The very definition of next generation, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag launched on the PS4 on the 15th. While most people have complained that the series might be growing stale, Ubisoft and developer Ubisoft Montreal have answered with ACIV clearly showing that there is more to be had with the series. To be quite honest, as much as I love Battlefield 4, Ubisoft has created the best third-party launch title for this next generation of consoles with ACIV.
Let’s get this review started.
The gameplay in AC4, at least control-wise, is on par with Assassin’s Creed 3. Edward, our new assassin, feels just as easy to control as our previous AC adventure. I felt like the third game made a leap forward in this category, as AC I & II just felt sloshy and a bit delayed on occasion, but the jumping around buildings and hunting down individuals made the control issues forgiving because, well, it was so cool to do. Ubisoft got the message on the last go around and the controls and how our assassin can get around was improved with the third game. The controls felt better, they felt looser, kind of like the God of War controls where in mid movement you could do a 180 on your enemies, if need be. It was nice in AC3 and thankfully translated over to ACIV. So, if you liked the controls in the third title, then you’ll like how it feels in the fourth.
The difference between the last game and current game pretty much end there.
The first thing you’ll notice in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag is how absolutely gorgeous this game is, once you install the update. While the game comes in 900p originally for the PS4, the first update you’ll get when you start the game bumps that up to 1080p. That 1080p is something to behold, as there are tons of details in the game that show up. For example, the ocean scenes are a lot crisper because of this update and the depth of the landscape is a lot more noticeable. For example, the first level you’re thrown into is tracking down an assassin through a Caribbean jungle. The height and depth of the cliffs around you as you are running and jumping up a series of tiers of land and back down, is nothing short of breathtaking. There is no pop-up in the environment, as all these details are loaded already and you can simply enjoy the scenery for once in a game. Ubsioft Montreal did a fabulous job with constructing the environment for ACIV. You always want your surroundings to bring you into the game and keep you there (just like a well made film), and this game doesn’t disappoint.
As for the character models, they’re still a work in progress. The finer details in the costumes and the lighting and shading that go along with that is nice. The faces, hands and leg movements are still very last generation. You can tell when the characters talk in cutscenes that the facial expressions are slowly emerging into next generation caliber, but they just aren’t quite there yet. The teeth and mouth modeling is a bit empty and stiff, but the mouth movement is a lot more natural than in previous titles. That’s a big deal for this generation and something that makes the the game a bit more impressive.
The one thing that everyone is talking about, and rightfully so, is the weather and ocean effects. Good lord. They are indescribable. The ocean looks amazing in this game and the weather, though it changes unnaturally quickly, is dynamic and fun to participate in. You’ll adore these aspects of the visuals and how they affect the environment around your gaming experience.
All in all, you’re going to find Assassin’s Creed IV one of the most gorgeous games to come out of the launch of this next-gen line-up.
As for the actual content in the game, it’s divided into two modes: campaign and multiplayer.
The campaign mode is where it is at when it comes to fun. I’m happy that not all AAA games have skimped out on the campaign modes to get people straight into multiplayer. For games like Battlefield 4 and CoD, the campaigns are literally an afterthought, which has come to be accepted this day and age. With Assassin’s Creed IV, Ubisoft Montreal really puts a lot of thought and effort into giving the gamer a full experience in the world in which Edward resides. This world, of course, is the Caribbean. Within this world you’ll find several different ways to play and explore. While not on the same level as a GTA V in terms of open world, there are plenty of areas and islands in the ocean to discover and explore. That is only one portion of the adventure in the game. You could probably make an entire game out of sailing, hunting down ships and scavenging islands. Being a pirate and scouring the world would make for a nice game, if you could do it right. I think Ubisoft should get on that, don’t you?
Anyway, outside of sailing, exploring and being a general scalawag, the game features a very entertaining storyline. Our main man Edward wants to succeed in some way, shape or form, and provide a good life for his true love. Fate puts him in a tough spot and soon he is stranded on an unknown ship, helping out a pack of strangers — and on his way to becoming a notorious pirate. As you progress in the game, you’re given a series of missions to complete; some of the missions are optional, some are required. Along the way, you can pretty much complete the mission any way you want, as the gameplay is completely non-linear. For example, as you progress through the game, you’re given several opportunities/assassinations where you can decide how you to take out a provided target. Since I’m a sick sonofabitch, I enjoy taking out all the other people around the target before zeroing in on my main prey. I mean, can you blame me? It’s called ‘Assassin’s Creed’ for a reason. Anyway, if you don’t feel like going that route and just want to take your target out first, you need only identify them and then have a it. There’s no one way to get it all done, which makes the campaign extremely flexible.
The campaign also features some pretty impressive depth, as you have a variety of things you could be doing in the game. Some of these things are treasuring hunting (you can find maps on dead pirates on remote islands), assassination contracts, completely small tasks during missions and a variety of things that keep the game going as you progress through the main storyline. All of it is interesting; none of it is boring — and Ubisoft Montreal should get major kudos for putting together interesting side-quests to extend the life of the game.
As for the multiplayer it’s on the same level as the last game, though a bit more broken down in detailed. You get the standard quick matches, which are ‘hide-and-seek’ sorts of events against opposing players. The games I played had eight players involved and I completely sucked at it… royally. Regardless, you basically walk around and hunt your opposing players, not wanting to be the first person to flinch and give yourself away within a crowd. It’s fun for those of you with the patience to get through it. It’s the opposite gameplay style of a Call of Duty/Battlefield, where you’re supposed to walk around and be stealthy, rather than run and gun. I did enjoy the experience, though I can honestly say I’m not sure I’ll return to it after this review. I would prefer the campaign mode, as it had so much to explore.
Other items of interest in the multiplayer mode is the co-op play, which is called ‘Wolfpack’, and it is fun with friends or you can jump in and play with the public. You basically are given a certain time limit and you kill targets within that time limit. You are given certain targets at the beginning of the game then it switches up to another task as the game progresses (guarding treasure chests, killing a group of people with your group at the same time, etc.). Also along the way, random people are given green symbols, which indicate that if you kill them then more time is added to your overall gameplay. There are 25 initial tasks at the beginning of the game that allow you to score a nice amount of points, which helps you to level up. It’s nice and it works on a co-op scale. I did love playing the session when I could be part of a four player team. I think it might be far more interesting with actual friends, though. The two game modes within Wolfpack are Discovery (story-driven) and Unleashed.
The other game mode within the multiplayer experience is the game lab, which allows you to create a custom game mode.
As you progress through the multiplayer experience, you can gain wallet points, which allow you to purchase abilities and perks (amongst other things). Also as you progress, you can unlock perks, abilities and whatnot. So, if you can see this as a CoD or BF sort of customization deal, then you firmly understand what is going on here. It’s nice to see that sort of customization in a game that could be a bit simpler, but I’m happy it’s not. It does add some creativity and flavor to the MP experience.