Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

Pros

• Combat is improved, simplified, and a ton of fun.
• The naval battles are an unexpected and addictive addition to the game and were cited by many reviewers and players as the most fun portion of this Assassin's Creed.
• The game has a wicked sense of humor that at moments veers into self-deprecation.
• The core mechanics of this game - killing and parkour - are build upon and improved.
• Edward Kenway is a fantastic main character.

Cons

• The game makes extensive use of trailing missions. These are deeply tedious and slow.
• The plot can be confusing for newer players to the Assassin's Creed series.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the sixth game in the famed Assassin's Creed series. In this edition, you play as Edward Kenway, a pirate and member of the Assassin Order, who does battle against the Templars across multiple centuries.

Story

The game takes place in 1715, and you play as two characters. In the 1715 portions of the game, you are Edward Kenway, a pirate sailing the high seas in search of treasure and adventure. During the game, you interact with other famed pirates (like Blackbeard) as you fight the latest battle between the Assassins and the Templars.

In the modern portions of the game, you play as an unnamed player who is sifting through Kenway's memories. You are told that you are playing the game for Abstergo Entertainment, who is trying to make a historically accurate game based on Kenway's memories. In reality, you are helping the modern-day version of the Templar's locate the Observatory, a critical building for the First Civilization.

While the modern portion of the game is limited to Abstergo Entertainment's office complex, the wide, sprawling pirate hunting grounds of 1715 presents so much content and character it is virtually impossible to see it all. This sensation of a sprawling in-game universe is enhanced by the fact that there are basically two worlds in 1715: Land and sea. Both offer different modes of travel, combat styles, characters, and crew.

The characters of Black Flag are enthralling, charming, and larger than life. All of this serves to utterly hook you and drive you deeper into the game's world. Special note must be given to Edward Kenway, the pirate rogue with charm and good looks. Kenway's struggles and stories are deeply engaging. You will love playing as him - probably much more so than you love playing as the modern character in the present day.

Gameplay

The highlight of all Assassin's Creed is the killing and parkour, and Black Flag builds upon the franchise's long record of success. The combat is visceral and deeply satisfying, offering a variety of ways to kill your enemies, including guns, swordplay, and your famed assassin's knives. Button mashing will often get the job done, but if you want to have fun and kill with grace and speed, you have to learn techniques and timing.

Of course, Parkour remains a blast. You have to run through crowds, climb buildings, covertly enter castles and more to truly finish this game and experience it in all of its glory. Sometimes, this requires stealth. Other times, it requires a daring, brash raid. Thankfully, the game usually gives you the freedom to decide the best way to get the job done.

The world is wide, sprawling, and intricately detailed. Like all Assassin's Creed games, there is a slew of collectibles, ensuring hours upon hours of gameplay for anyone interested. If sailing from island to island in search of xBox Achievements isn't something that interests you, don't worry: The pirate's plot will keep you fascinated and contains a solid and engaging story.

Black Flag successfully breaks new ground by introducing ship to ship combat. A huge part of this game is sailing your pirate ship, managing your crew and sinking your enemies. This is a fascinating new edition to an already successful franchise and ads an entirely new element of gameplay, strategy, and planning.

Graphics & Audio

Black Flag is now seven years old. Despite this, the graphics remain exceptionally sharp. The audio is rich and enthralling, with epic soundtracks, sharp sound effects and sea shanties. Despite the fact that the game was actually designed for a previous console generation, it boosts fast loading times and long draw distances, ensuring that you can see deep into the sea.

As a result of ahead-of-its-time graphics and design, you never feel like you are playing an older game.

Pros

• Combat is improved, simplified, and a ton of fun.
• The naval battles are an unexpected and addictive addition to the game and were cited by many reviewers and players as the most fun portion of this Assassin's Creed.
• The game has a wicked sense of humor that at moments veers into self-deprecation.
• The core mechanics of this game - killing and parkour - are build upon and improved.
• Edward Kenway is a fantastic main character.

Cons

• The game makes extensive use of trailing missions. These are deeply tedious and slow.
• The plot can be confusing for newer players to the Assassin's Creed series.