Assassin's Creed Rogue

''Assassin's Creed Rogue is an action-adventure, stealth game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective. The game features three main areas: the western North Atlantic (around the Gulf of Saint Lawrence), the fictional River Valley (partly inspired by the Hudson Valley), and New York City. The first two include numerous individual locations that can be explored, such as small islands, human settlements, naval forts, and shipwrecks. Like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, naval exploration and combat are a major component of the gameplay. The Morrigan'', the ship that protagonist Shay Cormac captains, has a shallower draft than Edward Kenway's Jackdaw, allowing for river travel, However, the underwater diving missions featured in Black Flag have been removed as swimming in the North Atlantic causes the player's health to rapidly deplete due to the frigid water, though Shay is able to swim freely in the southerly waters of the River Valley. .For combat, the game introduces an air rifle, similar to the blowpipe from Black Flag, which allows the player to silently take out enemies at a distance. The air rifle can be outfitted with a variety of different projectiles, such as sleeping darts and firecrackers. At a predetermined point in the narrative, Shay is also given a grenade launcher attachment for his rifle by a fictionalized version of Benjamin Franklin, which could fire off shrapnel grenades and other loads. Hand-to-hand combat has been slightly altered, and now enemy attacks can be countered with timing, similar to the Batman: Arkham series of games. Enemy Assassins feature archetypes similar to previous games, using skills that players have been using throughout the series; they can hide in bushes, blend in with crowds, and perform air assassinations against the player. George Monro, Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye, Christopher Gist, and Lawrence Washington. ==Plot==

In 1752, Shay Patrick Cormac (Steven Piovesan) is a new recruit to the Colonial Brotherhood of Assassins, whose potential is offset by his insubordination. While Shay trains with the North Atlantic chapter under the Assassin Mentor Achilles Davenport (Roger Aaron Brown), the Assassin Adéwalé (Tristan D. Lalla) arrives with news that Port-au-Prince was devastated by an earthquake during the search for a Precursor temple. Due to his experience captaining ships, Shay is tasked to retrieve a Precursor box and manuscript from the Templars. However, Shay begins to question the Assassins' motives after they refuse to engage in dialogue with the Templars, instead ordering Shay to assassinate them regardless of circumstance. In 1754, after recovering the box and manuscript, Shay delivers them to Benjamin Franklin (Rick Jones), whose experiments on the box generate a map showing the locations of more Precursor temples around the world. Ordered to investigate a temple in Lisbon, Shay inadvertently triggers a devastating earthquake when he tries removing the artifact at its center, leaving him guilt-ridden and remorseful for of all the innocent lives he accidentally killed. Deducing that Port-au-Prince was destroyed similarly, Shay confronts Achilles, and is horrified to learn that Achilles intends to continue the search for Precursor artifacts, thereby endangering even more lives. Shay steals the manuscript and attempts to escape with it, but is cornered by the Brotherhood. Shay is shot and left for dead before he can destroy the manuscript. Cast adrift, Shay is found by Colonel George Monro (Graham J. Cuthbertson), who saves him and leaves him in the care of Templar sympathizers in New York. After recovering in 1756, Shay cleans out Assassin-allied gangs that are extorting the citizenry, catching Monro's attention, who convinces Shay that he can improve the lives of others. Upon retaking his ship, the Morrigan, from the Assassins, and recruiting Christopher Gist (Richard M. Dumont) as his quartermaster, Shay agrees to assist his newfound Templar allies. After the Assassins kill Monro to steal back the manuscript, Shay realizes the Brotherhood has not given up the search for Precursor temples, and begins hunting down its members, becoming a high-ranking Templar in the process. Over the following three years, Shay kills the Assassins Kesegowaase (Danny Blanco-Hall), Adéwalé, Hope Jensen (Patricia Summersett), and Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye (Marcel Jeannin), leaving only two prominent members of the Colonial Brotherhood: Achilles and his second-in-command, Liam O'Brien (Julian Casey), once Shay's best friend. Shay and the Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway (Adrian Hough) pursue the Assassins to the Arctic, where another Precursor temple has been located. After eliminating the Assassin expedition, Shay and Haytham enter the temple to find Liam and Achilles, who have realized that the artifacts are a means to stabilize the world, not a weapon to control it. During the confrontation, the artifact is accidentally destroyed, triggering another earthquake. As the four escape, Shay fatally injures Liam in a duel while Haytham overpowers Achilles. Shay persuades Haytham to spare Achilles, to ensure knowledge of the Temples is not lost, so the Assassins will not pursue them again. Haytham agrees, but cripples Achilles. Tasked by Haytham to recover the Precursor box from the Assassins, Shay spends the next sixteen years tracking it down. In 1776, with Benjamin Franklin's help, Shay infiltrates the Palace of Versailles in France and kills the Assassin Charles Dorian to obtain the box. He reaffirms his commitment to the Templar cause, and suggests that the Templars should soon start their own revolution in response to the Assassins' recent actions in America. In the modern-day, the player is an unnamed Abstergo Entertainment employee tasked with researching Shay's memories. During their investigation, the player inadvertently trips a hidden memory file that infects the Animus servers. Abstergo is placed in lockdown, and the player must clean the Animus servers by living out Shay's memories. Juhani Otso Berg (Andreas Apergis), a senior Templar, orders the player to upload Shay's memories to the Assassin servers, to weaken their resolve. The Brotherhood responds by cutting off communications. In a mid-credits scene, Berg thanks the player for their help, and gives them a choice: join the Templars, or die. The player's decision is not revealed. ==Development==

By March 2014, a game code-named "Comet" was revealed to be in development, set for release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. By the end of the month, additional reports indicated that "Comet" would be set around 1758 in New York, as well as feature sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. The game would be a direct sequel to ''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, and would feature a Templar named Shay as the main protagonist. Haytham Kenway from Assassin's Creed III and Adéwalé from Black Flag would also make appearances.'' The game was officially announced on August 5, 2014, following a leak of the title. Game director Martin Capel described the game as the conclusion to the series' "North American saga" and said that it was designed to accommodate specific fan requests, such as taking on the role of a Templar. In addition to Ubisoft Sofia's work on the game, contributions are also being made by Ubisoft studios in Singapore, Montreal, Quebec, Chengdu, Milan and Bucharest. Writer Richard Farrese suggested that one of the exciting things about playing a Templar is that the player experienced "all of that from the other side", and now that they are part of the Templar Order as Shay, the game places the player in direct opposition against the chaos wrought by the Assassins. One of the key differences between both organizations, besides their philosophical differences, comes down to resources: Farrese explained that the Templars are well-heeled compared to the Assassins, and while they are not in control of the Colonial authorities at the onset of the French and Indian War, they are actively trying to manipulate them. The Templar Order's access to a wealth of resources is manifested through Shay's arsenal of rare and exotic weapons that either existed as prototypes during the era or were actually in use at the time. Writing {{Quote box |width = 26em |align = right |quote ="Shay, he doesn't forfeit his humanity when he becomes a Templar. He simply decides to follow another cause. It does not turn him into a callous, mindless killer. Shay remains Shay. He has an emotional evolution throughout the game, but it's still him, he's simply changes his outlook. His loyalties remain the same." The core concept of Shay Cormac's story arc is based on the idea of a member of the Assassins having a change of heart and leaving as a result of a traumatic act of betrayal. Richard Farrese, one of the writers for Rogue, explained that the character is prompted to rethink his whole philosophy and his allegiance to the Assassins as a result of a cataclysmic event, and realizes that the Templars' goals and methods are much more in line with his own beliefs. Shay is depicted at the beginning of Rogue's narrative as a somewhat frivolous personality who does not take his role seriously due to his youth and lack of wisdom, though he is full of inner conflict as he questions the motivations of his leaders. Ivan Balabanov, producer and general manager of Ubisoft Sofia, describes Shay's character arc as a "transformation into this very somber, dedicated character who is pursuing his former comrades for something he genuinely believes is the better road". Balabanov further noted that "there are not many lines which Shay doesn't cross" and that Rogue was the most tragic of the franchise's titles to date. The development team wanted to create a relatable character whose actions create room for understanding, and that they deliberately avoid creating a "monodimensional, very flat character, a stereotypical bad guy who kills the good guys". Balabanov explained that "Shay is not somebody who, once he's made up his mind, he's forgotten what it's like to know these people. He knows who they are. He's regretful when he kills them". Producer Karl van der Luhe further elaborated that from Shay's perspective, it is not about "going to the dark side", but rather a case of him finding himself being aligned with the Templars' approach as he comes to a realization that their motives and strategy are more in-line with what he believes is right, and he joins to help push it further. Van der Luhe noted that the Templars and Assassins essentially want the same things and that their point of difference is their approach into getting there. Writer Susan Patrick suggested that by hunting down his former comrades, Shay is in fact seeking redemption. ==Marketing and release==

''Assassin's Creed Rogue was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 11, 2014, in North America; November 13, 2014, in most other regions; and November 14, 2014, in the United Kingdom, to coincide with the release of Assassin's Creed Unity for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A Windows version of Rogue'' was also released four months later, on March 10, 2015. Retail editions In addition to the standard edition of Rogue, Ubisoft released three different limited editions. • The ''Collector's Edition'' features a retail copy of the game, a collector's box, a copy of the game's official soundtrack and artbook, three lithographs, and two exclusive in-game missions (The Siege of Fort de Sable and ''The Armor of Sir Gunn's Quest''). • The Artbook Edition is exclusive to PC and includes a retail copy of the game, a collector's box, and a copy of the game's official artbook, as well as a hardcase for the artbook. • The Limited Edition features a retail copy of the game, the Ultimate Hunter Pack, and The Siege of Fort de Sable single-player mission. Downloadable content Four downloadable content packs were released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, each adding new weapons and/or customization options for Shay and the Morrigan: the Officer Pack, Commander Pack, Templar Pack, and Explorer Pack. All the downloadable content available for Rogue was later compiled into a single pack, titled the Templar Legacy Pack, which was released on January 13, 2015. Additionally, Ubisoft released four Time Saver packs (the Activities Pack, Collectibles Pack, Resources Pack, and Technology Pack), which provide the player with early in-game resources to upgrade the Morrigan and the locations of all collectibles in order to facilitate gameplay. Through Ubisoft's Uplay system, players could redeem several in-game bonuses, including the Assassin Killer outfit, a Katana and Wakizashi weapon set, and customization items for the Morrigan inspired by the Jackdaw from ''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag''. Remastered On January 11, 2018, Ubisoft announced a remastered version of ''Assassin's Creed Rogue, to be released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 20. The remaster features enhanced visuals and all previously released downloadable content, as well as exclusive legacy outfits inspired by Jacob Frye from Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Aguilar de Nerha from the live-action Assassin's Creed film, and Bayek from Assassin's Creed Origins''. The remastered version also includes support for UHD resolution on the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. Merchandise In 2019, DAMTOYS released a figure of Shay Cormac, which stands at just over 12 inches tall and dressed in the character's signature robed outfit, with accessories such as pistol bags, bracers, and pouches. The action figure features nearly a dozen interchangeable hands, which allows for poses with different types of weapons. ==Reception==

''Assassin's Creed Rogue'' received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Ray Carsillo from Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an 8.5/10, praising its interesting lead character, enjoyable story, new weapons introduced, new mission design, which requires players to prevent assassinations instead of carrying out assassinations like in other ''Assassin's Creed titles, as well as advanced and improved combat mechanics. However, he criticized poor pacing of the story, frequent bugs, lack of replayability and the lack of inclusion of a multiplayer mode. He concluded the review by saying that "Rogue is a far more pleasurable experience than I anticipated. It does just enough to put its own stamp on the franchise while also giving us critical story details in order to tie up loose ends between Assassin's Creed III and IV''. It serves as a perfect conclusion to the series' time spent exploring Europe's North American colonies in the 18th century." Matt Miller from Game Informer gave the game an 8.25/10. He praised the huge variety of activities, varied environments, and mission types, new additions and well-performed gameplay, despite being too similar to its predecessors. He criticized the repetitive melee combat and the absence of multiplayer mode. He described the game by saying that "Rogue is vast with lots to explore, and while it lacks novelty, it offers a wealth of gameplay and lore to faithful fans." Mitch Dyer from IGN found that Shay was a layered and sympathetic protagonist rather than an expected "cold-blooded killer", making for one of the most engaging stories in the series for several years. Marshall Honorof from ''Tom's Guide'' thought Steven Piovesan convincingly portrays Shay as thoughtful and conflicted. The Irish accent Piovesan uses for the character on the other hand has attracted criticism, particularly from Irish publications. In a retrospective examination of Rogue published by Gamingbolt in September 2020, Shubhankar Parijat said Shay's transformation from young Assassin to Master Templar remains "fascinating to see". Parijat said ''Rogue's'' storyline, which revolves around Shay's personal conflict with his former friends and allies, seeing him being forced to view things in different ways, watching him interact with and form closer bonds with his newfound comrades in the Templars, deserves a special place in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series. Shay's status as one of the few Templar characters who is portrayed sympathetically in the series is discussed by Lars de Wildt in the 2019 book Playing Utopia: Futures in Digital Games Shay's tampering of a Precursor artifact as directed by the Assassin leadership, which inadvertently triggers The Great Lisbon Earthquake event in ''Rogue's'' narrative, is cited as an example of the exploration of the theme of theodicy in popular media by author Frank G. Bosman. Sales As of December 31, 2014, Ubisoft had shipped a combined 10 million copies of ''Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Rogue''. ==Notes==