Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag + Assassin's Creed Rogue Double Pack Review: Is It Worth Playing?

What is Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag + Assassin's Creed Rogue Double Pack?

This double pack bundles two distinct but thematically linked entries from Ubisoft's long-running Assassin's Creed series. Released in 2017, it packages the acclaimed 2013 title Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag with the lesser-known 2014 release Assassin's Creed Rogue.

Both games are single-player, open-world action-adventure titles. They share a core DNA of parkour, stealth, and combat, but approach the series' central conflict from opposing sides within the same broad historical era.

Black Flag casts you as Edward Kenway, a brash Welsh privateer in the early 18th century. He stumbles into the ancient war between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order. The narrative is less about a devout Assassin and more about a man seeking fortune during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Rogue, set a few decades later during the Seven Years' War, offers a unique perspective. You play as Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin who becomes disillusioned with the Brotherhood's methods. He defects to the Templars and hunts his former comrades.

This pairing is fascinating, as it lets players experience the moral grey areas of the conflict from two angles. It bookends the colonial American saga that continued in Assassin's Creed III.

Gameplay

The core gameplay loop will be familiar to series veterans, but each title has a pronounced focus. Both games feature classic third-person parkour for scaling buildings and cliffs. A counter-based melee combat system feels powerful if somewhat simplistic.

Stealth mechanics centre on hiding in foliage, blending with crowds, and using a whistle to lure guards.

Black Flag: The Naval Masterpiece

Where Black Flag truly excels is in its naval component. Sailing the beautifully rendered Caribbean in your brig, the Jackdaw, is the game's heart. Naval combat, involving cannon broadsides, swivel guns, and mortars, is deeply engaging.

The act of sailing itself is immersive. Managing wind direction, ploughing through storms, and singing sea shanties with your crew all contribute. The world is packed with activities:

• Hunting for treasure across lush jungles and Mayan ruins.
• Harpooning sea creatures for resources.
• Boarding enemy vessels to claim their cargo.
• Exploring the open sea with complete freedom.

The land-based Assassin missions can feel repetitive. However, the sheer freedom of the open sea more than compensates.

Rogue: A Polished Iteration

Rogue refines the naval mechanics from Black Flag. It transplants them to the colder, more treacherous waters of the North Atlantic and River Valley. Your ship, the Morrigan, is faster and equipped with new tools like an ignitable oil slick.

The core twist is the narrative premise. As a Templar hunter, you are now the target of Assassins. This introduces "stalker" enemies who leap from hiding spots, making the open world feel more perilous.

Rogue cleverly reuses map architecture from Assassin's Creed III and Black Flag. This offers a nostalgic yet fresh environment for series fans. Its gameplay is a polished, if safe, iteration of the successful Black Flag formula, with a compelling central hook.

Who is this Double Pack for?

This collection is primarily for solo players who enjoy expansive historical open worlds. It suits those who like a mix of action, exploration, and light RPG progression systems. It is an ideal entry point for newcomers curious about the older Assassin's Creed style.

Black Flag is for anyone who ever dreamed of being a pirate. If your enjoyment of pirate tales outweighs your need for complex stealth gameplay, this is likely the high point of the entire franchise for you. It shares similarities with seafaring games like Sea of Thieves (though purely single-player) and exploration-driven titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Rogue is specifically tailored for dedicated Assassin's Creed lore enthusiasts. Its value is significantly heightened if you have played Assassin's Creed III, Black Flag, and Unity, as its story directly connects them. The gameplay will feel instantly familiar, making it a comfortable experience rather than a challenging one.

Casual players may find Rogue feels like a large piece of story DLC for Black Flag. Series veterans will appreciate its crucial narrative role.

Graphics and Performance

Visually, these are the original last-generation console versions, now running on newer hardware. Black Flag's Caribbean is a vibrant, sun-drenched spectacle. Its stunning water physics and dynamic weather remain impressive.

Rogue's colder climates provide a stark and appealing contrast. Auroras and icy seas replace tropical sunsets. Character models and facial animations, however, show their age, looking decidedly stiff compared to modern titles.

Performance on modern PCs and consoles is generally stable. The PC ports, while not the most optimised in the series' history, run adequately on mid-range systems. Some players report occasional frame rate hitches during intensive naval battles or in crowded city areas, but these are not game-breaking.

The 2017 double pack did not include the visual remasters that later came to PS4 and Xbox One. It is essentially the original PS3/Xbox 360 versions. The art direction carries the experience, but do not expect a visual overhaul.

The bottom line: These are the original PS3/Xbox 360 versions, not remasters. The art direction shines, but expect dated character models and no visual overhaul.

Value for Money

This bundle offers a substantial amount of content for a budget price. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag alone is a massive game.

Together, you are easily looking at over 100 hours of gameplay. Given that this double pack is frequently sold at a significant discount, the value proposition is very strong. You receive two full, narrative-driven open-world games for often less than the price of one new release.

The cost per hour of entertainment is exceptionally low, assuming the core pirate and Assassin fantasy appeals to you.

Verdict

This double pack is a compelling package that represents a specific high point in the Assassin's Creed series. Black Flag remains one of the most beloved entries due to its masterful integration of piracy with the Assassin fantasy, offering an unforgettable sense of freedom.

Rogue is a fascinating and often overlooked complementary piece. It provides vital narrative context with solid, familiar gameplay.

Our recommendation: Buy this bundle for two historically rich games with charm and scope. Skip it if you demand modern stealth mechanics or a visual remaster.

We would recommend this bundle without reservation to new players seeking a classic open-world adventure. It is also ideal for series fans who never experienced Shay's story. It is a chance to own two games that, while showing their age in some mechanics and visuals, possess a charm and scope that many modern titles lack.

However, players seeking challenging, nuanced stealth or deep, evolving combat may find the systems here too dated and repetitive. Those hoping for a visual remaster will also be disappointed.

Ultimately, if the idea of sailing a pirate ship through tropical storms or hunting Assassins in the North Atlantic sounds appealing, this collection is an excellent investment of time and money.