Assassin’s Creed Rogue is the latest chapter in Ubisoft’s ongoing series, but it provides a unique perspective this time around, as you portray a former Assassin turned Templar, seeking out his former brothers-in-arms while trying to make a name for himself in Americana lore.
Yesterday, we covered the general basics for using weapons in Rogue, and today we’re digging a little deeper, explaining how to use your vessel, the Morrigan, in high-seas combat, as well as seeking out some of the better treasures in the game. It won’t be easy, but, hey, it’s routine territory for a Templar!
Let’s Set Sail
As with last year’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Rogue once again introduces ship combat, as you set sail in the Morrigan. Like last year’s ship, you have the capability of engaging other ships in battle, whether they’re British vessels or criminals hired by your former allies in the Brotherhood.
There are several ways to approach combat. If you have a ship in front of you, you can fire a chained cannon shot to do some initial damage or, if they’re close enough, launch a ramming attack that can do a great deal of damage. Try to save your rams for when they count, though, as performing the action too much can actually do damage to your ship’s hull.
Then there are the cannons, and you’ll want to align your ship’s trajectory with those targets ahead of you. You can do this with the analog stick, setting up your aim and then firing away once they’re in your sights. Make sure to use the secondary cannon as well, tapping the button once the targets are aligned and doing further damage in the process. Be sure to watch out for incoming attacks as well, so you don’t cause your ship any further harm. The last thing you need is to take hits from all sides, as that’ll send you to Davy Jones’ locker sooner rather than later.
Finally, you can drop barrels if you have ships trailing behind you. These are the slowest attacks that your Morrigan has available, but you can hit those that are sailing closely on your tail, as they don’t have time to turn away from said barrels. As a result, they’ll take damage.
One thing to keep in mind if you’re using attacks from the side or rear – you won’t always have a clear view of what’s in front of you. If you manage to run into a glacier, an island or anything of equal size, you will take damage, so make sure you turn to the front to see you’ve got smooth sailing ahead of you before you proceed with your attacks.
Treasure, Me Harties!
As with last year’s Black Flag, Rogue has plenty of treasures that you can hunt down, in the form of buried chests. Finding these won’t be easy, as you’ll occasionally need to track down maps to pinpoint their location, or gather clues. However, they’re certainly worth it, as they add to your overall booty, thus enabling you to add improvements to your ship overall. So be sure to take some time out to do some hunting – after all, a pirate’s life is rather ideal for a Templar like yourself.
Treasures are just a small portion of goodies you can find within the game. As you did last year, you can find new shanties to sing along with your crew; locate Animus fragments that can unlock new content for your present-day handler at Abstergo; and seek out buried treasure as well, for chests that aren’t so easy to find.
However, there is one great new component to Rogue, and that’s the Templar bonuses. Pieces of Templar Armor that enable you to get better equipped for battle, and are usually hidden away in locked rooms in small towns or other areas. To access them, however, you’ll need to find Templar keys, which are scattered in each of the stages. Keep a close eye on your map, and you should be able to locate the first few with ease. Some later on in the game will require a bit more exploring – possibly through many of the game’s side missions – but they pay off in the long run, as you’ll equip yourself with truly effective armor as the game goes on.
Back To the Hunt
Finally, if you need another side activity to take part in through Rogue, you can always rely on some good hunts. As with Black Flag, you’ll be able to hunt a variety of animals throughout the game, or pick up your trusty Harpoon set and do some whaling on the high seas, should the situation call for it.
By hunting and skinning said animals, you’ll be able to unlock even more gear for your ship, whether it’s improving certain parts on it, or increasing the performance of some of your on-board weaponry.
Sometimes hunts can be a little bit taxing, especially when it comes to bigger animals in the game. However, as with all content in Rogue, the payoff comes with the duration, so just stick with it. Eventually, you’ll make your Templar that much more of a threat – and that’s bad news for the Assassins.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and coming next year for PC.
Published: Nov 14, 2014 06:16 pm