When an Assassin turns Rogue

For people that still own a PS3 and/or Xbox 360, there is still an Assassin's Creed game available for you to play. This game is the previous-gen exclusive called Assassin’s Creed Rogue.

Ubisoft noted that the PS3 and Xbox 360 were too weak to handle a game like Assassin’s Creed Unity. Instead of abandoning those systems altogether, Ubisoft decided to develop Assassin's Creed Rogue which is a totally different game from Unity altogether.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue is a unique take on the series as you assume the role of Shay Cormac. Cormac starts off being an Assassin, although one mission makes him question the Assassins' motives. He then decides to become a Templar, albeit it was not an easy decision for him.

Shay’s journey takes him to many parts of North America as leads into Assassin’s Creed III. Shay's actions in the game also help set the motions of what happens in Unity too. It is interesting to play through Assassin’s Creed Rogue to get a backstory of what happens in the other games in the series.

If you loved Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, you will instantly fall in love with Assassin’s Creed Rogue as it’s similar in a lot of ways. Not only is the gameplay similar, but you will see some familiar faces and the level design looks alike too.

Unlike in Assassin’s Creed Unity, Assassin’s Creed Rogue has many different looking settings. The sea and islands from Black Flag makes a return, but there are also some snowy environments added to the game too. The levels do like gorgeous and are nicer to look at than the concrete jungle that is Paris in Assassin’s Creed Unity.

Naval sea battles were a huge and popular feature in the third and fourth Assassin’s Creed games. If you dislike the sea battles, you are better off playing Assassin’s Creed Unity instead. This is because sea battles return in Assassin’s Creed Rogue and they have a significant part in the game.

Sea battles have not changed since we last saw them in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, although some of the battles in Assassin’s Creed Rogue get difficult. It pays you practice and get enough supplies to upgrade your ship as you will struggle if you fail to do so. Near the end of the game there is a huge sea battle and it’s really tough to pass if your ship is very weak.

The actual core gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Rogue is very fun as it has the same controls as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Shay can still use counter-attacks and pick up and hide dead bodies. It’s unlike with Assassin’s Creed Unity where the combat controls have been altered and some features were removed...

Since Assassin’s Creed Rogue is a spin-off, the game’s main weakness is that it’s a short experience. Most games in the series offer over 20 hours of gameplay from the main single player campaign. This game however is far shorter and can be completed in only seven hours.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue also lacks any type of multiplayer mode. There are still a number of side missions you can undertake which somewhat prolongs the game for a few more hours. The game still doesn’t offer as many hours of entertainment as Assassin’s Creed Unity though.

If you loved Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, you will instantly fall in love with Assassin’s Creed Rogue. The gameplay remains the same as it feels like it could have been a direct sequel. The only downside is that it’s a short game, but that is it’s only flaw for now. The game is still fun to play and a must-have for diehard fans of the Assassin’s Creed series.

Verdict: 7.5/10