- If there’s one thing that Assassin’s Creed hasn’t compromised on, it’s the plot and characters.
- The interconnected storyline that began in Assassin’s Creed 3 and continued till Rogue is one of gaming’s best narratives.
- It shows how the Kenway family shaped history and represents the different ideologies of the IP’s two main factions.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has had its ups and downs, but it arguably peaked in the early 2010s. Among its many strengths, the narratives always stood out as one of the core elements.
Foreshadowing events or even characters shows how Ubisoft plans things years in advance. For example, in Assassin’s Creed 2, Aya from Origins, the developer’s best RPG, was already shown as a statue.
While that’s a different story, I want to discuss the storyline that ran from Assassin’s Creed 3 to Rogue. The closely intertwined story, which revolved around the Kenway family, is among gaming’s best storylines and remains to be topped by Ubisoft a decade later.
Why it matters: The narrative is deeply carved and planned years before the games are released, showing how much care the studio puts into this series. This is the reason why the IP is so big in the first place.
Edward’s Impact on The Assassin Vs. Templar Fight
To say that Edward Kenway, the main character of Ubisoft’s best pirate game, was solely responsible for diverting the Templars vs. Assassins feud wouldn’t be an understatement. The story was carefully carved and affected several generations, spanning four titles.
Edward’s actions led to both the downfall and rise of the Assassins, as his family played a crucial role in the entire war. Starting as a pirate, Edward inadvertently becomes involved with the group after selling out their hideout.
However, he ends up going on a redemption arc later, and I can’t wait to experience this journey again in the remake. I’d even go so far as to say that Edward played a massive role in expanding the Brotherhood, extending their influence to North America via Achilles Davenport during the Seven Years’ War.
Exploring the Assassins Vs. Templar Conflict
From the beginning, the conflicting ideologies between the two main sides have centered around freedom and order. Morally, both parties hold different beliefs, with the Templars advocating for a controlled, unified system and the Assassins championing freedom.
The best part about the Kenway saga is how it illustrates that even the Assassins can be in the wrong. Assassin’s Creed Rogue may be the perfect personification of this statement. For the first time, the game lets you play as Shay Cormac, a Templar, who ends up leaving the creed.
During the seven-year war, the Brotherhood had the upper hand in their battle against the Templars, largely due to Edward Kenway’s role in the Caribbean. However, Edward’s son chose to side with the Templars because his ideologies aligned more closely with theirs.
Shay and Haytham eventually joined forces to support the Templars in their fight against the Brotherhood, further weakening the Asassins’ influence and forcing them to disband or hide.
Everything Coming Full Circle
This is where Assassin’s Creed 3’s plot comes in, and everything comes full circle. Set years after Rogue’s events, during the American Revolution, the game features Connor Kenway, son of Haytham Kenway.
Connor single-handedly revives the Brotherhood and plays a major role in the American Revolution, even going against his father, Haytham, and ending the Templars’ influence.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue connects this whole plot, driving the story back and forth towards the Kenway family and, in the future, to Arno from Assassin’s Creed Unity, whose father was killed at the hands of Shay at the end of Rogue.
This whole story perfectly describes the fall and rise of the Brotherhood throughout the generations, mostly in the colonial era, and how a single family was responsible for most of it.
The Characters
One thing that I personally loved about this era was how strong the protagonists were.
Everyone loves Edward, but in my opinion, even someone like Connor is highly underrated. His personal growth as an Assassin was incredible to witness, and Haytham’s charismatic personality was a great contrast to his more quiet nature.
Each character was unique and went on interesting journeys. Whether it be Edward’s struggles with money or Shay coming to terms with the morality of the Brotherhood, the Kenway saga balanced these themes while presenting an engaging overarching narrative for the greater universe.
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