Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced takes one of the most beloved Assassin's Creed games and overhauls it. While enough is cut from the original that it isn't "complete", the core experience is a feast for the eyes and has never felt better to play.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the last numbered entry in Ubisoft’s long-running series–a fact I’ve always felt has carried a significant amount of weight since its release in 2013.
To this day, Black Flag is probably considered the most beloved Assassin’s Creed game. While Odyssey holds the mantle for my personal favorite and Ezio’s adventures across his trilogy of games defined what the series could be, Black Flag championed the identity of Assassin’s Creed as a whole.
When Assassin’s Creed III ended, it was hard to estimate where the series would go. Exploring Colonial America was a breath of fresh air from the Ezio trilogy’s city-based wanderings of Rome and Constantinople. Ubisoft adapted its parkour gameplay to a time and place where towering buildings weren’t prominent, focusing on the open wilderness. And look, I understand that Assassin’s Creed‘s science fiction throughline wasn’t for everyone but I ate that shit up. I took some comfort in seeing Desmond’s story come to a close but was fixated on where things would go next.
Black Flag is arguably one of Ubisoft’s strongest games in terms of scope and overall vision. Much of that culminates in the brilliant decision to make it an Assassin’s Creed game about pirates. Why have one open world when you can have the open sea? Why confine players to interconnected cities and districts when there are islands and villas and bustling hubs of trade? And, despite my lamentations, Black Flag signaled a period where the futuristic narrative took a significant backseat.
Most importantly, being Edward Kenway was fun. The writers at Ubisoft took obvious inspiration from the spectacle of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and made Black Flag less serious and more of a swashbuckling jaunt. In it, Edward Kenway literally stumbles into the eternal conflict between the Templars and the Assassins but does so with charm and gusto. Despite the–at the time–gargantuan size of Black Flag‘s playable world, the game embraced its breezy atmosphere, injecting activities into so much of the real estate. Naval battles, action-packed missions, rooftop chases to claim sea shanties, and brutal combat was the recipe for success.
In the time since Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed has ebbed and flowed, searching for meaning and purpose in its own design. It is a flexible franchise in many ways. I used to compare it with Call of Duty, that as long as a few core pillars exist, it would always justify the moniker. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate played with dual protagonists, each embodying tenants of the franchise. Assassin’s Creed Origins was an Assassin’s Creed II-like shift, transforming what the games would be like for the next several years.
Now? It’s harder to estimate what lies in store for Assassin’s Creed.
I’ve hardly been able to hide my admiration for these games over the years. I find them overwhelmingly comforting. The vast wilderness of whatever locale Ubisoft chooses, ripe for the box-ticking. These are daunting games that very much capture a design philosophy of quantity and spectacle. And over the years, sentiment has shifted on ever-expanding games with monstrous worlds that take players hundreds of hours to tame. Last year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows felt like the culmination of Ubisoft’s work on this decade of Assassin’s Creed.
But what happens next?
Honestly, it’s hard to say. For the most part, Assassin’s Creed Hexe is still under wraps. Assassin’s Creed Mirage was an attempt to go “back to basics” after Valhalla was deemed too unruly. Players’ tastes don’t always change yet many of us still want our Assassin’s Creed games to feature stealth and instant kills with a hidden blade and, perhaps, less of an emphasis on tiered loot.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced could be callously looked at as a cash-in. Give one of the most acclaimed Assassin’s Creed games a significant visual overhaul? Prints money, right?
Resynced is a strikingly beautiful game, a fact that becomes readily apparent the moment Edward Kenway washes up on the crystal blue beach and begins his journey. While Assassin’s Creed has had a handful of remasters, nothing has received the treatment Black Flag is getting.
Yet out of all the improvements, additions, and subtractions made to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Resynced‘s completely overhauled visuals are the most important distinction for this product. When it released in 2013, Black Flag straddled the generational releases of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. As the industry was transitioning out of the first high-definition generation and into more advanced technology, Ubisoft was still capable of some heavy lifting.
Regardless, Black Flag could be played on consoles that released in 2005/2006 or 2013. It wouldn’t be until the release of Assassin’s Creed Unity the following year that players would experience the series in the updated Anvil Engine. Denser crowds, fluid animations, and “next-gen” visuals would ensure Unity was a standout. Of course, the game’s extremely rough launch full of bugs and horrendous visual glitches dampened its splendor.
Upon playing Resynced, the Caribbean is absolutely breathtaking. It feels like playing it for the first time. The intricate level of detail to make jungles lush. Marine life busies itself while Edward takes a dive. Draw distances stretch as far as the eye can see, allowing the player to take in the scenery. The work done by Ubisoft Singapore (and the countless other Ubisoft branches) doesn’t magically replace Black Flag‘s original vision. But because Resynced is built from the ground up on a different iteration of Anvil, it’s impossible to deny that this is the definitive look of the game.
Racing across the green treetops and stony buildings allows a kind of clarity that simply couldn’t exist in 2013, especially on a game that had to account for a significantly older console. Because there has never been a true blueprint for what these worlds looked like hundreds of years in the past, Ubisoft has always had a bit of runway to embellish on details. The scale of buildings can be exaggerated to allow for more exciting synchronization points or thrilling ways to string parkour movement together. Because of the level of care that has gone into recreating the past in Assassin’s Creed, we’ve seen “Historic Tour” segments of these games. Now with Resynced looking the way it does, I can imagine a similar avenue that could be taken here.
Resynced‘s graphical overhaul is impossible to deny. Again, it doesn’t replace what Black Flag is. I think for any player who hasn’t touched the game in over a decade, Resynced is going to be an undeniable temptation. It is such a dramatic difference that it almost feels like playing a completely different game.
But the introduction of additional story content adds to the value proposition and gives players who may be more well-versed in Black Flag more reason to check out Resynced. While not outstandingly massive, players are treated to expanded storylines that further flesh out many characters in the narrative. Blackbeard is given a wealth of new screentime with eight new missions available that add to his story. Stede Bonnet has a more satisfying conclusion to his character and there are even three new recruitable officers for the Jackdaw that have questlines to learn more about them, plus perks unique to those members.
However, Resynced completely strips out Assassin’s Creed‘s “Present Day” segments that take place in the offices of Abstergo. As a fan who deeply loves this part of the series, I’m a bit saddened. While there is a connection to the Present Day stuff, it isn’t as prominent as the original or with other games in the series. Maybe Ubisoft is laying the breadcrumbs for the future but right now, it’s hard to say where it will lead. The attempt made to bridge the gap from Desmond’s arc to a new one was interesting and provided content for multiple entries. But it took several games for Ubisoft to make good on this aspect of the game again. Despite this missing content, it does make Resynced more streamlined, especially for anyone who ultimately didn’t care that much about anything that didn’t happen to Edward. I can’t blame Ubisoft for the move but it means that Resynced isn’t the “definitive” package, either. Players aren’t getting the incredible Assassin’s Creed multiplayer package that was fostered for years and they aren’t getting the Freedom Cry DLC. Not incorporating Freedom Cry feels like a missed opportunity but I can’t imagine anyone expected the game’s multiplayer to rise from the grave unfortunately.
Ultimately, Resynced feels very “pure” in terms of the original framing of an Assassin’s Creed game. Players don’t seek out constant loot that boosts Edward’s stats or make dialog choices. Swords and pistols can be bought that enhance combat but nothing more. This is a slim game by comparison to anything that came after Syndicate and, honestly, it’s pretty refreshing.
Because Black Flag was already at such a high bar of quality, it is kind of the perfect vessel for a remake. It is old enough that its visuals can be massively improved upon and its systems are dialed back enough that they don’t require too much fuss. The original game already felt wonderful to play, in terms of combat and exploration. Now we get an enhanced version of the whole thing.
Parkour has a kind of weight to it now that makes sense when playing it in execution. Though it does take just a bit to acclimate to it again, players will be thrilled at the momentum. Edward’s fluid running makes the game more responsive and a number of advanced options give more control over how he navigates the world. Manual jumps add more deliberate control over where Edward can move but the way players can string his jumps from surface to surface also feels incredible. Falling isn’t as punishing with faster recovery times and the ability to roll forward to keep pace.
Being able to manually crouch enhances stealth because players can now duck behind objects rather than only crouching in tall grass. Players can use Eagle Vision to tag enemies and other points of interest. Missions that would fail upon being spotted have been changed to remove the fail state and change the objective to not only be less punishing but more interesting. Nighttime provides better opportunities for stealth, just like in Shadows where it’s harder for enemies to notice you.
Though I always enjoyed the absurd ability to destroy groups of enemies in old Assassin’s Creed games by simply timing a dodge or counter correctly, it did often feel fairly broken. Resynced spices up combat by introducing stamina meters for enemies. Players now have to wear down an enemy’s defenses with light and heavy attacks, opening them up for a takedown. Depending on what weapon is equipped, players can string together up to four instant takedowns. But actions like perfect parries, dodges, ground takedowns, and leg sweeps make the melee combat more invigorating.
All of these elements combined truly justify the existence of Resynced. Yes, it’s incredible that there are no loading screens when moving from cities out into the open sea. Absolutely I enjoyed being able to dive underwater at any point and explore. Jackdaw combat feels even better than before and with new weather effects, it can make those sequences more thrilling. Sure, I wish the optional mission objectives were here because they challenged the player in-mission to do cool things. And now those missions can’t even be replayed like they were in the original if you wanted to experience the thrill again.
But would I recommend Resynced if it was virtually a 1:1 replication of Black Flag but prettier? Not enthusiastically, no. Would it have been great if all those features missing were here? Yes.
Still, I understand why the choices were made to trim some of the fat for this release. In the end, it makes the overall package stronger. Black Flag exists as its own separate entity and those who want that can have it. Resynced bottles up the best parts of a game 13 years old and presents it in a beautiful recreation that is also equally, if not better, to play. My hope is that in the coming years, the prior Assassin’s Creed games receive the same loving treatment as this game did.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced takes one of the most beloved Assassin’s Creed games and overhauls it to a degree that absolutely justifies its existence. Ubisoft Singapore has brought the Caribbean to life like never before and improved combat and parkour at a foundational level. While enough is cut from the original Black Flag to prevent it from being the “complete” package, the core experience is a feast for the eyes and has never felt better to play, giving players the perfect excuse to fondly remember a classic in a new way.
