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. Shane_IL
    Nov 23, 2013
    9
    I must say that after being disappointed by AC3, this title has restored my faith in the franchise. My opinion is possibly biased by an academic interest in pirates, but I am truly absorbed into the game. The openness of the game is a vast improvement on what was attempted in AC3 (where most of the open map areas were empty and dull) in terms of game-play and graphics. I do have to deductI must say that after being disappointed by AC3, this title has restored my faith in the franchise. My opinion is possibly biased by an academic interest in pirates, but I am truly absorbed into the game. The openness of the game is a vast improvement on what was attempted in AC3 (where most of the open map areas were empty and dull) in terms of game-play and graphics. I do have to deduct a point though due to some graphic bugs and due to the control interface (since AC Revelations) which I find unintuitive. All in all an absorbing title with some amazing graphics.… Expand
  2. Azerniss
    Nov 25, 2013
    9
    Great game, nice map and gameplay, especially the naval combat. You get most upgrades too fast though, and there could have been more, more diverse upgrades.
  3. theLionheart
    Nov 25, 2013
    9
    second only to the legendary assassin's creed II, black flag is without doubt one of the franchises best releases.
    black flag's gameplay is refreshing and gives you the tools to get lost for hours in the huge world filled with pirates scums,honest traders,evil templars and brave assassins. edward, like the game is a much stronger character than his grandson (connor from assassin's creed    second only to the legendary assassin's creed II, black flag is without doubt one of the franchises best releases.
    black flag's gameplay is refreshing and gives you the tools to get lost for hours in the huge world filled with pirates scums,honest traders,evil templars and brave assassins. edward, like the game is a much stronger character than his grandson (connor from assassin's creed III). the plot is superb thanks to good writing and sticking to historical fact as far as famous pirate deaths (some of the best scenes the game has to offer).the second plot (21st century) is compelling as it relates the other games, answers allot of questions but bring the tension up with a brilliant ending. in short assassin's creed IV black flag is one of the best games i got to play in the last decade. 9/10    … Expand
  4. BlackBear
    Nov 25, 2013
    9
    Amazing detail. Several hours of game play. Being a pirate through the Caribbean is amazing fun. Just when you think you have seen it all, Ubisoft makes it better.
  5. MontyDKoege
    Nov 26, 2013
    9
    Well I'm a long time fan of AC, but have been rather critical of some of the historical settings, which we have been presented.
    Where AC would have gotten a 7 this setting and all the new features has blown me out of the water.

    Best pirate game ever love sailing (instead of that irritating horse and discovering loads of secrets.
    Absolutely great graphics and wonderful ideas.
  6. 1ManAndHisDroid
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    a) don't read the obvious fake 10s
    b) don't read the obvious fake 0s
    This game is great... I haven't bought an AC game since the 2nd one... Skipped AC3 and I have to say LOVE this... Like the reviews say it's less "in the real world templar assassin nonsense" and more pirating! Best pirate game I've ever played (and I've played a few!) Naval battles are really quite    a) don't read the obvious fake 10s
    b) don't read the obvious fake 0s

    This game is great... I haven't bought an AC game since the 2nd one...
    Skipped AC3 and I have to say LOVE this...
    Like the reviews say it's less "in the real world templar assassin nonsense" and more pirating!
    Best pirate game I've ever played (and I've played a few!)
    Naval battles are really quite spectacular (as are naval base attacks)
    It's just plain fun...
    And ignore all the fakery about not being optimised and all that jazz it looks stunning, plays stunning and if you have half a decent rig it'll be as next gen as it's going to get! (not quite the next-gen look I was hoping for but getting there!)    … Expand
  7. Valay
    Nov 30, 2013
    9
    On my PC this game working on medium graphic settings and its looks very good. They fixed many mistakes and fails from AC 3... world is more attractive, battles on the sea are more spectacular and story is better than in any other AC game. Im really excited of this game and i dont understand people who giving "0" vote only because they havent moneys to buy good PC and they are playing onOn my PC this game working on medium graphic settings and its looks very good. They fixed many mistakes and fails from AC 3... world is more attractive, battles on the sea are more spectacular and story is better than in any other AC game. Im really excited of this game and i dont understand people who giving "0" vote only because they havent moneys to buy good PC and they are playing on old craps GJ ubisoft!… Expand
  8. S1D1K
    Dec 1, 2013
    9
    What an amazing edition from the Assassin's Creed franchise!

    This game was easily an enjoyable title, there was always that one game that I wanted to play to remind me of the well known Pirates Of The Caribbean. The visuals in this game were superb, absolutely stunning horizons and lush landscapes. There were plenty moments where i found myself grunting in frustrating as how the    What an amazing edition from the Assassin's Creed franchise!

    This game was easily an enjoyable title, there was always that one game that I wanted to play to remind me of the well known Pirates Of The Caribbean. The visuals in this game were superb, absolutely stunning horizons and lush landscapes.

    There were plenty moments where i found myself grunting in frustrating as how the controls felt as if they we stacking against each other, let alone how often your character is clinging on to anything whilst running around aimlessly.

    When it comes to naval battle's it really does show this game off. I did enjoy how well the combat mechanics worked, very fluid and smooth, and very easy to understand. However I would have liked if they would have implemented a free motion camera to view ship distance from shores in case you're a clumsy driver like my self.

    Other than that, this game is a definite MUST have if you are into plunder and pillaging!    … Expand
  9. REDPhantomPie
    Dec 10, 2013
    9
    When I first saw the trailer, it was epic and make me wanna play it more. And when i played the game, it was awesome, the gameplay, the graphics and stuff but there is something about the PC version is that it's not optimized for the PC so I get lags and have to play it on low graphic settings. But all in all, the naval combat, combat, stealth, storyline, gameplay was awesome. I say it's aWhen I first saw the trailer, it was epic and make me wanna play it more. And when i played the game, it was awesome, the gameplay, the graphics and stuff but there is something about the PC version is that it's not optimized for the PC so I get lags and have to play it on low graphic settings. But all in all, the naval combat, combat, stealth, storyline, gameplay was awesome. I say it's a must buy.… Expand
  10. TheDeadGhost
    Dec 24, 2013
    9
    The Assassin's Creed series has had a hard time during the last few years, the first few games with Ezio and AltaĂŻr were a huge success and a really fun, enjoyable experience. But during the last few years the experience has become less enjoyable due to a poor story and bugs and glitches. But this is a great kickstart to a brand new series of amazing and enjoyable new Assassin's CreedThe Assassin's Creed series has had a hard time during the last few years, the first few games with Ezio and AltaĂŻr were a huge success and a really fun, enjoyable experience. But during the last few years the experience has become less enjoyable due to a poor story and bugs and glitches. But this is a great kickstart to a brand new series of amazing and enjoyable new Assassin's Creed games. I recommend Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag to anyone who is a fan of the Assassin's Creed series or pirates. This is also a great game for those who wish to get into the Assassin's Creed series because this is truly a new standard Ubisoft has set for their games.… Expand
  11. FPSSucks
    Dec 22, 2013
    9
    This game is fantastic. The world is large, beautiful and full of different things to do. Story mode is fun (Even though the actual story is weak) The Muti-Player has many enjoyable things to do, even introducing the new 'Game Lab' feature where you can make your own game mode. I recommend this game, BUY IT!!
  12. whatever523
    Jun 7, 2014
    9
    Assassin's Creed IV is an outstanding game and for me the best in the AC series. Ubisoft did almost everything right this time.

    Graphics and Sound The anvil engine has turned out absolutely amazing. Great lighting, weather effects, water and more. The caribbean locations look very real and the game offers an almost completely open world with very few loading times and transitions. I    Assassin's Creed IV is an outstanding game and for me the best in the AC series. Ubisoft did almost everything right this time.

    Graphics and Sound
    The anvil engine has turned out absolutely amazing. Great lighting, weather effects, water and more. The caribbean locations look very real and the game offers an almost completely open world with very few loading times and transitions. I was surprised how well the game runs on my hardware, because the graphics card (Radeon 6850HD) isn't very good compared to newer cards, yet it did reasonably well throughout most of the game with medium to high settings, although the great looking weather effects really put it on the edge.
    The music is a little similar to that in the Pirates of the Caribbean and fits the game really well and then there are the shanties that your crew sings while you sail, once you've collected the notes for the songs. Things like that really show how much work was put into this game.

    Interface
    You know how every AC game had some annoying flaws with the controls, menus or gameplay itself? Ubisoft finally took the time to adress these flaws and not only on consoles, but for the PC version, too. The menus and controls are so much better. Everything can be easily controlled with mouse or keyboard and the keyboard shortcuts make a lot more sense than they did in the previous games. All the content is easily accessible through the menus, which is quite a feat considering how much content there is. To put it in other words: Finally in an AC game, the interface doesn't get in the way of gameplay.

    Gameplay
    The amount of content in this game is simply incredible. Playing through the game took me almost 80 hours and I don't even have all the achievements. There is so much to do that you might almost be a bit overwhelmed at the start: Pirating, hunting, fishing, crafting and upgrading, treasure hunting, exploring, mini missions, main missions, diving and there's even a great mini game where you manage a fleet of captured ships to gain more gold. The fleet management alone can take hours and it's definitely the best mini game Ubisoft have come up with so far. You can control the fleet management and the world map from outside the game with a phone or tablet PC, for example to set waypoints without interrupting the game flow or accessing your fleet when you're not playing the game. The ships in your fleet sail in real time, so the next time you log into the game, you can reap the rewards of your illegal pirate trading business. The whole feature is optional though, so you can completely avoid it if for some reason you don't like it.
    The story is good and also a little educational, because many of the events and especially characters in the game closely resemble their real historic examples, at least as far as we known about them. In any case, it's a nice mix of fiction and history and experiencing the characters turning into pirates is really interesting and well done. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that.
    And then of course, there's the story outside the animus, which doesn't continue too far, but is interesting nonetheless and there is a lot of information about Abstergo and the AC series to find by hacking computers, if you want to do it. The game doesn't force you to. Hacking the computers comes with new minigames that are well thought out and can be quite challening, but never too difficult.
    Black Flag feels almost like an RPG, because of how open the world is. You are not restricted by missions and can do anything at (almost) any time. The world is huge, featuring the caribbean from the Bahamas to the western coast of the Dominican Republic, even though on a smaller scale of course. I don't know how many islands there are, but I would guess about a hundred. The only other single player game with a similarly huge world that I know of is Skyrim.
    During all these hours of gameplay, I didn't find a single bug, which further proves the insane quality and polish of the game.

    However, I will again deduct 1 point because of Uplay. I don't think I have to go into details as to why Uplay is crap.    … Expand
  13. Strang
    Dec 29, 2013
    9
    I have had this AC for a few days now, and I am already totally immersed.The game is a HUGE improvement over the last game (which shall not be named) Black Flag takes the naval combat from AC3 and makes it more or less the main aspect. The controls for maneuvering your ship are responsive for the most part, sometimes trying to use your fire barrels may be a hassle. There is so muchI have had this AC for a few days now, and I am already totally immersed.The game is a HUGE improvement over the last game (which shall not be named) Black Flag takes the naval combat from AC3 and makes it more or less the main aspect. The controls for maneuvering your ship are responsive for the most part, sometimes trying to use your fire barrels may be a hassle. There is so much content on the map.Finding buried treasure and collecting songs for your crew are some things to do. Hunting from AC3 has been kept in the game,you can use the animals for crafting or sell them.But hunting gets really repetitive after a while. The new addition of harpooning sea creatures helps add variety but this too gets repetitive.The story is not the worst nor the best, and that keeps my review from getting a 10.… Expand
  14. divyansh88
    Jan 14, 2014
    9
    well for me i found this game just pure awesome, but i still had a few problems like
    1. a bug at the ending
    2. the story wasnt as good as the old creeds, like enzio well he is the charecter in the francise, but for me edward
    the naval gameplay was epic and basically the backbone of the game, fighting machanics were set right and the sound track was awesome
    in conclusion must buy
  15. hosein_rasouli
    Jan 18, 2014
    9
    the series of ac is always prefect ac4 is too.sailing is great in this game but after a while its gonna boring and this is when happen you sink some men o war and u see its to easy and boring . finding chest and animous fragment on world map was boring some effect of naval war like shooting to sails wasn't good but if u just complete missions u will not see that difficulties if wethe series of ac is always prefect ac4 is too.sailing is great in this game but after a while its gonna boring and this is when happen you sink some men o war and u see its to easy and boring . finding chest and animous fragment on world map was boring some effect of naval war like shooting to sails wasn't good but if u just complete missions u will not see that difficulties if we want deduce: ac 4 is great game for his fans and who want play its for first time. great graphic .great game play .great story but its have some little difficulties and i think its not important… Expand
  16. Surlent
    Feb 9, 2014
    9
    With great gameplay, reasonably engaging story and outstanding art, this game packs enough to entertain for dozens of hours (don't play it if you're too busy). Some - myself included - will find the number of useless collectibles excessive. Moreover, the main plot does not develop in ways as impacting as last installments of the series.

    Expectations aside, the game is incredibly fun    With great gameplay, reasonably engaging story and outstanding art, this game packs enough to entertain for dozens of hours (don't play it if you're too busy). Some - myself included - will find the number of useless collectibles excessive. Moreover, the main plot does not develop in ways as impacting as last installments of the series.

    Expectations aside, the game is incredibly fun and, all in all, worth your time.    … Expand
  17. BigDegs29
    Feb 24, 2014
    9
    I've never, ever played a game I'd give a 0/10, so the people reviewing this great game as 0/10 are being ridiculous. Too bad metacritic can't filter out idiocy.

    I've never really been a fan of Assassin's Creed games. But this game has the most polished controls of the series to date. While most of the game isn't ground-breaking, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It looks like    I've never, ever played a game I'd give a 0/10, so the people reviewing this great game as 0/10 are being ridiculous. Too bad metacritic can't filter out idiocy.

    I've never really been a fan of Assassin's Creed games. But this game has the most polished controls of the series to date. While most of the game isn't ground-breaking, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It looks like they took the path of refining their game formula, rather than re-defining it. Where the game really shines is the naval combat. I've been looking for that kind of thing since I played Bethesda's somewhat lacking Pirates of the Caribbean. Taking on the legendary ships was quite the experience. The slow part of the game is, of course, everything outside the Animus. Wish they'd rein that in a bit. I'm a perfectionist, and tracking down all the optional content was a bit much (especially the deep-sea diving segments). But overall, this game is fantastic, and gorgeous on PC.    … Expand
  18. Parazitu91
    Dec 28, 2014
    9
    I can't bilive how ♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome is this game. You need to understand that i don't like AssasinCreed franchise, i despise because of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ gameplay and misions ( You are a fukin silent assasin that's why called ''Assassin's Creed'' but the game is so idiotic and repetitive nothing silent in this franchises.
    Now back to BLACK FLAG i freaking love it ; WAY? you ask because ,you say that    I can't bilive how ♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome is this game. You need to understand that i don't like AssasinCreed franchise, i despise because of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ gameplay and misions ( You are a fukin silent assasin that's why called ''Assassin's Creed'' but the game is so idiotic and repetitive nothing silent in this franchises.
    Now back to BLACK FLAG i freaking love it ; WAY? you ask because ,you say that you hate AssassinCreed franchise, because it haze nothing to do with the franchise beside the stupid movement , but otherwise is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ PIRATE GAME with boat navigation, treasure hunt, robbed wat boats you found, pirates sings, and NO ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ASSASINS CREED ♥♥♥♥♥♥ STORY.
    This game is a masterpiece if you like pirates , and you want to play a good pirates game besides Risen 2.    … Expand
  19. Abdur64RTMS
    Apr 24, 2014
    9
    Assassins Creed IV - A Combination of All A.C Games? Did Ubisoft finally make up for AC3?

    Pros: -Good Animus Storyline -Great Graphics -Made up for the fail of AC3 -Really awesome Free Roam Cons -Really bad storyline when you get out of the Animus -Laggy at times Well, as you know, Assassin’s Creed 3 was really bad, the fact that they Killed Desmond really brought it’s    Assassins Creed IV - A Combination of All A.C Games? Did Ubisoft finally make up for AC3?

    Pros:
    -Good Animus Storyline
    -Great Graphics
    -Made up for the fail of AC3
    -Really awesome Free Roam

    Cons
    -Really bad storyline when you get out of the Animus
    -Laggy at times

    Well, as you know, Assassin’s Creed 3 was really bad, the fact that they Killed Desmond really brought it’s popularity down. But then Ubisoft made something to cover up for that. Assassin’s Creed IV, filled with Pirates, Templars, Assassins and everything you could wish for in an Assassin’s Creed Game.

    This game, wow… It surprises you so much! The game-play on a Next-Gen PC/Console is just extraordinary. The game-play is really fluent and the controls are really easy to learn. The sound on the other hand is a little desynchronized with the real game.

    Replayability. Replayability is the easiest thing in this game. You press the “pause” button and ta-da you have Mission Replay part. The UI is really, really awesome. It’s really user friendly and it’s really easy to use

    Gameplay: The gameplay. Wow! It has a HUGE free roam! Like, the sea is huge! You have that one ship/Jackdaw and you can battle the biggest of the big ships. There’s so many islands and so many bases you can capture. You can also board ships and take over them! There is so many things in this Assassin’s Creed! It takes EVERYTHING from all the previous Assassin’s Creed games and applied all of them to this one

    In the end this made up for all previous Assassin's Creed Fails.    … Expand
  20. AndreRLZ
    Jul 28, 2015
    9
    Il miglior Assassin's creed, per me, per ora (ho giocato 2,3 e questo). Completamente free-roaming con una mappa enorme, anche se per la maggior parte è acqua. Per spostarsi si usa la nave, che è l'elemento piĂą importante del gioco. La nave si può personalizzare esteticamente e si può potenziare, e dĂ  grandi soddisfazioni. In giro per la mappa si incontrano navi nemiche, ognuna con un suoIl miglior Assassin's creed, per me, per ora (ho giocato 2,3 e questo). Completamente free-roaming con una mappa enorme, anche se per la maggior parte è acqua. Per spostarsi si usa la nave, che è l'elemento piĂą importante del gioco. La nave si può personalizzare esteticamente e si può potenziare, e dĂ  grandi soddisfazioni. In giro per la mappa si incontrano navi nemiche, ognuna con un suo livello (in base alla potenza) e con carichi di vario tipo (zucchero, rum, metallo, ecc..). Assaltare le navi nemiche è molto figo e utile, in quanto i materiali servono ad ottenere denaro e a potenziare la nostra nave. L'aspetto tecnico è veramente notevole, anche se nvidia physx è implementato male (uccide del tutto le performance). A parte questo il gioco gira benissimo, è ben ottimizzato. Ho riscontrato almeno 3 bug fastidiosi, a livello di gioco (barche che volano in cielo, barche sottomarine, gente che spawna a 3000 metri..), ma niente di che, basta premere "ricarica" e il gioco ricarica tutto correttamente.. Storia avvincente e ben scritta, personaggi curati e molto interessanti, tecniche stealth ben fatte e armi come la cerbottana sono fantastiche. LongevitĂ  sopra la media, audio curatissimo e canzoni marinaresche fantastiche.. Un gran bel gioco, consigliato agli amanti dello stealth e.. degli assassin's creed, quindi dell'ambientazione storica curata e tutto il resto.… Expand
  21. Lenzie
    Mar 22, 2015
    9
    What an amazing and enjoyable game! A pirate simulation fantasy come true with a great story, engaging characters, superb graphics, capped off with fun and addictive game play.

    The seafaring and ship combat are easily the highlight of this game, they are just so well done, always visually spectacular and never became tiresome. What made this game fall short of a perfect 10 for me?    What an amazing and enjoyable game! A pirate simulation fantasy come true with a great story, engaging characters, superb graphics, capped off with fun and addictive game play.

    The seafaring and ship combat are easily the highlight of this game, they are just so well done, always visually spectacular and never became tiresome.

    What made this game fall short of a perfect 10 for me? The modern-day game play sections were a chore, at times annoying and distracted from the whole experience. Also repeating some of the main story missions again and again to achieve a perfect synchronization by completing the optional objectives at times became annoying.

    That said I'll definitely be back soon to play through the Freedom Cry DLC campaign.    … Expand
  22. ShawnD
    Sep 28, 2017
    9
    Context: I think I paid $10 for this game as part of a Steam sale.
    The game is definitely worth $10. It has its share of oddities, but one gets familiar with it over time. Some of the missions glitch out and it doesn't register that I've reached the objective, so I need to reload from the last save point and do it again. It's happened 3 times so far.
    The ship stuff is interesting. It    Context: I think I paid $10 for this game as part of a Steam sale.
    The game is definitely worth $10. It has its share of oddities, but one gets familiar with it over time. Some of the missions glitch out and it doesn't register that I've reached the objective, so I need to reload from the last save point and do it again. It's happened 3 times so far.
    The ship stuff is interesting. It even has a GTA-style system of getting police attention. The map is huge, so it might take me a week or two to get through all of it.    … Expand
  23. DBPirate1129
    Dec 26, 2015
    9
    A perfection of the Black Flag gameplay and graphics. Possibly the most realistic-looking game in the series, even with Unity and Syndicate. The game is extremely smooth and detailed, somehow more engaging than other versions. It's definitely the definitive version of the AC4 experience.

    Keep in mind though, that this is probably the most bug-filled game I've ever played and there are    A perfection of the Black Flag gameplay and graphics. Possibly the most realistic-looking game in the series, even with Unity and Syndicate. The game is extremely smooth and detailed, somehow more engaging than other versions. It's definitely the definitive version of the AC4 experience.

    Keep in mind though, that this is probably the most bug-filled game I've ever played and there are some game-breaking ones. (Frame rate's also not what I would call superb, especially compared to AC3)    … Expand
  24. dneogy
    Jan 23, 2015
    9
    This game is awesome.The locations that is featured in this game is also awesome.Mind blowing Graphics.With stunning story line.The Naval part of the game is a real break through.There is a lot of interesting things to do in this game.And the most fun part of this game that is there is no Glitches or Bugs in the game.
  25. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    9
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  26. 4y4
    Nov 14, 2018
    9
    I really enjoyed this on PC. I recommend using Xbox 360 controller for this game!
  27. ivan7788
    Dec 11, 2017
    9
    This game is last good Assasins Creed (AC). I have enjoyed all AC since the first one which i though was regular back in the day i gave it a score of 7.0/10, then AC2 blew my mind with an insteresting story and some how a lovable main character 8.0/10. AC Brother Hood was more of a continuation for me 7.8/10 and AC Revelation was like the same but with more darker atmosphere 7.5/10.

    I    This game is last good Assasins Creed (AC). I have enjoyed all AC since the first one which i though was regular back in the day i gave it a score of 7.0/10, then AC2 blew my mind with an insteresting story and some how a lovable main character 8.0/10. AC Brother Hood was more of a continuation for me 7.8/10 and AC Revelation was like the same but with more darker atmosphere 7.5/10.

    I skipped AC3 entirely because its bad optimization on PC. The I played AC Unity which i thought was a very boring game 5.8/10 and AC Syndicate 6.0/10 I unistalled both games after a few missions because the story and mechanics were a pain in the ass.

    Then today Ubisoft (company that i dont like since they scammed me with The Division) gave away for free a copy of Assasins Creed IV Black Flag and ohh boi i have to tell you people this AC is GOOD, its like AC2 meets the first Pirates of the Caribbean, playing this game is a charming journey for single player campaing, i rate the game 8.5/10 (Metacritic dont allow that score so i gave it 9.0/10 to be fair).    … Expand
  28. Druid
    Dec 12, 2019
    9
    A true masterclass in how to satisfy someone who wants to go on an adventure in the seas. This game succeeds in making a beautiful world with great characters and a very engaging concept. The ship combat and the soundtrack is what truly steals the show though.

    The game could have easily been a 10 if it wasn't bugged by monotonous side-missions, sub-par main mission design and the lack    A true masterclass in how to satisfy someone who wants to go on an adventure in the seas. This game succeeds in making a beautiful world with great characters and a very engaging concept. The ship combat and the soundtrack is what truly steals the show though.

    The game could have easily been a 10 if it wasn't bugged by monotonous side-missions, sub-par main mission design and the lack of a dedicated crouch button in a stealth game.    … Expand
  29. Fishtacular
    Jul 21, 2016
    9
    GRAPHICS: The graphics were amazing. Oddly, the rendered cut scenes seem to improve as the game progresses; advancements in tech during development? Don't listen to reviews complaining about low FPS, they are reviewing their own hardware and not the game. A game with less detail, fewer polygons, smaller textures, fewer models, less physics, etc. will have higher FPS on the same hardware.GRAPHICS: The graphics were amazing. Oddly, the rendered cut scenes seem to improve as the game progresses; advancements in tech during development? Don't listen to reviews complaining about low FPS, they are reviewing their own hardware and not the game. A game with less detail, fewer polygons, smaller textures, fewer models, less physics, etc. will have higher FPS on the same hardware. It has nothing to do with optimization and everything to do with there being more eye-candy. Tearing is eliminated with V-Sync. The open world and the ships are a beautiful work of art.

    SEQUEL: This is the first Assassin's Creed game I have ever played, so I cannot compare the previous version with this one. There are negative reviews here saying it's just like the previous one, but with pirates and some improvements... Do they know what a sequel is?

    GLITCHES/CRASHES: There were a couple of crashes though, and probably related to my multiple monitor setup and using V-Sync with monitors of different refresh rates... Don't judge me! It's as stable as my other games played the same way. Some "glitches" seemed intentional because it's supposed to be a "simulation", not real. Play Saints Row IV and you'll see what I mean by intentional glitches for effect.

    CONTROLS: This is the only reason the game doesn't get a 10 for me. The "E" key is used for so many things it gets frustrating. Hiding in the bushes with a fresh corpse I just assassinated and another soon to be in front of me, I am faced with a few options for the "E" key: Assassinate, Whistle, Loot, and Carry. There are 4 things at the same time, and the "E" key can handle two because it will distinguish between holding and just typing "E". I was forced to loot my corpses to get that option removed, sometimes that didn't go so well. Also, running... I want to run, not climb every damn thing and slow me down. Maybe there is a way to run normal separate from free run that I haven't discovered yet, but if there isn't there should be. They would have to assign more keys to fix this, and they cannot do that on consoles. They would have to resort to some sort of selection cycling. But listen to what the complaint is... I have too many things my character can do. That's what makes it awesome.

    The outside world in the big office building is a little distracting. I'd rather just do the "simulation" the entire time, but maybe that's part of the Assassin's Creed theme that makes it a sequel? Anyway, the whole office and hacking computers could be dumped. It's extra, and a distraction from the real game. No points lost for having extra.

    After reading the first part of my review, you may be wondering how it got such a high score from me: It blew me away. The waves, the ships, the weather, epic sea battles, sword fights, guns, stealth, beautiful story line, excellent voice acting, harpoon fishing, swimming combined with spelunking, diving, treasure maps, cut scenes, huge open world map, beautiful imagery, this game has even more than that.The amount of work put into this... It is a masterpiece. I have 83 games in my steam inventory alone. I also use Origin and Uplay, and some games overlap. But of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of video games I have played in my life, this one is way up there with the wow factor. Amazed it was on sale for under $10. It rivals games I have bought for magnitudes more money. As with every purchase you make, buy it on sale. It's dumb to pay full price for anything.    … Expand
  30. Krzych
    Feb 3, 2017
    9
    Amazing game. Beautiful, polished, consistent, with great characters, rich in content. My progress with main storyline was really slow because there was so many interesting things to do along the way. It took 8 days of playing for 5-6 hours a day, it's quite unique for a game to take so long to complete. And it ended just about when it was starting to be overly long. Still not perfect butAmazing game. Beautiful, polished, consistent, with great characters, rich in content. My progress with main storyline was really slow because there was so many interesting things to do along the way. It took 8 days of playing for 5-6 hours a day, it's quite unique for a game to take so long to complete. And it ended just about when it was starting to be overly long. Still not perfect but really not much more to wish, I heard it is very good but it exceeded my expectations. However one thing to mention is that the performance on 99,99% of PCs will be absolutely awful. I was running it on GTX 1080 in SLI so I had no issues, but once I tried with single card, performance is really not good, and add to this idiotic double buffered v-sync that locks your FPS to 30 if you cannot maintain stable 60. And without V-sync it is a tearing disaster. The game is not less demanding than the newest and the most demanding games of 2016. I don't know how it would go if I played it on average setup, probably not so good, but if you play without performance issues then the game is absolutely wonderful.… 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

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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.
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  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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