Assassin’s Creed 3 on Wii U is ‘a big win’

Assassin's Creed 3 might be best played on the Wii U. According to creative director Alex Hutchinson, the Wii U version is the one to hold out for thanks, in part, to the system's GamePad controller screen.

The Wii U's GamePad tablet controller screen functions as a map and inventory for Assassin's Creed 3, always giving you access to the game's huge map.

“Assassin’s Creed 3 is obviously an open world game and we’re dealing with huge expanses. It’s by far the biggest Assassin’s Creed we’ve built to date so having a map – a larger map – at your disposal at all times is a big win. It allows you to plan your navigation, see when enemies are nearby so the bigger the map, the better in our universe," said Hutchinson in defense of what the Wii U version.

In terms of how the Wii U gameplay experience will trump that of the Xbox 360 and PS3, Hutchinson described just how the Wii U's GamePad can prove useful during combat sequences.

“During combat on the Wii U, you always have access to all your other tools and weapons on the controller itself. So at any point you can very easily switch between your tomahawk and knife or hidden blades and sword without going into a menu," he explained.

Hutchinson added: “We have a new move called the running assassination. You can imagine charging into combat, taking out your first enemy, immediately killing a second with your tomahawk and knife, using a pistol to shoot a third and then switching using the controller to a smoke bomb to affect your escape.”

There's still a few things going against Assassin's Creed 3 and the Wii U, however. For one, a release date and price for the Wii U have yet to be announced, therefore we have no idea when AC3 will be available for it. Another worry is how it'll look and play on the Wii U compared to Xbox 360 or PS3. Many have a fear that the graphics might not be up to par, but I can say, from my own personal experience, that the Wii U version look simply magnificent. Although I didn't get hands-on time with it, it seemed to play fluid as well. From my witnessing of the gameplay, I see no setback in the Wii U version.

Assassin's Creed 3 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC will be releasing on October 30th.

[Official Nintendo Magazine]