This is my review:
Pros:
-The story felt very different from the last ones, I thought it was great and I liked Edward's convictions by the end of the game. There were some things I found odd and there were a couple bumps on the road, but I liked it very much. Though people will disagree with me, I liked how it focused more on Edward rather than the creed.
-Naval combat was fun in AC3, but I really liked it in AC4. They upgraded it so much that sometimes Id spend hours at a time just boarding ships and upgrading my own ship. The mortar, the heavy shot, pretty much every weapon on my ship was awesome, well, maybe except fire barrels.
-The assassinations were at their peak in this game, Im talking about main(probably) and side assassinations. You're given lots of open-ended opportunities to kill your target, I also like how the side assassinations have cash bonuses for being stealthy, the main assassinations are kind of dilluted cause of the optional objectives though, kind of a bummer ,but I dont do optional objectives if I dont want to anyway.
-Characters were pretty relatable and pretty fun, I liked how you fit in with those historical figures(Im looking at you Paul Revere!) and I like pirates, thats enough said.
-Stealth has been massively improved in this game, kind of clunky compared to great stealth games like MGS and Splinter Cell, but its the best in the AC franchise. It has hiding spots everywhere and there's alot of lush foilage that can let you sneak past your enemies if you want to, you dont need to stealth, but its a much more viable option now. Also, the AI doesnt always detect you anymore like in AC3("You killed that guy stealthily right? Welp, you got detected anyway")
-Ive never explored in a game as much as this game, its mostly due to the fact that you're a pirate in a pirate themed game, so if you get immersed enough, youre gonna start acting the role.(I found buried treasure matey, ARR!) and its not just mindless money mongering this time, I spend alot of cash on The Jackdaw's upgrades, its pretty difficult. Ive never really needed money from ACB to AC3, I was too OP and nothing could kill me, land combat is still too easy, but they've made up for it with the naval combat.
-Parkour/puzzle segments return!
-Alot of special outfits, and even the non-special ones look cool. Back in AC2 and ACB, we found keys for a special set of armor(Not sure about ACR) this time we have 2 outfits to unlock, one of which needs 5 templar keys ,while the other needs a dozen mayan stelae. We also have cool outfits that decrease our visibility to humans and animals alike.
-Parkour and buildings connect well in this game, I dont have to jump onto the street to run up to other buildings anymore(AC3) heck, I parkour more in fishing villages than I did in Boston.
-Setting looks nice as usual and the different cities make them all that much more memorable.
Cons:
-Bugs! Again! There are less bugs than AC3 but most of them stop you from getting 100% on the game, some annoying frame drops too.
-Combat is almost exactly like AC3, the guns are nerfed, the counters have a slightly smaller counter window and enemies hit harder, but thats about it.
-Lack of weaponry is something I don't mind seeing as I liked AC1 for having little equipment but having a good use for all of them. But I know some people dont like being limited, less ways of killing people and stuff like that. I also kinda want a silent ranged weapon that doesnt use poison, you can have throwing knives ,but only one!
-The game feels more like a filler rather than a full on sequel to me, they revealed some extra stuff on Juno and had lots of remnants left behind by Desmond but thats it.
-Controls are still as clunky as ever, sadly.
-Way too many tailing missions.
-Game is still too easy.
Verdict:
It's a great AC game and it definetly brought the series back on track with fresh new gameplay, but as a pirate game, it's the best one yet.