The Revolutionary War setting of Assassin's Creed III means that, tricorn hats aside, there's little tying the game to another of people's favourite historical periods, the age of pirates.
That hasn't stopped Ubisoft from bringing the two together anyway.
Announcing the game's fancy collector's editions, curiously available in Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Middle East, Ubisoft also took the wraps off a few exclusive missions you'll get with the more expensive versions.
One of them takes you to the ruins of a Mayan pyramid, and upon completing the mission you'll get the use of "Captain Kidd's fabled cutlass".
Now, Captain Kidd (real name William Kidd) is one of the more colourful of the many pirates who roamed the New World between the 17th and 18th centuries. Despite a rather mundane track record in terms of battle and plunder, he made one hell of a scene with a very public trial and a very public execution upon his eventual capture, in which his body was left to hang over the Thames in an iron cage.
Of course, Kidd died in England over 50 years before the beginning of Assassin's Creed III, so unless you meet his ghost, you won't actually be meeting the man. Actually, you probably won't be meeting any pirates at all, as an increased military presence - especially by Britain's Royal Navy - brought the golden age of piracy to an end decades before any tea was thrown into a harbour in anger.
Still, it's a neat way to bring pirates into the game, no matter how tenuous the link may be.
As for the collector's editions, there will be three made available, with full details below.
The Freedom Edition
This prestigious edition includes everything an experienced Assassin needs to become a freedom fighter. It includes:
- Assassin's Creed III retail game- A 24-cm high-quality figurine of Connor
- A steel book case art drawn by awards-winning comic artist Alex Ross
- George Washington's notebook revealing all the truth & secrets about the Assassins and the Templars during the American Revolution
- One exclusive Lithograph
- 2 in-game Single Player Missions:
o Lost Mayan Ruins: Connor's mission leads him in an old Mayan pyramid, full of mysteries and revelations. Players will be able to unlock Captain Kidd's fabled cutlass, a deadly, brutal and beautiful piece of steel.
o Ghost of War: The tide of the Revolution turns into the Templars favour. Defeat your enemies and unlock The Pontiac's War Club, a powerful Native American weapon.
- 1 in-game Multiplayer Package:
o The Sharpshooter package: Unleash the Sharpshooter fury in multiplayer with 1 new character, the Sharpshooter, 1 Relic, 1 Emblem, 1 special Picture and the Title of "The Jester".
The Join or Die Edition
"Join or Die" a single call to action which will determine if players are ready to fight for freedom. It includes:
- Assassin's Creed III retail game- The medallion of the Assassins with its high-quality curd ladle
- George Washington's notebook revealing all the truth & secrets about the Assassins and the Templars during the American Revolution
- 1 in-game Single Player Mission:
o Ghost of War: The tide of the Revolution turns into the Templars favour. Defeat your enemies and unlock The Pontiac's War Club, a powerful Native American weapon.
- 1 in-game Multiplayer Package:
o The Sharpshooter package: Unleash the Sharpshooter fury in multiplayer with 1 new character, the Sharpshooter, 1 Relic, 1 Emblem, 1 special Picture and the Title of "The Jester".
The Special Edition
The Special Edition features a special packaging, the retail copy of the game and an exclusive single player mission (see below) and more:
o A Dangerous Secret: Fight against a secret that could jeopardise the funding of the revolution. In case of success, you'll be rewarded with an exclusive weapon: a Flintlock Musket.