Summary:
Braving giant waves amid a storm, launching a naval assault on an island fort, going toe-to-toe with a Spanish Man-o-War: These are the kind of pirate adventures we dream of when we're young. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag brings these and more to life, often accompanied by hearty sea shanties. But it also carries with it the more monotonous side of sea life. This isn't Grand Theft Auto; there aren't alleys to race through, jumps to go off of, or really much of anything to avoid crashing into. There are plenty of cannons to fire, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't get boring.
Everything else you've come to expect from an Assassin's Creed game is also on display here. There's fluid foot travel, wonderfully realized Caribbean islands dotting the ocean waves, and iconic historic figures pulled into the game's fiction. Our protagonist, Edward Kenway, is charismatic and faces some unique challenges along his journey. He's also enough of a true pirate that it can be hard to root for him at times. The story has some powerful moments, but on the whole felt disjointed to me.
I recommend Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, but don't let the glowing reviews out there fool you into thinking it's vastly different or better than previous games in the series.
Full review:
Assassin's Creed's signature parkour locomotion is as liberating as ever here. The Caribbean doesn't have the kind of stately cities that Europe does but the lush jungles, seaside fishing villages, larger port cities and Mayan ruins are a joy to explore. Though, with as many locales as there are, some of them do tend to blur together. If anything AC4 is guilty of having too much; too many locations, too many collectibles, too many forgettable villains to lengthen the story.
Black Flag's chapters tend to focus in on a single side character per chapter. Some of them are fascinating, some not so much. I particularly enjoyed Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet and James Kidd, with Kidd ranking as one of my favorites in the series so far. Your quartermaster, Adéwalé, is a likeable and steady presence throughout the game but is hard pressed to match up when filling a similar role to Leonardo da Vinci from the Ezio games. There are a host of more shallow, forgettable characters but this again isn't new to the series.
There is still a modern side to the game too. It is told in first person in such a way as to make you, the player, feel like you're an Abstergo employee. This has never been the highlight of the series, but it's not so bad as to detract. There is a neat tie-in to the pirate side of the story as well. With it being an ongoing tale I did find myself straining to remember what had happened in past games. Newcomers to the series will struggle the most here, but should be able to pick up the gist of it.
Combat is also much the same here. Counterattacks are a powerful fallback if you get low on health while mashing the attack button. Stealth is the much more satisfying option. Thankfully the mix of jungle and city environments lend themselves well to it.
Ship-to-ship battles place a plethora of weapons at your disposal. From your standard cannons to mortars, rams, fire barrels and more, there can be a lot to keep track of. Especially if you are up against more than one enemy at once and the sea is rough enough to obscure your view. Cannon smoke can also be a hindrance. There are four awesome "legendary" ships that you can hunt near end game. Each is a supreme challenge, even with a fully upgraded warship. By that point naval combat had gotten too easy for me, but these four battles were a great finale to reinvigorate the system.
The sound and visuals in AC4 are up to par for a AAA title. Weather was something I noticed was better implemented than I've seen in the series. One standout was a barren rocky ruin along the ocean that had the constant howl of sea wind buffeting it. The voice actors, with a couple exceptions, were great. This is my least favorite soundtrack of the series so far. I do have to commend it for the innovative use of sea shanties as an immersive and enjoyable backing to your sailing. The DLC Freedom Cry's soundtrack on the other hand is very good with a lot of African influence.
I'll close with a few notes on DLC and the Gold Edition. There is the "Aveline Pack" that is little more than a short 45 minute linear introduction to AC: Liberation. It seem like it's there more to promote Liberation than be a strong product of its own. Freedom Cry is a solid 3 to 4 hour addition that has you playing as Adéwalé after the events of Black Flag. It's representation of slavery is a bit simplistic and PC, but didn't stop me from enjoying it. With the Gold Edition not including the soundtrack, Freedom Cry is the only part with real value in my view, so you're probably better off getting the Standard Edition and picking up Freedom Cry separately.