Assassin’s Creed Rogue Story Review
Double McStab with Cheese
If you want to skip any story spoilers and get right to my final thoughts and buy/don't buy decisions, click here.
Scope
This review contains story spoilers from Assassin’s Creed Rogue. It covers both Shay’s story in colonial North America and the modern day. I will include a plot synopsis in spoiler tags in case you want the general feel but don’t want all the spoilers. This review assumes all information from previous AC games, including Black Flag. Discussion that follows the original post may contain specific spoilers though, so be warned. Like the gameplay review found here, categories will be ranked out of 5.
Characters, Locations and Lore previously seen
The following characters and locations that are in other games show up in this one:
plus future games (spoiler tags because not in scope disclaimers):
Haytham Kenway earns this category a 5/5. Okay, not really, but as a category, I’m judging this as consistency and lore, so 4.5/5.
Campaign Mission Archetypes - copied from other review
All the classic AC archetypes are here: free assassination; scripted assassination (none like Haytham and Charles Lee “push X to win” though); chase (maybe 3); tail (I think one on land and one on sea); escort/protect (maybe 2); walk and talk; steal information; infiltrate/save; tutorial dump. I don’t remember any Eavesdrop or Gather Supplies missions though. Full sync objectives flash on the screen then disappear when failed (like Black Flag) so you don’t know until the end of the mission, which is frustrating. At least in AC3, the red X told you when you failed.
I wish there were more freedom to assassinate as I saw fit. There are (I think) 8 assassination missions in 23 campaign missions though, which is high density. From memory, maybe 3 to 4 of them are scripted to the point where complete stealth isn’t an option (a chase or two, iirc). Unfortunately, as the game progresses, they begin to feel like interactive cut-scenes again.
Because of the variation in missions there is a positive. But the restrictive nature and full sync objectives mechanics irk me. 2.5/5.
I want it noted that this is for the main campaign only. There is a LOT of freedom in the other side content, like settlements, gang headquarters, etc, where you can assassinate as you see fit.
Plot Synopsis
The campaign is 6 sequences long that nicely breaks into a beginning, middle and end of 2 sequences each. The plot synopsis is in spoilers, in case you don’t want to read it, but want to only take my word for it. Not everything is in chronological order as it happens in the game. I group to plot to make sense and tell the story efficiently.
Setup – the Assassins and impending doom
Adéwalé shows up to the Davenport Homestead. He is an old man, and comes with bad news from the Caribbean. There has been a massive earthquake (maybe it was Haiti? I don’t remember) and many people have died. Achilles seems upset, but not at the death of his Assassin that seemed to be at the middle of it, Mackandal.
Achilles gives Shay the mission to go to Lisbon and find the Precursor Site and recover the PoE within. He is told that Liam cannot go with him, and is confused at the decision, but obeys reluctantly. While in Lisbon, Shay finds the site and PoE within. Upon grasping the supposed PoE, it disintegrates and the building belongs to collapse around Shay. He escapes a collapsing Lisbon to his boat and heads back to the colonies confused. On the way back, he surmises that this map Achilles has in hand is not one of Precursor Sites that contain Apples, but that literally hold the world together. The earthquake in the Caribbean that decimated the region has now occurred in Lisbon, and Shay blames Achilles and his blindness to gain possession of an Apple for putting all these people in danger after the first time.
On arrival back at the Davenport Homestead, Shay confronts Achilles about this, but Achilles doesn’t listen (shade of Abbas at this time). Shay decides he cannot let his Mentor destroy any more cities so breaks into Achilles’s home to steal the book. Without the book, the box is worthless, he thinks. Achilles finds him, they fight, Achilles kicks ass. Shay tries to escape from the Davenport Homestead as the full force of the Brotherhood is after him (Hope, Liam, Adewale, Kesegowaase, and a couple others whose names and import escape me). He falls off the cliff into frigid water, and the Assassins assume he dies.
Journey – Shay, a man for the people
Shay meets Colonel George Monro of the British Army, who seems to be a friend to the couple caring for him, and they discuss this terrorist activity in NYC and wish to put it to a stop. An ally to the British cause is being put to death by the gangs / French terrorists. Shay rescues Christopher Gist from hanging killing criminals along the way. Shay quickly discovers that the criminals have a ship moored, and when he sees it, he knows immediately that it is the Morrigan. Confused at this time of how his ship ended up in the hands of criminals and terrorists, Shay steals his ship back and makes Christopher Gist (and his goofy hat) his first mate.
The French are getting closer to New York City and have built a fort just up the river. In order to strike a blow against the French fortifications and personnel, Shay is then charged with taking down a French storehouse then this fort. When he gets there, he is surprised to find the Assassin loyalist Le Chasseur as the forts commanding officer. Shay realizes that he must kill Le Chasseur else word of his survival gets back to Achilles and the Assassins. (He left them and only wants to fight for what’s right for the people at this point). He reluctantly does so.
Back in New York, it appears the gangs are gearing up for a massive terrorist attack on the city, and are manufacturing HUGE amounts of poison, with the unwitting help of Ben Franklin. Shay meets up with Franklin, who is under the impression that Shay and Hope still work together, gives Shay some information to take to Hope and tells him where the work is going on. Shay rushes to the manufacturing plant and puts an end to the gang’s plot.
At some point in Monro and Shay’s relationship, it is revealed that Monro has the book that Shay had stolen from the Assassins when he left them. He was the one that saved him from the ocean and the book was with him. It’s kind of funny that the Monro and Shay constantly pass the book back and forth between themselves so that it stays safe, as they both know it’s important. Shay stays with Monro helping prepare for other fort defenses they are ambushed by natives, and Kesegowaase. They manage to escape, but not without Kesegowaase recognizing Shay working with Monro. Somewhere in here, it’s revealed that Monro is a Templar and Shay had no idea. Even worse, the Assassins have teamed up with the French and the gangs and have been behind everything! Shay keeps his Assassin past from Monro, for now. Finally, Kesegowaase and his allies storm the Monro at Fort William Henry. If you know your history, you know what happens. [from Wikipedia: Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro was a Scottish-Irish soldier. He was an officer in the British Army best remembered for his resolute but ultimately unsuccessful defense of Fort William Henry in 1757.] Shay kills Kesegowaase and knows now that the Assassins have not only sided with the French, but are after him as well, thinking he’s turned full Templar.
Somewhere in here, Shay’s Assassin past finally comes out to Monro, who is not surprised. He knew all along. The family he placed them with recently lost their son, a Templar. Additionally, Monro, and the Templars, are fine with the transition from Assassin to Templar and trust him fully at the end of the sequence; as they tell Shay, their Grandmaster’s father was an Assassin, afterall. Also, somewhere in here Monro dies. I think he had the book on him at the time so it fell back into the hands of Achilles and the Assassins, who did not heed the warnings of Shay and are again on the lookout for an Apple at a new precursor site.
Payoff – time to save the world
Haytham FINALLY shows up, and you have many joint missions with him.
Assassins/Gangs seem to be overrunning New York and Hope is leading them. In order to get the British Army to fully devote resources to snuff them out, Shay and Weeks (I think it was Weeks) dress as French Criminals and wreak havoc. Somewhere in here, Shay learns where Hope’s center of operations is and hunts here down. It turns out that even though Shay destroyed their outdoor poison manufacturing, they did not stop and still have a lot. Upon confrontation, Hope drinks something, then releases a poison and triggers an annoying chase. Shay is poisoned and must get the antidote from Hope. Upon assassination, Hope reveals that de la Verendrye (and the other Assassins, presumably) are well on their way. Hope and her operations gave them enough time to get out.
Upon infiltrating a camp for information, Shay finally learns where de la Verendrye is headed, north. Shay, Haytham, Gist and Weeks finally track down de la Verendrye and Shay kills him… but Liam and Achilles are not with him. He was just ANOTHER distraction. Good thing for Shay, he discovers where they are headed anyway. In the far north, Shay and the gang find the Assassin expedition, and the precursor site. Haytham and Shay go in after Achilles and Liam to see this to the end. As Achilles and Liam approach the artifact, it becomes clear to Achilles that Shay was right. This is not what they were looking for, and need not be touched. During this conversation, Shay and Haytham approach them and catch them off guard. Achilles apologizes for not listening to Shay, but Liam isn’t so quick to welcome these Templars and pulls out a gun. Achilles knocks the gun so Liam doesn’t shoot Shay, but knocks Liam’s arm right into the artifact. It disintegrates, and triggers a chase/escape. Haytham takes off after Achilles, and Shay after Liam. In something straight out of American Gladiator, Shay strategically uses cover to avoid Liam’s gunshots and finally gets him.
Upon leaving the ice caves, Shay stops Haytham from killing Achilles. Achilles is without a Brotherhood now, and wouldn’t dare leave the Homestead. Another reason to keep Achilles alive is that now he knows the truth of these precursor sites. Without Achilles, it would just be a matter of time before another Assassin tries to find them. Haytham agrees to show some mercy toward Achilles, and shoots him in the leg, creating the limp we all know and love from AC3.
Character Development
The best game in recent times to do character development right, was AC3… except the protagonist. It was the game that made you learn about and understand the antagonists and I was hoping Rogue would do the same. Perhaps some more time with the Assassins, one more sequence, would have done it. Maybe a mission that actually kills the old couple’s son rather than 3 old Templars that are dying anyway… 3 dying old men and a kid who was just a boy and didn’t understand what he was a part of would have had the same feel for the distrust of the Assassins.
You only really get introduced to Hope, Liam and Kesegowaase in the tutorial dump mission – one teaches you shooting, one teaches you stabbing and one teaches you hunting. Perhaps a mission (of importance!) with each of them would have fleshed out the characters more. Maybe the best thing would have been for each of them to be a part of the initial Assassination missions… have Kesegowaase help you tail and kill one of them from the trees; have hope give you the poison grenade to help you access another that is heavily guarded in a settlement (which would also introduce settlements AND introduce Hope as the poison lady); have de La Verendrye help you on the open ocean to track down another and Liam help you achieve the assassination. I feel breaking up the tutorials into meaningful assassination missions would have developed the characters more than a “Davenport Homestead – get back to training” tutorial dump.
Modern Day
I’ll put this ALL in spoilers, because some people would rather NOT be spoiled about anything in the present day.
Not much about the impending Juno conflict, sadly, but there are things to that end in the game, I’m just not going to tell you where. Lots of talk about the singularity of man and machine… perhaps this is where Juno manifests herself eventually.
Some things don’t make sense… why send YOU to fix the servers with so many other competent people running around? But I love me some Assassins vs Templar lore.
Overall Story
The story was short and restrictive. The plot is there, the characters just need to be fleshed out better. I give the overall story, in all regards, a 3.5/5.
Overall Game Rating - should you buy
If it were longer and the characters were developed, it’s a fantastic story and a fantastic game. The story, the thing that made me fall in love with Assassin’s Creed at the beginning, is the part of the game holding it back at this point. The gameplay and immersive world save this game… but how many times can this be the case before it’s no longer worth it to buy a new game for a new immersive world without a great new plot or set of characters? Overall, 4 stabs out of 5.
If you liked Black Flag, and want a game that builds on it with ideas that feel like blasts from the past, get this game and don’t feel bad about spending $50 on it. It truly feels like an homage to the series, and in that regard it’s a 5/5, and the one I’ll find myself playing again over Black Flag for that reason. But as a stand-alone game, the plot and characters just isn’t up to par and there are no revolutionary gameplay advances so it’s at best a 3/5; wait for the bargain bin.