Assassin's Creed Rogue Reviews
Classic gameplay that will please fans of stealth, but the worst story in the series. It's focus on the Templars could have been great but there's no attempt to humanize them.
It's finally happened: Ubisoft broke Assassin's Creed.
Those who yearn for a return to Black Flag's sandbox will take comfort knowing this is "more of the same," as the clichéd review expression goes. But, Rogue's systems do nothing to move Assassin's Creed forward, leaving it fittingly stuck in the past like the last-generation consoles it graces. Anyone who expects more will be disappointed. Anyone who just wants another open-world adventure replete with sailing, exploration, and killing might find comfort in its familiar ways.
Assassin's Creed Rogue is a mediocre-to-decent, open-ended, third-person action game, which many times feels as if the typical Assassin's Creed gameplay has crossed paths with Sid Meier's Pirates! However, it's impossible to overlook an abundance of flaws that are the result of a rushed production, and the fact that this is, in many ways, a reselling of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
While Assassin's Creed Rogue isn't the technical mess Unity seems to be, it's an uninspired title that seems to check the box of "get a last gen title out the door". There are some good elements here, but nothing that actually innovates or pushes forward. The game is a decent Creed game, and another great pirate game, but it's ultimately just more of the same.
[W]hile it sets its sails to head into uncharted waters for the series narratively, the game's journey back into the established trail more often makes the title feel like a familiar journey than an exciting new venture. By flipping things around into the eyes of the enemy, Rogue presents us with a new perspective on a centuries-long conflict — the problem is that everything else we've seen before.
Assassin's Creed: Rogue is Black Flag with worse writing and (broadly) improved missions. Does very little to alter the formula, but is about as mechanically sound as Assassin's Creed gets and runs well on PC.
With a story hampered by familiar mechanics, 'Assassin's Creed Rogue' is a worthwhile adventure for only the most devoted of fans.
Assassin's Creed Rogue can be just as enthralling as its predecessors, but it sometimes feels dated and inconsequential.
Here's a comparison for Assassin's Creed fans: Rogue is basically the Revelations of the Assassin's Creed III era, and that's okay!
With Assassin's Creed: Rogue Ubisoft have delivered the equivalent of Revelations. They've concluded a story arc and a group of characters have been consigned for good to the history books. Within that conclusion the best bits have been retained, the worst bits thrown away and a couple of new things added just to keep things spicy (grenade launcher anyone?). We have a charismatic lead (he isn't Ezio but then, who is?), a taut storyline with a twist and a fun set of missions which don't overstay their welcome. It's a fine end then, before the new beginning which is already available. Rogue may seem an odd release but it is a worthwhile one that any Assassin completionist will want to play and won't regret doing.
In the end, Assassin's Creed Rogue feels like a multi-colored blanket stitched together by years of older materials. It will still keep you warm for the night, but the mismatched patterns and holes in the fabric may leave you wanting to trade up for a fresh new blanket that still carries the same comfort.
In plundering Assassin's Creed: Black Flag practically wholesale, Rogue proves to be a double-edged sword. As much as Rogue succeeds in servicing those who were disappointed that Unity eschewed Black Flag's naval shenanigans, the game also serves as a timely reminder just how little the franchise has evolved in recent years, in spite of its relatively novel take on the series' narrative.
The glue holding it all together as more than just a stale repurpose of the previous games is the story.
For anyone not yet fatigued by Assassin's Creed's relentless release schedule, Rogue is a fine game in the series, but for those who had their fill of looting and plundering the high seas in Black Flag, this could be one to miss.
Assassin's Creed Rogue is more of the same, and resembles a Black Flag expansion more than an entirely new game. Still, despite its familiar gameplay tropes, it succeeds in concluding the series' American saga via a very interesting storyline.
Refined gameplay, some fun new toys and a cool Templar twist are enough to make Rogue the equal of Black Flag. In fact, some fans might even prefer it. Though familiar game mechanics and locations create a strong sense of deja-vu, there's enough good stuff here that this final chapter of the American trilogy doesn't feel like a cash-in. It won't change the minds of those bored of the series, but it should please the many who aren't.
Aside from a few visual bugs and the odd agile guard that hasn't yet worked out how to climb down a ladder, players can spend many unhindered hours doing what Templars do best in Assassin's Creed Rogue.
Assassin's Creed Rogue offers one of the most ambitious and compelling stories in the franchise, but is still saddled with the same stale gameplay of the last couple games.
The imperative to cash in on Black Flag is transparent, but as it turns out a location swap works wonders for igniting the hooded pirate in you again.