By Eric Curtis on November 15, 2014 at 10:00am
We have yet another entry into the long line of "Assassin's Creed" games. This one mixes things up in a really good way.
Presentation
"Assassin's Creed" is known for its look and presentation. The game looks outstanding, buildings are elegant and nice, and the ocean is beautiful and terrifying. With sailing being a big part of the game and how you get from Point A to Point B, they did an amazing job of making it pleasing to the eyes. The voice acting is really good and makes the characters seem even more believable.
Gameplay
Gameplay seems to be par for the course when it comes to "Assassin's Creed." You travel from mission to mission by sailing around the world and scouting new locations. Your crew sings as you sail around the world and other ships will attempt to take you down. Stopping at different locations all around offers many activities to do from collecting Animus fragments to picking up Templar maps and taking down Assassin hideouts.
Multiplayer is the first thing you'll notice is missing, but the single player has so much to offer you don't miss it. Instead, they implemented some of the elements from the multiplayer into the single player. As a Templar, you have to always be aware of Assassins around you looking to end your life. Going into eagle vision helps you spot them by using a compass that points in the general direction of the danger. This all comes with several tools to use when outsmarting your stalkers. Its really fun and exciting when you get surrounded by hidden Assassins.
Combat sticks to the usual formula of counter kill after counter kill. One thing I noticed was how the game seems to encourage stealth more than other "Assassin's Creed" titles. The paths you can take to silently take out a whole hideout of Assassins are fun and satisfying.
While "Assassin's Creed Rogue" does a lot of things right, some obvious problems still exist. Free running can be clunky at times, and trying to scale buildings can be frustrating. Some sound effects don't activate when they should, taking you out of the moment entirely. To top it all off, gameplay outside of the Animus is boring. You play a character with no name other than "Numbskull" and in a first person view. You can walk around and hack terminals to hear sound files about Abstergo to provide context, but overall it could be tossed out of the game entirely and would not be missed.
Story
The story is really good. You play Shay Cormiac, a young man who is a member of the Assassin Brotherhood. After he realizes their values aren't as honorable as they preach, he becomes a traitor and joins the Templars, working alongside familiar faces such as Charles Lee and Haytham Kenway from "Assassin's Creed 3." Of course, there is more going on, but I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum.
Conclusion
"Assassin's Creed Rogue" is still using the same system from "Blackflag" but added enough to shake things up. The story is really good, and Shay is a very cool character to inhabit. Free running won't always go as planned and the activities may get repetitive after a while but overall, the game has a ton of content.
