My Year of Gaming: ‘Assassin’s Creed Rogue’
My Year of Gaming: Assassin’s Creed Rogue
At the beginning of 2017, I purchased a Playstation 4, and it was the first time I have had a console since 2011. Needless to say, I have quite the backlog of games. I played through 23 titles in my first year getting hardcore back into gaming, and still have a long way to go. Now that we’re halfway through 2018, I figured I would share what I have been playing since the beginning of the year.
Originally released in 2014, a remastered edition of Assassin’s Creed Rogue, which follows Shay Patrick Cormac’s journey from Assassin to Templar, was just put out on PS4 and XBox One. Rogue helps fill in the gaps between Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, and Assassin’s Creed Unity. The system is identical to Black Flag and features a whole lot of sailing (so if you loved that, this game is definitely for you). Players are free to explore North America and Canada, including a map of New York City. The map is about twice the size of Black Flag, and takes you to a whole lot of different areas along the North Atlantic.
I really enjoyed the main story of Rogue because it turns the normal experience on its head and you actually go behind the scenes of the Templar Order. There have been moments in other Assassin’s Creed games in which your main character questions the practices of the Assassins, but this is the first time we’ve really seen the fall of the order. Shay was a strong protagonist, who just wanted to do what he thought was best for the people. His noble ambitions are taken to the extreme by the Templars, however.
I also enjoyed how the game twisted some of the classic dynamics of the franchise. One of the coolest, and creepiest, things is that Assassins are trying to kill you. Whispers will start and the border of the screen will go a hazy red the closer an Assassin is to your position. It’s your job to figure out where they are before they jump out and attack. The first time the whispers started, I was a bit freaked out. This whole process really isn’t as difficult as you’d think because every time an Assassin comes in for the kill, they shout their intentions. All you have to do is block at the right moment and they are easy to dispense. Rogue also features forts and strongholds that you can overthrow. In some, there’s a hidden Assassin that you have to find in order to conquer the base.
Rogue is definitely worth the play as it boosts the stories of III, Black Flag, and Unity. I would actually suggest playing this game after playing Unity because there’s a nice little surprise that leads right into the opening of Unity (this is how I played the series due to availability). Overall, Rogue is a lot of fun, and there’s a whole lot of sailing and exploring to be had.
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