Assassin’s Creed: Rogue unveiled for last-gen consoles

There’s going to be two very different Assassin’s Creed titles this year. We’ve seen Unity in all of its next-generation French glory, but what about a game for those who have yet to make the leap? Rogue is the answer to that question, and it has more of my attention than Unity does currently. That probably has something to do with a certain Templar Darth Vader though.

Assassin’s Creed: Rogue is the title for the last-gen Assassin’s Creed game everyone knew was coming. It’s been rumoured for months now, although details about the game have been rather scarce. One early rumour suggested that players would not step into the boots of an Assassin, but rather a Templar this time around. That’s true, protagonist (or antagonist) Shay is a Templar, but his backstory is what makes Rogue so darn interesting.

Shay used to be an Assassin, but after a botched job he decided he wanted nothing to do with The Order. That somehow leads to the other Assassin’s throwing a big sulk and a few attempts on Shay’s life, forcing him to team up with the Templers and go all Vader on the Assassins. Just like Anakin did with the Jedi, Shay is hunting Assassins, which forms part of the narrative motive behind Rogue.

Interestingly, Ubisoft claim that Rogue will wrap up the Kenway storyline, which started in Assassin’s Creed III and continued with Black Flag. The game will also somehow tie into the new next-gen title, Unity, which is set during the French Revolution. That definitely makes Rogue sound like a must play title for fans, which probably won’t sit too well with many considering both come out at the end of the year.

In terms of gameplay, Rogue will stick closely to the formula established in Black Flag, which is not a bad idea in any way. You’ll have access to a ship once again, free to sail to new locations which now include the Arctic and New York. The game is set during the Seven Years’ War, with Ubisoft claiming that it will be the darkest chapter in the series yet.

Rogue will be released exclusively for Xbox 360 and PS3 on November 11th. No love for PC gamers this time, even if they do want to see how the American Assassin’s Creed story wraps up. Wii U owners are left out too. You can check out the reveal trailer, which was leaked yesterday, above as well as some screenshots. It’s no Unity, but it still looks darn pretty.

Last Updated: August 6, 2014