It's been over a decade since Assassin's Creed 3 launched, and I still remember the controversy over the game's extended narrative opening, which spent hours setting you up for a big plot twist before finally putting you in control of the actual protagonist and letting you loose to play the game. Looking back, creative Alex Hutchinson agrees that the intro is too long, but it was there to solve a very particular problem common in game narratives.
First, a quick spoiler warning if you still plan to play Assassin's Creed 3 and want the act one twist to remain a surprise. Still here? Good. While the game was always marketed as starring a Native American protagonist who goes by Conner, the game actually opens by putting you in control of a British character named Haytham Kenway. After you play through the lengthy intro, Kenway turns out to be a member of the villainous Templar faction and Conner's father, turning into the villain of the game as you take control of the true protagonist.
