Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington
Alternate reality where George Washington becomes a tyrannical king.
Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington is a downloadable content pack for the 2012 game Assassin's Creed III, created by Ubisoft. The story follows Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor, who wakes up in a world where the events of the main game never occurred. In this alternate reality, a fictional George Washington, corrupted by a supernatural artifact, has declared himself king, enslaved the American frontier, and killed anyone who resists.
This was the first major DLC released after the base game. It is split into three episodes—The Infamy, The Betrayal, and The Redemption—that came out between February and April 2013 on multiple platforms. All three episodes are part of the 2019 remaster, Assassin's Creed III Remastered, which includes the full game and its extra content. Critics gave the episodes mixed reviews.
In terms of gameplay, the DLC is a single-player campaign divided into three parts. Players control Connor, a half-British, half-Mohawk Assassin, though in this timeline he never joined the Brotherhood. Instead, he gains new mystical powers tied to his Mohawk heritage: the Power of the Wolf lets him turn invisible for stealth; the Power of the Eagle allows him to perform a long-range leap or eagle vision dash; and the Power of the Bear creates a shockwave that knocks back enemies. He also has a fourth ability, Alpha of the Pack, which summons ghostly wolves to fight alongside him.
The plot begins in an alternate timeline where the Revolutionary War never happened. George Washington, corrupted by an Apple of Eden, has declared himself king before the war's events. When Connor tries to take the Apple, he is thrown into an alternate reality born from Washington's nightmares. Here, Connor never became an Assassin, his mother Kaniehti:io is alive, his father Haytham Kenway is alive and serves as a general under King Washington, and Washington—corrupted by the Apple—has made himself the Mad King of the United States. After Kaniehti:io fails to steal Washington's Scepter (which has the Apple on top), Washington sends his army to destroy Connor's tribe. The Clan Mother brews special teas that grant superhuman abilities but have severe side effects: the Tea of the Great Willow for the Wolf power, the Tea of the Great Oak for the Bear power, and the Tea of the Great Pine for the Eagle power.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington
- Developer
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Series
- Assassin's Creed
- Engine
- AnvilNext
- Composer
- Lorne Balfe
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3 · Xbox 360 · Wii U · Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · Nintendo Switch
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Tyranny of King Washington consists of three episodic installments: The Infamy, The Betrayal, and The Redemption, released periodically from February to April 2013. Players assume the role of Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor), who in this alternate timeline never became an Assassin. Instead, he gains mystical powers themed after his Mohawk heritage: the Power of the Wolf (invisibility, obtained from the Tea of the Great Willow), the Power of the Eagle (a long-range leap or eagle vision dash, obtained from the Tea of the Great Pine), and the Power of the Bear (shockwave, obtained from the Tea of the Great Oak), as well as the Alpha of the Pack ability to summon astral wolves. The plot begins in an alternate timeline where the Revolutionary War never happened, as Washington declares himself king before the war's events. In this reality, Connor's father Haytham Kenway is alive and serves as a general under King Washington. Connor kills Benedict Arnold during a mission, but Arnold is a loyalist officer, not a general, and is not specifically referred to as such in the DLC's narrative.
Reader's Guide
The Tyranny of King Washington is significant as the first major post-launch DLC pack for Assassin's Creed III, offering an alternate-history narrative that explores the consequences of unchecked power. Its episodic release model was a notable approach for downloadable content in 2013. The expansion received mixed reviews from video game publications, with the PS3 version of The Infamy being the only episode to receive generally favorable reception according to Metacritic. The DLC is included in Assassin's Creed III Remastered (2019), ensuring its preservation. Its legacy lies in its creative reimagining of George Washington as a villain, and its incorporation of Mohawk-themed supernatural abilities, which added a distinct cultural layer to the gameplay. The soundtrack, composed by Lorne Balfe, was released digitally on April 23, 2013.
Did You Know?
- The DLC consists of three episodes: The Infamy, The Betrayal, and The Redemption, released from February to April 2013.
- Connor gains four mystical abilities: Power of the Wolf (invisibility), Power of the Eagle (flight), Power of the Bear (shockwave), and Alpha of the Pack (summoning astral wolves).
- The soundtrack was composed by Lorne Balfe and released digitally on April 23, 2013.
- All three episodes are included in Assassin's Creed III Remastered, released in 2019.
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