REVIEW: Assassin's Creed: Rogue bets on safety and loyal fans

The story is by far the most interesting part of AC: Rogue. The protagonist this time is Shay Patrick Cormack. Shay begins as an assassin who, thanks to certain events, first leaves the assassin brotherhood to later join the assassins' arch-enemy, the Templar Order.

The story is great. Shay never comes across as a villain, and the player strangely wishes him victory over the faction he's played so many times in previous titles. And that despite some old familiar characters that represent it in the game.

Old Adewale and, on the contrary, young Achilles will delight the devoted fans, the Templar enclave at the time of the game's events, Haytham Kenway is in charge. Even after Shay's transfer to the Templars, the protagonist often feels remorse and sadness at having to fight against his former friends. From this point of view, it is therefore very good that the game lets you spend quite a long time on the side of the assassins. It's somewhat reminiscent of the controversial "Templar" opening of the third installment, but this time the open game world is accessible much earlier.

On the other hand, the plot line as such is practically nothing surprising and the development of events is easy to guess from the beginning, including its connection with the work of Unity. The new characters also deserve a thumbs down, especially the annoying first officer of your crew and the staff of the modern part of the game. They all seem more like cartoon characters than members of an order trying to gain control of the world.

Seven Years War

The game takes place during the Seven Years War (1756-1763) between the British and the French. The game map is surprisingly large and is divided into three parts. With the ship Morrigan, you will navigate the icy waves of the North Atlantic or river valleys with wilderness reminiscent of the forests of the third part. It also brings back New York, the only major city in the game. However, the latter was significantly redesigned with much better navigation on the roofs.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue

In addition, the city has not yet experienced a devastating fire (1776), the consequences of which, i.e. complete devastation, we saw in the trio. No matter where you go, the game still looks very nice on old consoles, although it can't compare to Unity. Despite the visual impact, I unfortunately lacked in Rogue a more distinct, denser atmosphere of war conflict or colonial life in the wilderness.

The Caribbean and the revolutionary environment left a stronger impression after all. Maybe it's just that I've played Unity before, but New York doesn't feel like a living city either. The characters on the streets just walk back and forth, making the Big Apple feel more like a ghost town to me. On the other hand, the game runs smoothly at 30 frames per second, with very few slowdowns. I also have to praise the excellent musical accompaniment, and the opening melody will immediately remind fans of the second part.

The part of the game set in the present is played practically identically as it was in Black Flag. Once again, you walk around the Abstergo offices and gain access to the computers. Fans of the AC universe will again appreciate this part, as there are a number of videos, audio recordings and other bonuses related to this ever-growing world waiting for them.

Copier-like gameplay

And how does Rogue actually play? In one sentence: exactly like Black Flag. Perhaps the difference between the Revelations and Brotherhood parts seemed more pronounced to me. The way of navigation, movement, fights, ship battles, hiding in the thicket, all this is accompanied by familiar animations and procedures. Thank goodness eavesdropping has practically disappeared from the game and tracking is kept to a minimum.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue

A few differences compared to the fourth part are more of a cosmetic nature. Burning oil and the new "machine gun" on your ship have a very similar effect to the explosive barrels and deck gun. The enemy can also board you this time if they rush into you. This novelty is surprisingly not intrusive, as it can be avoided. On the contrary, sometimes I even welcomed it, because after defending you get raw materials and all the rewards you are used to after a successful onboard battle. Also new is the ability to blast ice floes, which can make life difficult for the enemy.

Shay himself does not have a revolutionary arsenal, even if the game looks like that. This is true of Shay's rifle replacing Edward's fluke. And the "grenade launcher" capable of firing both hypnotic and aggression-inducing charges in a wider area of ​​impact also practically does not change the gameplay.

The biggest news is the presence of enemies who use assassin tactics to get on your feet. They hide in haystacks, thickets or try to catch you by jumping from a height. Every time you are near them, you hear whispers. After turning on your eagle vision, you'll be presented with an indicator that will direct you to the source of danger, and it's up to you to either lure your opponent out or surprise them and kill them first. It's a bit reminiscent of multiplayer, which by the way is completely absent from Rogue.

Long game time? How it works

AC games tend to be praised for their long playtime, and Rogue appears to be no exception at first glance. However, the resulting playing time of the story, which consists of only six sequences, will be very surprising. If you just focus on the story, it's no problem to finish the game in about 10-12 hours. To complete it, you only need a few upgrades for Shay's ship and virtually none for Shay himself.

The question is whether such a course of action is wrong in the case of Rogue. The creators may have known that most players will primarily want to enjoy the story without distracting hunting, missions, and other familiar activities that won't entertain veterans much.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue

Assassin's Creed: Rogue

Are the side missions even worth noting? Hunting missions are a small novelty or rather a modification from the third part. Assassin contracts have been replaced with a variant where your task is to save the target of the assassins from the attack of hidden enemies. A big emphasis in Rogue is on renovating buildings, getting regular income and liberating bases. In turn, sending ships on missions will remind you why it's a good idea to have separate mobile apps for such folders. This is not the case in Rogue, so you will still have to run to the ship's cabin in-game.

Treasure hunting, completing Abstergo challenges, and a whole host of collectibles return to the game. Above all, the identification of cave paintings is interesting and worth completing. Exploring the beautiful world of the game is an experience in itself, but you will complete all the side missions more from the feeling of consistently completing the game. This is especially true if you've already completed Black Flag. Because playing Rogue strongly gives you the feeling that you are playing the same game for the second time.

Rogue or Unity?

A comparison of both games at the end of the review is directly offered. Which game is better? I wouldn't hesitate to name Unity as the clear winner. Although it is not polished in all respects, at the same time it takes a step in the right direction in practically every part of it. It is a highly ambitious title. Rogue is her direct opposite. Unity beats it not only in graphics and processing of a truly living city.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue

Side missions in Unity have meaning and hide stories of their own. The game emphasizes upgrading your character, stealth, and moderation in more difficult fights. To top it all off, it features a thoroughly entertaining multiplayer game.

Rogue is not like that. It continues where the fourth part of the series left off, changing the environment and only minimally modifying the gameplay. But the storyline still makes it a must for those fans of the AC games who loved the story and characters of the third and fourth installments. It's an experience that feels very much like a quad, and above all, it offers a beautiful and vast world to explore. The game is not broken, broken, or annoying in any way. However, it brings an absolute minimum of new things and the unattractive side quests barely drag out a shorter game time than we are used to in the series.