4.5/5 ★ – vassm's review of Assassin's Creed: Rogue.

After "Assassin's Creed: Black Flag", I was a little skeptical about continuing with this franchise given how much I was let down, but honestly, "Assassin's Creed: Rogue" proved to be a pleasant suprise. For the first time, the scattered storylines of the series finally came together in a satisfying way and I absolutely loved it. Mechanically, "Assassin's Creed: Rogue" and "Assassin's Creed: Black Flag" are very similar, but Rogue's gameplay feels far more refined. Thank goodness, because Black Flag was a clunky nightmare. The ship mechanics were a lot smoother, more responsive, and just better overall. It wasn't sluggish, and it didn't feel as heavy. That said, the game still did suffer a bit from some tedious sailing sections. I would've gladly traded that time for more on-foot exploration or side quests. For a relatively short 10-hour experience, the developers did an impressive job creating compelling characters, something the franchise has struggled with on and off since "Assassin's Creed: Revelations", in my opinion. Seeing familiar faces return was a genuine highlight, and it made me appreciate the games more. Playing as a Templar initially felt blasphemous, but as the narrative progressed, I really appreciated how "Assassin's Creed: Rogue" blurred the lines between good guy vs bad guy. Shay's transformation was fascinating, and by the end... I wasn't entirely against his choices? (I know sue me :P) In my eyes I always saw the conflict between Assassins and Templars as a conflict of power vs freedom, and sure you can say it is that 100%, but now I see it as a case of "You're wrong, and I'm right" lmao. It's a shame that so many fans claim "Assassin's Creed: Black Flag" as the "last" great "Assassin's Creed" game because, in my opinion, "Assassin's Creed: Rogue" was a significant step up XD. In fact, it's easily secured a spot in my top three AC titles so far! I'm genuinely excited to keep playing through the series. Oh, and last thing...the music was fucking incredible. The twists on the classic Ezio theme gave me chills time and time again. 9/10