Should you set sail on this latest Assassin’s Creed remake?
Strike fear in your foes as you board and sink enemy vessels as Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw. Whether blending into crowds or leading daring assaults, switch between silent takedowns and fierce brawls as you effortlessly wield swords, pistols, and the Hidden Blade. With a cast of historical pirate legends at your side, defy empires amidst the age-old conflict opposing Assassins and Templars.
Out of the Ezio era of Assassin’s Creed games, there’s been one major AC game that fans have always appreciated more than the games that followed it and that is Black Flag or Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag as it was originally released as. This remake ditches the number IV along with its modern-day elements, so no Abstergo offices to explore in first-person, plus Animus Files, Freedom Cry and multiplayer is also absent.
I’m actually pleased about the multiplayer omission as I was never much of a fan of it, but the rest seems an odd choice, although the modern day aspect of AC seems to have been fading out or missing over the past few games anyway, so it’s not a huge surprise for them to change the narrative for Black Flag. There is some good news though, even though some content has been cut, there have been some additions in return such as expanded missions and even some brand-new ones that expand on Edward’s journey after the game originally ended.
Taking the Jackdaw out on the open seas is still as fun as it ever was, but it feels more refined in its handling and naval battles are still a blast. The scope of Black Flag hasn’t changed so it’s still quite a large game with it’s content and overall map size, it took me roughly 50 hours to do everything on the Caribbean before the Platinum trophy popped for me.
The visual upgrade is very impressive and quality of life changes to combat and handling are very welcome. Some might be annoyed at the changes and would have preferred a standard 4K/60FPS upgrade with a visual overhaul and while that would have been good as well, I think Ubisoft have found a good balance between old and new here.
Voice-acting is impressive as it was, though they did actually get Edward Kenway’s original voice actor Matt Ryan to reprise the role and re-record lines, as well as for the extended content, which was a nice touch. The soundtrack is improved in audio quality, with some new tracks added for the expanded content. Sea shanties are just as great as they were too.
The Verdict
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is an impressive remake of the original Black Flag. It cuts content but adds it to compensate and it works for the most part, while giving it a fresh lick of paint, making it look like the best treasure on the seven seas.
