Nor is the scenery the only reason for déjà vu. Key locations like the Davenport homestead and New York are openly recycled from Assassin’s Creed 3, and while the North Atlantic locations and a distinctly frosty climate give it a different feel to Black Flag, few of the individual forts or townships are genuinely that distinctive. There’s no getting away from the fact that Rogue has been made to a budget. Combined with tweaks to the hand-to-hand combat system, these changes make both naval and land-based combat faster and more entertaining than in the previous two games. Even your ship gets kitted out with new equipment, with burning oil slicks, fortress-smashing mortars, a primitive machine gun and – our favourite – a brutal, ice-braking, timber-splitting ram. Later on that’s joined by a grenade launcher, capable of firing explosive shrapnel and berserk grenades. A clever silent air rifle takes the role of Black Flag’s blowpipe, allowing you to send enemies to sleep or turn them berserk upon their comrades when you need to shift the odds in your favour. Otherwise, Rogue is mostly about new toys. See also: Assassin’s Creed Unity tips and tricks It’s only a slight change, but it keeps you on your toes, flicking quickly to Eagle Vision to spot an ambush or using the new firecracker shots to lure them out.
What’s more, you’re the hunted as much as the hunter, constantly listening for the whispers of the Stalkers, who lurk on the rooftops, in the underbrush or in an outhouse, waiting for a chance to race towards you and sink their deadly blades. In some missions you’ll find yourself working directly against the brotherhood, spotting assassins and defending their target to thwart their aims. The key difference is that your role as a Templar changes the dynamic. You’ll spend the other half on your ship, the Morrigan, speeding from location to location, engaging in piracy, pausing to harpoon whales or track down hidden treasure, and attacking enemy forts. You’ll spend roughly half your time exploring small coastal towns and fortifications or the streets of mid-18th Century New York, clambering up buildings, racing along rooftops, trailing enemies, breaking into compounds and casually slaughtering guards.
So what’s it like playing as a Templar? Well, it’s a lot like playing as an assassin, and even more like playing Edward Kenway, to be honest.
Slightly older, slightly wiser, he returns to the fray, battling old comrades, seeking new targets and working to frustrate the brotherhood’s ambitions in the colonies. It’s no spoiler to say that Shay turns rogue, switching sides from the Assassins and joining forces with the Templars. That all changes, however, when a catastrophic mission leaves him questioning his old beliefs. Based around the North Atlantic and the east-coast of America, Shay works hard to be taken seriously, developing his skills, captaining a ship and going on the usual assassination and infiltration missions. Set in between AC3 and AC4, it’s the tale of a young Irish fella, Shay Cormac (prepare for every cliché in the book) who joins a childhood friend in entering the Assassin’s brotherhood. If you’re bored sick of Assassin’s Creed then Rogue isn’t going to revive your interest, but if you liked Black Flag and can handle something broadly similar, then Rogue has you covered. Along the way it takes the plot in an interesting direction and manages to throw in the odd surprise. Linking the stories of Assassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, it caps off an American trilogy with a game that mixes the best bits of its predecessors. With Assassin’s Creed: Unity released on the same date, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue was never going to get the lion’s share of attention, but that doesn’t mean it will be starved of affection.