral memories and this time, he’s heading to the late 18th Century against the backdrop of the American Revolution.

Spanning from the wild frontier to the busy, thriving colonial towns of Boston and New York, as tempers sour and simmer between the imposing British Monarchy and the 13 American colonies, clearly, AC:III is already shaping up to be the most expansive setting so far; Ubisoft has stated that the game will be bigger than its previous instalments, with the countryside alone being three times bigger than Rome from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood “Whether you’re a longtime fan of Assassin’s Creed or if you’re new to the franchise, you’re going to be blown away by the scale and marvel of Assassin’s Creed III.” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. This new location is home to a brand new Assassin star fighting for liberty, Ratohnaké:ton, the son of a British soldier and Native American mother who thankfully, for the sake of pronunciation and spelling also goes by the name Connor. Donning the familiar Assassin’s white tunic, the trailer clearly shows a Tomahawk with a blade in the shape of the Creed’s logo plus a bow and arrows to be part of his arsenal whilst you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a lot more shooty bang bang gunpower play.

All of the Assassin’s Creed games are set in 2012 which means Desmond’s story should be brought bang up to date. From his initial resistance to being raised as an Assassin by his family from who he fled to New York, to his kidnapping by the modern-day Knights Templars AKA Abstergo Industries pursuing his connection with his deathly skilled relatives via the Animus, the race is now on to secure the fate of mankind, as revealed by “The First Civilisation” a species that dates before humanity existed... Desmond’s final words at the end of last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations was one of the biggest “aw COME ON!?!” inducing cliff-hangers we’d ever heard in a videogame series! Once again, voiced by Mr Nolan North (who will be celebrating his birthday on the day of release), Desmond now has a purpose and in knowing what to do, he may finally find answers to the questions that Altaïr and Ezio, acting as conduits for “The First Civilisation” were posing during the previous games.

So far, the overall story arc has proven to be complex, heavily based in conspiracy theories and near future science fiction technology but with the twist that in order to unlock information, secrets and more story, players have to travel back through time. Guessing the location and time period before each Assassin’s Creed announcement has always been the focus of much fun debate (my money was on the French Revolution whereas many people were guessing Victorian London) but it seems clear now that Ubisoft, after spending three years on this, the biggest project the studio has undertaken to date were thinking long term after all with America the focus and will perhaps mean Desmond has a greater part to play on home soil.

Historically accurate locations and figures, fictionally blended together has always been one of the strengths of the series and AC:III will no doubt feature the bloody and chaotic battles like the Siege of Boston where George Washington’s Continental Army clashed with the British Army and drove them out of the city (though doubt Ubisoft will show George Washington's famous dentures - there is a limit to historical accuracy). Connor is going to have to be at his stealthy, predatory, parkour best as the size of the armies stacks up in their 10,000s! This is going to be one massive game!

Assassin’s Creed III will be released on October 31st, 2012 so for now, check out the announcement trailer: