Assassin's Creed III

Assassin's Creed III and the Aesthetics of Disappointment

This paper examines how video game players construct a "culture of history" around Assassin's Creed III through prerelease, release, and post-release commentary, drawing mainly on user reviews and forum discussions on gaming enthusiast press websites such as Giantbomb.com, IGN.com, Destructoid.com, and Polygon.com.

• The paper argues that an "aesthetics of disappointment" lets players measure Assassin's Creed III against the series' past and against expectations for gaming's future, with disappointment depending on prior expectations shaped by paratexts such as leaked box art, previews, and developer interviews.
• Based on qualitative close reading of user reviews and forum threads from June 2012 through January 2013 on sites like Giantbomb, IGN, Destructoid, and Polygon, rather than a formal survey or sample.
• Critics targeted the game's level design, controls, technical glitches, narrative, and ending, often comparing it with Revelations, Dishonored, Far Cry 3, and Mass Effect 3, while others defended its naval combat and story.