Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3161 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,500 out of 3161
  2. Mixed: 438 out of 3161
  3. Negative: 223 out of 3161
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  1. kemiz
    Jul 3, 2023
    0
    Can't disable head bob - that's an instant refund. Couldn't really play for longer than 30 minutes, so no positives to talk about.
    Also - no FoV adjustment, just a cherry on top.
  2. Graw960
    Apr 20, 2023
    4
    The game is dull, repetitive and the naval combat feels clunky and frustrating at times. The grind to achieve compulsory naval upgrades required for some missions definetly killed the game for me. Not to mention the ridiculous step back in stealth mechanics which, gameplay and lore-wise, should be the main focus of the franchise. Last note of demerit are the ludicrous plot holes in the main story
  3. Rasukaru
    Feb 12, 2023
    0
    An ambitious and engaging game that successfully blends the stealth and action elements of the Assassin's Creed franchise with the high-seas adventure of pirate lore. The game's open-world environment is expansive and beautiful, with a wide range of locations to explore both on land and at sea. The game's combat system is fluid and satisfying, and the ship-to-ship combat is a particularAn ambitious and engaging game that successfully blends the stealth and action elements of the Assassin's Creed franchise with the high-seas adventure of pirate lore. The game's open-world environment is expansive and beautiful, with a wide range of locations to explore both on land and at sea. The game's combat system is fluid and satisfying, and the ship-to-ship combat is a particular highlight.

    The game's story is well-written and features a memorable cast of characters, including the charismatic protagonist Edward Kenway. The game's voice acting and sound design are also top-notch, immersing players in the game's world and making the experience feel authentic.

    However, the game's open-world can at times feel overwhelming, with too many side missions and activities that can distract from the main story. Additionally, while the ship-to-ship combat is enjoyable, some of the other mechanics, such as the diving missions, can feel a bit tedious and repetitive. Finally, the game's modern-day storyline, which ties into the larger Assassin's Creed universe, is a bit underdeveloped and can feel disconnected from the main pirate narrative.

    Despite these flaws, Assassin's Creed Black Flag is a strong entry in the franchise that offers a fun and engaging pirate adventure, earning a solid 8 out of 10. While it falls short of perfection due to its overwhelming open-world, repetitive mechanics, and underdeveloped modern-day storyline, it remains a must-play game for fans of the franchise and pirate enthusiasts alike.    … Expand
  4. CoreGamer1408
    Dec 1, 2022
    4
    I have played some AC games way back in the day on PS3. This is a free drop from Ubisoft Connect. The fundimental flaw of all AC games is that I am playing a game within a game. Taking a VR trip inside in a characters ancestors memories is kind of immersion breaking. This series would of worked without the sci-fi elements. I would of happily played an line of descendant assassinsI have played some AC games way back in the day on PS3. This is a free drop from Ubisoft Connect. The fundimental flaw of all AC games is that I am playing a game within a game. Taking a VR trip inside in a characters ancestors memories is kind of immersion breaking. This series would of worked without the sci-fi elements. I would of happily played an line of descendant assassins throughout the history.… Expand
  5. Maitrify
    Jul 3, 2022
    0
    Horrible game. Just more of the same with no real polishing or fixing of issues that have been in the series since the beginning. Controls are worse off than before due to the unorthodox nature of the jungle and the like. Trying to move in this game feels like fighting against quicksand.

    Horrid port and this game effectively has killed the AC series for me. 3 was bad enough but this was    Horrible game. Just more of the same with no real polishing or fixing of issues that have been in the series since the beginning. Controls are worse off than before due to the unorthodox nature of the jungle and the like. Trying to move in this game feels like fighting against quicksand.

    Horrid port and this game effectively has killed the AC series for me. 3 was bad enough but this was the nail in the coffin.    … Expand
  6. nikolche
    Nov 22, 2021
    0
    Stupidest **** game ever. My first and last AC game. Stupid chases trying not to climb a **** ladder, or climb a **** fence while at it. It's total ****
  7. Laifhter
    Dec 30, 2020
    3
    Gra denerwująca. Będąc 2000 m od celu ze zlecenia zabójstwa wszystko jest ok ale jak tylko próbuję okrążyć wyspę na której się znajduję tym samym oddalając się od przypuszczalnego obszaru jego pobytu o jakieś 20 m to gra wywala z komunikatem że cel uciekł bo byłem zbyt daleko.
    Podobnie mało realizmu gdy próbuję postacią podpłynąć do statku wroga. Wyświetla się znaczek że ktoś ze statku ma    Gra denerwująca. Będąc 2000 m od celu ze zlecenia zabójstwa wszystko jest ok ale jak tylko próbuję okrążyć wyspę na której się znajduję tym samym oddalając się od przypuszczalnego obszaru jego pobytu o jakieś 20 m to gra wywala z komunikatem że cel uciekł bo byłem zbyt daleko.
    Podobnie mało realizmu gdy próbuję postacią podpłynąć do statku wroga. Wyświetla się znaczek że ktoś ze statku ma do mnie strzelać mimo że nikt na statku jeszcze nie wie o mojej obecności. Nawet gdy podczas próby podpłynięcia schowam się nagle za skałą aby uniknąć trafienia to i tak dostaje mimo tego że to nawet niemożliwe. Wrogi statek jest w stanie wykryć małego płynącego gracza w wodzie a nie potrafi wykryć mojego dużego statku bo nie znajduję się na jakimś żółtym jebanym polu. Mała postać jest lepiej widoczna niż ogromny statek. Plus kurwa za realizm. Nawet jak jakimś cudem uda mi się podpłynąć moją postacią i zabić całą załogę, to i tak jeśli wrócę na swój statek to załoga przeciwnika nagle się odradza i normalnie jest walka. A jeśli chodzi jeszcze o zlecenia zabójstwa to często jest tak że muszę szukać celu na całej wyspie. Jak mnie zobaczy to zaczyna uciekać biegając po całej wyspie. Wystarczy że stracę go z oczu i już dostaje komunikat o tym że cel uciekł. Nie mógł uciec przecież statkiem bo żaden akurat nie był przycumowany przy wyspie więc jedynie mógł się schować na owej wyspie i musiałbym go szukać na całym jej obszarze, co i tak bym musiał robić nawet gdyby mnie nie wykrył.
    Często jest też tak że w momencie kiedy wcisnę przycisk odpowiadający za poruszanie się np. w prawo i do tego Shift to i tak bohater postanawia wspinać się na przeszkodę przed nim mimo tego że nie kliknąłem klawisza odpowiadającego za taką czynność.
    Przeciwnicy są tak głupi że nie wiedzą gdzie jestem nawet jeśli na ich oczach wejdę do krzaków.
    Jeśli zabiję kogoś będąc w krzakach, tym samym odpali się animacja w której mój bohater chowa ciało do krzaków to potem jeśli wróg nie wejdzie do krzaków to nie zobaczy ciała. Jeżeli jednak postanowię zabić kogoś nie będąc w żadnej kryjówce tylko normalnie stojąc a następnie wrzucę jego ciało do krzaków aby go nie znaleźli, to przeciwnicy i tak zobaczą ciało z jakiś 20 m nawet po ciemku w nocy.    … Expand
  8. Mordosskull
    Dec 2, 2020
    1
    Well ain't this game dressed up well in some nice graphics? Yea that's why it gets 1 point: For graphics! The game starts with the main character following someone, the next quests will be you tailing/following and it's best RUNNING after someone. But then you'll have quests where you will have to sneak past someone.. SNEAK.. THE ONLY GAME IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A SNEAK BUTTON. Ugly rottenWell ain't this game dressed up well in some nice graphics? Yea that's why it gets 1 point: For graphics! The game starts with the main character following someone, the next quests will be you tailing/following and it's best RUNNING after someone. But then you'll have quests where you will have to sneak past someone.. SNEAK.. THE ONLY GAME IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A SNEAK BUTTON. Ugly rotten game with some nice graphics. Cheap. Play if you're under ten, or brainless, or if you like Steven Seagal movies.… Expand
  9. 420guy69
    Mar 21, 2020
    2
    Gave this game a 2 because:
    1. The game is unoptimized for PC, constant tearing, and FPS drop.
    2. The story is fine. It isn't that unique cause the characters you kill, They say something that sound really boring. 3. Stealth is dumbed-down into a point where trailing missions are actually fun than just killing people with your sword. 4. Gameplay is the same, except Ubisoft made it    Gave this game a 2 because:
    1. The game is unoptimized for PC, constant tearing, and FPS drop.
    2. The story is fine. It isn't that unique cause the characters you kill, They say something that sound really boring.
    3. Stealth is dumbed-down into a point where trailing missions are actually fun than just killing people with your sword.
    4. Gameplay is the same, except Ubisoft made it worse. The animators created the worst finishing moves and attacking moves in the history of gaming. Kenway just stabs a British Soldier with the worst sound fx i also heard. Just a stab to the right and a stab to the left. In AC3, there are variety of choices in the game to kill your guy, and amazing animations. It doesn't get me bored unlike in AC4.
    5. Trailing Missions: This is explained by videogamedunkey, where half of the game is just trailing missions, It's generic, and boring. You just follow this dude, kill or tail another guy.
    6. Optional Objectives. This mechanic really annoyed me throughout the AC franchise playthrough, Ubisoft said it is "Optional" so it is up to the player if they want to do it or not. But Ubisoft shames them with a 50% Sync rate. It feels like you are being forced to do the Optional Objectives, and those objectives are really frusturating to the point where you just said: **** you ****ersoft, I'm doing it my way."

    And conclusion:
    The game is really boring and the same, there's nothing unique and it feels generic. Ubisoft didn't add anything new to the game, while the Game Critics sits there and start writing a review for a game that didn't even come out yet. It took me 3 days to beat the game because it just felt boring.    … Expand
  10. RomanGor
    Dec 14, 2019
    4
    Это просто унылая дрочильня, однотипные миссии, дерганая анимация, гг какой-то моральный урод, а про морские баталии я вообще молчу. Большего дрочева, чем морские сражения, я еще ни в одном асасине не встречал. Если что я прошел 1, 2 части и бразерхуд. Не знаю, чем 4-я часть всем нравится, как по мне, так унылое дно. Попробую себя заставить пройти ее до конца. И да, горите в аду юбики соЭто просто унылая дрочильня, однотипные миссии, дерганая анимация, гг какой-то моральный урод, а про морские баталии я вообще молчу. Большего дрочева, чем морские сражения, я еще ни в одном асасине не встречал. Если что я прошел 1, 2 части и бразерхуд. Не знаю, чем 4-я часть всем нравится, как по мне, так унылое дно. Попробую себя заставить пройти ее до конца. И да, горите в аду юбики со своим копировальным станком по производству дерьмовых ежегодных игр!!! Прошел до конца и могу сказать, что если бы вся игра была как последние 3 главы, то еще ничего. Но так как первые 3/4 игры - это настоящее дрочево, разбавленное тупорылыми морскими сражениями, то оценка только 4 из 10. 4 бала за красоту картинки и полную локализацию, с чем у юбиков никогда проблем не было.… Expand
  11. irmscher
    Mar 19, 2018
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well. What can I say... this is my 1st Assasins Creed game (few hours into very first Assasins Creed doesn't count), and probably the last one. Pirate theme and sailing is the only thing that kept me playing and reach 71% main mission completion. After that the "assassins" part of the game just become unbearable with all those repetitive missions and **** up controls. The main story is quite good up until around middle of the game and then just becomes MEH. I don't have more time to waste on this "fun simulation" crap.… Expand
  12. justanhonestguy
    Jan 13, 2017
    1
    Had a previous review that gave the game credit for excellent programming, graphics, historical setting, art design, level design, and good parkour. Gave it a few bad marks for combat mechanics, AI behavior, and other things not all that bad even when added up. I hadn't given up totally, and the game had a rating of just under 50% for me, until reality set in. What absolutely KILLED theHad a previous review that gave the game credit for excellent programming, graphics, historical setting, art design, level design, and good parkour. Gave it a few bad marks for combat mechanics, AI behavior, and other things not all that bad even when added up. I hadn't given up totally, and the game had a rating of just under 50% for me, until reality set in. What absolutely KILLED the fun factor for me was "NO SAVE FUNCTION". I want to save the game when I want to save the game. Take this outdated arrogant attitude and shove it, dudes, don't tell me when I can save the game. I complete a half hour's worth of whatever level, then I die, or have to do something else in the real world, and I have to start all over again? I have to repeat the entire hour possibly. because you said so?? That's not fun, guys, that's called work and I get enough of that during the day. Combine that single catastrophic bad design element with the pervasive and absolutely buzz-killing ultra modern office "Oh it was all a dream a-la Total Recall" moments, and throw in the arrogant Uplay overlay, and as they say in the orchestra, "Viola!!" A great effort by programmers, art guys, and the people that envisioned the awesome piratey goodness of the initial concept, squandered, and I mean absolutely destroyed down to the nanometric level of subatomic dissolution type destroyed, and this game holds the current title in Just an Honest Guy land of "Game that fell the hardest from the highest". I am sincerely so disappointed in the flawed execution that I have to give it a 2.... Uninstalling in frustration.… Expand
  13. danstew
    Feb 17, 2016
    4
    Not sure where to start. I seriously tried TWICE to get into this game, expecting to really enjoy it, as so many claim it to be one of the best ACs, along with the Ezio ones.
    But I simply can't, it wasn't fun for me.
    Let's go through it, starting with the good things: + Looks nice, both in town and at sea + Some nice new mechanics + The shanties your crew sings are a great touch and    Not sure where to start. I seriously tried TWICE to get into this game, expecting to really enjoy it, as so many claim it to be one of the best ACs, along with the Ezio ones.
    But I simply can't, it wasn't fun for me.
    Let's go through it, starting with the good things:
    + Looks nice, both in town and at sea
    + Some nice new mechanics
    + The shanties your crew sings are a great touch and made me smile a lot while at sea
    + Naval battles can be fun, even more so than in AC III
    + They did great with the pirate-history. Not as cliche as usual, no parrots on shoulders, no wooden leg and stuff on every pirate. I am rather certain I know the books they based this on, as a lot of the story-points of that subplot are rather correct, historically, and I liked that a lot.

    Now, the cons:
    - The story. This really sucks. So basically, you have the main character kill an Assassin he gets marooned with, kill him EASILY, and simply put on a bit of his outfit, becoming an assassin that way. So, this guy easily kills an assassin and kinda becomes one by putting out the clothes. Yes, he also has eagle vision, and I am sure there is an explanation that he secretly has the "assassin gene" or is the grandson of one, but before that was explained, I lost interest, it just feels weird and is rather sad, considering the previous games.
    - The main character. No personality, apart from him apparently being some kind of Jack Sparrow-type cool guy. I really liked Ezio, Altair, even Connor and Arno, but this guy, I couldn't care less about.
    - The missions. SOME tailing/eavesdrop/chase-missions can be fun. TOO many of them get frustrating and dull. Sail to a town. Talk to someone. Tail someone and listen to his conversation without being caught. Try again. Try again. Yay, checkpoint. Now sneak in and kill him. Rinse and repeat.
    - The "big story twist" about a certain person in game. This was so incredibly obvious from the start. I mean, how the heck am I supposed to believe no one noticed this (not spoiling it here) about a pirate, in a tightly-knit crew, on a ship, travelling, fighting, eating together for months? First time I saw him and heard him speak, it was so obvious, it was sad.
    - Diving. Nice change, maybe, but I never much liked diving in games, whether it was TR or this one. And here, it's mandatory - not only for a story quest where you first learn it, but also to PROGRESS. No, it's not optional.
    This "open world game" REQUIRED me to dive several times. Why? Because at some point, the game says "Stop. You can't do the next story-quest until you upgrade your ship". And to do that, you need to find blueprints, in some chest underwater. You can use the web to find out where. If you hate the diving (with overly aggressive sharks which attack you on sight and kill you quickly, while you don't have much breath in the first place), it sucks, because you won't be able to get those blueprints, upgrade your ship enough (thanks for giving me a choice there to try the blocked mission at least) in order to progress the story.
    - Your stronghold feels pointless and more like a money-sink
    - I don't think the game is well optimized. It works ok on my PC (W7, 16 gigs of RAM, i7, with a GTX 960 with 4 gigs of ram), but on the same system with an Nvidia GT 730, there were problems.
    - Still has some wonky controls, which sucks for jumping puzzles and chases.

    I am happy for those that truly think this is one of the best ACs, but I simply lost interest both times I tried to get into the game. The first time, it happened 3 hrs in (same repetitive side content, yawn, and another chase with no room for error there...one missstep, back to the checkpoint), the second time I played 6-7 hrs and then didnt wanna continue (see above, didn't wanna dive over and over to upgrade my ship just to continue the story).

    If this was a standalone pirate game with no AC added to it, like, I dunno "Davy Jones' Amazin Adventures" or "Swashbucklers of the Carribean", it'd be really nice, but as an AC game, it just isn't fun, and didn't grab me at all, sorry    … Expand
  14. Budget_Security
    Dec 25, 2015
    4
    After the fairly decent AssCreed3, and considering the many positive reviews for this game, I made the mistake of having slightly higher expectations than usual. This unsurprisingly led to some disappointment (yes, sadly going against the trend in most other reviews). But once I recalibrated my expectations to “standard AssCreed fare”, it was not too bad.

    The story is messy and silly.    After the fairly decent AssCreed3, and considering the many positive reviews for this game, I made the mistake of having slightly higher expectations than usual. This unsurprisingly led to some disappointment (yes, sadly going against the trend in most other reviews). But once I recalibrated my expectations to “standard AssCreed fare”, it was not too bad.

    The story is messy and silly. It has some good parts but most of it is mediocre - overall not as good as AssCreed3 in my opinion. I have the suspicion casual or younger gamers may like it more. It sorely lacks atmosphere when compared to games like Dishonored or The Witcher or films like 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. The script is full of plot holes (even more than usual). Half of the game is fairly serious and makes some sense, but the other half is silly and does not make any sense. This inconsistency harms immersion. The main character is decent, but does not quite have the charisma of Ezio or Haytham from previous games.

    The missions and gameplay built on the story are very bland and repetitive. Almost any potentially interesting story scenario is reduced to a handful of copy-paste follow/sneak/kill/eavesdrop gameplay designs. It seems like the devs were slightly lazier than usual - AssCreed3 missions were far from perfect, but still seemed slightly more varied and hand-crafted.

    The difficulty balance of the gameplay is poor. AI detection feels arcade and inconsistent. Stealth areas are severely overpopulated with guards, meaning you are forced to look at the minimap all the time to have any chance of avoiding detection. If you don't reload checkpoints often, open combat is nearly inevitable, which in turn is far too easy. This makes trying to play stealth frustrating, because the odds feel unfairly stacked against you, and it is always so much easier to just fight and kill everyone. But fighting gets boring quickly - you just spam attacks, then counter when prompted, and repeat that indefinitely.

    The sandbox gameplay has been brought to the fore, but like the main missions, it is very arcade, bland, and repetitive. The open world is large, but most places all look the same. Compared to AC3, there seems to be slightly less content overall, though still more than enough. The problem is a lack of quality, not quantity. Still things like naval battles and boarding enemy ships are novel for a while and work fairly reliably, which is more than can be said of naval battles in a Total War game (Shogun II etc). The sea shanties (songs) are a nice touch, and possibly the single best feature in this game.

    Graphics are the best yet for an AssCreed game, and the first in my opinion to just about match those of Crysis 1 (released 6 years earlier). The water out at sea looks particularly good. The visual quality does not hold up everywhere though - quite a few ugly meshes and textures here and there. The default settings are poorly optimised - you need to manually tweak the settings to get the best visuals while keeping the FPS high. Ship physics are decent and must feel amazing to the average console peasant, but if you have an eye for realism and have been on a real ship, it still leaves much to be desired. Your 150-ton brig behaves like it has the mass and manoeuvrability of a modern olympic racing yacht combined with the stability of a modern river ferry (complete with bow thrusters). You can sail straight into the wind with no speed loss. Enemy ships also handle like powerboats. In some ways the sailing physics were more realistic in AC3 - you could not sail into the wind, and it felt slightly more natural, though admittedly less reliable (momentarily flying ships etc).

    PC controls are as bad as usual. They are not game-breaking, but they do work against you - I messed up a lot of missions because my character would do the wrong thing like randomly climbing a wall. A few times just before successfully capturing a huge enemy ship, I would fall from a mast to my death due to glitched controls. The checkpoint system has its usual annoyances and reloads sometimes caused technical problems like missing quest items (requiring quiting to desktop and reloading). I encountered more bugs and glitches and generally rushed content here than in any previous AssCreed game.

    Overall, for me, AC4 is a mediocre AssCreed game that wasted a lot of potential. It is not a “bad” game, but it does not deserve any of the hyped reviews. I can only recommend it at the steam sale price.    … Expand
  15. eelegendo
    Jul 11, 2015
    0
    For AC4 if you type in google "AC4 climb, the first thing to appear is "windmill" >> with the pc controls it is almost impossible to make it, the character, if on the windmill's vane, just lets go and falls for any button, the camera is in an odd angle and you can't see what you're doing. I wouldn't give a f.ck, because there were lot of stupid things in AC before, I would just skip, BUTFor AC4 if you type in google "AC4 climb, the first thing to appear is "windmill" >> with the pc controls it is almost impossible to make it, the character, if on the windmill's vane, just lets go and falls for any button, the camera is in an odd angle and you can't see what you're doing. I wouldn't give a f.ck, because there were lot of stupid things in AC before, I would just skip, BUT this is a part of the main quest, so either you climb or you can't continue. Therefore I give this title a 0. If you put a glitch into the main quest and you not patch it, your game is worthless.… Expand
  16. BiggJiggs
    Feb 12, 2015
    0
    This game is horribly unoptimized & barely playable. Ubisoft won't fix it because, "90% of PC gamers are pirates." If you have a PC that's as strong as a tank you can probably play this game. If not, you're SOL. It's barely playable IF you're lucky. FPS problems, constant crashes, freezes, I even had the game run at 0FPS. Yes, 0 FPS. It's a disgrace that Ubisoft has fallen so low that theyThis game is horribly unoptimized & barely playable. Ubisoft won't fix it because, "90% of PC gamers are pirates." If you have a PC that's as strong as a tank you can probably play this game. If not, you're SOL. It's barely playable IF you're lucky. FPS problems, constant crashes, freezes, I even had the game run at 0FPS. Yes, 0 FPS. It's a disgrace that Ubisoft has fallen so low that they would let themselves become so blinded by greed that they just flat out don't give a crap anymore.

    The controls are clunky, combat is streamlined to mash X constantly while hitting B every so often to block. You will not be able to run anywhere without climbing up a wall you didn't want to climb. Story is long, drawn out & boring. The tutorial alone is about 3-4 hours & it drags.

    The best part of the game is the ship battles, but the game is so terribly optimized that you will have freezes or crashes if there are too many ships on screen. I was in one battle where it was me VS 10 other ships & the game started running at 0 FPS. I thought it crashed, but nope. One frame just froze in place while the game kept running. I was impressed by this as I've never had a game run at 0 FPS ever before.

    While this game is called "Assassin's Creed" you will not need to stealth anywhere in the game other than for 'optional' syncs. The stealth mechanics are so drull & simple. It's like they went backwards entirely or they think everyone who plays their Creed games now are idiots (Which they must be if they keep buying this crap). You can be face first inside a guard's anus & they still won't notice you. It's pathetic.

    0/10. Don't buy this unoptimized half-assed port. Go play AC2 instead.    … Expand
  17. Ravage
    Nov 11, 2014
    3
    At first the game look incredible with it's scenery and other elements. But after playing it for a couple of hours, I realised something; this, to be honest, has got to be one of the worst Assassin's Creed games so far. It was constant sailing and stupid pirate **** having nothing to do with the original plot line, and no development was made. It was a complete waste of time, and the firstAt first the game look incredible with it's scenery and other elements. But after playing it for a couple of hours, I realised something; this, to be honest, has got to be one of the worst Assassin's Creed games so far. It was constant sailing and stupid pirate **** having nothing to do with the original plot line, and no development was made. It was a complete waste of time, and the first out of the 6 games I didn't finish. This being said, I don't think I'll be purchasing any more Assassin's Creed games from now on.… Expand
  18. vianna77
    Oct 6, 2014
    0
    It gives you sea sickness after playing... you just can`t figure out if you are throwing up because of the stupid game or because of the fact that everything keeps moving after you close the game.

    Since AC2, all those games are getting worse! Only bought it because it was almost free in Humble Bundle. Well. If you are looking for a good game, try something else.
  19. shamon
    Aug 5, 2014
    2
    This is among the worst stupidest games they made in the series....the whole ship battle thing is so stupid and frustrating, trying to aim and control the ship at the same time is a horrible frustrating experience

    and "assassin abilities"?...edward is just some guy who stole the clothes of a real assassin...how does that give him assassins creed abilities?? and how does this make it an    This is among the worst stupidest games they made in the series....the whole ship battle thing is so stupid and frustrating, trying to aim and control the ship at the same time is a horrible frustrating experience

    and "assassin abilities"?...edward is just some guy who stole the clothes of a real assassin...how does that give him assassins creed abilities?? and how does this make it an assassins creed game?...the is the most stupid plot in these series so far it has nothing to do with anything...there's really no point in this game at all.    … Expand
  20. Nippur
    Jul 22, 2014
    0
    One reason should be enough. And it's called U PLay. I'm not buying these ubisoft games anymore. I don't like to be forced to feed your data mining software. I also don't like to be forced to have another game client on top of Steam. And I don't like to have the game crashing to desktop that often.
  21. APCY
    Jun 21, 2014
    1
    You get one button combat system which makes game extremly easy and makes stealth useless, boring gameplay (only good thing was ship battles, nothing more), poor story and same graphics as last game for ~50€? No thank you.
  22. xenzorg
    May 30, 2014
    2
    Same **** every year. And guess what, this year they are making 3 **** games. "Next gen" version, for old consoles (that means that both gonna be on pc) and ****ty watch dogs that is nothing more than ac.
  23. matty_o
    May 14, 2014
    3
    Just stop making Assasin's Creed games already. Ubisoft have completely stuffed it up from AC3 already and this is no better. The nerve to take out the best part of AC3 (seafearing) and make it the premise of AC4 is just plain lazy and admittant to how bad the game is. Don't be fooled by the great graphics. The idiot-system where the player will climb over objects and laddersJust stop making Assasin's Creed games already. Ubisoft have completely stuffed it up from AC3 already and this is no better. The nerve to take out the best part of AC3 (seafearing) and make it the premise of AC4 is just plain lazy and admittant to how bad the game is. Don't be fooled by the great graphics. The idiot-system where the player will climb over objects and ladders unintentionally still exists. Yes, sprint and parkour are again the same fking button! Furthermore the completely unnecessary "keep close, don't be spotted but hurry up" missions begin within the first 30 minutes of the game already. What is this, an arcade game? I preferred AC1+2 with open world, thank you. There is no saving the franchise, it is a shocking mess. Rather remember the good old Desmond, Altair and Enzio.… Expand
  24. Iluvatar21
    May 5, 2014
    4
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    Apart from being a pirate simulator, which it pulls off quite well, AC4 is a poorly optimized console port of a once great series.
  25. jon-h86
    Apr 9, 2014
    1
    This game has a great engine(1 point). It would have been a great game if it wasn't so boring. It has very little to offer other than repetitive tasks and one dimensional characters. Truly a horrible waste of resources. Unplayable
  26. Sickbeard
    Apr 2, 2014
    1
    I would give this game a great review, if Ubisoft could get their **** together. Uplay is total trash, and them hanging onto it is a cancer upon the gamers. Countless people have lost save files as a result, and the fact that Ubisoft hasn't a) tried to fix it, or b) fired up a local countermeasure (like saving the files locally in an easy to find folder), is a disgrace and a shame.
    When I    I would give this game a great review, if Ubisoft could get their **** together. Uplay is total trash, and them hanging onto it is a cancer upon the gamers. Countless people have lost save files as a result, and the fact that Ubisoft hasn't a) tried to fix it, or b) fired up a local countermeasure (like saving the files locally in an easy to find folder), is a disgrace and a shame.
    When I buy a game, I do so in the hopes that I can play it and finish it. But then that I can pick it up again a couple months later and play around some more. If I want to restart a game, I'd like it to be by my own discretion.    … Expand
  27. MaestroVolpe
    Mar 19, 2014
    0
    I was actually optimistic that Assassin's creed tried to shake up their tired old formula for a new game. This is not the case. I'm not sure which is more repetitive and irritating, the main quest line or everything else. It's a Ubisoft game, so 99% of the gameplay is just unlocking towers and collecting random items to unlock clothes. The other 1% is just maddeningly repetitive andI was actually optimistic that Assassin's creed tried to shake up their tired old formula for a new game. This is not the case. I'm not sure which is more repetitive and irritating, the main quest line or everything else. It's a Ubisoft game, so 99% of the gameplay is just unlocking towers and collecting random items to unlock clothes. The other 1% is just maddeningly repetitive and frustrating. For a game that seems confident that you can play to your style, I've never had to restart, reload and repeat so many missions because one tiny little detail sent the entire situation out of control, and almost 99% of that was because of the game's ridiculously irritating control system which is equally likely to send you in the wrong direction as the right one.

    Not intuitive, not engaging, not very impressive.    … Expand
  28. Tatzen
    Mar 14, 2014
    4
    I had never played an Assassin's Creed game before this one. I tried it because I heard good things about it, and I really enjoy the swashbuckling theme. Search for treasure and pilot my own ship? Sounds good! It's a pretty game and has lots to explore.

    But unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in this game. The movement was fairly clunky, even though my character was quite    I had never played an Assassin's Creed game before this one. I tried it because I heard good things about it, and I really enjoy the swashbuckling theme. Search for treasure and pilot my own ship? Sounds good! It's a pretty game and has lots to explore.

    But unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in this game. The movement was fairly clunky, even though my character was quite athletic and could climb walls, walk along tree branches and tightropes.

    The combat isn't fun at all. I found it rather and boring. And the computer AI was pretty ridiculous. Often times I'd think "I'll run away and climb this building, the guards will never find me there!" Just to find that as soon as I reached the rooftop to get away, maybe even jump rooftop-to-rooftop, the guard was ALREADY on the roof waiting for me. Hardly realistic that a guard can not only climb as well as my master assassin, but he knew where I was going so beamed himself up to the roof before I could even get there.

    Other games have much more realistic enemies. I guess in this game I'm supposed to reload the game if I make a mistake and am discovered or chased by guards? That's not a fun way to play.

    I didn't like the "modern time" alternate story either. Why is this even there? I'm supposed to be a pirate assassin, but actually no, I'm some computer programmer from the future? Confused me and wrecked the immersion. I don't feel for my character since every action is already predestined and I'm just reliving a past story. My character is essentially immortal since any failures I make are just "rescyncronized" and reset to try again. So don't worry, jump off the cliff or fight the shark with bare hands, your character is just a simulation.

    I never finished it or even got much of the way in. I just wasn't enjoying myself at all, and I don't play games that are bad for the most part, just to earn the rare good parts. Games should be fun and keep you engaged throughout.    … Expand
  29. aburke99
    Mar 12, 2014
    0
    It is hard to like the game after you lose all your save progress. UPlay killed my save game. After looking online, this problem is very widespread and they have all sorts of suggestions on how to prevent future saved game loses. If they know this is a problem, then they either need to fix it or implement their own suggestions so that people stop losing all of their progress.
  30. JimCorbett
    Mar 10, 2014
    3
    I remember when Assassin's Creed was about story, sneaking, and planning. That time is long passed, and Black Flag is a prime showcase of that. The only reason this game could possibly get good reviews is because of blind fanboys upvoting the game simply because it's a pirate game.This is an action-oriented pirate simulation that has absolutely nothing to do with the Assassin's CreedI remember when Assassin's Creed was about story, sneaking, and planning. That time is long passed, and Black Flag is a prime showcase of that. The only reason this game could possibly get good reviews is because of blind fanboys upvoting the game simply because it's a pirate game.This is an action-oriented pirate simulation that has absolutely nothing to do with the Assassin's Creed franchise. The graphics are good but just about everything else isn't. Sound is terribly synced, especially when performing kills. The controls are slightly improved but still terrible. The optimization is beyond bad. The insane amount of context-sensitive controls and movements are incredibly frustrating, and have been throughout the whole series but Blag Flag just proves that Ubisoft has no intention whatsoever of fixing it. The story is laughable and will not interest you in the slightest and the modern day sequences are worse than ever. The gameplay is super repetitive with linear levels lining the campaign and a repetitive grind awaiting you at sea. This is the last straw for the AC series in my opinion. One of my favorite franchise has been ruined yet again by a a yearly development cycle and a greedy publisher. I'm not longer going to purchase this garbage and I highly suggest all of you do the same.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best PC Game of 2013
15
#15 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
16
#16 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. GameCritics
    Mar 5, 2014
    60
    Ironically enough for a game which centers around the concept of genetic ancestry, however, it continually lets itself down by refusing to break away from its own tired and worn-out heritage,
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  2. DarkZero
    Jan 16, 2014
    90
    Fans that were bummed out by Assassin’s Creed III will most likely find Black Flag to be a welcoming return to what they love about the series, with a great story, amazingly crafted world and smart additions to the sailing that make it a refreshing part of the Assassin’s Creed formula.
    Read full review
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 30, 2013
    90
    Makes up for the failings of AC3, delivering a fantastic, engaging open world experience. [Jan 2014, p.78]
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