Assassin's Creed 3 trailer: blow-by-blow analysis

Ubisoft has revealed its first trailer for Assassin's Creed 3, which features new historical protagonist Connor.

The cinematic trailer does not contain any gameplay footage, although it does give a good idea of the new features coming to the game. Namely, we see the game's huge and untamed frontier area, said to be bigger than Assassin's Creed Revolution's entire map, as well as a glimpse at the chaotic battlefields of the American Revolutionary War.

No populated areas are shown, although the game is said to offer both New York and Boston to explore.

A vast wintry forest stretches into the distance. This is Mohawk Valley, 1777, the first location to be revealed for Assassin's Creed 3.

Mohawk Valley is a real-life place, situated in the wilds of New York state.

A Bald Eagle soars above, combining the emblematic status of eagles within the Assassin's Creed series with a species sacred to some Native Americans, as well as the national bird of the United States.

Mohawk Valley shows off how game's landscapes will be affected by the seasons. The aftermath of a battle has become covered by snow.

A soldier's hat is blown past, caught by the wind. The hat's appearance glitches slightly, showing that the action is taking place within the Animus, the series' history-delving device. We're inside the mind of modern day Assassin, Desmond Miles.

The trailer focuses entirely on the Mohawk Valley location. There are no references to the ongoing present day story, which sees Miles heading to the same area in 2012.

A flashback to the skirmish, at night, reveals the perpetrator. He is an Assassin wielding an axe designed after the series' logo.

He is Connor, or Ratohnaké:ton in Native American. His father was an English colonist, his mother a Mohawk Native American.

Quick shots of a fight follow, with our assassin hero clocking plenty of British guys in the head. Combat is fast-paced and fluid.

How will the English and Colonial armies fit into the greater Assassins vs. Templars picture? It's unlikely to be black and white, although to start off with at least it appears Connor will be siding with the soon-to-be United States.

But, digging deeper in the Assassin's Creed lore, darker things about George Washington are likely to be revealed. He apparently held an Apple of Eden, an ancient device used to control people's minds, which he passed onto successors.

Another feature of Assassin Creed's wild open areas is its animal inhabitants, seen here feasting on the remains of one unlucky soldier. You will be able to hunt them and will be rewarded for selling their fur.

It brings to mind some of Red Dead Redemption's wilderness challenges. The whistling, frontier music also draws parallels.

Back to the battle - you'll be able to chain different weapons to devastate your opponents. Here we see a fist, axe and pistol combo that leaves another British soldier dead.

Navigating the landscape allows for more of the series acrobatic skills. You can also now scale trees and leap between them, spider-monkey style.

Connor gets his close-up, his clothes a mix of the classic Assassin look and Native American style. A knife, axe and pistol adorn his belt, while a bow and quiver of arrows hangs from his back.

The camera pans back to reveal Connor's view - a huge battlefield filled with hundreds of troops. It is the start of the American Revolution, and colonial troops are rising up against Blighty.

Zooming straight into battle amongst the troops George Washington, stands commanding the colonial forces.

"The time is now near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves!" he bellows, the quote a direct lift from Washington's speech to his troops before the battle of Long Island.

"Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance or the most abject submission. We have therefore resolved to conquer, or die."

The trailer concludes with a spanky new logo for the game, complete with the game's release date, October 31st 2012. This applies to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.

"PC format release to be confirmed" states the small print, unsurprising as previous game in the series have often launched later on PC. No mention is given to the game's confirmed Wii U release.

Watch the trailer in full below.