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Fact check: Were there any bugs from the original version of Assassin’s Creed 3 that were fixed in the remaster?
Executive Summary
Assassin’s Creed III Remastered fixed a number of visual and gameplay issues from the original release, most notably cutscene lighting, character faces, textures, and several gameplay tweaks, while some original bugs and PC-specific problems persisted or required post-launch patches. Patch notes and publisher statements list many targeted fixes, community reports document ongoing issues, and contemporaneous previews described planned engine and asset improvements [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. What the Remaster Promised — New Engine Work and Visual Overhaul
Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed III Remastered would deliver a significant visual overhaul, including a new or updated rendering pipeline, higher-resolution textures, HDR and 4K support, and revamped lighting and reflections, aimed at addressing the original’s dated presentation and several long-standing visual complaints. Pre-release coverage emphasized improved art assets, lighting and screen-space effects that would change how characters and environments look compared with the 2012 game. These announced upgrades were intended both to modernize the title and to correct original issues such as low-res textures and flat lighting [5] [6].
2. Early Remaster Launch Problems — Community Frustration Over Faces and Lighting
At launch, players immediately noted that some remaster changes introduced or failed to resolve problems: cutscene lighting made faces look “clay-like,” and fog, NPC faces and scene lighting were still problematic. Community threads and initial coverage criticized the remaster’s default lighting in cinematics, and forums cataloged a variety of PC-specific issues including options not saving, black screens, freezes, and controller mapping problems. These reports indicate that while visual goals were met in some areas, the implementation required rapid follow-up updates [7] [3].
3. Official Patches — What Ubisoft Changed After Release
Ubisoft released formal patch notes for the Remastered title that list concrete fixes to lighting in cutscenes, character skin and hair appearance, NPC and crowd behavior, visual effects, and several gameplay mechanics. The documented title updates show an iterative response to player feedback: patches targeted the most visible complaints (faces and lighting) and adjusted game systems to better match intended behavior. The presence of these official notes demonstrates both acknowledgement of issues and ongoing maintenance to correct them [1].
4. What Persisted — Some Original Bugs Carried Over or Reappeared
Despite targeted fixes, multiple longstanding problems from the original persisted in the remaster according to support pages and community feedback. Reports indicate that several control, camera, saving and freezing issues continued for some players, and that some platform-specific problems were not immediately resolved. Ubisoft’s support acknowledgements and player frustration highlight that the remaster did not automatically eradicate every original bug, and that certain issues required additional troubleshooting or remained platform-dependent [3].
5. Comparing Promises and Reality — Improvements Versus Shortcomings
Comparing pre-release promises with post-release reality shows a mix of success and shortfall: the remaster achieved notable asset and lighting upgrades that addressed many visual criticisms, but execution at launch left visible artifacts that required patching, and gameplay or platform-specific bugs were not uniformly solved. Early previews emphasized sweeping improvements, and subsequent patches corrected several headline problems; still, support threads and player reports make clear that not all original bugs were eliminated and some new or resurfaced issues demanded further attention [6] [2] [3].
6. Multiple Perspectives — Developer Notes, Press Coverage, and Community Voices
The developer patch notes present a corrective, authoritative narrative of fixes implemented, while press coverage framed those updates as both necessary and effective in many cases. Community forums and support pages offered a contrasting ground-level view, documenting unresolved problems and platform variance. These different perspectives together show an iterative remediation process: Ubisoft fixed major visual complaints and documented changes, but players continued to experience a subset of legacy and platform-specific issues, underscoring the complexity of remastering older code and assets [1] [7] [3].
7. Bottom Line — Which Original Bugs Were Fixed and Which Lingered
In sum, the remaster corrected many high-profile visual and some gameplay issues from the original Assassin’s Creed III—especially lighting in cutscenes, character appearance, textures and several mechanic tweaks—through both initial remastering work and subsequent patches. However, some original bugs persisted (controls, camera, save/options glitches, freezes) and required either additional patches or remained platform-specific problems according to player reports and support documentation. The full resolution picture evolved over time as Ubisoft continued to issue updates in response to community feedback [2] [1] [3].