Most of us old school video game lovers are quite familiar with the term "point of no return" which, in the games that we played in the past (and still play, for that matter!), was used to describe a pivotal moment in the course of the gameplay that marked the final one-way route towards the culmination of the adventure. This practically meant that, from that point and on, it would be impossible to go back to areas you had visited or explored up to then, and it could happen equally in both adventure and action games. Simply put, it is a gameplay - and sometimes plot - device which warns the player that they are moving towards the end of the game, and if there is something that needs to be done in stages visited before, it has to be done now, before passing the point of no return as after that, going back will be impossible. As a gameplay device, it is still being used quite extensively, although in open world games it is not always terminal: in the new generation of the Tomb Raider games, for example, you reach a point of no return after which you cannot go back to previously explored areas, but when you complete the game you can roam the full map as much as you want. In the remake of Resident Evil 2, you reach a point of no return when you leave for the secret NEST lab: up to that point, you can explore the sewers and go back to every single area of the Raccoon Police Department as many times as you want; but once you get on the funicular that leads to the lab, you can never go back. Resident Evil 4 and its recent remake feature several points of no return, each one corresponding to an extended area of the map, progressively locking previously visited stages. 

Life is Strange 2 has a very different logic as far as its gameplay is concerned, as it features separate chapters that get completed within their own map, and the limitations that may affect the outcome of each episode stem from the different decisions that we are called to make in order to proceed. In each chapter, there is a dramatic event that causes the initiation of the next episode, but there is a specific one, namely the fourth chapter with the title "Faith", that is, in practice, the story's actual point of no return. As an episode, "Faith" may not seem too impressive at first, especially if you consider the terrific "Wastelands" that precedes it and the emotionally wrenching "Wolves" that follows it. Excluding the agonizing finale, on first look it feels rather slow-paced, and even the appearance of Karen, the long-lost mother or the protagonists, is set up and presented as quite toned down and neutral. All this on a first level; because on a second level things are much more complicated and interesting.

After being separated from Daniel during the dramatic events at the end of "Wastelands", Sean finds himself heavily wounded but still alive in a hospital, under guard and getting regular visits from a therapist, all in an attempt to make him recall and describe what actually happened in Merrill's farm where Daniel, in a state of uncontrolled confusion, let loose the full extent of his power. Devastated for not knowing Daniel's fate, Sean refuses to co-operate, mainly because he cannot tolerate the one-sided views of the people who oversee him, but most importantly because he is unable to bring himself together - and naturally so - to reveal Daniel's power which was the cause of everything. Regardless, Sean gets his sketchbook back, and while going through it, he notices a cryptic message from Jacob, one of his companions of the previous chapter, which basically gives him a valuable clue concerning Daniel's current whereabouts. He manages to escape without being noticed and begins a long journey so as to reach the place where Daniel hopefully is and get him back.

The place in question turns out to be a private church, run by Lisbeth Fischer, a charismatic but intimidating Pastor with a dubious past, who exploits Daniel's powers, presenting him to her flock as some kind of modern prophet and healer. Sean painfully discovers that Daniel has been brainwashed by Lisbeth, which means that the process of freeing him from her and getting him back will be anything but easy. Karen shows up at just the right moment, but instead of stepping forward to resolve things, she only offers Sean moral support in a twist that may seem strange at first, but in reality it is just the right option: Sean needs to do everything himself, and Daniel needs to realize how harmful Lisbeth is for him and see it with his own eyes. For both brothers, it is a complicated and tough process that will, however, help them find themselves and grow up emotionally and spiritually.

Karen's role as the mother is, in this episode, mostly a typical one, highlighting the figure of the parent who might have been absent throughout the lives of her sons up to that point, but is still holding some degree of moral and emotional power that can affect them, even indirectly. Even so, I admit I initially expected her to take action and save Daniel from Lisbeth, subsequently rescuing both her sons and offering them the protection that she failed to provide all these years. Karen however chooses to stay back and give Sean all the space to act on his own. A rather unexpected development - given that Sean, in spite of being more mature than his age, is still a young boy - but in the full course of the events, it turns out to be the right one. With her stance, Karen allows Sean to follow his instinct and employ his inner strength, because she believes in personal freedom and will. Partly, though, she may feel inadequate to handle things because family life was never her forte; she literally does not know her sons, she would practically be unable to bring Daniel back the way Sean eventually does. At this point, her maternal instinct is only mildly developed, and she too follows her intuition in simply supporting Sean and his choices. On another level, script and plot-wise, it would have been quite unfair for Sean to have Karen save the day, after all the tragedies and troubles that he had to go through up to that point.

The church environment, prominent and looming throughout the whole episode, proves to be a setting of major importance, both as an actual setup and as a symbolic feature. Lisbeth herself carries a dark past, possibly hinted as early as in episode 2: in one of the documents that are scattered around in the cabin where Sean and Daniel have taken temporary shelter in the forest, there is a letter signed by a certain Dr Fischer, reminding a patient of a programmed chemotherapy session that would take place at a clinic named Hope Patient Center.

Whether it is actually Lisbeth herself who wrote the letter is not made clear at any point throughout the development of the plot, however since stuff that we find in games of this kind is rarely (if at all) random, this document is most likely connected to the Pastor's past, revealing that she may have been a doctor once, quite possibly having failed to save a patient and thus losing her faith in science and resorting to other means to try and save people, subsequently losing her mind and becoming obsessed with her newfound faith. With these facts under consideration, the subject of faith becomes a factor of high importance in this part of the story, that goes a lot deeper and further than the chapter's title, applying to nearly all the characters who appear in it.  

 

First of all it is Lisbeth's obvious faith in her calling, which however is distorted and pretentious. Contrary to it, is Jacob's innocent and sincere faith in the divine power, which in turn gets shattered as he gradually opens up to Sean, revealing shocking details about his "treatment". Then it is Daniel's controlled faith which is a result of severe brainwashing. There is also Karen's faith in Sean's will and power of mind and, most prominently, Sean's faith in himself and all that he can achieve. In an unexpected twist of the plot, the key phrase that subsequently unlocks Sean's decisiveness and gives him the ultimate urge to do whatever it takes to save Daniel comes from no one else than Lisbeth herself: when they first meet, and realizing that Sean cannot get tricked like Daniel did, the Pastor turns him away, refusing to accept him in her church. As her goon Nicholas throws him out, she yells "You need to have faith!", hinting that she may allow him in her church if he admits her divine gift and does not interfere with her handling of Daniel. At this point, all seems lost; but Sean is able to turn this phrase around and make it work to his own benefit: he regains faith in himself and moves forward instead of stepping back, determined to never stop until he brings Daniel back, achieving it with his own human power of mind and heart.

Although in every chapter Sean makes huge steps forward towards his full emotional and spiritual development, it is at the end of "Faith" that he literally leaves his old self behind and becomes a new person, similarly how Daniel snaps out of his false prophet persona and it is as if he is reborn. It is a dual transformation that begins simultaneously at the beginning of the chapter's final part and is established and completed as soon as the two brothers step out of the church together. Having this dramatic sequence take place inside the main hall of the church, turns it into a dramatic but unavoidable rite of passage. No matter of the actions that we need or decide to take - depending on our choices at the end of the third chapter - the essence of the outcome is the same: Sean and Daniel leave the church grounds as two completely different people, having achieved both emotional and spiritual growth. 

On another level, lies the conflict between the two mother figures, neither of which is actually a complete one. Karen, the biological mother of the brothers who is connected to them with blood ties, only now makes a physical appearance, gradually and discreetly gaining back all that she had lost during her absence. For Karen, it is mainly about her confirming her role in the lives of the boys, and much less about them connecting with her with family ties. Lisbeth, on the other hand may be a false mother figure for Daniel, but at the same time she had somehow filled a gap in his life, that of the protection and guidance that he needed during the time when he was separated from Sean. This was on a superficial level, of course; because Lisbeth's guidance was all wrong and the protection that she seemingly provided for Daniel was in reality a well masked exposure to many kinds of danger. At the end of the episode, the real mother figure defeats the false one, a development that even has a literal depiction in the version where either Sean or Daniel kill Lisbeth: this extreme twist, which essentially turns them into murderers, also symbolizes the death of their innocent selves and the painful beginning of their new life, reminding both them and us that everything comes with a cost.

While every chapter's conclusion marks the completion of a full circle, "Faith" is the one from which there is literally no turning back: after leaving the church with Karen, the brothers follow her to her camp in the Nevada desert, from where the next phase of their journey - no matter which one it will be - shall begin. The start of the final chapter finds Sean and Daniel somehow settled for a brief period of time, and about to confront the consequences of all their actions and decisions that led them there. Throughout the first three chapters, there are still connections with their past lives, but all bonds appear to have already broken with the start of "Faith". This is something that does not only have to do with the plot or the gameplay, but with the overall atmosphere, the environments and even the physical appearance of the two protagonists. We find Sean with his luscious black hair nearly totally shaved, and later Daniel shows up with a nasty haircut, courtesy of the Pastor herself. The cutting of hair in both cases, as simple as it may seem, in fact carries considerable weight: it acts as some sort of ritual that symbolizes the transition of both Sean and Daniel to new directions in their lives. It is as if they are stripped of all the elements that constituted their personalities up to that point, and in the aftermath they are both reborn.

As far as the visual aspect and the ambience are concerned, with the exception of the tumultuous finale of the chapter, everything before that point is moving at a slower pace; even the darker sequences feel more like bad dreams and less like reality. Then at the church grounds there is this suspicious serenity that cunningly conceals all the evil that lies beneath it. The finale is an explosion, not unexpected but still shocking; and the fact that Sean leads Daniel to realize what is going on by himself instead of forcing him out of the sick situation where Lisbeth had placed him, makes that sequence even more powerful, and highlights its importance for the events that will follow.

One element that foreshadows the fourth chapter's unique place in the story is the transition to it. Each episode ends with the brothers being on a means of transportation, something that indicates the urge to be constantly on the move and run away: at the finale of the first chapter, they are on a bus (notably, the chapter even begins with Sean stepping off a bus); the end of the second chapter finds them jumping on a freight train, again escaping. As episode four reaches its conclusion, they are inside Karen's car, heading to the Nevada desert; and in the game's dramatic finale they are attempting to cross the border to Mexico in a car that Sean is driving. Between chapter three and chapter four however, there is no such transition: the final scene of "Wastelands" is the aftermath of Daniel's rage in Merrill's house - a static situation from where there seems to be no way out. This change marks the start of the painful but necessary switch towards a new approach to things, especially for Sean: it is now time to stop looking for ways to escape, but instead stand on his feet and face things directly. Falling down - and literally doing so, as it happens at the end of "Wastelands" - is part of the process, as then, with the opening of "Faith", he is already on the route to take his life in his own hands, even if he does not know it yet.

The Good Evil And The Evil Good

The fight between good and evil is one of the most prominent themes in fiction, video-games included; and in the Assassin's Creed series it is a subject that several times is explored within a multi-faceted prism. Quite a few of its characters, both heroes and villains, sometimes reach a point where they may cross the line between the two sides, even if it is not completely and consciously intentional from their part. While it is more usual for a villain to momentarily express a more mild attitude, it is the good guys who eventually either turn evil or act in ways that could be characterized as such, that are more fascinating to examine. But how much evil a good character has to do so as to be considered a villain - and, similarly - when does a villain reach that point which will make him look less evil? In this article, I will elaborate on this theme, going through the evolution of Shay Cormac, Achilles Davenport, Charles Lee and Haytham Kenway, who all play a most important part in Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed: Rogue, either as protagonists and antagonists or as supporting characters.

Although initially we did not know yet about Shay Cormac in Assassin's Creed III, as Rogue was released at a later date, we could still see all the consequences of his actions in the course of the game, which means that Shay's story was already part of the Assassin's Creed lore, even before the appearance of him as a character and his game as a complete story; similarly to how, when III was released, we were introduced to Haytham Kenway without knowing about Edward, yet there were several features that our hero had, hinting to all the facts that were revealed in Black Flag: in spite of being a Templar, Haytham had two hidden blades, one of which also proudly featured the Assassin symbol on its cuff; he also had the eagle vision and the ability to swan dive from extreme heights into haystacks or heaps of snow. So clearly Edward's story had already been set as a background to that of Haytham, long before we had the chance to know about it with Black Flag. 

Similarly, Shay's story had apparently been planned out already as a later release, and quite possibly as a much longer and richer game, but it got sped up to co-incide with Unity for all the technical and practical reasons that we know. This could also explain why the open world in Rogue is so vast with so many areas to explore and with so much extra stuff to discover, when the plot itself is limited to only six sequences and does not take long to complete; while covering the full map (to be more precise, the three full maps) of the game takes considerably longer, and it involves way too many areas that we do not have the opportunity to visit during the progression of the story. Assassin's Creed: Rogue is very unique in the series, not only because its protagonist is a Templar, but also because it gives us the chance to witness the other side of things through the eyes of someone who joined the Templar Order consciously, following his own free will, without having been brainwashed beforehand.  

Shay starts off as an extremely gifted Assassin who, however, seems to be looked down upon by his fellow Assassins, even by his good childhood friend Liam. Being Irish, he is considered an outsider by default, although noone blatantly tells him in the face; but Le Chevalier, for example, never loses the chance to belittle him. Incidentally, Liam is Irish too, but it looks like he is respected in the Brotherhood a lot more than Shay is, probably because he does not express his objections as often as his younger friend. It becomes clear from very early in the game that Shay has his own perception of things, and it is hinted that many times he would disagree with the tactics of the Assassins. However he truly and sincerely believed in their cause, which is why he kept on serving the Brotherhood the best way he could. Shay was an excellent Assassin, showing great skill, insight and intelligence; he could successfully carry out any mission he was tasked with in spite of his young age, and he would always be willing to do even more. However, he was not only an efficient killer; Shay was also interested in the procedural works of the Brotherhood, a subtle detail which hints that, if things had not turned out for him the way they did, he would undoubtedly had made a fine potential leader in the future. When the other Assassins leave to train or pass the time, he stays back to listen to the crucial information that Adewale has brought for Achilles; not out of curiosity, but because he is deeply interested in the mechanics of the Assassin cause and its deeper motives and complex strategies.

Being a thinker, he had a trait that would always distinguish him from the other Assassins in his circle. Not that the others were not thinkers as well; but Shay had a tendency to keep things to himself and contemplate quite often, being rather solitary as a person, although it is clear than he had a strong bond with Liam and was in good friendly terms with Hope as well. But as it becomes clear later, neither Le Chevalier nor Kesegowaase liked him; something that had already been hinted early on in the story. Shay respected Achilles, but felt that the leader of the Colonial Brotherhood did not trust him enough, making him feel even more an outsider. This condition, however, had an unexpected positive side-effect: thanks to it, Shay was able to make his observations objectively and discern both the good and the bad side of things. Because for the Assassins under Achilles's leadership, all the decisions and actions of their leader were correct and could never be questioned; but Shay, as an outsider, could instantly see something that was wrong.

 

 

The tragic incident in Lisbon, which marked Shay's decision to go against the Assassins and subsequently betray them by joining the Templar Order, was a most crucial example of this. Causing the ravaging earthquake that destroyed the city and killed so many people was a tragedy that would scar him for the rest of his life, even when, years later, he felt that he had somehow made amends. Shay was convinced that Achilles was somehow aware of the destruction that would follow by removing the artifact from the foundation of the temple and that regardless he did not care, because his superior aim was to keep the artifacts away from the Templars, no matter the cost. Although he was not exactly right, because Achilles, at that point in his life at least, would never deliberately cause the loss of innocent lives, he did have a point, in that the Colonial Assassins and their leaders would most of the times choose to act with regard to how they would weaken the Templars, ignoring other factors and consequences that could prove devastating. When he confronted Achilles about the Lisbon incident, the leader's reaction did not help ease the young man's mind, neither did the aggression with which both he and the other Assassins chased Shay when they found out he had stolen the manuscript and was going to destroy it. 

 

Shay was a good man, and he remained good even after joining the Templar Order, when he typically switched to the side of evil, given the circumstances, proving that, at the end of the day, good and evil are very fluid notions. As a Templar, he was a ruthless killer; but he was so as an Assassin too. As an Assassin, he would kill people who were harming humanity, but this did not make the act of murder less of an act of extreme violence. We can see how he starts having moral doubts when, during his time as an Assassin, he is sent to murder a man who is dying due to an illness, and then another one who is too powerless and weak to be able to defend himself. Then it was a Templar who saved his life, when the Assassins left him for dead in the freezing cold ocean; Colonel Monro took him under his wing and helped him get back on his feet, offering him a second chance in life. 

 

The limits of good and evil almost cease to exist in Shay's case, because, as contradicting as this may sound, he never loses his humanity, even when his actions look evil. For what it's worth, his decision to abandon the Assassins was the result of him feeling responsible for the loss of innocent people. One could argue that he cannot be good when he kills good people like Adewale and Charles Dorian; but he does what he does consciously, following the guidelines of the Templar Order which he serves. As an Assassin, he would have done the same, acting against his Templar enemies. And he did maintain a certain amount of respect and love towards Achilles, considering how he convinced Haytham to spare his former mentor's life, a development that, in the long run, affected the lives of many people.

 

When the main plot of Assassin's Creed III starts, after the introductory memories with Haytham are completed, we find Achilles crippled but alive, as a result of Shay intervening at just the last moment, and saving him from Haytham's fatal blow, while the Brotherhood of the Colonies is almost non-existent. All this, we had the chance to know later, watching the finale of Rogue, but now, having at our disposal the linear timeline of the events, we can put the pieces of the puzzle together easily and without confusion. After his dramatic confrontation with Shay and Haytham in North America, which resulted in him becoming crippled after Haytham shot him, Achilles returned to his homestead while the Assassin Brotherhood had been dismantled, since Shay had killed all of its leaders. He locked himself in the manor, refusing to communicate with the locals, while from time to time he was being targeted by poachers, some of whom may have been even sent by the Templars to rid of him. 

 

 

Achilles is, by default, on the side of good; but he abruptly switches to the side of evil when he allows his personal bitterness to overcome him. After Connor finds him, and Achilles agrees to take on his training, we are presented to the secret Assassination wall in the homestead's basement, which features the portraits of all the important Templars that have to be eliminated for the Colonial Rite to be defeated for good. Normally, Shay's portrait would have also been among them, but we do not see it anywhere, probably because, deep down, Achilles felt that he owed Shay his life. Haytham, from his part, being so smart and perceptive, takes care to never mention Shay to Connor, not only because Shay is an extremely valuable member of the Order who needs to stay alive, but also because Haytham knows that, no matter how determined or strong Connor may be, chances are he would never get alive out of a fight with a killer so skilled and experienced as Shay. He was essentially protecting both from each other. In a similar manner, he took care to keep Charles Lee away from Connor, not only because Charles was the one whom the Templars wanted to plant as the US President - which was the main, typical reason - but also because he wanted to avoid a confrontation between the two, which could possibly end in Connor's demise. Knowing Connor's obsession with killing Charles and the latter's spite against the boy, Haytham wanted to keep both of them away from each other, again to ensure, for as long as he could control it, that they would be safe. Although he went to Fort George presumably determined to kill Connor and save Charles for good, he was all the while divided between his duty as the Grand Master of the Colonial Rite and his instinct which would constantly withhold him from killing Connor.

 

Achilles holds a grudge against Haytham for crippling him by shooting his knee as well as for taking Shay in the Templar Order, and his feelings are justifiable up to a point; but they cease being justifiable when he starts poisoning Connor's heart, brainwashing the boy into killing Haytham while cruelly dismissing the blood bond between the two and acting as if it does not matter at all, going as far as to literally arm Connor's hand, essentially turning him into a mercenary and sending him to kill Haytham because he is unable to do it himself due to his condition. Mind you, when Connor confessed that he wants to kill the Templars so as to avenge the destruction of his village, Achilles scolded him for being motivated by his personal vendetta instead of merely wanting to fight for justice; and then we see how Achilles himself is guided almost entirely by his own personal vendetta against Haytham. It is interesting, however, that Connor, in spite of looking rather determined to take his own revenge, is quite reserved and reluctant when it comes to actually doing it, considering how he did not want to kill William Johnson after destroying his merchandise, pretty much to Achilles's disappointment; and when later he did it because he felt he had no choice, he still had regrets about it. His only weak point was his hatred for Charles Lee, whom he was hunting relentlessly due to the false belief that Charles was responsible for the burning of his village, a belief that gradually turned into an obsession for Connor.

So it looks like history is repeating itself for the Kenway boys, as Connor is being brainwashed by Achilles almost like Haytham had been brainwashed by Reginald Birch. After losing his wife and son, Achilles never let anyone in his life again; and he finally accepted to help Connor because he realized that the boy was in fact the only one capable of eliminating the Colonial Templar Rite. Not because he was stronger than the local Templars, but due to the blood bond that connected him with Haytham: Achilles was experienced and insightful enough to realize that the only person who had any luck in killing Haytham would be his own son, because there was a 50/50 chance that Haytham would literally allow Connor to kill him, refusing to end his son's life. And in the end this is exactly what happened: Haytham removed his hidden blade so as to not kill Connor, sacrificing himself instead. He had long before realized that the path he had taken in life was essentially a constant point of no return, and even if he wanted to change route, it would have been impossible after all that has happened.

 

Connor is at a very innocent state when he sees Haytham for the first time in Boston, and you can clearly see in his eyes that he would love to go talk to him; for a few fractions of seconds their opposite alliances do not matter for Connor, neither does the fact that Haytham is a ruthless killer, responsible for the chaos in Boston. Yet Achilles keeps on the same cold, blunt attitude, not empathizing at all with the boy's confusion. Connor is too young at that point to think with logic; he has just left his village, finding himself in a big city that he had never seen before nor imagined that could exist, and on top of that, he sees his father for the first time in his life, just a few steps away from him. As the story progresses, there are a few scenes where we literally see how Connor instinctively longs to get closer to Haytham - at some point, he grabs Haytham in an attempt to push him away from an imminent attack, in a manner that simulates an awkward hugging; and Haytham is the only person whom Connor allows to touch him without the slightest sign of displeasure. 

If it was not for Achilles's spite, and maybe if Zhiio was alive, Connor might have been able to outsmart his destiny and eventually reach a point of compromise with Haytham. But every time that he mentioned this possibility to Achilles, the latter would dismiss it with absolution, leaving no space for an alternative solution other than killing Haytham. Of course all this does not mean that Achilles was not a good man; on the contrary, while he was the leader of the Colonial Brotherhood and his mind was still clear and just, he acted with mildness, caution and care. This is evident in how he treats Shay at the start of Rogue, even gifting him his favorite pistols. Still, he made a mistake in not trusting Shay with vital information concerning the Brotherhood and its missions, making the young man believe, and quite possibly rightly so, that he was not being considered an equal among his brothers. This was a constant thorn that bugged Shay, since he felt that while he was offering his services unconditionally to the Brotherhood, he was being treated with mistrust and skepticism in return. 

Although Shay is not present in Assassin's Creed III and he is not mentioned at any point throughout the game, the story is in fact incomplete without factoring him in. If he had not intervened and instead had let Haytham kill Achilles in North America, Connor's story would have taken a different route. Similarly to how if he hadn't killed Charles Dorian, things would have unfolded much differently for Arno in Unity. This means that Shay's role had been crucial and determinant in both stories, functioning like a train track switch, and setting the paths of Connor and Arno off route, subsequently forcing both boys to remain subjugated to a forced destiny during their childhood and their early youth; but while Arno used his wits to carve his own path even though he was following the commands of a rather headstrong branch of the Brotherhood, Connor was unable to find his way until it was too late to change his fate, because he lacked the proper guidance in his early years. Arno might have lost his dear father at a very tender age, but he was lucky to grow up under the care of François de la Serre, who was an honest and just Templar and never attempted to brainwash Arno into joining the Order, even protecting him by keeping him away from Templar gatherings so as to avoid exposing the boy's gifts and thus putting him in danger. And then Bellec, until he chose to violently purge the French Brotherhood, had been a fine and just mentor for Arno and provided him with all that was necessary so as to always depend on himself and on his own instinct. But Connor switched abruptly from the calm, untainted state of his native village to the environment of an embittered man who partly used the Assassin cause as a means to fulfill his revenge.

Arno learned to think on his feet from a very early stage, and while he maintained the innocence in his heart, he was able to discern evil in its root. Which is why he was quick to confront Pierre Bellec as soon as he realized that the latter was not operating on the side of good; and although it was painful for him, since Bellec was his mentor, he eventually killed him, because what Bellec was doing was harmful not only for the Brotherhood but for Arno himself as well. Contrary to Connor, who let himself get wholly affected by Achilles's obsessions and from a point and on, he would marginally sway to and fro, almost not acting out of his own will. Even after killing Haytham, he refused to let himself express how he truly felt; although we see him shaving his head as a sign of mourning for his deceased father, and back at the homestead, he has written "Sakataterihwáhten" under Haytham's portrait which means "I made a mistake", having also added three question marks beside it, clearly unable to find a reason why Haytham had to die except for the never-ending feud between the Assassins and the Templars, still then while facing a devastated Charles Lee at Haytham's funeral, he again put on a cold facade, as he was still under the influence of his mentor's poison. Even his own obsession with hunting down and killing Charles Lee, which proved to be unjust and pointless after a certain point, had also been reinforced by Achilles's brainwashing. 

Charles, on the other hand, worshiping Haytham for years, feels that he has nothing left to hope and live for after his death; and although he seems to want to save himself from Connor's rage, in the end he literally begs the boy to end his life, not with words but with his bitter smile in one of the most powerful and heart-breaking scenes of the series. Charles was never an evil man by default; he had a trait that made him tend to bow to, flatter and serve authority, but we can't be sure if this was an inherent feature of his character, or it was born when he saw Haytham for the first time at Boston's harbour. It is more than clear that he was instantly mesmerized by Haytham's charm as soon as he met him, and from that moment and on, he spent the rest of his days following him around and blindly serving him, eventually turning himself into the ideal future puppet politician that the Templars wanted for the US Presidency.

Notably, until he is officially accepted in the Templar Order and when he is not running after Haytham, Charles can be seen discreetly standing at the side whenever he is present during a meeting, most of the times with his back to the Templars, as they discuss crucial details about their missions. On a few occasions, Haytham himself nods to him to move to the side, and Charles obeys without protesting, essentially accepting his limited role in all this and waiting patiently for his loyalty to be properly recognized. Something that happens much sooner than even he would expect, and it is also worth mentioning that, although he was a smart and efficient man in his own merit, he was happy to just exist by Haytham's side, acting the part of his henchman if necessary, keeping an enigmatic silence and a rather reserved nobleness up to a certain point before transforming into a ruthless man, led by his frustration and despair. 

Charles Lee goes through a very complex transformation as a character, which, interestingly enough, is reflected in his physical appearance as well. While for the rest of his partners the years pass in a most normal way, leaving natural marks on some of them (Benjamin Church, John Pitcairn and William Johnson just age without losing their physiognomy), not affecting others much (Thomas Hickey maintains the same drunk face of a rascal, only older) or even favoring them (Haytham gets even more charming and attractive as years pass), time seems to gradually take its toll on Charles - a change that is much more symbolic than it is physically meaningful. The clarity and light of his eyes are replaced by a foggy, blurred gaze; his rich, shiny black hair gets thinner; transformations that go hand-in-hand with the change in his once mild and mellow demeanor that gradually tears off, letting out a cruel, sadistic and marginally paranoid side. His harsh and relentless manner is first shown during his very first meeting with little Connor at the Mohawk village, then we see an even more cruel version of it when he visits the boy in prison, and it is fully exposed, together with his overwhelming desperation, while confronting Connor at Haytham's funeral. 

 

What is the real cause of this change, never becomes too clear; the most obvious explanation could be that deep down he always wanted to do something grand, but lacked the self-confidence and maybe the means to achieve it; therefore when Haytham and the Templars of the Colonies picked him as the best choice for the position of the future US President, he felt that luck finally smiled at him and from that point and on, he did not care anymore about showing a good face to the world; he just waited patiently until the time came for him to rise to glory. But maybe things were not that simple for Charles, as apparently he had more personal issues to deal with. The real Charles Lee was quite temperamental, and this feature is aptly depicted in the game with the obviously unstable and insecure character of his fictionalized version. His constantly growing and unhealthy emotional attachment to Haytham could explain a good deal (if not all) of this gradual change and his physical transformation, considering that he probably saw no reciprocation whatsoever - or at least not to the degree or of the kind that he desired. His resentment for Zhiio and, later, for Connor as well, together with his glaringly obsessive devotion to Haytham, are more signs that this could very well be the case. 

Haytham's good looks and his charismatic personality are vital elements in the way that he affects the people around him, just like Edward did with his brilliance and physical gifts. But while Edward was too innocent and too focused on other things to use his attractiveness to achieve his goals, and he charmed others without even realizing it, Haytham did so very consciously, to the extent that after a certain point, this "strategy" became for him as natural as breathing. Charles Lee was his most obvious "victim", but at least Haytham was planning to reward him with a grand office, so all the emotional turmoil that Charles had been going through for so many years would have found some kind of compensation. But this never happened, due to Haytham's death and the elimination of the Colonial Rite. And this development again goes back to Shay Cormac who, by stopping Haytham from killing Achilles, inadvertently caused Haytham's death years later, affecting Charles Lee's fate as well in a crazy domino effect.

Although Haytham is not a villain / antagonist by nature, he obtains that role in Connor's story, since he belongs to the Templar Order; because in Rogue's story, where we see everything through Shay's point of view, Haytham is on the side of good. In spite of his extreme cruelty, however, he is character whom you can easily love, because of his captivating and compelling personality; also because his more positive elements are also shown, and especially after you get to know the tragic story of his family and his own dramatic path in life. Having inherited both the noble grace of his mother and the stunning looks of his father, he trained to become a ruthless killer under Birch's never-resting eye; the fact that he is as handsome as he is cruel, is a murderous combination, which makes him even more intimidating and fearsome.

Haytham was born in a loving environment, growing up under the guidance of a father who adored him and offered him everything, but whom he lost too soon, while his own character was still unshaped. He confesses in his journal that he loved Edward fiercely, something that indicates that if his father hadn't met his tragic premature end, Haytham would have moved on in his youth following Edward's guidance with devotion, before setting out to the world to carve his own path as a just and honorable Assassin. But even for this, we cannot be completely sure. He was too young when he was left alone, and Birch's influence had been so defining then, that even Haytham himself could not tell with certainty what his true nature was. Haytham's case is very interesting, because although it is clear that he was not born evil, for most part of his childhood, adolescence and early youth he grew in conditions that he could not control and which were irreversibly leading him to a path that he probably wouldn't have chosen himself, but this is something that neither he nor we will ever know. His character was shaped in an environment that was forced on him, so whether he would have chosen the side of good or the side of evil following his own free will, is something that noone can tell for sure. 

What is certain, however, is that for a big part of his life the two opposed elements, the good and the evil, were always in conflict in his heart and mind, and we can see these contradicting sides as soon as his story begins: he rushes to save the sailor who is about to fall in the stormy sea, while moments before he intimidated the ship's captain by coldly exposing his hidden blade towards him, and earlier he looked more than convincing when he assured Mr Smythe that he would cut his head off the next time that the captain would dare to threaten him. During his part of the plot, there is a constant switch from one side to the other, as we watch him treating Zhiio with gentleness or being very kind to Charles, while at the same time he kills his enemies or suspected adversaries in cold blood and without the slightest remorse. 

When we come across him again in Connor's part of the story, his good side seems to have shrunk so much that it is practically non-existent, showing only extremely feeble sparks of kindness the few times that he calls Connor "son" and during his final moments when he admits that, in a way, he is proud of what Connor has become. And again, we can never be sure if he is being sincere in these moments or he is once more attempting to manipulate Connor. Haytham is extremely intelligent, and throughout his life he made use of his brilliant mind to achieve malicious ends. But this was not a development that happened overnight and with a light heart: earlier, he had learned that Birch was responsible for Edward's death and the gloomy fate of his sister, and he had taken his revenge on him after having freed Jenny as well; he had also gone through the painful incident involving his friend Jim Holden, which triggered another extremely vindictive but justified action from his part. It is crucial to consider such events when examining Haytham's character, as they further intensified his conditioned cruelty and gradually diminished his good elements, eventually turning him into the cold-blooded murderer that Birch always wanted to make him, his most characteristic habit being to ruthlessly kill his victims just as soon as they stopped being useful to him.

 

The incident with the three officers at Fort George depicts Haytham's cruelty and relentlessness more accurately than any other, even before we see him in plain action in that sequence. Haytham and Connor have just attacked a group of soldiers who had been keeping guard, securing the meeting of three British officers in the grounds of a burned church. After eliminating the guards, Haytham captures the three officers, but as he is tying the hands of the last one, the first manages to escape. Haytham orders Connor to run after him, which the boy does, not with much willingness, somehow sensing, albeit very vaguely, what will follow. He then chases the officer and catches him, leading him to Fort George, as Haytham commanded earlier. As they are approaching the entrance of the Fort, the officer starts panicking; although moments before he cursed at Connor, he now begs him to set him free, adding with a trembling voice that if he steps inside the Fort, he will be a dead man. Unaware of the extent of his father's murderous nature, Connor tells the officer that they will just ask him a few questions, so there is nothing to worry about. Right then, Haytham shows up, and the panic in the officer's eyes and the way he steps back terrified although he knows there is no way out of this situation, all this shockingly contrasting with Haytham's stunning figure and his noble beauty as he grabs the officer's arm with an enigmatic grin while the officer instinctively leans towards Connor, literally make time freeze at that point. It is obvious that the guard knows very well who Haytham is, and he also knows how merciless and remorseless he is, which is why he attempted to escape in the first place.

Once inside the Fort, the terrified officer is put to sit between his two colleagues who look suspiciously quiet and not moving at all, and soon we realize why, it's because while Connor was out in the streets chasing the last officer, Haytham did not waste any time; he inquired the other two, got the information that he wanted from them and immediately after, he summarily cut their throats. Still fostering the vain hope that he might survive the same nightmarish ordeal, the officer gives Haytham all the details that he wants to know, which are the same things that his dead colleagues have already told him. Promising that he will then set him free, Haytham instantly cuts the man's throat as well with his hidden blade, much to Connor's shock.

Occurring at a crucial point in the story, this chilling incident confirmed - because we had been given hints up to that point anyway - that Haytham had already been notorious for his ruthlessness and cruelty. There was nothing that could stop him, and he was afraid of nothing; noone could mess with him and make it out alive, and once he blacklisted a person, that person was sure to meet their death. The only times when he actually showed mercy were the moments when he killed his victims, as he made sure their deaths were instant and quick. And the only person who could actually defeat him was Connor, but not because he was stronger than Haytham. Connor was very strong, but Haytham had incredible physical strength in spite of his delicate build and light movement; and there was no way Connor could have matched him; but by removing his hidden blade during their final, fatal confrontation, Haytham ensured that he would give Connor a fighting chance. And proud as he was until the end, he would have never allowed himself to succumb to any other blade, than that of his own son; in any other case, he would surely have succeeded in cheating death.

 

In the long course of the Assassin's Creed Saga, these four characters are probably the most fascinating in terms of how they balance between good and evil, either due to the circumstances or because of their own perception of the world. Their evolution is extremely interesting, as is the way in which the actions of each one of them affect, directly or indirectly, the development of the others - especially how Shay Cormac's choices practically defined the fate of the other three, as well as the future of Connor and Arno, either directly or indirectly; and they all prove that nothing is ever absolute or clear-cut and, most of all, that good and evil are relative notions and much closer to one another than one would imagine. 

The Artifacts That Hold The Earth Together

Some say they are a legend, others may believe it is all true about them. There are several myths concerning them, from all around the world; and through the ages, literature has several times referenced them and made use of their magical world. In any event, the artifacts that hold the Earth together can easily become fascinating pieces of narrative that most of the times (if not always) act as an axis or even a driving force in the progression of a plotline. For what it's worth, Shay Cormac in Assassin's Creed Rogue and Lara Croft in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider definitely have great stories to tell about their almost identical experiences with such magical objects, and especially what happens when they are removed from their sacred resting places.

Shay's story takes us back to 1755, when our hero is sent on a mission arranged by the Colonial Assassins, to locate and retrieve an artifact of great power and utmost importance from the depths of a temple in Lisbon. Before that, he was able to decipher a riddle of sorts, involving a Precursor box (another magical object) and a manuscript written in an unknown language (it is the Voynich Manuscript in fact, playing a vital role in the story), which were both used in an experiment carried out by Benjamin Franklin, and the result of which revealed to Shay the exact location of the artifact in question. Shay arrives in Lisbon on a joyful day, with the city celebrating the Feast of All Saints; and the temple, which is his destination, is aptly decorated with flowers and colorful flags.

Once inside the church, he starts looking for clues that will lead him to the exact location of the artifact. Somewhere around there, probably buried deep in the foundation of the historical building. Shay has fond memories of Lisbon, as he had confessed earlier to Liam, his fellow Assassin and childhood friend; he had been there before, quite possibly on a mission again, and he met some lovely girls who were preparing to become nuns. So this is not just another place for him; he is emotionally attached already. But since he is a professional after all, his focus now is strictly set on locating the artifact. With his eagle vision, he spots four symbols on the walls of the church, each one representing an element: fire, water, earth, wind. 

With parkour and acrobatics, he reaches them one by one, unlocking a key mechanisms each one with his hidden blade. Notably, the four elements, albeit very much real and existing, often obtain a magical quality in fiction, including video games. It is thanks to them that Earth and humanity can live and breathe, and their eternal presence, although it accompanies human existence since forever, always holds an amount of mystery and unpredictability. When all mechanisms are unlocked, an underground passage is revealed in the center of the church.

Shay follows the passage going down below the ground floor of the church, which leads to some kind of bridge that seems to be floating, forming itself little by little towards a pedestal where the artifact is sitting. Our hero stands in awe as he approaches the mythical object which looks like a spiked star, illuminated with strange bright symbols. Following the orders of his superior Assassins, he reaches out to take the artifact from its resting place.

Just then, the ground starts to shake and the walls around him begin to tremble and slowly collapse. It is obvious that removing the artifact from its pedestal was not a good idea after all. Somehow, doing so unleashed a destructive, unearthly power, a force that humans were unable to predict, let alone control. Shay is at a loss; all he knows is that he has to escape the collapsing church as quickly as possible.

Once on ground level, all he encounters is chaos and panic as the earthquake is in full swing. What follows is a mad run across the collapsing city, during which Shay has to find alternative paths every now and then as the streets are not always accessible. As he goes, people are running in panic, screaming and praying loudly; buildings are falling down, the ground breaks and collapses. The city, which was flourishing with festive joy just minutes before is now completely defenseless against one of the most destructive forces of nature.

After an agonizing race against time, he finally manages to reach the harbour where his ship and crew await. Once he is safe on the deck, he watches the destruction from a distance, realizing that he is partly responsible for the doom that befell that beautiful city and its innocent people. It is at that moment that he seriously questions the actions and decisions of his fellow Assassins, leading to his dramatic rift with them soon after and his subsequent accession in the Templar Order.

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider brings us to contemporary Cozumel, a Mexican village, where Lara arrives with her friend Jonah, following the leads of one of her father's maps. It is the Day of the Dead, so the whole place is decorated with flowers and candles, and there are festive activities all around; there is singing, a small bazaar here and there, and the cemetery, usually a place of grief, is now a joyful haven of remembrance, as the locals are communicating with their deceased loved ones in a ritual that aims at exorcising death.

But Lara is on a mission; as much as she loves the festivities, since they are also part of her own field of knowledge and research (being an archaeologist who is also interested in folk culture), she disguises herself as one of the locals so as to locate and follow the trail of Dr Dominguez, a fellow archaeologist and former associate of her father's, who is also looking for the same artifacts that she wants to find. Of course he does not want them for anything good - at least this is what Lara believes in the beginning; Trinity, the order of which he is the leader, seeks such artifacts around the world in order to gain more power and control humanity.

Lara's path to the artifact is not as straightforward as Shay's; she has to stealthily follow Dr Dominguez and his men for a while, then outrun them towards the location in question, which is a precipitous area just outside the village; and climb some rather unfriendly rocks above raging waters until she finally gets to a huge cave where she has to move several objects around so as to reach a series of otherwise inaccessible platforms. Eventually she gets to the top of the cave, where she discovers a dagger of incredible craftsmanship hidden under a riddle pedestal resembling a Mayan calendar. Lara solves the puzzle, revealing the dagger which is majestically sitting on a receptacle, in such a way that all the details of its design are fully visible.

On the wall above the pedestal, there is an ominous primordial mural depicting a series of catastrophes, which Lara understands that are connected to the dagger. It is definitely wise to just leave the valuable artifact there, but knowing that Trinity is close behind and that they are surely going to take the dagger for their own dark purposes, she has no other choice but to remove it from its resting place. As soon as she does so, there is a shaking, and parts of the rocks around her collapse. However she has the time to escape the cave, as the first catastrophe has not started yet; and once outside, she has to fight a group of angry Trinity soldiers before she comes face to face with Dr Dominguez himself. The mysterious archaeologist attacks her with the help of his soldiers before violently taking the dagger from her and just then a most destructive flood is set in motion.

Lara runs frantically across the village, which is now fully overtaken by the force of nature. As she goes, either jumping from roof to pole or swimming through flooded buses and stores, everything around her gets gradually swept by the hostile waters as streets become torrents, houses flood, people try in vain to save their lives and the only way to possibly survive seems to be to attempt to reach a higher ground. And that is what she does, eventually reaching a safe terrace, marginally making it alive but ever so devastated for involuntarily causing this tragedy. 

These parts of Shay's and Lara's stories are very similar, and not only as far as their progression is concerned. It is worth the while to watch the sequences side by side, so that we can see in real time how things unfold for both of them, in the following comparison video. On the left, we see Shay's part and on the right there is Lara's part. 

Although their initial intentions are different, since Shay is tasked with taking the Precursor artifact by order of the Assassins and Lara is looking for the Dagger of Chak Chel following her self-assigned mission, they both seek to hide the magical objects from the opposing forces, namely the Templars and Trinity respectively. Interestingly enough, however, there is a similar twist in both stories. In Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, Dr Dominguez secretly wants to protect his native city, the mythical Paititi, and thus use the dagger for this purpose; similarly in Rogue, the Templars wish to keep the Precursor artifacts protected, knowing what would follow the removal from their resting places. Even so, the motives of the "villains", so to speak, in both stories still remain somehow dark and foggy, and we can never be sure about the sincerity of their own intentions. It is notable however that in Shay's story we witness a rather rare instance in the Assassin's Creed saga where the "good guys" not only seem to be completely in the wrong (albeit this is due to ignorance and not to malice), but they also act with unusual hostility towards Shay, who dared question their creed. In both stories, the setting is pretty similar. Lisbon in Rogue, Cozumel in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, places of Latino heritage and on very fateful occasions as well: the Feast of All Saints in Lisbon and the Day of the Dead in Cozumel, both create a magical, unworldly atmosphere; although this is more evident in Lara's story, because there we have the chance to spend more time in the festive grounds and even interact with the locals; while Shay's route is mainly solitary.

 

The most prominent common element however is the quality of the artifacts themselves. They are both found buried in practically inaccessible places, and they seem to be placed at neuralgic spots, as if they are literally connectors in some kind of circuit that holds parts of the Earth together. Just like the crucial pieces of a Jenga tower, which, if removed, cause the collapse of the whole installation, in a similar manner objects like the Precursor artifact in Rogue and the Dagger of Chak Chel in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider act like key items of a power that the human mind is unable to conceive. From a scientific point of view, we could assume that, in the case of the Mayan artifact, there could be some realistic explanation to back the legend up. The Mayans, like the Aztecs or the Egyptians, had developed a massive and impressive expertise. Their architectural achievements are miraculous, even with today's standards. It is very likely that they had come up with ways to control the unstable grounds of their earthquake-prone lands by constructing mechanisms and key elements that were able to somehow hold neuralgic connecting axes together. Of course this could never work fully, as nature is unpredictable; but it could act as an indicator or a regulator of an imminent disaster. The fictional Isu of the Assassin's Creed saga share elements of civilizations like the Mayans, so their own expertise is pretty similar as well. Humanity - even in the case where it is half-divine, like the Isu - will always seek ways to understand the complex mechanics of the Earth and all it involves; because as much as we want to believe that we know it well enough, it still retains and undoubtedly will always be full of unexplored and unexplained mysteries.