Piracy is the perfect subject for open-world games. Pirates always have their eyes on the horizon, treasure, and adventure. Video games have romanticized their dangerous lives with thrilling fare such as Sid Meier’s Pirates! and the epic RPG from Koei, Uncharted Waters. But one of the best games about swashbucklers and privateers is an entry in a series that isn’t really about pirates at all.
The Assassin’s Creed series tells the story of an eternal conflict between two lethal factions: the Templars and Assassins. Over time, the expansive saga has explored numerous eras and locations. For the fourth numbered installment in the series, released in 2013, Ubisoft turned its attention to the Caribbean and produced one of the most beloved entries in its long-running franchise.
In just two weeks, on July 9, players who missed out on that adventure the first time around will finally get the chance to sail the high seas in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced will let you live out your pirate fantasies like never before
Black Flag Resynced is an expanded version of the original game, which explores the seafaring adventures of assassin Edward Kenway. For the remake, Ubisoft has promised new missions and content, as well as updated environment layouts and level design. The company indicated it is staying “close to the core of the original game” while presenting familiar elements in a new light. Alternate parkour paths and scripted events should make island navigation more believable, and the rope dart tool is accessible much earlier in the adventure, making traversal easier.
A lot of the older Assassin’s Creed games emphasized stealth, given that the protagonists have murderous intent and their potential victims will object strenuously. More recent entries have shifted the focus to classic RPG elements that will now take a back seat. After viewing recent Black Flag Resynced footage from Ubisoft, Polygon’s Ari Notis had the following to say:
In two different clips, protagonist Edward Kenway faces three enemies, taking them all down in two hits tops, health bars be damned. If you’ve played any of the more recent games, you’ll instantly recognize this combat sequence — which makes use of everything from the hidden blade to Kenway’s rope weapon — as reminiscent of the older entries in the series.
Besides keeping proceedings suitably stabby, Black Flag Resynced introduces new officers who fight alongside protagonist Edward Kenway, each with their own special abilities and narrative questlines. Also, there are expanded stories for Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. New content related to the former is available from the start of the game’s final sequence.
One of the most exciting changes relates to desynchronization. In the game’s original version, players would tail a target to gather valuable information. Along the way, any number of things might have gone wrong, leading to a frustrating “desynchronization” result that forced a fresh attempt. In Black Flag Resynced, there are multiple paths to success. If a target is lost, players may be able to fight their way out of the problem or even find intel on a body after eliminating the subject.
In a similar vein, the game includes adjustable difficulty settings for several types of activity: combat, stealth, naval combat, and general activities. Players can adjust them independently so the overall experience suits their style of play, rather than repeatedly getting frustrated by certain tasks that stall their progress.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. That’s enough time to get your affairs in order so you can disappear into the pirate life for a few adventurous weeks.
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