Inevitably after the release of any critically lauded franchise instalment like Assassin’s Creed: Origins, which sent fans and critics alike into something of an ecstatic frenzy last year with its rich open-world and much-needed gameplay mechanics overhaul, the question which immediately eagle dives onto everyone’s lips is this – what next?
Well, now we have our answer courtesy of Ubisoft, though if the above headline didn’t offer a clear enough hint on the matter, they’re taking a rather unexpected detour from the beaten track. Or to put it another way – introducing Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered…
Takeaways:
- This long-rumoured remake of what UbiBlog justifiably calls the action-adventure RPG series’ “lost game” will bring renegade Irish Assassin Shay McCormack’s journey from pirate to heretic to Templar in the United States’ 1700s French-Indian War onto PS4 and Xbox One.
- Bringing a “wider audience” – which Ubi willingly admit the original PS3 / Xbox 360 version never amassed – to Rogue takes more than a straight port, though, and indeed Remastered will sport a number of technical upgrades including “higher resolution textures, improved shadows and lighting, and many other visual improvements” come release day.
- Speaking of which, there’s not long to wait until Assassin’s Creed next makes port in the vicinity of a retailer near you; Rogue Remastered, rather than fitting into place as the series’ annual autumn outing, will ship (no pun intended, really!) on March 20th worldwide.
Where fans will stand on Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered most likely depends on whether they thought the franchise’s Renaissance escapades warranted a full-scale remaster in 2016’s Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection; are Ubisoft needlessly diverting resources away from core entries to make a quick buck on past glories?
We can’t provide all the answers to such complex industry debates on nostalgia vs. innovation, but no doubt fans aplenty will relish the opportunity to revisit the then-ice-capped plains of New York with a sea shanty-warbling crew behind them, especially since Rogue packed easily one of Creed’s most emotionally investing storylines to date.
Be sure to let us know whether you’re planning to pick up Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered this March 20th, and what you’d like to see when Ubisoft almost certainly announces the true next instalment for their hit stealth saga later this year.