Nine new batch of images and details for Assassin’s Creed III have emerged today, the new shots show the new assassin scaling a tree, rowing a canoe down a lazy river, and of course,  in combat.

Assassin’s Creed III will be the first Assassin’s Creed game since Assassin’s Creed II to introduce a new main character into the long running franchise.

Set between the years 1758 and 1777, the war between the Assassins and the Templars has moved to Colonial America. The player takes on the role of a young half-English, half-Mohawk man named Connor (also known by his birth name, Ratohnhaké:ton), who is drawn into the fight against tyranny when his home is attacked by white colonists. Over the course of the game, the player will encounter historical figures including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Charles Lee.

According to images and information released by Spanish gaming site gremiodelassombras, up to 80% of the people featured within the campaign of Assassin’s Creed III will be based on real figures, with French General Lafayette the latest to be confirmed via concept artwork.

Lafayette’s membership serving under George Washington makes his role within the game’s story easy to guess at, and his success in increasing French support ultimately leading to American victory possibly hints at plot events.

While historical accuracy is being adhered to quite strongly where people and officers are concerned, the size and scope of the game’s cities aren’t quite as faithful. One concern voiced by fans has been the lack of major cities or skyscrapers in colonial America during the 18th Century, and luckily Ubisoft has solved the problem by depicting a Boston that is three times larger than it actually was during the events of the game.

Accompanying a larger city is improved AI that keeps NPCs performing varying tasks, seeking aid from the player, and even acknowledging Connor’s presence occasionally.

Fears that the game’s world would be too small for a series this large should be somewhat assuaged by Ubisoft’s creativity with the facts, as Ubisoft claims that the campaign of Assassin’s Creed III will be 20% longer than that of Assassin’s Creed II. With new story details comes the reveal that betrayal and vengeance seem to be preferred themes for the development team, with Connor’s place in the American Revolution both personal and culturally significant.

Apparently the game begins with Connor’s village and family being slaughtered, with the young boy being instructed to seek refuge among The Assassin Order in America. Tasked with avenging his family and building a place for the Mohawk in the new country being formed, Connor’s place in the larger war could carry even more significance than previous narratives.

Assassin’s Creed III trailer and leaked screenshots painted Connor as an extremely dangerous and stealthy warrior, and growing up among an American Assassin Order is sure to be different from the previous Brotherhoods fans have experienced. Connor’s escape to the Order itself goes a long way to explaining that hand-crafted Assassin tomahawk, and new information also lists a Chinese Rope Dart as part of the new protagonist’s arsenal. The long-range weapon will allow Connor to eliminate enemies silently from above, and is an unforeseen nod to the Chinese Assassin appearing in Assassin’s Creed: Embers.

Connor enemies will be primarily British Redcoats – as can be seen in the trailer and leaked screenshots – but other Native American tribes will also be doing their best to end Connor’s attempts at vengeance. If true, that could mean any number of things for the overall plot, but in terms of gameplay the inclusion of warriors more similar to Connor than European soldiers guarantees different enemy behaviors.

With the presence of a custom tomahawk, pistols (which may possibly be dual-wielded), bow and arrow and Rope Dart, the chances of the Hidden Blade being seriously utilized is seeming less and less likely. The preferred tool of the ancient Order could still make its appearance with plot significance.

With these tweaks to the combat systems comes significant changes to the control scheme used for free-running. The speed and ease with which Connor navigated the treetops in the game’s debut trailer demonstrates that players would be in for a surprise, and apparently the amount of traversal possible is also significantly different than in the past.

Rather than having to make a miles-long detour to ascend a single hill or cliff-face, Connor will be able to climb “whatever you see.” Whether that is actually accurate or a bit of an exaggeration, the wilderness screenshots here show plenty of tree trunks and cliffs large enough to assume that climbable objects will outnumber those of previous games.

Ubisoft’s development team  is definitely addressing concerns that the AC formula was getting stale with this new information, and with as strong and stand-alone a plot as Connor’s quest for vengeance alongside the birth of the United States, it’s easy to see why they believe Assassin’s Creed III is a great time for newcomers to join the adventure.

Assassin’s Creed III will release on October 30 for PC, PS3, Xbox360 and Wii U.

Pre-Order Assassin’s Creed III

What’s your take on the new details and images? Sound off in the comments below

Click here to check out new screenshots

Thanks, GremiodelasSombras and NeoGAF