Game Review: Assassin’s Creed – Black Flag Resynced

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has moved through more settings across history than almost any other, most recently taking us to feudal Japan following constant player requests for the region. This time-hopping openness has created an ecosystem where the developers want you to be all in, playing each title for the meta-narrative. Loading up any of the latest five games sees you able to navigate to any of these titles if you have them loaded on your console (I am playing on the PS5 here) in a hub screen to provide that seamless entry point. In their latest release, we see something a little different – a remake of one of the most beloved Ubisoft titles of all time that now aligns to this ecosystem. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag is a pirate simulator across the high seas as we follow the journey of Edward Kinway and crew to get rich or die trying alongside the general assassins and templars story. The word remake has been replaced by resynced but make no mistake – this is more than just a fresh coat of paint on a trusted vessel. The gameplay, mission structure, inventory system and even the home base operate very similarly to Shadows, with added story missions and even new shanties. The result may be my favourite Assassin’s Creed game yet, as I had only dabbled briefly in the original some years ago. The pirate setting works perfectly, sailing the seas with nothing but the wind at your sails and the salt on your face. Yet the truth is, the game is so much deeper than its beautiful locales. It may be my favourite game this year.

The story of Black Flag centres on the aforementioned lead, Edward, who kills an assassin within the opening few scenes and takes on his identity through hope of becoming rich. This allows the narrative to slowly drip-feed that broader tale always told in Assassin’s Creed games, but also connects to Edward’s focus on pillaging and plundering against the crown. Edward is a pirate, yet a stranded pirate with no ship or crew when shipwrecked on a tropical island. Of course, we see the growth from man with nothing to man commanding a steed full of rescued wannabe pirates through our actions. The tale is engaging, but it is through the many characters we meet that it truly shines. The Kidd, Blackbeard, a loyal quartermaster – this is where we learn more about the world and start to care about those in it. While added content is there, I believe the general skeleton of the story is fairly similar and works through witty dialogue and outstanding performances. Does the gameplay have the quality to match?

Assassin’s Creed games are notorious for filling the map with quest markers are encouraging a ‘clearing’ of regions during progression. What I’ve found over time is that they are best tackled with an optional focus, stumbling onto quests rather than constantly checking your map to clear them. Black Flag operates the same as Odyssey, Origins, Valhalla and Shadows in structure and general gameplay, but the style is very pirate focused. Using dual blades, dual pistols and the usual trickery of an assassin (stealth bombs, switchblade, Scorpion-inspired ‘get over here’) you’ll do most of your on-foot fighting in close quarters trying to dodge, parry and stab/shoot. It can be quite challenging when the screen fills with gangs of enemies, but never really grew tiresome with the many options of disposal at hand. Stealth is always useful and while enemies can be fairly lazy, pressing that triangle button to eliminate a target always felt powerful. The parkour action is here, and a bevy of side quests and activities are available at every port. But what would a pirate similar be without naval combat? Thankfully, this is another core component that has only enhanced in look and feel.

Ship combat is often a bit of a novelty in any games traversing water, and Black Flag was a pioneer for a more substantial focus. Recently, Pirate Yakuza dabbled in naval warfare but used a more comic approach to the process. Black Flag, despite the many upgrades and wild decorative options, does simulate the sea shoot-outs better than any other game once you establish how to manoeuvre your vessel. Basically, any ship on the sea can be battled, destroyed or taken for your own fleet. As Edward, you steer the ship and aim the cannons to below enemies out of the water. This extends to taking on forts armed with artilleries capable of shooting great distances. Once a ship is defeated, you can board the near-wreckage and fight the remaining soldiers. When defeated, you can choose to keep that ship, destroy it or repair your Jackdaw (Edward’s name for his vessel). Much like on-ground combat, the biggest challenges arrive when a fleet attacks you rather than a single ship. Cycling through your many ballistic options (general, fire, long-range, etc.) makes the process more in-depth and the rewards feel earned. This is all high-octane, but often the best moments in Black Flag are sailing your ship on the high seas, surrounded by locations that can be docked, listening to the many shanties of your crewmates. There are heaps of shanties available through capture on land and hearing the tracks adds atmosphere to some of the longer voyages.

Black Flag keeps you busy. Outside of the many fights on land and sea, there is plenty to manage and explore. After a few missions, you’ll unlock a home base/island that can be decorated and upgraded. There are quests for new gear, bounties, pets to collect, ships to acquire, hundreds of synch points, dozens of islands – at one point, it did feel endless and almost overwhelming. But thanks to the pirate setting, I never wanted to stop (and still haven’t) as these tasks feel right for a pirate.

As with all my recent ‘remake’ reviews, performance is a core component. I’ve often been left wanting in the performance department, especially with examples such as the recent Gothic 1 Remake, but Resynced is simply beautiful and full of options. I always go with 60 FPS for best movement and found that the locations still popped with deep colour and movement. Some of the sights are up there with the best I’ve ever seen in a game. The sun setting on the horizon and your lamps flicking on when sailing through waters is jaw-dropping every time. I have no doubt that high-end PCs and the PS5 Pro will have enhanced visuals that will rival the very best titles. The facial animations are not quite at that level, but they don’t have to be. Edward’s voice acting is very solid, as with the many side characters. The shanties are more memorable than the score, but the audio continues to be a strength for the franchise. If you didn’t know any better, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a new game rather than a remake of an older one. It is that impressive.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag is now my favourite Assassin’s Creed game of all time. I had played the original here and there in the past, but this remake from the ground up simply elevates the experience in all areas. While the many bloated aspects of a newer AC title remain, they never feel like a chore as the core gameplay is so solid and rewarding. Despite beating the game, I’ve returned to simply sail on the seas and listen to the shanties as a way to relax. Kudos to Ubisoft for Resyncing the right way.

Pros