This is a game that gives you an absurd number of ways to acquire the coin and resources needed to hold your own at sea. Taking on naval superpowers seems like a tall order early on, but pushing yourself to improve your once-rickety ship is a process that Black Flag makes incredibly rewarding. After all, that Spanish gold isn't going to plunder itself. From there, it's your charge to build the Jackdaw into a vessel capable of taking on the most powerful warships in the Caribbean. Early into Black Flag, Kenway takes the helm of the Jackdaw, a pirate ship that has clearly seen better days.
ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG GUIDE SERIES
What began as a series of isolated side missions in Assassin's Creed III has exploded into a full-fledged means of exploration, discovery, and combat. Simply sailing into the sunset is a delight in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. It's the feeling that there's always something out there to be discovered, rewards waiting to be captured no matter who's standing in your way. It's more than the spectacle of a humpback whale leaping into the air and spraying the deck of your ship, or the sound of your crew breaking out into a sea shanty just as the sun is beginning to set across the horizon. Indeed, what makes Black Flag so special is the way it captures the thrill of sailing the open sea. Now Playing: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Video Review Then there are the remote islands inhabited by nothing more than crabs and sea turtles, underwater shipwrecks waiting to be explored, and vast stretches of sparkling Caribbean waters that are every bit as deadly as they are gorgeous.īy clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Cities like Havana and Nassau reflect the series' trademark attention to detail, from the stonework cathedrals of the former to the ramshackle taverns of the latter. This is the most expansive setting in the history of the franchise, a virtual rendition of the West Indies that encompasses all manner of burgeoning colonies, Mayan ruins, and deadly jungles. The world of Black Flag is nothing short of remarkable. And who can blame him? Because after this stunning and beautifully realized tale of adventure on the high seas, it's hard to imagine the Assassin's Creed series returning to its landlocked roots But for as much as Kenway longs for the day he can leave the pirate life behind, the freedom of the open sea is a difficult thing to resist. It's something that plagues Edward Kenway, the game's roguish hero, as he explores the Caribbean in search of wealth and the dream of returning to England a more respectable man.
How far can you stray from home before it's impossible to ever return? That's the question at the heart of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG GUIDE PS4
While the PS4 version does look better, you won't be disappointed by Assassin's Creed IV on Xbox One. But taken on its own, the Xbox One version still looks fantastic, with the impressive lighting and water effects that make sailing the Caribbean in this game such a joy. The PlayStation 4 version boasts a higher resolution, making detailed edges-like the leaves of a palm tree, or the rope nets on a ship-smoother and less jagged. We've now had the opportunity to play the Xbox One version of Assassin's Creed IV, and there are no way ways around it: this version just doesn't look as nice as it does on PlayStation 4.