Assassin's Creed 3 ending to "pay off" but "plant seeds" for future games

Assassin's Creed 3 brings an end to the storyline which drove the last four entries - and spin-offs - so it's only fitting that it ties up all the loose ends. That doesn't mean it hasn't left a few hooks for the franchise's future, mind.

Speaking to Shack, lead writer Corey May said he's left a bit of wiggle room for whoever tackles the Assassin's Creed universe next.

"Should they decide in the future to do other stuff, there's plenty of room to explore, plenty of seeds that have been planted that won't conflict," he said.

"It was my intent to provide pay-off and to answer questions for those who are invested in them. It should provide a fairly lengthy ending that will also give room for answers and pay-off."

The series has been accused of pulling a Lost with past entries, something fans hotly deny, but May hopes the ending will be revelatory without seeming like a contrived twist, which should placate both sides of the debate.

"The ending should not come out of nowhere. You will not wake up and find that you were in an Animus reliving the life of someone who was in an Animus. We are not doing that. It was not all just a dream," he said.

"I think people that have invested in the Desmond storyline will understand where the end of the game comes from. We're tying up loose ends and providing answers and resolution to things. You're not going to get another tremendous insane-o cliffhanger."

Assassin's Creed 3 releases on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in late October and on PC and Wii U in November. Check out Stace's hands-on impressions, and watch some new footage as Sam quizzes Ubisoft Montreal.