By Ben Mapp
It's been seven months since Ubisoft last unleashed an Assassin's Creed game, which it seems has become an annual ritual for them. With two new installments on the horizon with AC: Unity and AC: Comet, it's time to take a look back on ACIV: Black Flag which, to me, is the very best of the Assassin's Creed series so far.
It's been seven months since Ubisoft last unleashed an Assassin's Creed game, which it seems has become an annual ritual for them. With two new installments on the horizon with AC: Unity and AC: Comet, it's time to take a look back on ACIV: Black Flag which, to me, is the very best of the Assassin's Creed series so far.
Following the dramatic (and frankly mindboggling) climax of the last game’s story, Assassin’s Creed IV picks up an indeterminate amount of time afterwards. I won’t reveal too much about the modern day storyline if you haven't played it already, as it gives a surprising new twist on a world we’re already used to.
Needless to say that our new main character must enter a brand new type of Animus and – through drawing on the genetic memories of one Desmond Miles – is tasked with reliving the rumbustious antics of one Captain Edward Kenway during the Golden Age of Piracy. Edward is one of the feared pirates in charge of Nassau, the ‘pirate republic’, which faces being violently shut down by the British and other forces from across the sea. Edward is a man who is stuck between two worlds. On one hand he seeks to one day return home to England as a rich man, whilst on the other hand he craves the freedom that the ocean of the West Indies offers. Assassins and Templars are battling in the background of Edward’s story, which makes a welcome change as this ancient holy war has been at the forefront of each of the other games. We’re used to it by now. It’s just the Assassin’s Creed world.
Film composer Brian Tyler (who scored Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, The Expendables, amongst others) provides an exciting and immersive soundtrack to each and every sequence, surmounting the subpar quality of Assassin’s Creed III’s soundtrack tenfold. The music to this game really adds to the overall cavalier feel of the gameplay whether you choose to progress with Edward’s adventures or explore the ‘real world.’
Needless to say that our new main character must enter a brand new type of Animus and – through drawing on the genetic memories of one Desmond Miles – is tasked with reliving the rumbustious antics of one Captain Edward Kenway during the Golden Age of Piracy. Edward is one of the feared pirates in charge of Nassau, the ‘pirate republic’, which faces being violently shut down by the British and other forces from across the sea. Edward is a man who is stuck between two worlds. On one hand he seeks to one day return home to England as a rich man, whilst on the other hand he craves the freedom that the ocean of the West Indies offers. Assassins and Templars are battling in the background of Edward’s story, which makes a welcome change as this ancient holy war has been at the forefront of each of the other games. We’re used to it by now. It’s just the Assassin’s Creed world.
Film composer Brian Tyler (who scored Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, The Expendables, amongst others) provides an exciting and immersive soundtrack to each and every sequence, surmounting the subpar quality of Assassin’s Creed III’s soundtrack tenfold. The music to this game really adds to the overall cavalier feel of the gameplay whether you choose to progress with Edward’s adventures or explore the ‘real world.’
So I guess I’ll start by jumping right in!
The naval combat of Assassin’s Creed III has been brought back and updated to a much larger scale, giving you full control over your ship and how it sails and fires. The gameplay here works through the player controlling the right analogue stick to pick a direction and, all depending on the chosen direction, they will be able to access to different weaponry automatically available to them on the ship. At first it can be a bit tricky as you feel as though you are multitasking and trying to balance the steering with the firing, but it just takes a little getting used to. It is certainly one of the best and most addictive elements of the game and the series so far. Just be wary of your surroundings. The ocean is filled with tiny islands and cliffs which you will crash into if you’re not careful! Whilst steering the ship, looking either left or right will automatically access the cannons; looking forwards will access a set of guns capable of paralyzing the enemy, looking backwards will access a batch of fire barrels (which can be shot at when enemy ships approach them). Players are also able to use mortar later, which is by far the most powerful of the ship’s weapons. It can be used to bombard enemy ships from above with fireballs. You can also choose to ‘release the wheel’ at any time. Doing so will revert back to the more traditional combat/gameplay of any previous Assassin’s Creed. Just be sure not to do it if you’ve got other ships firing on you!
The naval combat of Assassin’s Creed III has been brought back and updated to a much larger scale, giving you full control over your ship and how it sails and fires. The gameplay here works through the player controlling the right analogue stick to pick a direction and, all depending on the chosen direction, they will be able to access to different weaponry automatically available to them on the ship. At first it can be a bit tricky as you feel as though you are multitasking and trying to balance the steering with the firing, but it just takes a little getting used to. It is certainly one of the best and most addictive elements of the game and the series so far. Just be wary of your surroundings. The ocean is filled with tiny islands and cliffs which you will crash into if you’re not careful! Whilst steering the ship, looking either left or right will automatically access the cannons; looking forwards will access a set of guns capable of paralyzing the enemy, looking backwards will access a batch of fire barrels (which can be shot at when enemy ships approach them). Players are also able to use mortar later, which is by far the most powerful of the ship’s weapons. It can be used to bombard enemy ships from above with fireballs. You can also choose to ‘release the wheel’ at any time. Doing so will revert back to the more traditional combat/gameplay of any previous Assassin’s Creed. Just be sure not to do it if you’ve got other ships firing on you!
The first island you arrive at showcases the gorgeous new tropical environments which all become common sight throughout our happy life of pirating, although of course having beautiful graphics is and always has been a staple of Assassin’s Creed so nothing new on that front. What is notable however about this game is that – despite being on the eve of next-gen – the game fully utilises the graphical capabilities of the current-gen systems with very minimal loading times. This is remarkable alone not just because of the scale of the Caribbean world, but also because there is a new weather system in place in Assassin’s Creed IV. Storms come and go, but when they come they completely transform the ocean. You’ll have to ride deadly waves and take advantage of the changing winds if you want your ship to remain in one piece, just try and steer clear of a fire fight as battling enemy ships whilst trying to survive against waves and waterspouts can be tricky!
Speaking of which, once you get your own ship – the Jackdaw – barely an hour into the main story, you can choose the look of the sails if you want and upgrade the ship’s arsenal. If you have the gold, that is! There is so much freedom and flexibility in the exploration, and often moving from the naval system to exploring an island comes seamlessly. The only loading times to be encountered in the open world come from when you visit the larger towns (Kingston, Havana or Nassau), or when you choose to leave the Animus to investigate the modern setting. One of the most empowering things you can do in this game is board other ships. Once you defeat a ship at sea you can sail up beside them and board them. Your crew will use hook-ropes to pull the ship in close so you can swing over and begin cutting down the enemy crew! Usually the game gives you a set of targets before you can pillage the ship, like taking out ten crewmen, removing their ship’s flag or killing all of the commanding officers on aboard – each one offering a different challenge. You can also swing back and forth between the boarded ship and the Jackdaw if you need to back-off and heal up. There is no medicine like in the earlier games, so if you’re about to jump in the middle of a fight (whether at sea or on land) then make sure you are fully prepared!
After plundering an enemy ship you are then given three choices. I won’t reveal them all, but each has their own benefits. One of them has your crew use the wreckage to restore the Jackdaw to full health and then sink the remains, which you can use tactically if facing a fleet of ships (as they won’t attack you whilst you’re boarding another ship!). In terms of rewards in the new open world, Black Flag’s rendition of the West Indies is almost entirely driven by the pursuit of gold and there is much incentive here to make many purchases. What Assassin’s Creed has always struggled with in the past games is giving you significant stimulus to actually go out and play around with the side-missions (usually reserved for completionists).
Stay tuned at IWG for the second part of this article!
After plundering an enemy ship you are then given three choices. I won’t reveal them all, but each has their own benefits. One of them has your crew use the wreckage to restore the Jackdaw to full health and then sink the remains, which you can use tactically if facing a fleet of ships (as they won’t attack you whilst you’re boarding another ship!). In terms of rewards in the new open world, Black Flag’s rendition of the West Indies is almost entirely driven by the pursuit of gold and there is much incentive here to make many purchases. What Assassin’s Creed has always struggled with in the past games is giving you significant stimulus to actually go out and play around with the side-missions (usually reserved for completionists).
Stay tuned at IWG for the second part of this article!
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