{"id":79820,"date":"2026-08-27T05:17:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T21:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=79820"},"modified":"2026-08-27T05:17:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T21:17:02","slug":"assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-impressions-more-than-a-prettier-version-of-the-original","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=79820","title":{"rendered":"Assassin\u2019s Creed Black Flag Resynced impressions: More than a prettier version of the original"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It says something about Assassin\u2019s Creed IV: Black Flag<\/b> that, 13 years after it was released, I still remember more about sailing the Jackdaw than I do about its Assassins and Templars. I remember attacking ships that were beyond my level, getting caught in storms and then being distracted by another sea shanty while I was supposed to be heading towards the next story mission. Edward Kenway did eventually become an Assassin, of course, but that was never really the main attraction. Black Flag was a pirate game hiding inside an Assassin\u2019s Creed game, and it was all the better for it.<\/p>\n
So, yes, I\u2019ve always thought a remake felt inevitable. Ubisoft has spent years returning to its older Assassin\u2019s Creed games through remasters and updated collections, but Assassin\u2019s Creed Black Flag Resynced<\/b> is a much larger undertaking. This is the original adventure rebuilt using the current Anvil engine<\/b>, rather than the same 2013 game cleaned up with higher texture files \u2013 it has completely new character models, environments, missions and gameplay systems<\/p>\n
More interestingly for us here in Singapore, Ubisoft Singapore led its development. If you didn\u2019t already know, the studio has worked on the naval portions of the original Black Flag and later went on to develop Skull and Bones (which didn\u2019t end nicely). So there\u2019s something rather fitting about the team leading the game\u2019s remake.<\/p>\n
The same pirate life, but with fewer annoyances<\/h2>\n\n
Image: Ubisoft<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
It goes without saying that the first thing you\u2019ll notice is that Resynced looks way better than the original. Everything is brighter and more detailed; the lighting is more natural, and water now behaves like<\/i> water. I thought storms are especially convincing now too, with rough waves throwing the Jackdaw around while wind, rain and poor visibility make the sea suddenly feel much less inviting.<\/p>\n
Edward is easier to move around too, although he\u2019s still prone to leaping at a wall or ledge when I didn\u2019t mean to \u2013 Ubisoft still hasn\u2019t quite nail down the accuracy of the game\u2019s control. Stealth benefits Edward from one very simple addition: you can manually control crouching now. It sounds almost ridiculous to highlight this in 2026, but the original did not let you do it freely. Resynced also makes darkness useful for hiding and adds a new Observe mode that helps with reading an area before moving in. Together, these changes give me more control over whether I want to sneak past a group of guards, attack them or avoid the area completely.<\/p>\n
Ubisoft has shown similar restraint when dealing with the original\u2019s tailing and eavesdropping missions. Black Flag had a lot of them. Way too many, if I may say so. Worse, being spotted or falling slightly too far behind could result in desynchronisation, resulting in players having to frustratingly repeat the same steps. Resynced makes these objectives more forgiving and sometimes provides alternatives to achieving the mission. Several have also been changed into investigations or stealth segments.<\/p>\n\n
Image: Ubisoft<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Combat also feels faster and more deliberate. Instead of waiting endlessly for a counter prompt and watching Edward automatically tear through half a dozen guards, the new system places more emphasis on timed parries and shorter exchanges. Pistols and the rope dart can be used quickly and more meaningfully in the middle of a fight, and enemies are now more challenging than their 2013 versions.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, naval combat remains fun and is still the part of the game I enjoyed most. Firing a broadside, turning the Jackdaw to avoid incoming shots and boarding a damaged vessel still feels satisfying \u2013 only with more realism added now, as ships react more naturally to the waves and weather. New weapons provide additional ways to damage sails or expose weak points, while enemy vessels carry different equipment depending on their faction. Edward can also recruit three officers who provide useful abilities for the Jackdaw, giving the new side missions a practical reward beyond additional money.<\/p>\n
There is more to discover when not focusing on the main story too. Smaller islands now contain encounters and useful rewards rather than just\u2026one lonely treasure chest. Edward\u2019s hideout also can be expanded with new buildings and upgrades, and eight additional endgame missions allow players to explore more of Blackbeard\u2019s story. Additionally, Stede Bonnet receives a new quest that gives his character a more satisfying conclusion. These additions do not transform Black Flag into a much larger role-playing game per se \u2013 and I am glad they do not \u2013 but they give returning players a reason to replay the game differently.<\/p>\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n
Image: Ubisoft<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The sensible thing about Resynced is that Ubisoft Singapore appears to understand what gamers actually liked about Black Flag. It was not the tailing missions, the old loading screens or Edward occasionally throwing himself at the wrong wall. It was the freedom of setting sail, hearing the crew start singing and then abandoning whatever I had planned because an interesting ship or island appeared in the distance.<\/p>\n
This remake keeps that freedom of play intact. But it now looks better, controls more smoothly and removes many of the small frustrations that came with the original \u2013 and those didn\u2019t age well too. Its new missions also felt like interesting add-ons. Not every change works though: combat has lost some of its old sense of variety, the parkour part of the game can still be frustrating and neither the original multiplayer mode nor its downloadable story content has made it into the final product.<\/p>\n
But I can live with most of that. I went into Resynced wondering whether a game I already knew needed to be remade at all. Several hours later, I was once again steering the Jackdaw towards something completely unrelated to my mission, simply because I wanted to see what was there. And that was enough.<\/p>\n
Assassin\u2019s Creed Black Flag Resynced is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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