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How long is the game? - ninja-key

Obviously it depends on your playing style and how much exploring you do, but I'd say about 15-20 hours to get through the story, and around 50 if you want to complete all the side content. Throw in multiplayer and you're looking at much more.

Are the Desmond parts as tedious as the previous games? - Gambini

He has a lot more to do this time. There are three missions that see him using his assassin skills in the present day. But you spend more time as Connor than Desmond overall, thankfully.

Are the British portrayed as a cartoon villains fighting against the noble Colonial army, or is real-life 'uncomfortable history' actually paid more than lip service? Slavery, etc. - Moribundman

Great question. You're mostly fighting the British, because that's who the Templars have sided with. But I'm surprised by how confident Ubisoft Montreal are in tackling issues like slavery and racism. In one scene, Connor points out a character's hypocrisy in fighting for the independence of the Colonies, while still owning a slave. The flaws of the Founding Fathers are also discussed, including George Washington's knack for losing battles, and Benjamin Franklin's penchant for sleeping with old ladies. It's no pro-America propaganda piece, that's for sure.

Has the combat been improved? - TheLastDodo

Yes, but not massively. It's still similar to earlier games, but they've streamlined it - for example, you now only have to point the left stick towards an enemy to target them. Some of the new enemy types are designed to stop you using the same combo over and over again, forcing you to mix things up; kicking their sword away to break their defence, or knocking them into scenery.

Is it good enough to win back fans of the series who felt Assassin's Creed Revelations was a lazy cash-in? - El Mag

It's definitely more of a sequel. But it's still very much an Assassin's Creed game, so don't expect some dramatic overhaul. That's one of its biggest problems, actually: familiarity. There are a lot of mission objectives recycled from previous games, but also a lot of new ones, like galloping around a battlefield on horseback ordering troops around.

Do they wrap up the story, or is there a cliffhanger? - gmcb007

Both. Desmond's story is given closure, but the direction of the next game(s) is set up. I'm looking forward to people finishing the game so I can read fan theories about what the ending means, because some of it's left quite ambiguous. There's also some optional dialogue from Shaun (Danny Wallace) that drops hints about other directions the series may take. It's worth taking the time to talk to him, and the others, between missions.

How does the new character compare to Ezio and Altair? Have they tried too much, and does the game lose focus because of it? - StonecoldMC

Connor is likeable, but he's a bore. Flaws make a character memorable, and Connor has none, besides throwing the occasional hissy fit. He's like a teenage girl. As for keeping things focused, they've done a good job. There's a huge amount of stuff, but not enough that it feels diluted. Almanac pages and feathers are quite a cheap way of extending the game's lifespan, though. Like most open world games, it suffers from a bad case of collectable-itis.

Can you dye your outfit or buy armour? - MrGoldenNinja

New outfits can be bought from stores, and some are unlocked when you complete side missions (you get one for collecting every feather). You can't dye your outfit, though, nor can you add armour to it. This is massively disappointing, actually. Connor is much less customisable than Ezio, and some of the outfits are little more than a slight colour change.

Are there many 'assassiny' missions, or is it all action? - budge

Sadly, it's mostly scripted action. That's one of my biggest gripes in the review, in fact. They're so determined to make you play the game exactly the way they want you to that it feels claustrophobic. I'd love if I could sneak around, scope out my target, and methodically take them out in a creative way (hello, Dishonored), but mostly you just rush in and stab them. Your first major assassination is a scripted horse chase, followed by a scripted on-foot chase.

Do you get swords, or are you limited to the tomahawk? - highlanderjim

Yep, Connor can use swords, as well as heavy weapons like the brutal Native American gunstock war club. Seriously, check these things out.

How important is stealth? Can you play after the ending? - mikeymon13

You can now hide in waist-high grass, and in the Frontier you can use the trees to stalk enemies from above. A lot of missions require a stealthy approach, and some have optional objectives like not killing anyone. But, in most cases, being spotted - even for a second - is an instant game over, which is massively annoying. Even if you plunge your hidden blade into a guard the instant he spots you, before he's had a chance to alert any of his buddies, it's still game over. Yes, you can free roam after the credits, and there are even a few bonus prologue missions, one of which opens up a bizarre mini-game that we won't spoil for you.