TheAssassin’s Creedseries has relatively recently undergone a seismic shift in both what the game is and how it is played; bothOriginsandOdysseyhave been game-changers in moving the gameplay goalposts from incremental annual improvements to more radical change. Yet, for gamers that have grown up with the series, there is something nostalgic about the checklist-era approach of the classic Ezio titles. And that includes some of the most cherished middle-children to the series:Assassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagandRogue, bothnewly available on Nintendo Switch.
Yet, despite the acclaim these seafaring adventures have garnered from the fanbase over the past half-decade, both are pretty hard to recommend in 2019. Are both of these some top-qualityAssassin’s Creedadventures? Absolutely. Do they hold up today? Without a doubt. Are the titles visually stunted and poorly optimized for Nintendo Switch? Yes–enough so that you should consider not grabbing the collection.
Before we dive into that, a quick overview of the titles–Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collectionhouses bothBlack FlagandRogue, the two games that came at a significant intersection of our current gaming generation. We reviewed both games when they released, with both receiving and 8.0 out of 10 – feel free tocheck thosefordeep-dives of the individual titles.
During the launch of the newly-released PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Ubisoft didn’t know where to play their cards and chose (like most major software releases in the time) to create a cross-generational title releasing simultaneously for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. A year later, with the PS4 and Xbox One bases firmly established, Ubisoft took on a new Herculean task: create two entirely differentAssassin’s Creedgames for both generations.
ThoughAssassin’s Creed: Unityfor PS4 and Xbox Onecrashed and burned at launch in a mess of nightmarish bugs and glitches, the PS3 and Xbox 360-dedicatedAssassin’s Creed: Roguemainly flew under the radar. Lifting most of what madeBlack Flagphenomenal (sailing, shanties, and the like), the game remained a cult classic to the dedicated fanbase until recent years when Ubisoft remastered the game for current-gen systems.
In short, there is no question that these games are worth playing. At least one of them–Rogue–is likely criminally underplayed by even most fans of the franchise. But that doesn’t mean you have to play this on Nintendo Switch. And you shouldn’t… unless it is your only option.
WhileAssassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagandAssassin’s Creed: Rogueare both technically serviceable on the Nintendo Switch, the game is pretty visually repulsive. Every graphic-based buzzword is on display here: bad textures, missing frames, random pop-ins, graphic artifacts, mismatched lip-syncing. You name it, andThe Rebel Collection’sgot it.
[pullquote]"…you are better served as a consumer to pick up the titles separately on PC, PS4, or Xbox One – provided you have those consoles."[/pullquote]
Even worse: I’m not some self-professed graphics expert or a frame rate savant, and I (more than the average gamer) am more likely to overlook smaller inconsistencies in games if it doesn’t impact gameplay. However, two significant issues dog the Nintendo Switch versions of bothBlack FlagandRogue. On the one hand, the series itself tends to aim for more realism in their art style; if we were talking abouta cell-shaded series, noticeably pixelated textures might not be so much of an issue. InThe Rebel Collection, it makes the screen tough to look at.
Following that, issues like the lip-syncing (or lack there-of) bring back some violent callbacks to Wii-era ports. You remember the ones–wheredevelopers were porting each and every technical marvel to the vastly-underpowered but commercially successful Nintendo console. Those games weren’t pretty and were occasionally barely functioning. And while I’m not suggesting developer and publisher Ubisoft is taking this same strategy with the Nintendo Switch, bothRogueandBlack Flagare reaching the upper limits of the Switch’s capabilities.
Weirdly, the effects seem worse when you dock the Nintendo Switch for TV Mode. I can’t say if it is running worse, but more likely projected in 1080p on a big-screen TV, all the blemishes look more jarring. On the bright side, handheld-dedicated gamers (especially those with Nintendo Switch Lite) likely will get the best experience out of the bunch.
If you are reading this and thinking, “But Lou, why are you putting graphics over gameplay?” it’s a pretty simple answer: both titles are so readily available, and are cheaper, for systems that offer a better experience. A cursory lookover at AmazonshowsBlack FlagandRogue Remasteredfor $19 each, new. These prices aren’t even including digital sales where you can grab one of theseregularly for as low as $4. Pretty bluntly, you are paying more to get a worse version of these games to take on the go.
[pullquote]"…I have to imagine there is a relatively small market for Nintendo Switch-only gamers that are faithful fans ofAssassin’s Creed."[/pullquote]
On the other hand, I don’t think this should be the nail in the coffin for your decision making. If you are a Nintendo Switch-dedicated gamer with no other consoles, there is nothing wrong with these games. Except for frame drops, the mechanics port over smoothly, and the title is functionally the same as other current-gen consoles. There are more pros than cons, and you will leave the end credits with a smile on your face and ‘Fish in the Sea’ stuck in your head. But I have to imagine there is a relatively small market for Nintendo Switch-only gamers that are faithful fans ofAssassin’s Creed.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagandRogueare both great titles and deserve to share the stage with some of the more mainstream releases in the series. While the Nintendo Switch’sAssassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collectionwill offer the essential experience on each, you are better served as a consumer to pick up the titles separately on PC, PS4, or Xbox One – provided you have those consoles. Because it’s hard to appreciate the sprawling adventure in front of you when you keep getting distracted by janky waves and shadows.
