About four years ago I won a writing contest on a niche subreddit.

My reward was a game called ‘Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun’.

And because this was not just any game, it was the spoils of victory, naturally it jumped the queue in my already overstocked steam library; I played it immediately.

What followed was a gorgeous romp through busy environments set in edo Japan, a small cast of characters to carry through complex mission fields and a review I knew I was going to write one day.

Welcome to that day.

Shadow Tactics is an overhead stealth based strategy game à la ‘Commandos’ where you control, at varying times, a ninja, a samurai, a snarky gutter rat, a sniper and a kunoichi.

You are placed in a map with a set of objectives, an OSHA nightmare of environmental hazards to weaponize and a frankly unreasonable number of armed guards between you and what you need to do. There’s no prescribed path, you can travel through one route while barely interacting with the other half of the map.

From then on in you must adapt to a certain style of gameplay. One that rewards patience, observation and careful co-ordination followed by bold movements with razor thin margins of error.

Your five sneaky soldiers have a small arsenal of abilities mostly aimed at controlling the attention of the guards and moving unseen.

And as any stealth game player can tell you, there are two ways to be stealthy:

Leave no bodies for the guards to find…

Or leave no guards to find the bodies.

You have many ways to slaughter your fellow man in this game; the difficulty is in preventing everything from rapidly spiraling out of control.

Which it will.

Among your most used keys will be F5 and F8, the respective shortcuts for quick-save and quick-load.

Because an alarm going off spawns several clown cars of hunting guards and is functionally the same as a game over.

Shadow Tactics is fair in its brutality. Every situation that hits the fan is accompanied by a realisation that being just a little more observant, waiting just a little longer, considering that one element that you missed, could have saved you.

And that’s the flavour of difficult that makes a game intriguing, because you know next time will be different.

Soundwise we have a heavy emphasis on traditional Japanese music.

You are doing yourself a favour if you sit on the title screen for a minute or two and just take it in; warbling strings slowly evolves into an evocative theme. More modern concert instruments join in and generate something melancholy; this isn’t a wild action game where the hero does backflips and gets the girl, war is a tragedy and we are about to slip into the blood-soaked shoes of its victims.

In game sound design is doing work.

While the shing of a katana leaving its sheath and the wet gurgling of a nameless guard with a shuriken embedded in his jugular are all well done, the truly impressive thing to be listening out for is the way the music plays with you.

A playful tone when the kunoichi dons her disguise, a threatening shift when you are discovered. If we are actors on a stage, then the concert knows their part well.

You can choose to hear the voices of the main characters in English dub or subtitled Japanese, and while the Japanese voices most certainly blend into the portrait more smoothly, English voice work is decently well done.

On that note, the true stars of the show here are the characters.

Our five heroes start as strangers. Over the course of the game, their relationships evolve and become an interpersonal web of battle-bound comrades. Early levels consist of taking one, two or three of them on a mission at once, but by the end you have the whole crew and their arsenal and are juggling multiple abilities at once.

By the time you get to that point, in game dialogue and cutscenes made in the game engine will have progressed them by inches into a diehard crew that stick together no matter what…

And it’s your job to keep them alive.

Good luck.

Shadow Tactics is the middle child in a trilogy of games set in the same style, the others being ‘Desperados III’ and the recently released ‘Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew’.

In one of those you control a posse of cowboys in the dusty and brutal wild west, in the other you are a pirate crew beset by mystic curses.

So with cowboys, ninja and now pirates covered, safe to say this is one team of game creators who truly speaks to the wide-eyed six year old in all of us.

Tragically, that developer is Mimimi games… who have announced their shutdown only recently.

So it is with some bittersweet feelings that I go through their other games, but hey, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

When Shadow Tactics clicks, it’s a feeling like nothing else.

Slipping past the legion of enemies stalking you and defying every odd, finding every loophole and threading the needle an impossible number of times in a row (ignoring all the times you had to use quick-load no jutsu).

I still have that last level to go, it’s a vicious beast of a thing to tackle. But beat it I will, and then I’ll be on to doing the same with Desperados, then Cursed Crew.

We’ll be sad to see you go Mimimi, but in the meantime, we have the games you left behind to keep us company.

The post Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (Retro) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Five years on from its initial release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection has found its home on Nintendo’s Switch.

Focused on the life and adventures of Ezio Auditore, the games follows the centuries old conflict between the Assassins and the Templars. The basic premise explores the concept of unlocking genetic memory and being able to relive the lives of our ancestors via a device known as the Animus.The Assassin’s Creed gameplay is a third-person mix of stealth and action, with a heavy dose of parkour thrown in for good measure.

Despite the mainly historic locations, the Assassin’s Creed games are actually set in modern times. The contemporary version of the Templars, a company called Abstergo Industries is using the Animus to locate high-tech items leftover from the ancient civilisation that created the human race. They do this by strapping in a modern-day descendant of the Assassins, called Desmond, and getting him to relive the life of his ancestors. In the first Assassin’s Creed game this was the life of Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, during the Crusades.

Following the very established Assassin’s Creed franchise, 2009’s Assassin’s Creed II moved the timeline forward three hundred years plunging us into Renaissance Italy.

Assassins Creed: The Ezio Collection includes remastered version of Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations.

This collection follows the Italian nobleman, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, son of the Assassin Giovanni Auditore and descendant of Altair.

Assassin’s Creed II starts off as a revenge quest, with a young Ezio on a mission to avenge the murder of his father and brothers. Under the tutelage of his uncle, Mario, Ezio learns of his Assassin’s heritage.

Ezio’s adventures take us to beautifully recreated versions of Florence, Venice and even Vatican City. We meet historic figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, who provides Ezio with his hidden blade, and Niccolò Machiavelli.

Ezio’s focus shifts as he becomes aware of the Templars and the pieces of Eden- hi-tech relics left over from the time of beings known as the First Civilization. At the end of Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft were still not quite finished with Ezio.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood introduces the recruitment mechanic and Assassin missions mini-game. Instead of splitting the game up across many different locations, Brotherhood mainly sticks to the one location, the now declining city of Rome.

As with Monteriggioni in ACII, Ezio can use his wealth to improve the city to unlock rewards. The combat system has been further refined and you can know use horses to get about within the city.

Ezio’s final adventure, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. It’s here we experience a new in-game tool called the hookblade that Ezio uses to traverse the incredibly beautiful Constantinople.

Within this remaster we see most of the detail and love that has been poured in to the Xbox One and PS4 remaster with re-rendered graphics and fluidity in gameplay – albeit somewhat watered down to be compressed for the lower specs of Nintendo’s Switch.

The visuals for Brotherhood are a marked improvement, as the original game was a lot more polished. But it’s the third title in the package, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations that really looks good, the visuals almost on par with the likes of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

There’s no doubt that Ezio’s adventures were a turning point for the series, giving us a likable, if at times stoic protagonist and some simply beautiful settings to explore.

As a package, Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection is excellent value, even still for PlayStation or Xbox and undoubtedly for Switch. If you played the original Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection back in the day (2006) then it’s a worthy re-play for at home or on the go. You’ll also find included all the DLC packs from the originals.

Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection is an adventure title that’s as much a part of the Assassin’s Creed universe as any of the other games and a more than worthy to pick up and play as it was back when it forst released.

The post Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From villages to cityscapes and futuristic labs Ryu Hayabusa is back in a trilogy that originally defined Ninja action.

From Team Ninja comes the collection of Ninja Gaiden, remastered for current-gen consoles, bringing both the nostalgia to us who played the original back in the mid 2000s to the last entry in the series – Ninja Gaiden 3.

Over the top and non-stop Ninja Gaiden follows a lone Master Ninja Ryu Hayabusa as he originally tries to save his village then sets out on a path of revenge… which then kinda becomes a bit, well, SciFi.

Armed with the legendary Dragon Blade a weapon so powerful that it eventually begins to consume him.

Ninja Gaiden games also have an RPG element, while basic.

Collecting up Essence from your foes or throughout the environment will enable you to purchase additional melee and projectile weapons aswell as upgrading, or rather ‘strengthening’ your existing ones.

Finding Gold Scarab Beetles reaps even better rewards.

You will also learn new moves – this can vary a bit via the game you’re playing but ultimately these can be learned through new scrolls you will acquire.

Then you have a super move by venting all of your frustration and might via Ninpo. You’ll also play as differing characters as the narrative allows. They too have their own skills and weapons.

While none of the three games are open world, there are many areas that are worth exploring – and explore you should as there can be goodness just around the corner.

The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection, if you hadn’t gathered by now, has all three games; Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden II and III.

Arcade action at its finest – you get ranked on how well you did (or didn’t) do at the conclusion of every Level.

Perhaps showing it’s age, playthrough of the games is short, around 6 to 8 hours per game, but given that you have all three titles in one bundle there’s more than enough Dragon Blade slicing and wall running to keep marathoning through.

Replayability is a bit light. Once you’re done. You’re done.

The only replayability factor is to replay on a harder difficulty. This will gain you more Achievements or Trophies, if you’re a trophy hunter.

In all the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a satisfying play and for gamers like me who played the at the time groundbreaking Ninja Gaiden on the first Xbox it’s a series you should smash your way through.

The post Ninja Gaiden Collection (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From darkness, the Shadow clan has returned.Introducing Aragami 2, a beautifully crafted story offering a unique ninja gameplay experience brought to you by Lince Works.

Taking place 100 years after the events of the first Aragami game published in 2016, a new story unfolds amongst the chaos born of tensions between rival factions and an insatiable thirst for power.

Fans of the Aragami franchise and stealth games alike will find in this sequel a fresh new action stealth experience with more agile stealth mechanics, new combat features, and gripping narrative. Aragami 2 also encourages players to engage in their ninja power fantasy alongside friends: Ninja groups of up to three players can tackle the full campaign together or hop in and out at their leisure.

“It was as important to us as it was for players, to bring back Aragami and this time we wanted to bring it all in. Multiple features, such as the combat system, were scrapped in the early development of the original Aragami game since we didn’t have the resources to build them” says David Leon, Aragami 2 Game Director. “This sequel will bring a sensational new world, story and fresh gameplay mechanics to create a total new experience adding combat and cooperation to our core stealth mechanics. We think players are going to love it and we can’t wait to show you more of it.”

Aragami 2 sets players off on an action-packed adventure that takes place in a fantastic world with influences from Asian culture, mythology and folklore, in which powerful military factions rule the lands. It is a time of war, unrest and conflict in which players will live out their ultimate ninja fantasy as Aragami; encountering vivid stealth sequences and epic battles with stunningly choreographed combat.

Lince Works’ first Aragami title was launched in 2016, a Tenchu-style stealth game that was able to revitalize the classic ninja genre by introducing unique gameplay mechanics that felt both challenging and fast for players. With a striking art style inspired by Japanese mythology and culture, Aragami positioned the studio in the global landscape with a well-accomplished ninja stealth game that would take the reigns within the genre. Since launch, Aragami has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide on all platforms – a remarkable accomplishment for their first self-published title considering the size of the studio.

In 2019, Lince Works raised $3.4 million in a funding led by Game Seer, a German venture capital firm focused on early-stage gaming companies.

The game is set to release in early 2021 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and PC.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and it’s contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post Aragami 2 Promises Magic, Blood & More appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Before I start, I’d like to point a few things out. Sekiro will likely already have a feverishly loyal user base, and they will love the game, just as they loved From Software’s Dark Souls games and Bloodborne. This review is not for those guys, who should go out right now and pick up Sekiro. This review is for the rest of us.

Ninjas and samurai are cool. And it’s to feudal Japan that From Software take us to for this punishing stealth/combat game. As the one-armed Wolf, or Sekiro, players must utilise the abilities of a special artificial arm, the shinobi prosthetic, to free the Divine Heir, Kuro from the clutches of Genichiro. Genichiro wants to use Kuro’s Dragon Heritage, the same power that kept his mortally wounded bodyguard, the shinobi (ninja) Wolf after losing his arm, to create an immortal army.

The plot is esoteric and either natively mad or lost in translation. But it is Japan, with ninjas and samurais. The perfect setting for a sword-fighting action game with a sprinkling of the supernatural about it.

The game uses that awful, dated 90s-style user interface favoured by the likes of Capcom. Why Japanese developers can’t send their people on decent UI design courses is a mystery to me. To be honest, it’s not a nice-looking game. It looks better than Dark Souls I-III, but probably not as good as Bloodborne or 99% of other recently released supposedly AAA titles.

The general gameplay visuals are acceptable, but offer little of note, as with the UI, the animations, and general polish all feel very dated. If From Software just don’t seem to offer the same level of finesse of their peers.

Sekiro is all about the combat or avoiding it. I never worked out when I should be taking which approach. Nine times out of ten I got the same result…death. The combat is OK, better than I found that of Dark Souls et al, probably only because it is easier. Likely alienating those players. The stealth makes no real sense, the game offering literally no explanation.

You die a lot, sometimes it seems as if you are supposed to die, like your death propels the story. It’s not clear, what is clear is that every time you die the world, especially those that you have come into contact with start to succumb to a sickness. This adds some narrative guilt to your already bruised sense of gaming prowess.

The grapple is fun, like a feudal Japanese Batman, you can swing into, and out of, combat and climb onto rooftops to traverse the huge open world. It is an extra control that adds to a very unintuitive control scheme.

There is a glimmer, and I say a glimmer, of genius in the game. As you fight, die, rinse, repeat, the game starts to grant players a small insight as to how it is supposed to be played. The poorly communicated on-screen prompts start to make a bit more sense. All I could think, though, was what a wasted opportunity to make a break out game, rather than just another niche effort.

I want to like Sekiro. I like it more that Dark Souls and it is much better than Bloodborne. But it’s still a chore to play. Sekiro’s chaotic player immersion system, whilst better than the usual From Software game, is at the opposite end of the careful, skilful-to-the-point-of-clinical way Ubisoft eases player into the gameplay. It’s basically bad game design masked as a difficult game mechanic for a more discerning player. Elite gaming snobs will, no doubt take issue with this. Well, I don’t care.

If you seek the challenge missing from your general hum-drum existence, and enjoy using video-games to give your life meaning, you are propably going to like Seiko: Shadows Die Twice. But you’d be better off seeking real life challenges that improve you as a person.

For the rest of use that cherish our time playing games, but don’t have the twenty-odd hours required just to “git gud” on Sekiro, forget it. There are plenty of other games out there far more deserving of your time.

The post Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Toadman Interactive is pleased to announce that the third game in the I.G.I. franchise will be released during 2021.

The title is a tactical stealth FPS and a prequel to the previous games that will uncover the origin story of the I.G.I. organization. Toadman has started the development of the game and is now in the prototyping stage. The team is really excited to have one of the original creators on board for the development and is looking forward to being able to share more as development continues.

I.G.I. was originally released in 2000 and the first two games sold over a million units combined. The games were developed by Innerloop Studios and the first game was published by Eidos Interactive, the second by Codemasters.

”I’m so psyched to announce that the prototyping is going well and we already have a fun base game to play in the studio. Today, we are releasing a teaser showing a glimpse of our prototyping and many things will improve as we continue the development. The reason we are sending out this update is so that we can allow enthusiasts to provide ideas and feedback when we are in the early stages of development. We want to hear from you fans to make sure you get to see the most out of this game,” said Robin Flodin, CEO of Toadman Interactive.

The post I.G.I. Returns in 2021 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Be stealthy and stay in the Shadows on Switch.

Aragami: Shadow Edition from Lince Works had a successful release on both console and PC and now Switch gamers can take the shadowy ninja world with them on the go.

You take on the role of the games’ namesake, Aragami, a warrior with supernatural abilities.

Summoned in to existence by Yamiko, a prisoner of an army called Kaio. A band of ninja-like thugs lead by the Shadow Princess.

Yamiko, desperate to regain her freedom tasks Aragami with collecting up Talismans – but as he does this, memories start coming through where there seems to be some connection between Yamiko and Aragami.

Is Yamiko all that she really seems to be?

Cel-shaded and very JRPG like, the third person action / adventure sees each Level being within the Japanese themed area, from Temples to gardens.

Aragami must use stealth and surprise to successfully get through each arena like Level as the narrative slowly unfolds.

Being able to teleport from one shadowed area to another, providing that it is within view,  you need to have your wits about you and not be seen teleporting.

There were a couple of occasions where I was at ground level and hoped to get a jump on an enemy by teleporting to a high beam that had shadowed area on it.

Even though I was still within the shadows, I somehow got noticed. Light can be damaging to Aragami and more often than not the shadow areas can be few and too far between. Risk taking is okay but other than self-satisfaction of actually surviving, the game doesn’t reward risks.

Being that you have to be strategic in the way you navigate through a Level also adds a bit of a puzzle aspect to play.

Some players may find Aragami repetitive in it’s play through – as the tasks that you have are very samey with each Level, but do of course get super tricky.

Aragami is a delightful game that fuses dark elements within it’s gameplay and stays loyal to the ninja element we know in games.

A perfect game for Switch, as some Levels can be a quick session, especially when you really get good with the games’ mechanics and how you are meant to play it. This said, the trickier environments are not a quick run through and very often you need to figure out or take risks to get through and get to that required Talisman.

I love Aragami and had played it on PlayStation 4 previously.

I oddly found it refreshing to start all over again on Switch – and this also gave me the option to try out different things to get through a Level I had previously conquered.

Aragami if you have not played it before is available on all platforms and if you think of yourself as a strategic gamer who likes a bit of ninja slashing and supernatural element in your gameplay, you can’t go wrong with this one.

The post Aragami: Shadow Edition (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

IO Interactive’s sudden departure from Square Enix, taking their Hitman franchise with them, was a surprise. Whilst the episodic nature of the game wasn’t to everybody’s taste, 2016’s Hitman was a solid entry into the veteran stealth series.

Hitman 2 is effectively the second season. In fact, all the episodes of Hitman Season One are available as a DLC pack (which is, if you haven’t already played them, an essential purchase).

The similarities don’t end there, Hitman 2 plays exactly the same game as Hitman. The same mechanics, the same visuals. Basically speaking, if you enjoyed the last game, you are going to enjoy this one.

As before, the game requires an internet connection in order to deliver limited-time content such as guest elusive targets.

Once again, players take on the role of Agent 47, a bald assassin with a barcode on the back of his head and no really memory of his past. The story follows on from the last game with Agent 47 and his handler, Diana Burnwood, now employed by the covert world power known as Providence. They have been hired to go after their former shadow client, who had previously been contracting Agent 47, via third parties, to remove Providence operatives.

The first mission has Agent 47 in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. He must infiltrate the house of one of the shadow client’s lieutenants, Alma Reynard, to gather intel and dispatch Reynard. It is a rather small Level, compared to the others, that serves well to introduce new players to the game. Helpful tips are provided to get to grips with the game’s incredibly unforgiving stealth system.

For each mission Agent 47 is given a target or targets, and a number of items and weapons. Each Level is full of items that can be picked up and used to aid you in your mission. The developers have provided a multitude of different way to dispatch the targets as well as countless ways players can make up, themselves.

Many of the characters in the game can be knocked-out or killed and their outfits used as a disguise. Bodies need to be hidden in order to avoid raising suspicion. Some characters in the game will be able to see through Agent 47’s disguise and still need to be avoided.

There are a number of set plots available in each mission that are unlocked by listening to characters. By following the prompts players are rewarded with more ingenious/amusing assassination methods.

With the exception of the Hawkes Bay Level, there are seven Levels, taking Agent 47 all over the world, dispatching target from Miami to Austria. Packed with people the huge environments are packed opportunities for players to carve out their own Agent 47 story.

The level of detail, the beautifully realised, huge sandbox environments, capacity for emergent gameplay and challenging stealth dynamic makes Hitman 2 more of a puzzle game than an action game. Every Level is designed for multiple playthroughs, with new equipment and starting locations unlocking after each successful mission.

The Contracts Mode adds unlimited replay value to the game, allowing players to create their own targets and assassination criteria and post them online for others to try. There’s a vast number of diverse user-generated missions available for players to try out.

There’s also a bonus Sniper Assassin Level to try out, which has Agent 47 stationary in a sniper’s nest dispatching long-distance targets before they escape. There’s only one scenario at the moment, which can also be played in two-player. I expect more to be added in DLC.

Finally, there’s the elusive target. This unique mode gives players a one-time opportunity to dispatch a VIP. The illusive target is only available for a limited time, after which they are gone forever. At the moment, players have just of a week to take out Sean Bean’s character, former MI5 operative turned freelance assassin, Mark Faba.

For Hitman 2 the developers have gone with an “if it isn’t broken, don’t try and fix it” attitude to bring us a worthy continuation of Agent 47’s story. It’s a tough game to play, but at the same time so much fun. The replay value is astounding with countless custom missions available to play right now. If you are looking for a game that you will be playing for months, Hitman 2 could be the game for you.

The post Hitman 2 (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

In the hustle and bustle of today’s gaming environment where most games are built using a speed / spray and pray type mentality, it’s refreshing to find a game that rewards precise planning and execution all whilst stealthily hiding in the shadows.

Aragami: Shadow Edition is and a stealth action game developed by Lince Works where you are a  spirit called upon to exact revenge on a clan who overthrew and murdered its way to power. You must harness the power of shadows to move quietly and quickly through each level either killing everyone in your path or staying undetected and completing the objective.

You goal to recover six talismans which will lead you through a variety of different stages and encounters on your way to rescuing Yamiko, an orphan who is held captive in the main protagonist’s temple. Each of the talismans provide you with a set of memories that seem to have a strange and familiar feel to them but you’re unsure why just yet.

The gameplay is fantastic in the way it makes you really think about the way you approach each guard. Do you watch their movement and strike at the right time? Do you leave them alone and move past? Are there any other guards around? Will they see you? Or hear you?

Mix in great art styling of traditional Japanese water colour anime with the gameplay and you’ve got a pretty great basis for an amazing game.

There have been very few Ninja games that have come out recently that live up to the tradition of stealth and even fewer games that incorporate both stealth gameplay and the intense action of perfectly timed kills. Thief and Dishonoured are the closest games to come out recently but either of those don’t quite live up to the level of Aragami.

Aragami is easily one of the best (if not the best) stealth Ninja game to have been developed in the past 10-20 years. The unique blend of stunning visuals, fantastic storyline, excellent gameplay and variety of play styles is truly something to behold.

This game is captivating in all the right ways and definitely one you have to play.

The post Aragami: Shadow Edition (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ubisoft brings an almost forgotten entry in the Assassin’s Creed saga to current-gen consoles.

Back in 2014, the news that Assassin’s Creed Unity was not coming out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 had some fans feeling left out. The knowledge that the last-gen consoles were getting their own Assassin’s Creed game in Assassin’s Creed Rogue, smoothed things over a bit.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue has now been polished up and remastered for PS4 and Xbox One fans. Interestingly, like last week’s Burnout Paradise, Assassin’s Creed Rogue is available to Xbox One owners as part of the Xbox 360 backwards compatibility program. Unlike Burnout Paradise, however, Assassin’s Creed Rogue’s Xbox 360 visuals don’t really hold up very well upscaled on the Xbox One.

Of course, remastering Assassin’s Creed Rogue now means that apart from the original game, every one of the main Assassin’s Creed games is now available natively on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue is set in the mid-eighteenth century during the Seven Years’ War. Players take on the role of Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish-American assassin. Whilst searching for one of the ancient pieces of Eden, Shay uncovers one of the assassins’ dirty little secrets and, rather than potentially be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, switches sides and joins the Templars.

The chance to see the world of Assassin’s Creed from the other side of the fence is a great idea. But I can’t say that Ubisoft really took full advantage of the opportunity that Rogue afforded them.

Even in this story, it’s clear that Ubisoft see the Assassins as the good guys and the Templars as the bad. I’d say that they are both different sides of the same coin. On one side you have a band of indiscriminate murderers and on the other a group of brutal dictators. Neither side really has clean hands.

It would have been nice for Rogue to play devils advocate a little more and show us the world truly from the Templar point of view. Painting a picture whereby the Templars are the benevolent party trying to shepherd the world to a glorious future despite the Assassins’ attempt to plunge the world into chaos.

Alas, we only get a lukewarm attempt at the above. The developers can never quite bring themselves to darken the intent of the titular heroes of the series. What we do get is a unique tale that does tell a different side to the Assassin’s Creed mythos.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue ties up a few loose ends from Assassin’s Creed III and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, with Shay returning to some familiar locations and meeting some familiar characters. As a result, of the above, the game shares many assets with the previous game. The game also segues quite nicely into Assassin’s Creed Unity, making Rogue a game-length prologue to the events of Unity.

Rogue draws heavily on the nautical theme of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, it almost feels like an expansion to what I still think is the best Assassin’s Creed game to date. The island-hopping, the naval combat all give the game a very similar vibe to that of Black flag.

Shay captains a ship called the Morrigan in a play-area from New York to the North Atlantic. The ship can also traverse rivers, it’s shallow hull seemingly making it much more manoeuvrable during ship-to-ship combat. Having a ship that can turn on a penny may push the boundaries of reality but it certainly makes for some exciting sea battles.

The visuals have been given a shot in the arm. It’s more than just an increase in texture resolution. The game likely uses the more high-fidelity models and textures from the original PC version, but there are other additions like foliage moving as Shay sneaks though it and smoke from the cannons that were missing from the Xbox 360 / PS3 version.

The game is packed with things to do. There’s side missions, forts and collectables scattered about the game world. You could spend hours and hour doing nothing but picking fights on the high seas.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue is an important and very entertaining chapter in the series that, up until now, has been denied to PS4 and XB1 owners. It is a must have game for fans of the series, particularly players still pining over the nautical adventures of Edward Haytham in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

The post Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Xbox One) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.