Assassin's Creed: Rogue

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Assassin's Creed: Rogue is a sandbox action adventure game, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 11 November 2014 in the United States, 13 November globally,^[2] and 10 March 2015 for the PC.^[3] Rogue follows the story of the Assassin-turned-Templar Shay Cormac between 1752 and 1760, during the Seven Years' War, and is the closing chapter in the Kenway saga.^[4]

Development

Assassin's Creed: Rogue was developed by Ubisoft Sofia, in collaboration with Ubisoft's Singapore, Montreal, Quebec, Chengdu, Milan and Bucharest studios.^[5] The game was written by Richard Farrese.^[4]

Gameplay

The primary locations in the game are New York, the Hudson River Valley and the North Atlantic Ocean. The North Atlantic is an icy water-based region, where icebergs can be used as cover during naval combat, as well as broken to reveal frozen cargo and Animus data fragments. With the help of an ice-breaker ram, navigation is supplemented and additional secret areas can be reached. Meanwhile, the River Valley is a hybrid of land-based and naval gameplay, with seamless river navigation integrated into a map reminiscent of the Frontier from Assassin's Creed III.

Some mechanics from previous games' multiplayer have been incorporated, such as a compass indicating the target's position being a part of Eagle Vision, and whispers increasing in volume to indicate the presence of nearby stalkers.

Environmental hazards have been incorporated in the form of poison gas barrels, which drives victims berserk within their expanding radius; Shay can avoid being affected by pulling a mask over his face.^[4] Accompanying this, swimming in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic damages Shay's health.^[6]

During naval battles, the Morrigan can be rammed by enemy ships, forcing Shay and his crew to protect their vessel from Assassin-affiliated attackers.^[7] Sea shanties make a return in Rogue, comprised of a mix of old ones from Black Flag and newly composed ones.

Hunting returns with new animals unique to the Arctic regions, such as narwhals and polar bears.

Characters seen previously in the Kenway saga make appearances, such as Haytham Kenway and Achilles Davenport from Assassin's Creed III, as well as Adéwalé from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.^[7]

The ability to kill civilians and domestic animals with melee weapons returns, with desynchronization penalty applying to Shay during his time as an Assassin. Once he leaves the Assassins, bounty hunters will be sent after Shay for killing civilians, similar to pirate hunters in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.^[6]

Plot

The Modern Day plot begins one year after the events of Black Flag , with a new unnamed player character that works for Abstergo Entertainment. While investigating the memories of Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin working in the North Atlantic during the French and Indian War, they inadvertently trip a hidden memory file that corrupts the Abstergo servers. With the building being put into lockdown, the player is recruited by Melanie Lemay to continue exploring Cormac's memories in an effort to clear the system.

Cormac is a new recruit to the Brotherhood of Assassins, working under Achilles Davenport. Achilles sees potential in him, but Cormac develops an insubordinate streak that frustrates his mentors. Believing that taking a more active role in the Brotherhood's affairs will temper his impetuousness, Achilles orders Cormac with his newly acquired ship the Morrígan to track down a Templar cell that has been deciphering a Precursor artifact revealing the locations of several Pieces of Eden. The artifact, in the form of a wooden box, had been stolen from the Assassins following a massive earthquake in Haiti some years before. With the help of Benjamin Franklin, a Piece of Eden is located in Lisbon, and Cormac is tasked with retrieving it.

However, Cormac has begun questioning the Assassins' motives after seeing their refusal to engage in dialogue with the Templars, and takes no satisfaction from killing an already-dying Templar commander, Lawrence Washington. His doubts come to a head in Lisbon, where his attempt to retrieve the Piece of Eden triggers an earthquake that destroys the city. Noting that similar events occurred in Haiti, Cormac is horrified to learn that Achilles and the Assassins intend to pursue the remaining Pieces of Eden. Cormac steals a manuscript necessary to interpret the artifact and flees, while the Assassins give chase. At the edge of the homestead, an Assassin shoots him in the back and leaves him for dead; Shay comes to believe it was his best friend Liam's doing.

Cormac is rescued by a passing ship and taken to New York City. Once he recovers, he uses the skills he learned from the Assassins to drive out the city's criminal gangs. His actions attract the attention of George Monro, the city's governor, who offers Cormac the chance to help rebuild the city. Indebted to Monro, Cormac assists the British Army in their early campaigns against the French, and discovers that Achilles' chapter is supporting the French war effort. Monro reveals himself to be a Templar, and despite knowing of Cormac's prior association with the Assassins, offers him a place within their Order. Cormac accepts, after which he kills his former Assassin brother Kesegowaase, who before dying, tells him that Liam is there and about to kill Monro. Liam is successful, and this put Shay in distress. He is then formally inducted by the Templar Grandmaster, Haytham Kenway, into the Templar order.

Cormac reveals to Kenway that he believes these particular Pieces of Eden are not weapons, but are instead being used to hold the world together, and he pledges to stop the Assassins before they cause another catastrophe. On his quest to now destroy the Assassins, Cormac decided he must do the right thing. One by one, Shay takes out every one of his former Assassin ally. After discovering that Achilles and Liam are headed for another Precursor temple, he immediately sets course for the temple. Due to Liam and Achilles having a slight disagreement, which leads to some movevent, they knock over the Piece of Eden, causing an earthquake. This followed with Haytham pursuing Achilles and Cormac and Liam fight throughout the temple, with Cormac ultimately killing his former friend. He arrives in time to persuade Haytham to spare Achilles, as his testimony will stop the Assassins from trying to locate other temples. Haytham nonetheless cripples Achilles as a precaution by shooting him in the knee.

With the Assassin Brotherhood all but destroyed, Cormac is tasked with locating the artifact, and spends the next twenty years searching for it. His search eventually leads him to Versailles, where he discovers it under the care of Charles Dorian; father of Arno, protagonist of Assassin's Creed Unity. Cormac kills Charles and takes possession of the artifact, taunting the dying man with the promise that while the American Revolution ended Templar influence in the Americas, a new revolution may yet hold promise.

In the present day, the player reconciles Cormac's memories. Under the direction of Otso Berg, a senior Templar leader, they upload them to the Assassin network, revealing how close Achilles Davenport came to destroying the world. The result is almost instantaneous, with the Assassins thrown into disarray and, as revealed in Assassin's Creed Unity, retaliating by hacking into the Abstergo's systems and destroying all of the company's Precursor samples as well as causing several of their servers to melt down. As reward for their actions, the player is presented with a choice; join the Templar Order, or die. The game fades to black before a choice is made.

Editions

A retail copy of Assassin's Creed: Rogue.
A collector's box.
A copy of the official soundtrack.
A copy of the official artbook.
Three lithographs.
Two exclusive single player missions: The Siege of Fort de Sable and The Armor of Sir Gunn's Quest.