'Assassin's Creed III' screenshots tease American adventure

Aside from the larger screen resolution, different main characters, and background detailing, there's not an awful lot between the two sets -- it's certainly a step up from the PSP days -- though touch-ups mandated by Ubisoft HQ wouldn't be out of the question.

The full Vita gallery shows jungle parkour, combat, underwater exploration and a healthy dab of alligator wrestling, reminding viewers that both Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed III: Liberation are half a world away from the European and Middle-Eastern adventures of previous games.

There are a few questions left hanging too. Will the revolutionary-era snowmen of Assassin's Creed III serve more than a cosmetic purpose? How much time will be given to protagonist Connor's younger self? When will he meet with Liberation heroine Aveline?

It's likely, of course, that the full story will remain under wraps until the game comes out in North America on October 30 (October 31 in European regions and November 15 in Japan).

The PlayStation brand has enjoyed a close relationship with the Assassin's Creed series in public at least, with developer and publisher Ubisoft involved in deals for exclusive content and console bundles, such as the upcoming PS3 and Vita packs.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has long since had the scoop on Activision's Call of Duty, making sure that Xbox 360 owners get first shot on the downloadable expansion packs that keep each annual entry active until the next November's edition comes along.

Official website: assassinscreed.com