Ubisoft has released two gameplay trailers for Assassin’s Creed Rogue, the next installment of the franchise coming on last generation consoles.
The first video shows the arctic naval battle gameplay. It shows the upgrade from the naval battles of Black Flag with new weapons, strategies, and elements that will affect your gameplay. You will pilot your ship, The Morrigan, with Templar Master Haytham Kenway standing at your left as you go to various locations and take down the Assassins and their allies.
Much of the gameplay from Black Flag remains the same. The biggest change is that your enemies can now also board your ship in addition to you being able to board theirs.
The second video highlights a land mission. This time, your aim is to kill the Assassin leader and claim the area for the Templars. It is similar in many aspects to the Fort missions in Black Flag and the Templar districts of Revelations.
Here, it shows how you can use a new weapon, the air rifle, to create distractions. It also shows an advanced form of Eagle Sense (I missed that one), such as hearing whispers when there’s an Assassin hiding in the bushes or the trees to strike you.
My impressions on both gameplay videos is good. It is understandably similar to Black Flag given that the franchise has reached its technological peak on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The graphics are looking to be slightly better than Black Flag’s (which was already visually pleasing to my eye), and Shay shares a lot of animations with Edward Kenway with a few touches of his own.
It is interesting to note that while this game has a lot in common with earlier titles, it’s the approach to gaming that sets it apart. For one thing, since you are one of the bad guys, killing civilians isn’t a problem. In fact, it is even encouraged as something you can use for your own ends.
Story-wise, Ubisoft has promised that this game will complete the Kenway trilogy and Haytham’s presence at The Morrigan confirms that. The Colonial Assassins were all but wiped out in Assassin’s Creed III and this game looks to show you how and why.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue will come out on the XBox 360 and the PS3 on November 11, 2014.