I cannot complain, the game cost me 54.99 and it came with a free copy of AC Revelations. So I got two games for less than the price of a single new one. Neither are used by the way, it was a deal they had and a pretty sweet one if you ask me.
Here are my impressions so far...
The game kicks off interestingly enough with a naval battle in the middle of a storm, what happens next is actually a pretty cool setup for the events following this battle. You aren't stuck playing through 5 hours of tedium in order to open up the world and don the Assassin's robes, this happens within the first hour of playtime. You'll find the world is brimming with stuff to do right off the bat. Edward Kenway is an instantly likeable character and if you took issue with Conner and were worried, don't be.
Naval battles are handled really well, swinging the camera to the side of the ship will allow you to use the cannons, looking straight ahead will allow you to use the chain shot and looking behind will allow you to drop barrels which you can then shoot with your swivel guns when enemy ships get near. This system is incredibly intuitive and creates a seamless experience that is certainly an improvement over AC3. Boarding ships is also seamless. I thought this would be done in a cutscene of some sort but it's not, it all takes place in real time as you play. You can use the swivel gun once boarding has been initiated or swing from ship to ship and take them out up close and personal.
On foot you can now ready your weapon and free aim with L1/LB and fire with R1/RB, this is a huge improvement over the clunky aiming mechanics found in AC3. You can now whistle while sneaking in tall grass to get a nearby guards attention. You can use the D-pad to cycle through your entire inventory now rather than pausing the game and having to assign a new weapon or tool to one of four slots on the D-pad every time. Viewpoints are now used as fast travel points.
When roaming the rooftops you won't find nearly as many guards as AC3 so it's now useful to use them again. They don't throw 150 enemies at you in the cities any more when you're wanted and hide spots are actually marked on your map again as well.
Money plays a big part and you have a ton of stuff to purchase from gameplay upgrades for Edward or the Jackdaw or visual upgrades like new sails and dye for your outfit.
Missions do a good job of utilizing the naval open world and the goals for reaching 100% sync in missions so far are actually fairly easy and fun, never taking way from your experience. Stealth has been a pretty big element in most of the missions I have played and that is a good thing. When things get a bit more physical I find it more difficult than AC3, I have come close to death in combat a few times already.
Visually the game looks great on current generation consoles but the frame rate dips slightly when sprinting through the crowded streets of Havana. A few other visual glitches have appeared but is still a noticeable improvement over AC3.
There are a ton of small islands to loot a little bit of gold or cash or even materials from but don't expect much. It's more just a diversion to get your off the ship most of the time but for the little effort it takes to grab these things you may as well. The cities are filled with chests to loot as well and plenty of side activities abound.
Based off everything I have played thus far I can say I am happy with my purchase. It was this or Batman and I believe I made the right choice. Now back to playing.
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