AC3: The Betrayal is the second episode in the Tyranny of King George Washington DLC and continues the story immediately following the conclusion of episode one with Connor a prisoner in Boston. Israel Putnam is eager to show George Washington, along with Benjamin Franklin, the prisoner he captured because this particular prisoner survived a direct hit from Washington’s scepter. Even Washington is fascinated by this development but only long enough to demand Connor be hung along with Ben Franklin’s prisoner and random citizens. In case it wasn’t clear in the first episode that Washington was a brutal tyrant his command to execute random citizens just because was enough to make even Ben Franklin hesitate. As a result, Washington feels Ben Franklin has gone soft and makes a private promise to Putnam to give him Franklin’s position and Putnam sets in motion his plan to achieve this and also crush the rebellion. Everything seems just about right for you as Connor to get Ben Franklin to help you as stated at the end of episode one.

GAMEPLAY

AC3: The Betrayal takes the new gameplay mechanics from episode one and improves on them in every way. You have to escape from the prison cell by using the wolf cloak and tricking the prison guards into believing the cell is empty and this sends the message that the spirit powers will be very important in this episode again. But it’s not just the same spirit powers from episode 1, you’ll get an additional power and it’s an incredible amount of fun. (It also changes what has been a staple in all of the Assassin’s Creed games and I’ll get to more of that in a moment.) It’s tied in perfectly with the story too. Connor recognizes that even with his new spirit powers he was captured and wouldn’t be able to defeat Washington like that. And instead of letting Kanen’tó:kon, who was the other prisoner, drink from Red Willow since it comes with dangerous side effects, Connor drinks from it again. Just like the old saying with great power comes…great side effects. Connor is told that every spirit journey comes with the possibility of meeting another spirit animal and in this journey Connor meets a great eagle. And he gains Eagle Flight and Eagle Assassinations and yeah they’re as cool as they sound.

Eagle Flight allows Connor to travel distances by transforming into a spirit eagle and flying. Yes flying and it’s undetectable. You can string together flights by using it again before you land. So you can basically traverse Boston without using the traditional means of climbing and jumping. Climbing buildings and other structures has been a game play staple since the first game and climbing trees was added in AC3. You can skip all of that by using Eagle Flight. Of course you still need to climb and jump at times but this ability is so dope I’m sure it’ll become your favorite way to get around too. Naturally since you can fly as a spirit eagle you can assassinate as a spirit eagle as well and that’s Eagle Assassination. You target an enemy and then swoop down and take him out with your blade. Two hidden blades mean you can take out two enemies in close proximity of each other. Using this ability does take some health but it’s so small that you won’t even notice it by the time you land. And you can assign these abilities to the quick buttons to use them and switch with ease. All of this adds a new and exciting element to navigating the map and combat options.

The new gameplay elements were great but it would’ve felt wasted if the story was weak so I’m glad I can say that the story in episode 2 was very captivating and alot more than the first episode. Boston was a much better setting than the Frontier for a story-driven episode. For example, instead of having to navigate a relatively large but empty map to get from one sequence to another, the majority of sequences started at the same location. Another advantage was this episode didn’t have to spend time establishing the fact it was taking place in an alternate reality and could focus on the events taking place in that reality. I’m not going to give any spoilers but it’s very interesting to see the schemes of people who were once your ally unfold because of the mind control connected to George Washington’s scepter. And my stance regarding Connor’s portrayal in the main campaign has been much better in this DLC. It’s not just his new abilities connected to his tribe but also decisions and reactions to the events that occur.  This episode doesn’t address how this alternate reality occurred in the first place and I’m assuming that big reveal is preserved for the final episode.

This episode was also more polished than the first one and in all my time of playing it I only encountered one minor glitch with my wolf pack. Since I mentioned the glitches in the first episode it’s only right I point out I didn’t encounter the same glitches in this one. There still isn’t much incentive to explore the map even though there are treasures and memories scattered around. Fighting through 10 guards to open a treasure that could end up yielding nothing because you have the maximum amount of cartridges or arrows is only for those who enjoy alot of combat or just want to acquire everything. Some of the treasures can yield really good upgrades but the main story is the gem in this episode.

SUMMARY

AC3: The Betrayal is a great follow-up to episode 1 in the Tyranny of King George DLC. It’s also one of the best story-driven DLCs I’ve played. The new abilities, compelling story that maximized the use of those abilities and the portrayal of Connor makes this episode a must buy for all fans of Assassin’s Creed 3. I enjoyed the first episode but I was skeptical of how the entire DLC would rank due to the glitches, lack of explanation and missions that seemed to require chasing after another character. However this episode was memorable in so many ways and the missions were more enjoyable and had a better variety. And it sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation with George Washington in the final episode with a much better prepared Connor. Eagle Flight and Assassination are the type of abilities that are so much fun you use them even when you’re not on any missions. And that’s fitting because this episode soared above other story-driven DLCs and was able to hit its mark with incredible precision.