Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review – CARIBBEAN CAPERS

The original Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag was an absolute banger back in 2013. So did this remake do it justice? Or has AC fatigue well and truly set in, making us all cold and cynical that the glory days are over? Well, let’s check the spyglass, ey?

Pirates, Ahoy!

The first thing you’ll notice is how everything pops off the screen. Whenever you’re sailing and exploring along the coasts of the Caribbean, it makes you wanna pull out a beach chair and just chill for a couple of hours. How good is that?! Even though the Performance setting on base PS5 targets 60FPS, the teensy hiccups here and there are only slightly noticeable in the denser, action-heavy sequences. Like when Edward and his crew board enemy ships for a bloodthirsty takeover, but it’s still a ripper good time.

The new colour-coded, perfect-parry-into-takedowns look and feel very satisfying. And the fact that you can kick and trip enemies on command this time, or grapple hook and shoot them in a combo, opens up all sorts of slick-looking choreography. The game actively encourages you to use all of Mr Kenway’s kit too, as simple sword slashes will only get you so far. Foes often need their defence gauge to be broken first before you go to town, which does make it more entertaining and less same-same than other games in the series. But you don’t need to worry about being the right level, or any of that modern, Assassin’s Creed RPG rubbish. If you wanna kill some dude, go for it. The numbers won’t stop ya here.

Some other additions include a dedicated crouch system that was absent in the original, plus a day, night and weather cycle that does affect the AI’s visibility somewhat. Mind you, even if the stealth difficulty is cranked to the max, it’s not much harder. The watchtower lookouts will actually do their job better, believe it or not. Yet you can still cheese the ever-living heck out of guards by hiding in a bush and picking them off, one by one. They just keep searching the exact same spot, clearly not noticing that three of their mates are stacked right on top of each other. Great work, guys.

Deep Blue Sea

Since this is an AC game, be prepared for glitches galore. Even though they’re pretty hilarious to watch, the immersion will drop like a sack of bricks… Yep, as intended. But seriously, it honestly seems like Ubisoft was listening to a few of the complaints from the original. The biggest being instant fails from tailing missions. Now you’re able to adjust on the fly and not be sent back to your last autosave like the world had ended. Also, you’ll see much less loading, in general. Apart from some key story moments that automatically move your ship from one side of the ocean to the other, it’s mostly seamless overall.

Setting sail on the Jackdaw with a quality sea shanty is just as fun as it used to be, acting as a great change-up from the usual blade-to-throat missions found on land. Whether you’re harpooning sharks like peak Leon from RE4, diving underwater for treasure, or blasting down enemy ships like no tomorrow, there’s always something to sink your teeth into. Pun intended. Let alone the many islands, forts, contracts and goodies to be claimed all over the place. While Black Flag Resynced doesn’t contain any DLC packs or multiplayer modes from the 2013 release, you can find several new quests, expanded diving mechanics, ship customisations and extra officers to bring onboard. There are also four “What If?” scenarios, in place of the present-day fluff, and an 8-mission questline focused solely on the navy officer, Robert Maynard, featuring new voice-acting and mocap from the original actors. So,  long-time fans do have something to look forward to here, even if Ubisoft has completely scrapped parts of the original.

I will say, though, Black Flag’s story does take some time to get going. Only really picking up around the halfway mark when things start hitting the fan. However, Edward and his group of “Arrr, me hearties” are fun to watch, and their British banter will put a smile on thy dial. Plus, the story doesn’t overstay its welcome like in Valhalla, taking just under 20 hours to finish off the main quests. Less quantity, more quality is definitely the name of the game here.

Decision

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced takes one of the series’ beloved entries and gives it a slick, modern refresh. The Caribbean has never looked this good in a video game; let’s be real. The combat is deeper thanks to new perfect parries, dedicated kick, grapple hook and gun inputs, and an added crouch button and dynamic weather system make the sneaky sneaks feel more complete. Even if the AI is as smart as The Three Stooges, on a good day.

The naval gameplay is still a star part of the show, with addictive ship battles, rewarding exploration and activities, as well as new quests and story content that give returning fans something compelling to dive into. Base PS5 performance is mostly smooth, loading is minimal, and those godforsaken tailing missions have finally been improved. Finally! But look, it isn’t perfect. Glitches are still everywhere, the narrative takes a while to hit its stride, and the original multiplayer and DLC are gone. But if you’re looking for a focused Assassin’s Creed adventure, Black Flag Resynced is well worth setting sail for.

By Anthony Culinas – Reviewed on PS5

Excellent

Modernising one of Ubisoft’s best adventures, Black Flag Resynced features gorgeous visuals, refined combat and smart quality-of-life improvements, even if the familiar AC jank remains. While the story takes time to find its footing, the pirate sandbox is just as addictive as ever.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Ubisoft. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.