#haytham is such a complex character

[fromashesweriseuphiddenones]

Thoughts on Haytham

- from both ( @thegrandmasterhaytham & @mythicalvoid787 )

So there are 30 Templars I use in my writing and Rp with a split of 16 for the Selfish and 14 for the more noble ones. Haytham Kenway to me falls into the noble side of the Templars.

The noble Templars are those who despite the nature of wanting complete order still do their best to protect humanity and even go as far as to either protect or work with the assassins. Some other examples of the more noble ones are The De leserres, Robert De Sable, Alfred the Great, Shay Cormac, and yes I count him Edward Kenway.

Look if Shay counts as an assassin but never fully fledged, then Edward counts as a Templar never taking the order's vows, though he did work for them and gained from it.

In a list of top ten favorite Templars Haytham Kenway ranks in at number two because of his story, how he acts both to protect the native people from slavery and he told Lee to leave them alone God damn it man can you not listen to orders?! God Robert's men were better at this balance. Anyway.

Okay as far as Haytham Kenway goes as a character and why I like him? He is more complex. Rouge and 3 and a little bit of Black Flag give us small glimpses into who he is. I honestly think Jango Fett's line to Kenobi works best here

"I am just a simple man trying to make my way in the galaxy."

Though it would be the world but you get it.

Who is Haytham?

Really deep down, a traumatized ten year old who lost his father in a violent manner, who tried fighting back actually killing someone, who's mother his only other adult parent shunned and turned her back on him for killing, a little boy who's older sister was kidnapped (who truly knows what happens to Jennifer when she was in Damascus), and a boy who was groomed into a Templar. Again I pull a quote from Kingdom Hearts 2

"Xaldin... that's his name. He came from the darkness... He...used my anger to control me. He took all my sorrow, my sadness, my pain—and turned it all into rage. There was nothing I could do... I could no longer see the truth."

Though for Haytham it would be Birch. Brich brainwashed him into being a Templar, it didn't fully work because there was still enough of Edward in Haytham that he himself had killed Templars leading to the destruction of the colonial rite.

Haytham Kenway is a family man that is clear. He loves his parents, looks after his sister, respects Ziio enough to stay away when she tells him to and works with Ratohnhaké:ton even getting a bit miffed the Red Coat for saying "tasting the wild fruits" you cannot tell me he wasn't pissed that Ziio got insulted and that Ratohnhaké:ton was the only one mad. You also can't tell me he wasn't somewhat proud of the man his son had become.

As far as Desmond's ancestors go I would honestly put him at number Three because in terms of character development because he has four to five sources in which players can experience him. Ezio Auditore takes number one because he has four games, three books, and three short movies in which one can get to know him. Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad is on second with five, three games, his keys in Revelations, and Secret Crusade. Though in his case I guess you can count his Codex since you can read it in AC2 and on the AC wiki, so six.

Okay headcanon time!

So due to exposure to his memories Haytham gives Desmond access to the following languages and dialects

British/proper* English

Spanish (proper)

French (proper)

And German (Proper)

*when I say proper or honorific I refer to the way one is taught in the high school class when you take these languages. Or in the case of English the King/ Queen's English.

The following skills are also from Haytham Kenway

Diplomacy

Command

Negotiation

Gun use, 19th century

I think honestly that in his own way he'd be proud of Desmond for sacrificing himself to save the world from burning because there would be people who are descended from friends, colleagues, and even like Desmond, descended from Ziio and Ratohnhaké:ton's people and I doubt he would ever wish harm on them.

I hope this was enough, feel free, anyone to ask about other characters if you want this deep of a dive.

[teecupangel]

Since I have a balance complex, !unnamed employee bleeds with quite a lot of templars over the course of their career under abstergo, (they are a corporation and are all too willing to cut corners) producing the most effective templar/assassin hunter maybe ever, as a cost for Desmond getting to live.

We can do this to a canon character, if you’d like.

As far as we know, Numbskull is still working for Abstergo and is, for all intent and purposes, a Templar.

Not only that, they already started with Shay Cormac’s memories, a well known Assassin hunter. So we can just keep it coming.

They still had records of Subject 17’s genetic memories which can be used to let them relive Haytham Kenway’s memories next although Berg might say no to that because of how Haytham Kenway’s life ended. It might be too risky to have them get Haytham’s Bleed as they may become ‘affected’ by Desmond Miles.

And that’s the reason why they’re making other people relive the memories of past Templars.

Because Desmond Miles’ continuous appearances were slowly destroying the Templars’ foothold.

Sure, his methods may be old school (sabotage, assassination, the occasional arson) but it was working. He was known as a terrorist but no one could track him down because of the boons he received from both his Bleeds and the Apple currently under his possession.

No one in the Inner Circle even knew that the Apple could be used the way he did.

So Numbskull becomes one of the ‘test subjects’.

And the only one to survive.

Other than Shay Cormac, they decide to have them relive Robert de Sablé’s memories.

It was still pending if they should have them relive a Borgia and which one, Rodrigo or Cesare?

Other possible Templars for them to Bled as:

one of the Sengoku Period Templars for their martial and military prowess, either Mochizuki Chiyome as the leader of a band of highly skilled kunoichi or Uesugi Kenshin, known as the Dragon oe Echigo (also could double as Abstergo’s bet in finding a Sword of Eden). Of course, depending on when this is, we can also go for Shimazu Saito for a closer connection (and maybe get Shimazu Sei as part of this project)

Vali cel Tradat, an Assassin turned Templar that they should have records of using Ezio’s memories

Micheletto Corella instead of one of the Borgias because he is a trained Assassin.

Élise de la Serre, trained to be a Templar at such a young age and a capable one during her time, Abstergo higher ups might question this considering her relationship with an Assassin (also… if they can find enough DNA of her to use)

Lucy Thorne for both her intelligent and strength… as well as her tenacity.

[sc4llywag]

your thoughts on shay? <3

OMG RHEHRHEH I love Shay SO MUCH HOLD ON GUYS

God there's so much to love about him, he goes from being constantly berated during his time in the brotherhood to saying fuck them and going to the templars for his bettered life.

I think his character is so complex and it is so much more than just, I am doing this for the templars, he's doing it for himself.

Hes so silly too I just love how serious and goofy he is GAH I just love that trope.

I just think it's so devastating what he went through, losing something he loved, killing his BEST FRIEND and possible lover God he was so heartbroken. Then he meets cool important Templar man and dedicates his whole years to the order to find a fuckin box, it hurts so badddd.

I heavily ship Haytham with him too and it hurts so bad how they didn't have them have any fling in the game bc Haytham would MOST DEFINITELY be with him then send him off and forget about their relationship God he's such a DICK LIKE THAT

All things said I love Shay sososososo much and I wish he got a longer more deep game but I love Rogue either way, it's so underrated.

Thanks for asking anon HEHEHEHGS

[fortrivmph]

(hii, sorry but i just needed to say that '# haytham has a beautiful political mind trapped inside the body of a large overstimulated dog' MADE ME SCREAM OUT LOUD LMFAO where is the lie though)

makes me wanna get deep with it the way haytham is, to me, a guy whose synapses are on their last legs and the lightest application of stimulus makes him flip out. pov you are extremely smart but have a brain that processes everything as a threat ( mostly because at one point everything was a threat ) and a mouth that makes you sound like a cunt even if you're speaking god's honest truth. you could solve a lot of problems because you're great at figuring solutions that account for complex moving parts. sadly you keep delegating the implementation of these solutions to your lackeys who are on the whole shit people, but you share a communal white brain cell so while you yourself are shockingly With It you're not cool enough to ditch your asshole friends. instead you expect them to share your value system and carry out your plans perfectly while you chase after the first thing that catches your attention. fuck off with your girlfriend! your bestie manservant! your son! surely oh just surely charles racism lee will follow your instructions! he didn't? your son is mad at you? well you have a disease that they won't be inventing medication for for the next two hundred years so you'd better double down and nuke your relationship! then don't speak to him for three years to explain yourself just like. write some really convincing treatises and send them to your estranged sister. a gorgeous gorgeous spiritual daughter will get a lot out of them. you on the other hand have not opened your mouth without your foot magnetising itself to your tonsils in two decades and you've sunk cost your phallussy into an asshole ideology and refuse to pull out so you WILL be committing death by booboobear rather than choosing a side. and you are my favourite character.

[gameshorizon]

Best Third Person Action-Adventure Games To Play

Third person Action-Adventure games offer not only stunning visuals but also complex game mechanics. The genre doesn’t provide the high fidelity, wide FOV of first person games. But it compensates for that by letting players adore their mostly customizable character models. The latest games provide incredibly detailed assets and models which are best experienced in third person. 

On PC, thanks to higher frame rates, resolutions, technologies like Ray Tracing, third person action-adventure games can be experienced in their full glory. Action-adventure games provide a mixed experience of both puzzles and platforming. As well as combat, storyline and inventory systems.

Due to the scope of this genre it has seen different entries like The Legend of Zelda series as well as the Batman Arkham trilogy. With all of them having something truly unique and exciting to offer. Here are the best action adventure games PC has ever hosted. 

Assassin’s Creed IV : Black Flag

Widely regarded as one of the best if not the best Assassin's creed game to be produced. Assassin’s Creed IV saw a different setting from its successors. After concluding the story of Desmond, the modern day protagonist in the series in the previous game. This game sees a silent, faceless, anonymous protagonist. 

Apart from this, the game’s main story is set in the 18th century, the golden age of Piracy. Players take control of Edward Kenway. The game is set in fictional history of real world events and continues the battle between Assassins and Templars. One can experience roaming the Caribbean in attempts to establish an independent Pirate Republic in the game.

A lot of the gameplay mechanics include exploration using Pirate ships as well as naval combat. Land exploration, melee combat and stealth elements inevitably make a return. 

The plot is deep with the antagonist being Edward's own son, Haytham Kenway. The game is truly one of the best action-adventure games. Having received Spike VGX award for the Best Action-Adventures game in 2013. It is truly a benchmark for action-adventure games PC Master Race has ever witnessed.

Batman: Arkham City

The caped crusader is one of the most well known superheroes. Set after the events of Batman : Arkham Asylum. The game offers new additions like an open world to traverse through unlike the previous game. The smooth signature FreeFlow combat system makes a return. The story follows the never ending to-and-fro between Batman, and Joker, the clown prince of crime.

The game improves upon the flight mechanics of the predecessor and also features Catwoman as a playable character. Both Batman and Catwoman have different weapons and traversal mechanics. They also have different but overlapping stories.

Set immediately after the events of Arkham Asylum, the game is widely-regarded as the best Superhero game of all time. The reason being the gripping narrative, the fluid gameplay and the chilling soundtrack. The Plot follows Joker’s suffering from blood infection after injecting himself with the TITAN compound in the last game.

In search of a cure, Joker wreaks havoc on Arkham City and attempts to break Batman, physically as well as spiritually. The game doesn’t see Batman fighting just one villain but several. Winning multiple game of the year awards. The action-adventure games pc gamers have witnessed don’t get any better than Arkham CIty.

Prince of Persia : The Sands Of Time

The Ubisoft game which was a defining moment in the history of gaming. The game’s parkour, melee combat, voice acting, narrative and signature time abilities. All of these made for the perfect reboot to a franchise which would be remembered for decades. 

The unnamed prince’s father is betrayed by the traitorous Vizier. The series of events see the titular protagonist wielding the Dagger of time.The hourglass containing the mysterious sands of time is also captured by the Prince’s father. 

Vizier tricks the Prince to release the sands of time turning people around into monsters under the former’s control. Together with his companion, Farah, a young Princess, the Prince attempts to defeat the Vizier and correct his mistake. 

The game, widely regarded as a cult classic, is still one of the best action-adventure games pc gaming enthusiasts can ever experience. Not just this, winning numerous awards, it is one of the greatest video games ever made. FIlled with plot twists and boss battles, the game is one big dose of adrenaline rush we certainly recommend.

The Last Of Us Part I

There aren't many modern games which succeed at letting players live vicariously through their protagonists. The Last of Us is the one of the few games who execute that with flair and finesse. Initially released for PlayStation 3 and 4 only, it received a remaker in 2023. And then it was released for PlayStation 5 and later for the PC.

Set in a fictional world where the human race has been affected by a zombie apocalypse.The game lets players control Joel who is tasked to protect Ellie, a girl who is immune to the virus. The game starts off with an emotional gameplay sequence, it is then followed by a leap of 20 years.

The game contains stealth elements, usage of improvised weapons and crafting systems. The survival element is also profound. The game received critical acclaim for the plot, mechanics as well as characterisation. 

The game, though buggy and unoptimized at launch, was fixed after a series of patches. The game is truly a masterpiece. Do check it out if you haven't yet, it will be one of the best action-adventure games pc owners can enjoy.

Conclusion

The best adventure games PC gamers can experience offer not just good gameplay but also a good narrative to complement it. Action-adventure games on the PC remain one of the most celebrated genres with plenty more titles in the pipeline. Which action-adventure series or title is your favourite. Let us know in the comments below!

[lockescoles]

GIF REQUEST MEME: assassin’s creed + favorite vilain (4): HAYTHAM KENWAY ↳ requested by @ugh-my-back

The people chose nothing. It was done by a group of privileged cowards seeking only to enrich themselves. They convened in private and made a decision that would benefit them. Oh, they might haved dressed it up with pretty words, but that does not make it true.

[shaycormacaroni]

Dunno if this can be considered an unpopular opinion but characters like Shay or even Haytham aren't for everyone.

[jonphaedrus]

(stands out in a field, beating a dead horse)

[octopodeez]

For the character headcanons, let's go with ya boi Eddie

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCREAM ABOUT MY BELOVED RAT MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sexuality headcanon: A pansexual king!! Has absolutely hooked up with every member of his crew.

A ship I have with said character: KiddWay and btw if you read the book he canonically gets thirsty over both James AND Mary so

A BROTP I have with said character: Edward and Blackbeard warm my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A NOTP I have with said character: His second wife, Tessa, because her chemicals mixed with his chemicals and they fuckin' spawned Haytham like some cursed match made in HELL.

A random headcanon: After retiring from being a pirate he has a tough time assimilating into high society. Like he has the money, but he doesn't have the expected mannerisms and it's really hard. It's hard to say "yes" instead of "aye" and maybe stop saying "fuck" so much. In Syndicate, they talk about how Edward didn't appear much in public, and I think part of that is he just emotionally couldn't do it? Not in the way of like, he's shy or nervous, but just all the frustration of pretending to be some dumbed down, dull version of himself isn't worth it.

General opinion over said character: I adore Edward Kenway!!!! Not just for his nice face, but also because he's a greedy piece of shit rat man with a complex background and top notch character development.

Send me a character and I'll give you some stuff.

[alethiometry]

Edward Kenway for character asks!

ooooooo okay i should open this with a disclaimer: i have not finished black flag yet (about 2/3 of the way through i think? i need to level up my ship so i can beat the next story mission lol) so everything i'm saying here is based on the game up to thatch's death, and everything we know about edward in ac 3: forsaken and the comics that came out a couple years ago.

First impression

oh boy... to be honest, one of the reasons it took me such a long time to get around to playing black flag (it was one of the first ps4 games i bought when i got my console in 2016, and i didn't start until about a month ago) was because i didn't really feel particularly strongly about edward's character design. i was vaguely interested in That One Pirate Assassin Game after having watched (and loved) black sails, but was afraid i would be let down; to me edward just looked like Some Dude, and i was still hung up on the black sails gang. to me, black sails and its characters were so genre/time period-defining that any other piece of pirate media just seemed lackluster in comparison.

i'd also heard a lot of praise for edward and for ac4 in general so i was aware that it was a very popular and well-received game. but since i mostly heard that from reddit (didn't join tumblr ac fandom until odyssey in 2018) i kind of discounted it, bc gamer reddit tastes are... questionable at best.

Impression now

I LOVE HIM!!! i always think i want stories about virtuous characters who believe in goodness and kindness and aren't motivated by gold or glory but aren't afraid to do what needs to be done to help others who can't help themselves. and sometimes that's true (coughratonhnhake:toncough). other times i end up clowning on myself because i realize that it's so much fun when said good/kind character has a rough and rugged exterior, and is motivated by personal gain (i think edward and kassandra are kinda kindred spirits across time and space in that regard, but maybe that's another rant for another time). sometimes you just want someone to be a little bit of an opportunistic bastard, and boy does edward fit that to a T. he's an incredibly complex man, and i think what really got me was that even as he was impersonating assassins and then templars and then assassins again, all for personal gain (pickpocketing the templars in havana while he gains their trust and agrees to do their dirty work lmfao my beloved <3), his primary motivation for doing so was to prove to caroline and her family that he is someone worth a damn, that he is capable of great things and that he is worthy of their love and acceptance. and i know from ac forsaken that the marriage with caroline doesn't last (though i haven't played ac4 far enough to see if that happens on screen, or if it occurs between the game and the novel) which makes his backstory in the game all the more heartbreaking. but his optimism and perseverance and determination to prove himself are all what make me love him.

so that's edward the romantic. now let's talk about the way edward is with adewale, his crew, and his friends. and let's also put the rest of this behind a readmore bc girl i am RANTINGGGGGG

he has several lines that he says to adewale that make me physically cringe (namely: "many of [these men] wouldn't accept you as captain" or "what was it like being enslaved?" like i get that someone like edward would be asking that question in good faith and genuine curiosity but also JESUS CHRIST UBISOFT). but on the flip side - cringey as those questions are, he also takes the time to actually listen and learn, and i think he genuinely values the perspective that he gets from adewale allowing him to open these lines of trust and communication. there's a patience and mutual respect there that i adore.

i also love how much edward loves his crew and his other pirate friends. those scenes of him + kidd + thatch + adewale + hornigold (lol) drinking on the beach and having a grand old time and talking about establishing - to borrow one of my favorite chills-down-my-spine phrases from black sails - a nation of thieves, for people like them to live and prosper, free from the chokehold of civilization. and i know he's not as outwardly invested in counterculture/independence/anticolonialism as thatch and vane and kidd are, but the fact that he so wholeheartedly supports his friends' goals, lofty and impossible as they are, speaks volumes about his love for his friends.

Favorite moment

every scene he has with kidd when kidd casually and softly reminds him that they see that he is a good person beneath his opportunistic and rambunctious exterior. i especially love when they discover julien du casse's mansion containing orders for templars to go out and hunt down assassins: the way kidd immediately knows that edward wants to help the assassins as a way to make up for the damage he did while masquerading as a templar, even if he hasn't voiced it aloud himself. the way that they don't force edward to admit anything about himself before he is ready, but still constantly remind him that he has a good heart. they give him space to come to terms with his compassionate side in a world/environment that more often than sees compassion as something to be stamped out or cast aside. i don’t love when characters are forced to be the Moral Compass for a main dude character, but i think it works for edward and kidd.

Idea for a story

not an edward story per se, but there are 2 povs into edward's life that i would cut off (someone else's) limbs for:

jenny's pov growing up in the kenway household. from haytham's pov it seems that she knows way more about his past than haytham ever did (it was hinted at that there are rumors about edward’s past as haytham was growing up that he wasn’t privy to, but i don’t think at any point in the novel does haytham ever find out definitively that his father was a pirate) and i want to know how she knew so much, and more into what her life was like - through her eyes rather than haytham, who is like 10 years younger and by his own admission barely understands her and barely has a functional relationship with her. i'll expand further on edward and jenny in the next question/prompt/bullet point, actually, bc i have a LOT more to say.

connor's pov learning about his grandfather from... idk? who's around to tell him? what's so goddamn sad is that by the time connor rebuilds the colonial brotherhood he's kinda the only one left. sure there's aveline down in louisiana, but as far as we know everyone who was around in edward's generation is dead now, and i'm not sure how much of the kenway saga is preserved for connor to discover, or if all this information about their family line was discovered in the modern-day, by your abstergo employee character, and later by osto berg in the comics. which is why i so badly want a revelations-style game where connor traces his assassin heritage back to the caribbean, relives some of edward's memories, and then makes the trip to london to see his aunt jenny. it would have been such a cool way to round out the kenway saga.

Unpopular opinion

idk how popular or unpopular this is bc i rarely see other in-depth posts about it on my dash, but edward was a terrible father to jenny. he was every bit the wonderful and loving father to haytham for the 10 years that haytham had a father, but i wish we'd seen more of jenny's perspective than just a few lines of dialogue in haytham's diary: i hate the way edward sidelined her and raised her in the same manner that any other wealthy person of the time would have raised their daughter - that is, for the sole purpose of sitting pretty and marrying her off in an arrangement that would benefit the family. it's especially hard to reconcile because in ac4 there are female assassins in the americas, and there are female pirates in the caribbean, so it's not like edward isn't aware that women have as much right as any man to live life on their own terms. it just seems like by the time he returns to england and settles down with his family, he's reverted back to the societal norms and gender roles that the pirates fought (and lost) against, and it's hard not to be deeply disappointed by that.

to be clear, i don't begrudge edward settling down and becoming a Rich Society Man. dude deserves to live comfortably with his loving family. he has every right to dote on his wife and children, and leave behind the hardships of being a pirate. but i think "fightning against deeply-ingrained cultural norms/expectations is a long and bloody struggle, and after losing so many people he cared so deeply about, i think it's understandable that edward wouldn't want to continue that fight alone (and also adewale is still fighting the good fight) (do NOT @ me about ac rogue I Pretend I Do Not See It)" and "i don't love the way edward sidelined his daughter into societally-expected gender roles she did not want; it makes me think that he did not continue drinking his Respect Women Juice as much as i thought he did/wanted him to" are two opinions that can coexist.

Favorite relationship

i don't know that i ship edward romantically with anyone, actually. i thought he and caroline were cute in the beginning, but it's hard to want to ship them knowing that she leaves him eventually. and ofc there'd edward/tessa in ac forsaken, and we know they were very happy together and that he loved her so so much. but we don't see that relationship except through haytham's eyes.

as for non-romantic relationships, i already talked at length above about his relationships with adewale and the other pirates and kidd, and i'll just leave it at that. i'm also vaguely aware that edward's got some upcoming scenes with anne bonny, but i'm not at that point in the game yet so i don't have much to say about the two of them. so far i've only seen them say a few lines to each other at the nassau tavern.

Favorite headcanon

kassandra absolutely rubbed shoulders with edward at some point during his time in the caribbean; i like to think that she needed to lie low for some reason (maybe she was with the assassins idk) and joined his crew. i just need my best stabby gal and my second-favorite stabby dude to be pals!

finally, this isn't a headcanon per se but it is obligatory that any time i talk about kenways i yell for a bit about the fact that EDWARD WOULD HAVE LOVED CONNOR SO SO SO MUCH AND I'M FOREVER DEVASTATED THAT HE NEVER GOT TO MEET HIM. at the same time, if edward hadn't been murdered and haytham not been indoctrinated into the templars the way he had, i'm not sure connor would even have existed. and in a way i'm glad that edward wasn't around to see how broken and cynical and depressed haytham became, because i think that would have absolutely broken his heart.

send me a character!

[moltementi]

8) and 31) for the AC ask game!

( still accepting! ) - ...I Don't Know How To Shut Up: Part One of ???

SPOILERS ABOUND FOR ANYONE FOLLOWING WHO HAS SOMEHOW NOT PLAYED THE GAMES I TOY WITH

8 - Who is thine most endeared maestro of grandiose... er, rites?

Okay, endeared is a bit much for my choices, but... it probably says something really fuckin' hilarious about me that it ties between Cesare Borgia, and Reginald Birch. (They're from different rites, I win!)

See, I'm a sucker for complexity and motive, no matter if such is positive or negative. I also am a gleeful harlot for villainous side characters and want to pluck them up and shake them and figure out how they work. Explore what the game devs didn't give them and maybe make my own logic.

Now, while history has... theorised Cesare was syphilitic in his later years, we're going to go on the AC depiction and blame his bonkers bananas loose eggs on the Apple of Eden. (Though his rl death is fucking amazing, check it out sometime.)

At any rate, one must wonder what goes on in the mind of a man entirely willing to watch and enact and encourage such cruelties as claimed during his tenure. Whether done by himself, Micheletto, or Oliverotto (among others), Cesare is arguably not entirely an insane man. Er, at least by the definition he doesn't... whip out his jewels and yell 'pudding!'

Nor is he sane, pls do not come after my cabbages.

Do keep in mind, that Cesare Borgia is a man that watched his family and family allies systematically fall and die at the hands of Ezio Auditore when he was young. I believe around his first decade of life, if you match up timelines. So imagine this frothing, boiling hatred like Ezio held, just on the other side of the fence. (It has been a hot minute since I've played Brotherhood I admit, so if I am wrong, lemme know. XD)

Reginald Birch is admittedly, a favourite because of how I have developed him.

But I admit I was, once again, fascinated by a man that could sleuth his way into a family via excuse of wooing the daughter, then set up the murder of the father for a pamphlet (and only the father, I swear he could have avoided so much trouble if he just... lopped off the whole top) before conning the mother out of the son, and sending his previously established fiancé to Turkey on the worst vacation imaginable.

Before adopting said son as his.

This latter point is almost exclusively why I tend to go hog-wild with fanon and mark up Ubisoft's pretty lore with my own. I enjoy the thought of 'yearning for children resulting in extremely questionable life choices' not just being a woman thing. The fact it is is kinda weird to me.

Like okay. Sure, Dan. Let's basically slander a whole-ass gender and say that once they hit breeding age, they get a compulsive need to have goblins and will ruin others just to do so.

ANYWAY-

That, combined with influences of Isu artefacts and possible commands from on high, kinda snowball into making a greasy little man that remains greasy, while still being humanised (to a degree). Nothing in this world is black and white and I get thrills when you let me write a sort of warm relationship before stuff goes to shit.

Naturally as a result, Haytham Kenway gets an honourable mention.

31 - If I had an animus, who would I memory mine?

...I have absolutely no goddamn idea.

Maybe Mr. Rogers. I need to know how he kept his sanity and cool through the dumpster fire that was PBS.

[fortrivmph]

i had begun to think of myself not so much as a templar but a man with assassin roots and templar beliefs, whose heart had briefly been lost to a mohawk woman. a man with a unique perspective, in other words.

this is an independent and selective roleplaying blog for HAYTHAM KENWAY from the assassin's creed series. this blog is heavily HEADCANON-BASED, and considers forsaken canon. focusing on themes such as CORRUPTION THROUGH LOSS, DESPAIR AS THE DEATH OF ACTION, BEING CURSED BY APOLLO, and HOW LOVE MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH.

* mun has a chronic hand condition that makes typing for long periods difficult, therefore activity may be spotty.

PERSONAL BLOGS ( non-roleplay blogs ), you should NOT be reblogging my writing. I WILL BLOCK YOU. my writing isn’t for your blog, it’s for my partners. you are welcome to read it and enjoy it and like it if you want to, but reblogging it makes it difficult for me to keep track of and spreads it outside of my circle, which i’m not okay with.

MINORS, you should NOT be following this blog. I WILL BLOCK YOU. this is for your safety and mine and i’m sorry, but it has to be this way. if i follow you and you are a minor, assume that i didn’t see it. you can either reach out to me ( i will unfollow immediately ) or block me.

INCEST SHIPPERS, if you even come near me i will slap you senseless, and then I WILL BLOCK YOU. don’t touch my blog.

this is not a pro-templar blog. though assassin's creed iii presents a very complex character in haytham, he is still a villain, and his perspective on the templar cause does not always align with his actions, and certainly not with the actions of the order as a whole. i am here neither to slander him nor to excuse him. i am here to eat him like he's a five star meal.

PLEASE READ MY RULES BEFORE INTERACTING.

icons by @fandomele !

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Rogue (Ubisoft, 2014)

Genres: action-adventure, third person, open world

Premise: During the mid-18th century, Assassin Shay Patrick Cormac uncovers a First Civilization temple in Lisbon and unwittingly triggers an earthquake that kills thousands. Desperate to keep the Assassins from finding more of these temples and harming more innocents, he joins the North American Templars, whose hold over the British colonies is starting to grow. In the present, research into Shay’s memories triggers a server failure at Abstergo Entertainment, and the unnamed employee from Black Flag must help restore the system.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 4/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals. Because I played this game on a PC, I will not be reviewing the Remastered version, which is only available for consoles.

Content Warnings: violence, blood

Story: Assassin’s Creed Rogue primarily follows Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish Assassin-turned-Templar who operates during the French and Indian/Seven Years War in North America. Starting as a member of the Brotherhood, Shay is sent to Portugal by Achilles Davenport (the mentor of the North American chapter of Assassins) in order o recover a First Civilization artifact. Unbeknownst to Shay, removing the artifact from the temple triggers an earthquake, killing thousands of innocent people. Furious that Achilles (and perhaps other Assassins) knew this would be a possibility yet refusing to tell Shay, Shay leaves the Assassins and joins the Templars in order to prevent the Brotherhood from accessing more temples and artifacts and from harming more innocent people.

I really liked the overarching story because it gave us clear goals and a clear structure. Shay has one purpose: prevent the Assassins from gaining access to the next First Civilization site. To do that, Shay has to track down and neutralize all of his former Brotherhood colleagues, which adds a level of personal involvement and angst. Structurally, I think this plot made a lot of sense and was well-done, and though it wasn’t as involved as a headliner game (like Black Flag), it did present the player with a straightforward narrative.

The Seven Years War/French and Indian War was an interesting backdrop, though it didn’t have the same entanglement with history as headliners. Shay isn’t really involved with any landmark historical events, but he is responsible for the Templars gaining a foothold in North America, which serves as the setting for Assassin’s Creed III. In that sense, I think this story is more meaningful for people who have played both Assassin’s Creed III and Black Flag. I also think this plot works better for those who intend to continue to Unity, since the end of Shay’s story serves as the beginning for Arno’s.

The main thing I didn’t like was the game’s treatment of Native Americans. While I don’t think it was outright offensive, there was a point in the narrative where Shay had to rescue an Oneida tribe from Assassin thugs, and Shay does have to confront and kill one of his former friends, who is Native. In that sense, Rogue may be triggering for some people, but I personally didn’t find it egregious like the brutal scenes in Assassin’s Creed III. Rogue does contain some missions where Shay has to seek out Native “totems” to unlock some special Native armor, so that could be appropriative, but I’ll defer to Native gamers on that issue.

I also just wish the game was longer, mainly because it’s the only one where we get a full Templar perspective, and it had interesting missions. If it had been a headliner and gotten the amount of time and resources other headliners receive, I think this game could have done really well.

The present-day Abstergo arc continues to be less compelling than the Desmond Miles frame from previous games. I didn’t find the system failure to be very exciting, nor did I think the unfolding narrative about Otso Berg was communicated in a particularly engaging way. I do think the idea of the Assassins confronting the flaws in their belief system is an interesting one, but we barely see any Assassins in the modern day arc, so it’s difficult to feel like there are stakes.

Characters: Shay is a compelling protagonist in that he has complicated motivations and grey morality. He’s obviously very concerned for ordinary people, even as a Templar, and is very conflicted over the prospect of confronting his former friends. I liked that he seemed to have legitimate concerns about the Assassins and the way their hierarchy is constructed, which made his turn to the Templars more understandable. I liked the opportunity to see why someone might join the Templars, especially if that someone wasn’t completely on board with the authoritarian viewpoint the Order holds.

Shay’s Assassin companions are interesting in that they each seem to have their own combat abilities, which made for unique confrontations. Hope, for example, is an Assassin who is skilled with poisons, and Liam is pretty precise with a firearm. Encountering them, therefore, felt like several different boss fights that avoided repetition. I also think Shay spent enough time with each person at the beginning so that confronting them felt like an emotional challenge. I think the emotional stakes could have been enhanced if the game was longer and contained more time for character interactions, but with what it had, I think Rogue used its time effectively.

Shay’s Templar companions are also well-used in that the game makes clear that Shay feels an emotional bond with them. Shay first grows attached to Colonel George Monro, and it’s clear from the outset that Monro’s fondness for Shay is what motivates the latter to devote himself to the Templars, not necessarily the Order’s ideology. I liked this personal dimension to Shay’s Templar companions because it parallels how people in the modern day become drawn to harmful ideologies or groups: they mainly stay out of fear of being socially rejected. It was a pretty nice touch, and I think it worked better than just having players experience a “gritty” game centered on being unambiguously evil and just wreaking havoc and misery everywhere.

I also liked that we got some familiar faces, such as Achilles Davenport and Haytham Kenway. The conflict between Shay and Achilles serves as background for why Achilles is so broken in Assassin’s Creed III, and I think Rogue does a good job in showing how Achilles’ motivations are just as complex and grey as Shay’s are. Haytham continues to be ruthless, and I liked the budding mentor-mentee relationship between him and Shay. It served as a nice counter balance to the lack of affection between Shay and Achilles, while also giving us more of Haytham’s witty banter.

I will say that I am conflicted on whether or not this game did Adéwalé justice.  Adéwalé was an NPC in Black Flag and a playable character in Freedom Cry, so players who have completed both will have some investment in the character. Since Adéwalé is one of the companions Shay must track down and confront, it may seem like an unfair end to Adéwalé’s story, but again, I’m conflicted - mainly because Shay is supposed to be something of a villain.

Gameplay: The core of Rogue’s gameplay is not that much different from Black Flag’s: players explore the open world using Shay’s ship, the Morrigan, uncovering chests as well as collectibles, such as Templar maps (which are functionally the same as Black Flag’s treasure maps), animus fragments, pieces of a Viking sword, totems, shanties, and others. The Morrigan is upgradable, just like the Jackdaw, and Shay can use it to attack French ships to acquire resources such as wood, stone, metal, and cloth. Doing so will raise Shay’s notoriety, just as in Black Flag, but instead of lowering Shay’s wanted status by defeating enemies, Shay can only reset his wanted level by leaving an area until things quiet down. This made for a scaled-back version of ship combat and exploration, but it wasn’t a huge drawback to my gaming experience.

I did like that even though Rogue borrowed heavily from Black Flag, it did put its own spin on several gameplay elements to make them feel more integrated with the setting. For example, the weather at sea revolved more around cold weather than tropical weather, so instead of thunderstorms and cyclones, Shay was subject to icebergs and freezing water. Shay could also go hunting and craft like Edward, but the wildlife included new animals such as polar bears, arctic foxes, narwhals, and other North American or Arctic creatures. On land, Shay can intercept assassin contracts instead of accepting them, so instead of killing a target, Shay will have to protect a target by getting to the Assassin(s) before they can complete their mission.

Players are also able to unlock zones on the map by capturing forts, just like in Black Flag, but there are far fewer of these than in the game’s predecessor. Rogue relies a bit more heavily instead on “Assassin gang hideouts,” which function something like the Borgia towers in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood or the forts in Assassin’s Creed III. For each hideout, Shay must complete a number of objectives (like kill the gang leader, cut down the flag, sabotage a poison barrel), which will then unlock the area’s harbormasters and general stores. Doing so will also unlock renovations, which Shay can complete to increase his revenue, similar to how renovations gave Ezio an income in previous games.

Shay can also gain income by managing a fleet, similar to Edward’s fleet in Black Flag. Players capture ships via boarding them during gameplay, and then send them out on missions to “progress the Seven Years’ War.” Aside from the resources, which change a bit, this aspect of the game was functionally the same as Black Flag, so it was fairly familiar and didn’t take long to pick up.

In terms of weapons, Shay has access to the staples: hidden blade, pistols, smoke bombs, rope dart, etc. Shay can dual wield with a sword and dagger (rather than Edward’s two swords), but the change is mostly aesthetic. Shay also has access to sleep darts, berserk darts, and firecracker darts via an air rifle rather than a blowgun, but again, the change is mostly aesthetic. The biggest change to equipment is probably the grenade launcher, which can fire sleep, berserk, and shrapnel grenades to affect multiple enemies, and the presence of gas as an environmental weapon (the effects of which Shay can mitigate on himself by using a gas mask).

In terms of combat and stealth, not much is different. Shay can use eagle vision, hide in bushes or tall grass, whistle to draw enemies closer to him, etc. The only thing that’s tricky is that Assassin gang members will hide randomly in the environment, ready to take Shay out as he passes through. Shay can avoid attacks by listening for “whispers” and using eagle vision to spot Assassin thugs before they jump him.

I think that in sum, the lack of innovation regarding mechanics isn’t as bothersome as some people make it out to be. Because the “flavor” of the mechanics changed, I do think Rogue did a good job adapting what it could in the short amount of time it had. Enough is the same where picking up mechanics is easy if the player has completed Black Flag, but narratively, enough is different to make the experience at least feel tailored to the setting.

Visuals: Rogue’s primary strengths in terms of visuals lies in the unique settings and Shay’s Templar aesthetic. Although Rogue doesn’t have the beautiful tropical waters of Black Flag, I do think it rendered the snow-covered mountains well and made the world feel like a cold environment. It took the best elements of Assassin’s Creed III (the trees, the city layouts) and combined them with the spirit of exploration from Black Flag. I particularly liked exploring the shipwrecks, which were not underwater, but fused with ice to create fun sites where I felt like I was playing “the floor is lava” (the lava, in this case, was freezing cold water that could kill you).

I also really loved Shay’s Templar aesthetic, which consisted of a lot of fancy 18th century coats and vests, combined with a strong black and red color scheme. Everything from the Morrigan’s sails and captain’s cabin to Shay’s “house” in New York repeats this color scheme, which was a nice change from what we typically see of the Assassins. I also liked that a lot of Shay’s design contained nods to his Irish heritage, from the Morrigan’s hull to the knotwork details on his coat. It was a nice touch which made everything feel a little more personal.

In terms of animations, I didn’t notice anything that set Rogue apart from other games. Shay didn’t have appealing finishers, nor did I encounter a lot of bugs that affected my impression of the game. There are some here and there, but I’ve come to expect bugs in every Assassin’s Creed game, so...

Final Verdict: Although Assassin’s Creed Rogue replicates much of the gameplay from its predecessors, the complex protagonist, solid narrative structure, and unique settings make it a memorable game that gives players new insight into the Assassin-Templar conflict.

[assassins-and-hidden-blades]

hello! i hope you have a niiice day! i saw edward and jacob are your favourites so... what do you like the most of them? is there something that made you love them at first sight? (and sorry for my bad english ;^;)

Hi! Thank you! I hope you have a nice day too! I’m having a great day now, thanks to you, haha. Don’t worry I understand you just fine! :)

Okay so confession: didn’t finish Black Flag. But in my defence, the disc kept crashing and so did my patience. The short answer is that I like pirates. Like, I really like pirates. I think that they’re really cool and like, pirates. What I like most about Edward is his character development. I found interesting how he went from a greedy pirate to a less greedy pirate lmao; but I think he changed for the better throughout the game and I really admire that. He’s also witty and gets kinder(?) throughout the game (I haven’t touched the game for years now-- for reasons stated above-- so I’m a bit rusty on the timeline). Also, I’ve seen GIFs of him holding Haytham when he was a child and asehskshfj I’m gone.

Also, pirates.

And he’s pretty badass, ngl.

Jacob is awesome because he’s Victorian, and the Victorian era is just greatTM. And when I saw the cinematic trailer I was sold. Like, he’s automatically shown to be a flawless leader, and someone who can think under pressure (i.e. the carriage falling off the bridge), and he knows how to delegate. (Somehow I feel like he wants to start a gang so badly because he knows that it’s something he can excel at — somewhere deep down I think he has a need for validation that he never got when he was younger, and sometimes that leads to recklessness.) Jacob is also very charming, and I feel like he wears his heart on his sleeve (which obviously led to... situations). He’s basically a big softie when you’re on his good side, and Satan’s right hand man when you’re on his bad side. To me, he’s so complex and I love writing about him and I always will.

He too, is also badass.

I could literally talk forever about them but I don’t want to be rambling for too long. But yeah, it was “cinematic trailer love at first sight” lmao.

Also, assassins and kids, man...

[shelienead]

I was tagged by @rickrick41319 , thanks again.😁 I quite enjoy these tag games, it makes me think about things.

Top 10 favorite male characters

Idk if I can come up with 10 of them as I don't watch many tv shows and when I do it's usually females that I come to like more. The movie characters are usually not that complex which is important for me to develop a fondness to them...but here are some male characters I love (no order)

Richard Castle - Castle

Geralt of Rivia - The Witcher

Thomas Anderson/Neo - The Matrix

Severus Snape - Harry Potter

Niles - The Nanny

Haytham Kenway - Assassin's Creed

Fitzwilliam Darcy - Pride and Prejudice

Rick O'Connell - The Mummy

Aragorn - Lord of the Rings

Predator - It's an alien or rather an alien species, I like them though and I can't think of anything better right now 😃

I'm not going to tag specific blogs, but who wants to do this, then do it!

[felassanis]

Everything I love about Assassin’s Creed

1. Ezio da la la la

2. If you idle for long enough in Odyssey Ikaros comes and lands on Alexios’s/Kassandra’s arm and then alexios/Kassandra will greet him.

3. Edward’s outfit is by far my favourite Assassin robe. It looks so fooking cool.

4. Alkibiades

5. The first mission in Assassin’s Creed III. Finding the temple and it coming alive with all the lights and the humming was so fucking cool and the theatre with Haytham was such a good way to start the game, I loved the environment that went with the theatre and the parkour was really good too, everything was good even though I had no idea why we were there in the first place lol.

6. SHAUN HASTINGS

7. Edward’s tattoos being the only reason why I go whaling in AC:Black flag

8. The dynamic between Jacob and Evie, I’ve always wanted a twin duo in a game and Jacob and Evie Frye were awesome and y’all keep sleeping on them.

9. The different colour schemes in Assassin’s Creed 2 for the different cities gave the locations their own feel and vibe and it differentiated them from each other while also ensuring that the landscapes were utterly gorgeous. For example, Venice had cooler colours, very blue and silver while Florence was warmer, with more orange and brown thrown into the mix. It really gave those maps their own identity and it was great.

10. All of Lineage. all of it, it was flipping fantastic and I know it’s not a game but it was brilliant and the other Assassin’s Creed movie will never top it despite Michael Fasbender being in it.

11. That cutscene in Black Flag where Blackbeard lights his beard on fire, I love that historical accuracy because it was very likely true and it’s so SO bad-fucking-ass

12. Alkibiades

13. How quickly I fell in love with Frederico Auditore despite the fella only having about 5 lines.

14. Also just how quickly I came to love the Auditore family, that was how well written they were, that I fell in love after 30 minutes with them. 

15. LEONARDO DA VINCI

16. Desmond Miles’s snark.

17. ‘Hey whatta matta with you altair,’

18. SHAUN HASTINGS

19. How buffy Kassandra is

20. The hookblade was actually amazing in Revelations and I’m in full support that it shouldbe brought back. The noise it made was also oddly satisfying too?

21. The Glyphs in AC2 were spooky and ominous and I refused to do the last mission until I had found all of them and uncovered the Truth. Because that entire side quest was full of anticipation and the creepy vibe the Glyphs gave off and how the footage of Adam and Eve was cut up and glitchy was just really interesting and it peaked with a climax.

22. LEONARDO DA VINCI

23. The golden beads in Alexios’s hair.

24. And Alexios just being an overall gorgeous human being who’s face was chiselled by the gods.

25. The flying machine mission in AC2 while really aggravating if you didn’t do it the first time was also really fun and getting to see Leonardo all giddy and happy made it worth it.

26. I don’t know if it’s just me? but Connor’s hair? like I know for a fact that I like men with long hair but something about his hair and the feather intertwined into it was just really appealing? and while I know why Connor shaved his hair I couldn’t help but screech when he did lmao but that’s because it’s obviously not my tradition and it’s abnormal to me. pfft

27. Revelations is one of the best AC games and I’ll fight anyone on this. It was phenomenal given how it finally concluded Ezio’s story (and remember Ezio was the face of the franchise for years and he was fan favourite and still is so there were some pressure and expectations) and how it also concluded Altair’s story.

28. Altair wasn’t that interesting in the original game but Revelations added depth and layers to his characters and made him way more intriguing. The game also gave this character important significance to the lore and I think that’s the perfect way to honour the guy who started it all. As much as we love Ezio, Altair came before and without him, Assassin’s Creed wouldn’t quite be the way it was today. (although it’s up to you if that’s a bad thing or not lmao)

29. And seeing Ezio old and matured, becoming this wise legend of a man was really cool and getting to play as him in his final journey was both heartbreaking but satisfactory.

30. I have to give a massive applause to Ubisoft for making Leonardo gay as well in Brotherhood prominently. I don’t think it was ever proven historically if he was? but it was rumoured? and yet Ubisoft went and made it canon giving that representation while also having Ezio outright say he’s okay with Leonardo dating men?! Like, in that time period if you were gay you could go to prison and the general view of homosexuality was that of disgust and yet Ezio is just here supporting his best friend? hell yes.

31. ALKIBIADES

32. I have certain feelings with Unity, but I won’t lie that the parkour was spot on in that game.

33. Gideon Emery....just Gideon Emery as Reginald Birch. The character’s a massive prick but god...that voice.

34. Connor mentioning his grandfather Edward as he’s sailing the Aquila.

35. Getting to see the wreck of the Jackdaw in Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry was gut-wrenching.

36. Finally getting to pet animals in ACIII.

37. Finally getting to feed pigs in a video game ^^

38. SHAUN HASTINGS

39. OKay, I like Shaun because the guy is really entertaining and he’s British like me and I need to see this fucker in future games again...because after Syndicate he just vanishes and we got...Fucking Layla ugh.

40. The Naval combat in Black Flag is unmatched, fighting other ships never felt like a chore and it was fun and thrilling and the rewards felt deserving. And the feeling of taking down your first Man’o War is RIVETING.

41. Rebecca calling the Animus ‘Baby’

42. She’s another character I want to see come back. And she and Shaun better come back and be alive.

43. Lucy being a Templar was a plot twist I never saw coming but I was all for that angst especially when it seemed like they were setting up what I thought was the inevitable Desmond x Lucy romance. But I guessed wrong.

44. Yusuf Tazim being the joy and light of Revelations. fuck you Ubisoft

45. Ezio’s family theme song is the most iconic video game songs ever.

46. The introduction of Alkibiades in Odyssey, what a great way to introduce a character. like seriously, I fell in love with that fucker the moment he started speaking and felt up Kassandra’s arms while being half naked and wasted.

47. Bayek being a breath of fresh air in wonderfully written complex characters whose story was powerful and tragic. He needs a sequel.

48. Assassins Creed Brotherhood’s trailer being iconic.

49. When returning to Florence to retrieve the apple and you bring Ezio back to his old home only to see the ghosts of his entire family waiting for him. I was gobsmacked when that happened and it’s such a beautiful detail.

50. Mary Read/James Kidd being one of the best characters in Black Flag and leader in the ‘did not deserve it’ club. Every minute of her was flipping terrific and her significance in Edward’s story as one of the driving points that turned him into a better man was great.

51. I cried at the end of Black Flag.

52. The little text about Shaun sobbing when you look at the database on Desmond the dog in Syndicate.

53. The lip scar being shared between Desmond, Ezio and Altair was a cool detail.

54. The interchangeable cloaks in ACII.

55. Henry Green was so soft, kind and lovely and I honestly adore him.

56. Cane swords in Syndicate WERE AWESOME

57. NO fall damage in Odyssey. Keep this feature I don’t care how impossible it is for me to survive a jump off of a giant statue of a naked god it’s cool and I want it for every other game about to be released.

58. If you walk through grass in Origins Bayek sticks his hand out like that scene in Gladiator.

59. The scene in ACII Where Ezio uncovers his father’s robes from the chest and holds it up, It’s an incredible scene and the music fits so well with it and if you’ve watched Lineage it’s all the more amazing.

60. Rosa being pretty and terrifying in ACII.

61. The Bleeding effect being that other thing in lore that is SO BLOODY INTRIGUING and I wish it was explored a bit more. Can you actually imagine having the bleeding effect? where you can’t tell the past and the present apart? where you see ghosts from the past and hear voices no one else hears? jesus,..

62. getting answers about Clay/Subject 16. Ever since he left that writing in the wall with his own blood I was hooked on his story and thank god we got answers and a face to the legendary name. I wouldn’t mind more of him though.

63. I’ve always been fascinated with Native Americans and finally getting to explore them a bit more in ACIII proved to be interesting and I hope it was satisfactory representation for Native Americans.

64. finally getting to play in the present day in assassin’s creed brotherhood and 3, like actually getting to run around and explore as Desmond.

(I did a post like this on my old blog and I’ve rewrote them on here but I also got some new things, I just like having a post like this on my blog and I like seeing people who also agree with these brilliant features in this franchise, you can pretty much tell which two games are my favourite lol, Black Flag and 2 will always have a special place in my heart,)