Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington

Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Composer(s)	Lorne Balfe
Series	Assassin's Creed
Engine	AnvilNext
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Wii U Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One Nintendo Switch
Release	The Infamy PlayStation 3,Xbox 360,Microsoft Windows WW:February 20, 2013 Wii U WW:February 21, 2013 The Betrayal PlayStation 3,Xbox 360,Microsoft Windows WW:March 20, 2013 Wii U WW:March 27, 2013 The Redemption PlayStation 3,Xbox 360,Microsoft Windows WW:April 23, 2013 Wii U WW:April 27, 2013 Remastered PlayStation 4,Xbox One WW:March 29, 2019 Nintendo Switch WW:May 22, 2019
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washingtonis adownloadable content(DLC)expansion packdeveloped and published byUbisoftfor the 2012action-adventurevideo gameAssassin's Creed III.Set after the events of the base game, it follows its main playable character,Ratonhnhaké:ton / Connor,as he awakens in what appears to be an alternate reality where the game's events involving him have never happened. He is tasked to find and defeat a fictionalized version ofGeorge Washington,who is empowered but mentally corrupted by an otherworldly artifact. After crowning himself King of the newly-foundedUnited States of America,Washington began to enslave the population of theAmerican frontierand massacre those who resist his tyranny. Connor gains new mystical abilities over the course of the pack's narrative as he attempts to stop Washington and return to his original timeline.

The Tyranny of King Washingtonis the first major post-launch DLC pack forAssassin's Creed III.It consists of three episodes:The Infamy,The BetrayalandThe Redemption,which were released periodically from February to April 2013 on various platforms. All three episodes are included as part of a 2019 compilation titledAssassin's Creed III Remastered,which collects remastered versions ofAssassin's Creed IIIand all related content. Each of the DLC episodes were met with mixed reviews fromvideo game publications.

Gameplay

See also:Gameplay of Assassin's Creed III

The Tyranny of King Washingtonis adownloadable content(DLC) pack for the 2012 video gameAssassin's Creed III.It consists of a single-player narrative campaign which is separated into three episodic installments.Players assume the role ofRatonhnhaké:ton(also known by his adopted English name, Connor), a half-British, half-Mohawkmember of the Brotherhood of Assassins. While the DLC features a continuation of the gameplay elements from the base game, Connor never had the opportunity to become an Assassin in this continuity. Instead, he gains new mystical powers in each episodic installment which are themed after his Mohawk cultural heritage: the "Power of the Wolf" for stealth, allowing Connor to temporarily turn invisible; the "Power of the Eagle" for speed, which allows him to turn into an eagle for short flights; and the "Power of the Bear" for strength, which produces a devastating shockwave to knock back all nearby enemies. Connor also has access to a fourth ability called "Alpha of the Pack" which summons astral wolves to assist in battle.

Plot

Some time after the events ofAssassin's Creed IIIand the end of theRevolutionary War,George Washingtonsecretly meets withConnor,telling him of dreams he has received from an Apple of Eden he had seized. Concerned, Connor attempts to take the Apple from Washington, but is transported into analternate timeline,created by Washington's nightmares. In this reality, Connor never became an Assassin, his motherKaniehti:iois still alive, his fatherHaytham Kenwaydied years ago, and Washington, corrupted by the Apple's power, has crowned himself the "Mad King" of theUnited States.

After Kaniehti:io tried and failed to steal Washington's source of power—a Scepter with the Apple at the top—a furious Washington has mobilized his army to eliminate her and Connor's tribe. In desperation, the tribe's Clan Mother brews the Tea of the Great Willow, which can grant great physical abilities with crippling side effects. However, Kaniehti:io forbids Connor from drinking the Tea and instead gifts him Haytham's old Hidden Blades. When Washington's army attacks, most of the tribe, including Kaniehti:io, is killed, while Connor is gunned down by Washington himself after being overpowered by his Scepter. After being nursed back to health by the Clan Mother, Connor reluctantly brews and drinks the Tea at her insistence, gaining the power to turn invisible and summon spectral wolves. The Clan Mother is later killed in a raid led by GeneralBenedict Arnold,leading Connor to kill him. With his dying breath, Arnold reveals that he had been mind controlled by Washington, and directs Connor to seekBenjamin Franklin.

Connor is captured by GeneralIsrael Putnamand taken toBostonto be executed, but manages to escape. In the process, he is reunited with his childhood friend Kanen'tó:kon, who is part of a resistance group led bySamuel Adams.After Kanen'tó:kon reveals that drinking more of the Tea can grant additional powers, Connor does so, gaining the ability to transform into an eagle. He then tracks down Franklin and frees him from Washington's control, whereupon Franklin agrees to help defeat Washington. However, Putnam's forces ambush and kill Adams and most of his rebels. With no other choice, Connor and Franklin seize a ship to escape Boston. Putnam arrives, holding Kanen'tó:kon hostage, but Connor kills him and rescues his friend. Connor, Franklin, and Kanen'tó:kon then set sail toNew York,where Washington is building apyramid.

As the trio approach New York, their ship is attacked by Washington's navy, scattering the crew. Kanen'tó:kon sacrifices himself to protect Franklin from Washington, and Connor drinks the Tea one final time, granting him the strength of a bear. They encounter another resistance group led byThomas Jeffersonattempting to attack Washington's pyramid. Connor helps Jefferson's rebels withdraw, and then works to gain additional support. In response, Washington addresses the people with a speech, boasting about his plans to invadeEnglandand enslave its people. Connor eventually sows enough chaos and support that the entire city rises up against Washington. Using a special key provided by Franklin, Connor infiltrates the pyramid, where he battles and defeats Washington. As Connor reaches for Washington's Scepter, they are both transported back to the original timeline.

Terrified by the Apple's power, Washington gives it to Connor in order to dispose of it and departs. Later, in his office, Washington is met by an unknown man who suggests that he should become the king of the United States to strengthen the newly-formed country. Reaffirmed by the events he witnessed, Washington flatly refuses, and as Connor tosses the Apple into the ocean, the man disappears, revealing him to be another illusion.

Development and release

On October 3, 2012, Ubisoft revealedThe Tyranny of King Washingtonas the first major downloadable content pack forAssassin's Creed III,and that it would be released in episodic format.The Tyranny of King Washingtonwas available both as a standalone purchase and as part of the season pass forAssassin's Creed III.Scottish composerLorne Balfecomposed the music forThe Tyranny of King Washington,with the soundtrack released via digital distribution on April 23, 2013.

On January 24, 2013, the first episode of the DLC was announced, titledThe Infamy.It was released on February 19 for Xbox 360 and PC, February 20 for PlayStation 3, and on February 21 for the Wii U.On February 6, 2013, it was announced that the second episode, titledThe Betrayal,would be released on March 19 for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3 and an unknown date for Wii U (available in the eShop as of March 27) and that the third episode, titledThe Redemption,would be released on April 23 for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3. Despite being given a release date of May 16 for Wii U,The Redemptionhas been available in the eShop since April 27.

The Tyranny of King Washingtonis included with the remastered edition ofAssassin's Creed III,along all with all previously-released downloadable content.Assassin's Creed III Remasteredwas released on March 29, 2019 forMicrosoft Windows,PlayStation 4,andXbox One,and on May 21, 2019 for theNintendo Switch.

Reception

Aggregate review scores

Game	Metacritic
The Infamy	(PS3) 75/100 (Xbox 360) 73/100
The Betrayal	(PS3) 65/100 (Xbox 360) 67/100
The Redemption	(PS3) 70/100 (Xbox 360) 63/100

According toreview aggregatorMetacritic,all three episodes ofThe Tyranny of King Washingtonreceived generally mixed or average reviews on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,except for the PS3 version ofThe Infamywhich had an overall favorable reception.

See also

• Cultural depictions of George Washington
• Native Americans in popular culture

Further reading

• A. Martin Wainwright (2019). "Contingency and determinism".Virtual History: How Videogames Portray the Past.Routledge.ISBN978-1138069091.
• William Gibbons (2018).Unlimited Replays: Video Games and Classical Music.Oxford University Press.p. 123.ISBN978-0190265274.