Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1141 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 894 out of 1141
  2. Mixed: 145 out of 1141
  3. Negative: 102 out of 1141
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  1. AuroMarin93
    Oct 29, 2013
    7
    First off, if we were to review the game as a separate title from the series ACIV is amazing.If we are going to review the game based on the previous games then it's far away from what Assassin's Creed 2 offered us. Edward is clearly a PIRATE not an assassin. The real world missions are not so good. The yearly releases are ''killing'' this game.Even though Ubisoft said that each game hasFirst off, if we were to review the game as a separate title from the series ACIV is amazing.If we are going to review the game based on the previous games then it's far away from what Assassin's Creed 2 offered us. Edward is clearly a PIRATE not an assassin. The real world missions are not so good. The yearly releases are ''killing'' this game.Even though Ubisoft said that each game has been developed by a separate team, the game lacks quality.Look at GTA V,they spend 5 years developing the game and the game is SUPERB in every aspect.5 years is too much, but a new game should be released every two years and it must be done by a full team.Nevertheless the game is way better than AC3 but apparently the experience of AC2 won't be repeated again :(.....Also the game misses a main plot. The main plot ended in AC3. Ubi released AC:Revelations and especially AC4 just for profit ,'cause their initial ideas for the game, when they didn't know it would have become so successful ,ended a year ago with the release of AC3. AC4 is a new game and part of a new series and that ''IV'' after Assassin's Creed is ''useless'' and inappropriate, it can be a spiritual successor but not a real sequel.I'd give it a 9/10 ,if not related to the other games and 5/10 as part of the series, 'cause the game focuses on pirates and hackers and not assassins,characters are weak and the main character,Edward doesn't establish that connection between players and him.As I previously said,the game hasn't a ''Real'' Main plot.....… Expand
  2. Leandro36
    Dec 1, 2013
    6
    Story is weak and hard to follow at times, too many ship and tailing missions, but other than that it easily improves vastly from the other games and does everything other than the story much better.
  3. Connorsauras
    Nov 12, 2013
    7
    It is in the amazing visuals, vicious combat and smooth free-running that Assassin's Creed IV truly shines. Unfortunately, a disappointing storyline and two-dimensional characters make this one of the weakest additions to the AC franchise, story-wise. Like the other games in the series, the story is set both in the Animus and out of it. While outside of the Animus, you will see someIt is in the amazing visuals, vicious combat and smooth free-running that Assassin's Creed IV truly shines. Unfortunately, a disappointing storyline and two-dimensional characters make this one of the weakest additions to the AC franchise, story-wise. Like the other games in the series, the story is set both in the Animus and out of it. While outside of the Animus, you will see some familiar faces however their appearance is short and unimportant to the overall story, their inclusion in the game feels forced as if to make a connection between this game and the events at the climax of Assassin's Creed III.

    Despite the lacklustre story, there is still a lot of fun to be had with this game. The naval combat from ACIII is back and improved upon in many ways, the "Jackdaw", Kenway's ship. Is fully upgradable, from the power of the cannons to the strength of the hull. You can also customize your ship aesthetically, by changing the colour of the sails and the figurehead on the front of The Jackdaw. The customization is limited but it is still enjoyable. Despite being disappointing in certain areas, as a whole it is still an enjoyable game.    … Expand
  4. Disp0sition
    Nov 11, 2013
    6
    This game was disappointing.

    I was under the impression that Ubisoft decided to make more Assassin's Creed games because people liked the early ones and wanted to see where the story was going, I couldn't have been more wrong. The modern storyline was, as decided by a lot of players, immersion breaking and frustrating. I felt otherwise, the modern storyline gives history a point, the    This game was disappointing.

    I was under the impression that Ubisoft decided to make more Assassin's Creed games because people liked the early ones and wanted to see where the story was going, I couldn't have been more wrong. The modern storyline was, as decided by a lot of players, immersion breaking and frustrating. I felt otherwise, the modern storyline gives history a point, the larger story gave me a reason to keep going and a bigger picture to influence with my smaller actions. Something that was recognised with ACIII all the way up to killing the guy who spent all of Ezio and Altaïr's lives training to be the perfect assassin.

    As for the pirate part of the game, it was very piratey. Blackbeard was as fierce and respectable as expected and by far my favourite, I felt like a giant selfish tool stealing from tradespeople and Navy men like any pirate would. But that was still kind of fun! What wasn't fun is the way this game talks down to the player.

    Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag takes the standpoint that you have never played an AC game before and has tutorials on every single mechanic brought back from the previous titles. Text pops up over Edwards head during combat telling you exactly which button you need to press to damage and enemy, essentially turning combat into a series of slow time events. Information in the story is so blatantly obvious to the player that it makes the characters in the game look like morons for not realising things sooner.

    CQC on ships is a complete mess. When boarding a ship, half of the hits I took were from my own pirate crew who couldn't wait for me to move before slashing at the enemy. ALSO they removed the Assassin Recruit mechanic which would've fit perfectly into boarding ships! A trainable crew that actually manages to kill something that you can command to complete objectives with you... Talk about a missed opportunity. As a result, ship combat end up being a massive boring drag as you get to a point where you have to grind and grind to get materials to upgrade the Jackdaw.

    As a completionist I obviously had to spend a lot of time sailing to treasure chests, so trust me when I tell you this, the map is big, and the map is lazy. The chests are placed on tiny copy pasted islands spaced evenly across the ocean. It is so mind numbingly repetitive that I wish I'd never bought the game. Collectibles are revealed on the map as soon as viewpoints are synched, so there is no challenge to any part of it, no satisfaction to be felt for achieving 100% sync, which there isn't even a trophy for (easy platinum hey?)

    As a long standing fan of the series with a merchandise collection to be reckoned with, I feel personally offended and let down by this game. It's an insult to canon and to the rich Universe that is Assassin's Creed, I don't want to see the series continue to degrade itself and lose all subtlety and nuance, if this is the future of AC then this is my last purchase.    … Expand
  5. Raikiri123
    Nov 18, 2013
    5
    It's simply pitiful. This game, is pitiful. And the fact that reviewers as well as the public are deep in Ubisoft's pocket is even more pitiful. To put things simply: Assassin's Creed 4: Blackflag is simply Assassin's Creed 3 with every bit of its annoying-ness multiplied by 10. Among the constant nagging from Ubisoft for feedback, going online, etc... the horribly predictable story sameIt's simply pitiful. This game, is pitiful. And the fact that reviewers as well as the public are deep in Ubisoft's pocket is even more pitiful. To put things simply: Assassin's Creed 4: Blackflag is simply Assassin's Creed 3 with every bit of its annoying-ness multiplied by 10. Among the constant nagging from Ubisoft for feedback, going online, etc... the horribly predictable story same intro, same structure, same flow, same bull ending that doesn't seem to lead the series anywhere), the repetitive, dull combat/ fetch gameplay brought back from previous titles, Assassin's Creed has now won the title of the most milked, exploit and exhausted franchise ever. Ubisoft doesn't seem to realize that the game is called Assassin's Creed, not farmville or battleship. I don't ever think anyone comes to a game called "Assassin's Creed" looking to spend hours on a ship slugging around the oceans and running around collecting "crafting ingredients". Such an respected franchise is now dumbed down to this. The reason is pretty evident: 1 game per year, can anyone believe it? Such a short span in development can never result in a worthy product. Gamers have been wondering as to why the gaming industry is standing still with little progress. That fact kept me thinking that when recycled pieces of trash like this get tossed around, people will at least stand up to them or ignore them. But no, they get glowing reviews, cash flows in their pockets and the cycle goes on. Now I just need to wait for more c*****, half baked DLCs to come around until this score becomes 1.… Expand
  6. DanielCorfour
    Nov 26, 2013
    6
    Assassin's Creed 4: 90% pirate, 10% assassin. To see a summary of this review scroll to the end.

    Ubisoft went ahead and did the obvious. They took, the best part of Assassin's Creed 3, really the only really good part, and made a game out of it. Literally, they retrofitted the game engine used in the previous title into this a new game, while barely adding or changing anything. This    Assassin's Creed 4: 90% pirate, 10% assassin. To see a summary of this review scroll to the end.

    Ubisoft went ahead and did the obvious. They took, the best part of Assassin's Creed 3, really the only really good part, and made a game out of it. Literally, they retrofitted the game engine used in the previous title into this a new game, while barely adding or changing anything. This whole game felt like an AC 3.1, rather than a new title.. which, I wouldn't have had a problem with, if they would have fixed the problems that plagued AC3, or actually gave us a good, satisfying story, like AC2, but they didn't.

    Assassin's Creed wasn't particularly good when it came to game mechanics, AC1 and 2 were kind of bad actually, instead, it was built by it's amazing storytelling, beautiful setting, and wonderful soundtrack. I still listen to Ezio's Family by Jesper Kyd from AC2. That song brings back a kind of emotions that I rarely feel with games. AC4, however delivers only one of these, the setting. I'm going to start by criticizing the story itself. It's terrible. First off, it has nothing to do with Assassins, they barely make a cameo appearance, both inside and outside the Animus. The whole game revolves around pirates, and that wouldn't be a problem, if it was a good story. And it starts out good, but then it gets riddled with plot holes, poor writing, scenes that don't make sense, and although they stayed away from the obvious parrot cliches, they added a bunch of them story-wise. The story does make a few twists, but most of them you'll see coming a mily away, and most of them don't make sense. There is no main enemy in the game, and most of the things that happen in the game make no sense. And if you were expecting a great ending.. don't.. it is terrible. The only plot-twist you won't see coming in this game is the ending.. they drop it on you out of nowhere, just when you were expecting the game would truly begin, and then they hit you in the face with a poorly done cutscene, and leave you confused.

    Here's a tip, dear Ubisoft. A story, every story, follows 5 basic steps, not necessarily in this order: Exposition, Rising Action, Progression, Climax, Ending. The 4th is completely missing, and the fifth leaves you confused, when it should leave you satisfied.

    Then there are the actual missions in the story. Boring, repetitive and most of them don't make sense. All you do is follow this guy, eavesdrop on that guy. And on rare occasions you kill someone. Missions involving ships can be interesting, but at times they are the same boring "follow that ship" nonsense. In comparison with GTA 5, or Red Dead Redemption, where every mission was unique and intriguing, here they are boring, unimaginative and repetitive. The same goes for side missions. Assassinations, Naval Missions and Templar Hunts. All of them are basically the same. If you did one then you did all, there's no point in continuing. You play through it once, but you won't want to play through it a second time.

    What saves the game is the beautiful and huge open world game, the side activities(not missions) and the naval combat. The setting is really amazing, although some fans of the series will find it irritating that you won't visit cities that much, only a couple times, and they are small with not a lot of things to do, the setting just didn't allow for that. Most of the time you will do what the game is all about: pirating. Naval combat is really fun, and it's been expanded upon a lot.: you can board ships, capture them, steal their cargo and send them to your fleet, you can attack naval forts and capture them. You can use those resources to upgrade your ship and so on. There are also underwater places you can explore, but there are limited, and in comparison with GTAV, where there was an entire open-world you could explore, here there are only ten locations, but it still looks great, and avoiding sharks and medusas is great fun. You can also raid plantations, which are a ton of fun... basically the side activities are really great, and make this game enjoyable, even though the story brings it down.

    In summary, it looks like this game was made just so Ubisoft can make more money off of the ship mechanics in AC3. Combat and land based mechanics are basically the same as the previous game, although they did need changing and improving. The game engine is the same as it was in the third title, with very little improvement, or change, when it, again needed it. And all of this would not be a problem if the game offered a good story, but it doesn't. The story seems like an excuse to sell an adapted version of AC3, and the story is driven by the game mechanics, and not vice versa. Luckily the beautiful setting, graphics and excellent pirate game save the game and prop up the rating to a 6/10. You can't help but feel, if they only spent a little bit more time, and wouldn't pump out a game every year, it could've been an amazing game.    … Expand
  7. Kdub58
    Dec 12, 2013
    5
    I love this series.but I had to take 2 games back because they would freeze up on my PS3 .i cleaned the lens but the problem is still there. Hasn't happened to any other games just this one. It really sucks.
  8. Scootinfruity
    Nov 8, 2013
    5
    Much like previous Assassin's Creed games, this one is pretty much the same. The story is bland and unoriginal. Although, the pirates and boat sailing alone make this title worthy of playing. While the story is.. well.. lame, the boating and combat is fantastic. Piloting your boat in the ocean with your crew singing shanties is one of the most fun things i've done in a video game, butMuch like previous Assassin's Creed games, this one is pretty much the same. The story is bland and unoriginal. Although, the pirates and boat sailing alone make this title worthy of playing. While the story is.. well.. lame, the boating and combat is fantastic. Piloting your boat in the ocean with your crew singing shanties is one of the most fun things i've done in a video game, but unfortunately, i can't score this game high because of the bland, unoriginal story. Not to mention that there are many performance issues and bugs. Unlike most reviewers, I will take the bugs into account. I noticed framerate going from around 30 down to 24-22 FPS which is an unacceptable drop. Overall, it's a decent game, but I'd wait for the price to drop before you even think about picking it up.

    5/10.    … Expand
  9. datoriprogram
    Oct 29, 2013
    5
    Very nice new scenery and things to explore, it's starting to feel less and less like an assassination game. This doesn't mean that it's bad, but just it might not be what you expect from the AC franchise. I enjoyed most of the story, while sometimes it felt forced and dull. The pirate aspect can get repetitive more than previous installations. All in all, a quite good game, butVery nice new scenery and things to explore, it's starting to feel less and less like an assassination game. This doesn't mean that it's bad, but just it might not be what you expect from the AC franchise. I enjoyed most of the story, while sometimes it felt forced and dull. The pirate aspect can get repetitive more than previous installations. All in all, a quite good game, but personally I didn't enjoy the pirate aspect as much as you probably might. Try it for yourself and see how it goes!… Expand
  10. McSkittle
    Nov 3, 2013
    6
    On the positive this game looks the best on the Wii U. My overall problem is there is no online and the game needs it because this still looks like assassins Creed 3 with pirate DLC.
  11. vixvicco
    Aug 13, 2014
    7
    This is a good game but I don't like the grinding aspect of it. Not something I expect from an assassin's creed title. I have played all the other games (that are available on console), and I have found them improving the games with each installment, but this was too different for me. If I had looked at more reviews I would have had fair warning about how much time is actually spent onThis is a good game but I don't like the grinding aspect of it. Not something I expect from an assassin's creed title. I have played all the other games (that are available on console), and I have found them improving the games with each installment, but this was too different for me. If I had looked at more reviews I would have had fair warning about how much time is actually spent on ships rather than on land. It doesn't feel like a real assassin game, more about ship battles and full combat battles, lot less stealth and lot less about assassin's, more about pirates, treasure and ships. The much complained about AC 3 was much better.… Expand
  12. Johng4
    Jan 9, 2014
    7
    First off this shouldnt have been called assassins creed 4 because it does not feel like a sequal to ac 3. It does not move the plot along what so ever seriously. I see it as some people like the ships in 3 they were going to make a new ac the next year anyway so they figured wtf they like ships lets give em ships. This is a pirate game with ac gameplay. Asside from that the story is notFirst off this shouldnt have been called assassins creed 4 because it does not feel like a sequal to ac 3. It does not move the plot along what so ever seriously. I see it as some people like the ships in 3 they were going to make a new ac the next year anyway so they figured wtf they like ships lets give em ships. This is a pirate game with ac gameplay. Asside from that the story is not very good tbh, its about connors grandfather . He is a man aspiring to be a very weathly pirate. Thats all he wants is money and fame and hell do whatever it takes to acheive that. He helps both the templars and assassins in this game for his own personal wants. He is not an aassassin, he is a pirate. A **** pirate. Really it all comes down to if you like pirates. If you do then get this game. If you wanted a true sequal to ac 3 in terms of story you **** out of luck they dont adress the the **** that happened at the end of 3 at all. Im bein dead serious. They turned the modern day segments into bull**** people complained before about the desmond segments sucking. HAHA at least they had a purpose the modern day segments in this game have no purpose what so ever. You are an employee at absturgo entertainment goin into the animus to collect research to create a game about pirates. I mean the real issues with the game are its plot. The good gameplay is all still here but that doesnt mean much when you dont give a **** about what your doing or why. Also i didnt like the ships in 3 so playin this game is a chore at times, becuase once you get into the game where it really opens up the ships take center stage you will be sailing for most of the time in this game and to some thats not a bad thing, but i bought this cuz i like assassins creed not **** pirates. There are some minor improvments like there are actually things worth buying in this game. You get different weapons sort of there really jus new sword skins cuz they all do the same **** Im dissapointed in this game and if your getting this game hoping for a sequal to 3 im sorry but dont get this at full price. Its not a sequel to 3 at all its more of an offshoot like brotherhood but hell tht game was like a full on sequel it moved the plot along as well as the gameplay this game does neither youve done all of this before and probabbly had more fun doing it then cuz u jus dont care about the story in this game so what is the motivation to play it. The tedious side quests? The mediocore story ? The combat you have seen many times before in better installments? Point is if your an ac fan dont pay sixty bucks. If you just want a pirate game, go ahead your probablly not gonna regret your purchase.… Expand
  13. FWordFizz
    Nov 8, 2013
    7
    Did you play Assassins Creed 2? Did you like it? Did you play Assassins creed three? Were you disappointed? If you answered yes to all of these questions you are like me. I had fun with it. Check it out if you arent getting GTA 5. Its better than ghosts but if you want something new and fresh skip it.
  14. AllThingTrivial
    Dec 31, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. AC4 is a stark detraction for the series, it takes the Assassins Vs Templars conflict that has all but defined the previous games by heavily intertwining actual historical elements with a clever and innovative if somewhat contrived narrative of greater conflict and throws it out of the window in favour of committing acts of Piracy and watching Blackbeard intimidate random people. Whilst the assassins and Templars are involved, the new protagonist Edward Kenway, is very clear in his objectives. Make money, get drunk and generally be very stereotypically pirate-y. If it didn’t draw such stark similarities to the known mantra of the AC games it could be justified as an entirely separate release.
    Unfortunately this is where the main problem lies. AC4 seems like a case of going through the motions, endlessly trudging through supposedly intertwining plots that have no relevance to each other and begin to make no sense as Kenway shows up, courtesy of the mission marker, to do something that was never alluded to beforehand and trying to follow his desperate attempts to be pirate like as most if not all consumers expect before running off for no reason to help the assassins because its an assassins creed game and they have to be there. The narrative quickly becomes lost during the two polar opposite behaviours with the only focal point being a contrived pursuit of one obscure target which almost every character tells him to forget about and quite frankly I’m with them. It seems if it wasn’t for Abstergo being so desperate to see what’s inside then there would be no reason for Kenway to even bother. That’s not to say however that the story doesn’t have it moments where occasionally all the contrived nonsense can be forgotten in the face of pure unadulterated joy or the beautiful moment where the well set out missions allow for an incredible flow of play that is endlessly satisfying.
    This turns out to be the truth of AC4, the real fun is not made by the narrative rather by the player themselves which is no bad thing. Cruising the enormous and visually stunning Caribbean aboard a ship which can be directed to any corner of the map, or indeed anywhere inside the largest map ever seen, to commit acts of piracy that are incredible fun. There are few experiences more satisfying than utilising overwhelming force with a sea-tank loaded to the brim with broadside cannons capable of obliterating the enemy leaving them dead in the water as easy pickings or antagonising a brutally powerful man o war into a delicate dance requiring timing and genuine tactics to overcome. This is followed by a sublime boarding experience which really accentuates what the game seeks to encapsulate, swinging from the rigging to assassinate from above and massacring the individuals aboard until their surrender at which point resources are gained and these feed into a well thought out trade and economy system whereby collecting resources allows the ship to be improved so more piracy gives the potential for better upgrades to facilitate targeting higher ranked ships in a perpetual motion. Similarly the sea forts are enormous fun, obliterating towers and fighting to achieve control whilst the warehouses offer a fun and different challenge using assassin skills to sneakily if possible requisition useful items although thankfully the frustrating ‘do not be detected’ sequences have been dropped in a refreshing update of the series which makes the gameplay far more accessable.
    However not all of the creases are ironed out, the game too frequently sinks the immersion to davy jones locker by shoehorning in following characters whilst they spout exposition or eavesdropping sections even if there is no point. I literally found myself following a guy through about three guarded settlements only to drop down from a tree and slash his throat in full view of about twenty other soldiers after he talked about being drunk and other such irrelevant drivel. In an age where computing is so powerful and developed such simple filler seems anachronistic particularly so when the point of its inception is not at its core logical anyway and these blemishes on AC4’s appearances are not the only ones to remain. The navigation is still a bit clunky having Edward sprint up walls, launch himself off buildings or change orientation entirely without any input to suggest that’s what he should be doing with enough frequency it becomes annoying particularly after seamlessly taking out six guards on an immensely fun attack only to throw a smoke bomb to escape their colleagues except when it clears they see you desperately clinging to a roof dangling within sword range like a deranged puppet. The combat also has its problems, the camera does not give a wide enough FOV to parry incoming attacks particularly on ships and suchlike potentially being so close the only solution is to mash counter, some enemies predict what you do before you do it to annoying effect and fighting one enemy who can only be killed by following up an initial counter becomes tiresome when he stands there like an idiot abjectly refusing to attack. Yet the combat ultimately, as is now commonplace, is not that hard and the lack of enemy variety and weapons (Edward can now only wield dual swords) means after a while a certain level of boredom begins to dominate what is arguably one of the best visual melee spectacles in any game series even despite some strange bugs both with targeting and ragdoll animations.
    The characters who are for their part well played feel fleeting cameos purely there for atmosphere and to drive the story forwards being paper thin representations of exactly what is expected of the era. Whilst they deliver appropriately with Blackbeard being a particular highlight there is no humanity, no individualism which knits the characters together and that feels very much like the mantra of the game. It is incredibly enjoyable on its surface, a commit piracy and murder people in an open world with plenty to do setup that gives you a surface on which to operate. Try to read in to it, to go deeper, to spend time to get to know it remains far from the rewarding experience it should be, I spent hours pursuing short term goals of profit for certain expenditure being rewarded quite happily by the game frequently enough to remain invested yet when I took a step back at three o clock in the morning I felt deflated realising the past twelve hours had been used up on menial tasks with no overarching purpose. The superficial very much dominates here, the game expects you to play it obediently and not to question how its numerous well made parts function together as at that instant it begins to fall apart.
    That being said these individual parts cannot be understated in terms of how much they can be enjoyed but as a whole the game feels empty. A story going nowhere much like the character. Yet despite all this there is fun to be had if all pretences of logical story or a reason to keep massacring people for next to no reason can be thrown aside and for that reason it isn’t a bad game with enough entertainment to keep you going provided you do so with independent aims in mind rather than expecting the story to rope you in by itself.    … Expand
  15. WanyaRolf
    Mar 6, 2014
    5
    Assassins Creed is, since the first, a game that takes itself too seriously. It's boring, the missions are all about a boring story that was never any good, bu they seem to think that it's Pulitzer worthy . Instead of making a fun to play game, they made another follow-that-guy-around game. Even the gameplay aspect is getting weaker, since he jump automatically, sword fights are a QTE withAssassins Creed is, since the first, a game that takes itself too seriously. It's boring, the missions are all about a boring story that was never any good, bu they seem to think that it's Pulitzer worthy . Instead of making a fun to play game, they made another follow-that-guy-around game. Even the gameplay aspect is getting weaker, since he jump automatically, sword fights are a QTE with 2 buttons. The whole game feels extremely lazy. But I guess we play AC because of its potential. It has some much potential, but with this new iteration, I guess it's pretty clear that the game is much more focused on some half baked scifi story than to amuse it's players. In the whole game, that was not one mission that was genuinely fun to play.… Expand
  16. mrnice
    Mar 20, 2014
    7
    The non-campaign content redeems this action title that otherwise wouldn't have stood out from the crowd. If you stick around and beat the forts and the legendary ships, and seek out ship upgrades, you'll see plenty of novel gameplay. But the campaign itself has few, if any, missions that amazed me. The transportation by ship or by foot can feel slow if not to fast-travel locations. I wasThe non-campaign content redeems this action title that otherwise wouldn't have stood out from the crowd. If you stick around and beat the forts and the legendary ships, and seek out ship upgrades, you'll see plenty of novel gameplay. But the campaign itself has few, if any, missions that amazed me. The transportation by ship or by foot can feel slow if not to fast-travel locations. I was frustrated dozens of times by the controls (when climbing, your character is 'glued' to his position, so the input will sometimes not be clear enough for him to move in the right direction from the 'glued' position). The 3rd person gameplay has been seen elsewhere before, and I saw no need for the the violence (cutting through people with swords like it was nothing, while the character seems to have conscience outside of combat). Aside from the action and the transportation, for which I give it 5/10, the setting has not been used much in games, much less in AAA 3d games, and it is modelled with lively detail and extreme variety. I could not have expected it to deliver so much graphical content, and compared to GTA V, this game had a lot more "Wow, there's THIS" moments. I could give it an 8/10 but then I remember the many similar missions and the repeating ship fights. Recommended if you're intrigued by the setting and you can see past the fights.… Expand
  17. Prometheus_ts
    Dec 30, 2013
    7
    The game started as if it was a previous version of the AC3 with the usual bugs, and strange animations, not the ACII that one was the best) But after you discover the ship and you get to own it the game changes and becomes quite entertaining and fun, much better than the previous.

    Though the annoying part is the Bastergo where every dependant there treats you like a 10 years old    The game started as if it was a previous version of the AC3 with the usual bugs, and strange animations, not the ACII that one was the best) But after you discover the ship and you get to own it the game changes and becomes quite entertaining and fun, much better than the previous.

    Though the annoying part is the Bastergo where every dependant there treats you like a 10 years old kid making funny faces and talking of pirates of carribean arrr and other stupid voices....

    They should just have dropped the assassin creed story and make a pure piratesque game!    … Expand
  18. Jalopicus
    Apr 15, 2014
    6
    Fantastic game but you only get about 70% of what you pay for because the multiplayer is habitually broken. I don't mean "broken" as in "unbalanced," but rather a more literal sense—much of the time it just doesn't work.

    Specifically, it's plagued by constant disconnections from both the host and the server and despite spending an inordinate amount of time on the forums seeking aid    Fantastic game but you only get about 70% of what you pay for because the multiplayer is habitually broken. I don't mean "broken" as in "unbalanced," but rather a more literal sense—much of the time it just doesn't work.

    Specifically, it's plagued by constant disconnections from both the host and the server and despite spending an inordinate amount of time on the forums seeking aid there has been little or no progress. When you do manage to play a match there's a whole other level of malfunction in the matchmaking and contract assignments—it's not uncommon to play team games at a 4 vs 1 balance and/or be asked to "find" and kill a player who is standing directly in front of you. If you have liked AC multiplayers and/or you end up liking the AC4 multiplayer you will be repeatedly let down.    … Expand
  19. ACFAN
    Nov 18, 2013
    7
    First of all, the graphics & the story telling has definitely been improved. The game itselfs lacks mystery and assassins creed spirit. It's too much "Yarr I'm a pirate" and what most players know as Assassins Creed has been toned down heavily.

    I love Assassins Creed and I really enjoyed this game but I was quite let down by the story. Pros: * Great improvement in storytelling and    First of all, the graphics & the story telling has definitely been improved. The game itselfs lacks mystery and assassins creed spirit. It's too much "Yarr I'm a pirate" and what most players know as Assassins Creed has been toned down heavily.

    I love Assassins Creed and I really enjoyed this game but I was quite let down by the story.

    Pros:

    * Great improvement in storytelling and graphics

    Cons:

    * Doesnt quite feel like Assassins Creed
    * Nothing new when it comes to combat and missions

    Overall: Enjoyable game but has lost the Assassins Creed spirit, please go back to it or lose the Assassins Creed name.    … Expand
  20. awsom
    Dec 31, 2013
    7
    Assassin's Creed 4 is kind of a disappointment to me. Don't get me wrong it's still good but it does a lot of things wrong. Money has some use now considering the main gimmick is the Jackdaw and upgrades for it cost a lot. So it has improved a bit gameplay wise but combat is as boring as ever with only the big brutes to make it bit challenging. Then the story takes a big flop with theAssassin's Creed 4 is kind of a disappointment to me. Don't get me wrong it's still good but it does a lot of things wrong. Money has some use now considering the main gimmick is the Jackdaw and upgrades for it cost a lot. So it has improved a bit gameplay wise but combat is as boring as ever with only the big brutes to make it bit challenging. Then the story takes a big flop with the present day being a first person office simulator with only a hacking mini game to keep you occupied. Most of the quests in the animus on land are tailing missions which is stupid. So in short, AC4 is a good stand alone game. Better than AC1+3 at least but compared to others it's not that good.… Expand
  21. TrackkSixx
    Dec 10, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is one of the first that really gives you a sense of what sailing is. Personally I enjoyed AC3 ONLY for the sailing parts. That being said, this is AC, not a pirate sim. I didn't play the main story line until I had to, which means immediately. If you want to upgrade your ship at all, you have to play the main story. That would work if the main story was actually engaging. To me it was all the same: Find this guy; follow this guy through all kinds of ridiculous obstacles (groups of 20 guards); eavesdrop on this guy while he wanders through more hordes of guards; DON'T KILL HIM YET!!!; watch from the shadows as he wanders very slowly into a guarded fort; now you can kill him. I don't understand why they do this, why must I follow him for so long? As he's wandering the streets, I'm on a building ready and able to drop onto him and rain down awesomeness, but no, I have to wait for what seems like hours until he gets to a fortified location. Edward Kenway must be the worst Assassin of all time. Or he's a masochist and enjoys torturing himself assaulting a fort by himself. Overall the game was great, but for the wrong reasons. I loved the freedom of sailing all over the map and pirating with no sense of urgency. But when your main story line is so tedious and annoying, it reduces the good parts of the game.

    GOOD
    Great pirating and ship mechanics.
    LOVE the sea shanties the crew sings!
    Graphically beautiful, bought it on the 360 and it's the best looking game I've ever seen.
    Ship customization options were good, not great.
    Much better character in Edward Kenway rather than Conner.
    Huge map, and fun to sail across.

    BAD
    Boring Main Story, made it feel like the main story was a side mission.
    Tedious repeating missions (WHY EAVESDROPPING!?!?!?).
    Mute, Formless, and Clunky character during play outside the animus, AC Revelations did just fine without having much of a part for Desmond, I understand the reason to remind people they're in the animus, but I hate mute main characters, just a pet peeve.
    The story animus/real doesn't give anything new to the series which makes me think it's more of a really big expansion to AC3 along with the $60 pricetag.
    Uplay You'd think by now Ubisoft would have made Uplay seamless... They haven't, it interferes just about every time I turn it on.
    Took me a few upgrades to realize buying sails has no effect other than visually, kind of disappointing. Leather sails are quite different from canvas, just sayin.
    Kenway's fleet... minigames were dumb turn based ship to ship, and the biggest problem I had: You only ever control the Jackdaw! With the exception of 2 missions I can remember, all you have is a comparably small brig with a maximum of 23 guns.

    Overall: Mediocre (Pretty much what I've come to expect from an AC, but I keep buying them for some reason)    … Expand
  22. verglia
    Mar 31, 2014
    5
    Okey ,now for real.Stop milking the cow ubisoft.Make a pirate game if you want,just dont call it AC,AC ended with ezio for me(he had spirit and was very interesting,if we don't count Desmond ofc).I would give this game 8(but AC tittle-meh).It's not AC, it's sailing,sailing,sailing from AC.
  23. GamergodsFail
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was a rather mixed bag for me. On the upside...it was fun as hell! I don't think I've ever had more fun in an Assassin's Creed game! The exploration, ship plundering and the minigames, Abstergo hacking, etc. All of that felt splendid!
    On the downside...I felt the story was incredibly weak for an Assassin's Creed game. Especially the present-day Abstergo    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was a rather mixed bag for me. On the upside...it was fun as hell! I don't think I've ever had more fun in an Assassin's Creed game! The exploration, ship plundering and the minigames, Abstergo hacking, etc. All of that felt splendid!
    On the downside...I felt the story was incredibly weak for an Assassin's Creed game. Especially the present-day Abstergo story, or lack thereof. It's practically cut off from the rest of the series. Also, the controls were very unresponsive or inaccurate to which the direction I turned a lot of the time. This included me jumping to my death when I meant to perform a leap of faith. Among the other complaints include several bugs, one of them which was a game-breaker that required me to restart a checkpoint. Did I already mention a disconnected storyline?
    With all things considered, this is a decent game, but I wouldn't consider it a good Assassin's Creed game. I think the Ezio ones are still better. If you've played all the previous entries or are looking for more closure after the disappointing ending that Assassin's Creed III delivered, I'd pass. However, if you're a newcomer to the series, now would probably be the perfect time to start.

    7/10 - Decent    … Expand
  24. BenHazelden
    Oct 13, 2014
    7
    A bigger improvement since the last two installments, Black Flag has regained the former strength of the originals, even though it seems more like 'Pirate's Code' than 'Assassin's Creed'.
    7/10 - Ben Hazelden
  25. TheEliteGamer
    Nov 28, 2014
    7
    This game is a good game overall. The biggest addition that makes this game great is the Naval gameplay. In AC3 naval gameplay was very minimal. In AC4 the whole game is based on sailing to different locations around the map. Another thing that makes this game great is the collectibles. Bottles, Mayan Stelle, Animus Fragments, and chests all add extra time to your free roam expereince.This game is a good game overall. The biggest addition that makes this game great is the Naval gameplay. In AC3 naval gameplay was very minimal. In AC4 the whole game is based on sailing to different locations around the map. Another thing that makes this game great is the collectibles. Bottles, Mayan Stelle, Animus Fragments, and chests all add extra time to your free roam expereince. Also the crafting and upgrades for Edward and the Jackdaw {the name of your pirate ship in the game} make it really fun to take down ships and go hunting. I can't say much about the story but so far what i have finished was really great. The combat is a little better with new weapons and the amount of weapons you can carry. You can have up to 4 pistols! This game is not a must buy, but is worth 30 dollars at least with the game and add-on's. Thanks for reading!… Expand
  26. PZJ
    Nov 29, 2014
    7
    Very fun game. Great sailing mechanics and pirating. Ground fighting is the same as all these games so you probably know what you're getting. Only real downside was that the plot was linear and pretty boring. Boring characters, same old cut scenes when you assassinate them, same old mission types. If you like pirate games you''ll enjoy this.
  27. Asgard-Sama
    Aug 28, 2018
    7
    • Historia: 6/10
    • Personajes: 8/10
    • GamePlay: 8/10 • Gráficos: 9/10 • Sonido: 10/10 • Música: 10/10 • Longitud: 9/10 • Valor de repetición: 1/10 • Valor del jugador: 7/10 Un gran juego increíble de batallas navales pero un mal Assasin Creeds. - El Protagonista mas soso e insustancial de la saga hasta el momento, aunque me parece un buen detalle que sea el abuelo de Connor    • Historia: 6/10
    • Personajes: 8/10
    • GamePlay: 8/10
    • Gráficos: 9/10
    • Sonido: 10/10
    • Música: 10/10
    • Longitud: 9/10
    • Valor de repetición: 1/10
    • Valor del jugador: 7/10

    Un gran juego increíble de batallas navales pero un mal Assasin Creeds.

    - El Protagonista mas soso e insustancial de la saga hasta el momento, aunque me parece un buen detalle que sea el abuelo de Connor del Assasins Creed 3 enlazando ambos títulos y personajes.

    - La jugabilidad sigue siendo tan buena como en el titulo anterior, no tiene peros.

    - El Combate es aun mas fácil que en los anteriores, simplón y aburrido.

    - La Banda sonora sigue siendo excelente y el detalle de que tu tripulación pirata cante canciones mientras navegan es una gran puntazo.

    - La historia esta bastante bien si nos enfocamos en la parte de la piratería y sus historia, pero como Assasins Creed es bastante floja.

    - Su mundo abierto naval es espectacular, puedes pasarte horas y horas navegando, combatiendo y cazando en el mar, para mi el barco, el combate naval y la jugabilidad del mismo es lo mejor y mas divertido de este titulo y donde personalmente invertí mas horas por pura diversión.

    - Las ciudades, islas y ambientación están muy logradas y gráficamente luce genial

    Para mi una mala continuación de la Saga Assasins Creed aunque como titulo Naval es excelente, el Assasins mas flojo hasta la fecha, con un protagonista soso, historia pirata interesante aunque no tenga nada que ver con los Asesinos, el barco y su jugabilidad lo mas divertido, le doy un 7 a este titulo.    … Expand
  28. syandicate
    Jan 11, 2020
    7
    +Ship battles and boarding +Open world is huge
    +Story is medicore.
    +Characters are medicore -Side activities
    -Combat -Enemy AI
  29. Berik
    Jan 21, 2019
    7
    You remember when the best parts of Assassin's Creed 3 were the naval contracts instead of the story, missions, and you know... what makes it an Assassin's Creed game? Well it's kinda the same this time, only now we can explore and forget about the story all together.

    By surprise Ubisoft was already working on a game take incorporated the naval missions in a full blown game. Needless to    You remember when the best parts of Assassin's Creed 3 were the naval contracts instead of the story, missions, and you know... what makes it an Assassin's Creed game? Well it's kinda the same this time, only now we can explore and forget about the story all together.

    By surprise Ubisoft was already working on a game take incorporated the naval missions in a full blown game. Needless to say the reactions were very positive. But now with over 80 hours in the game, did it deliver on expectations?

    First off, this game shouldn't have been called Assassins Creed: Black Flag. All the Assassin story line missions are a big fat stain on the game. It would have been better if this was a stand alone pirate game. And unfortunately some content you need to upgrade your ship is locked in the story missions, so that's a bummer.

    But when you just go plunder ships, upgrade your ship and take forts you are going to have an awesome time! I highly recommend you completely ignore the story and just start shooting ships to become stronger and stronger.

    So all and all it is a good game. It's a shame the Assassin's Creed content taints it. I give it a 7/10.    … Expand
  30. All_ButTrU4
    Jul 27, 2022
    6
    Foundn this extremely difficult to get through which to be honest kind of made the game a frustrating chore . Otherwise tge graphics were as great as always and the story a beautiful complex thriller.
  31. Huriele
    Jun 1, 2020
    5
    In my opinion, this the best Assassin's Creed ever made.
    But, there are so many problems.
    The parkour Is Epic and Explore the map is really fun.
    But the story is s**t, as a s**t as the mission.
    Follow people in my opinion is not fun, Sorry.
  32. Tarihcigamer
    Jul 3, 2020
    7
    Suikastçiler ve korsanlar kesinlikle birbirine zıt iki tema ve ne yazık ki Ubisoft bu iki zıt temayı birbirine uygun hale getirememiş. Zaten Assasin's Creed 3'ten sonra seriye son vermeleri uygun olurdu. Neyse, uzun lafın kısası: OLMAMIŞ.
  33. martinho_99
    Mar 11, 2022
    7
    I know everyone really likes Part 4 but there were so many aspects I did not like. For me this is the part where I started to be unable to retrace why someone must be killed.
  34. rhuapZ
    Dec 12, 2020
    7
    nossa mano seis tem problema o jogo e um minecraft de pirata porra seu quissese joga assasins creed eu ia pro xvideos
  35. JoelArpal
    Dec 29, 2020
    5
    Bad... Very bad... I thibk this is the point when the storys in Assassin's Creed games begun to mean nothing. I know, maybe that's not the part of the game people look at when they plan an Assassin's Creed, but i think it's remarcable how this game makes it so bad. Also i remembered it to be funny, but lately i've played it again and i couldn't have been more wrong. The game it'sBad... Very bad... I thibk this is the point when the storys in Assassin's Creed games begun to mean nothing. I know, maybe that's not the part of the game people look at when they plan an Assassin's Creed, but i think it's remarcable how this game makes it so bad. Also i remembered it to be funny, but lately i've played it again and i couldn't have been more wrong. The game it's repetitive and simple. I think this gane was the begining of the deterioration of the saga.… Expand
  36. bianweiqu123
    Mar 4, 2023
    7
    This is, by far, one of the best entries in the series. It feels fresh and different. And you know that feeling? Yeah, the one you have when playing AC2 and that was missing from AC3? It's back.
  37. DrPebba
    May 14, 2021
    7
    I may say this is a really good game and i had my fun with it, but i think it isnt as good as people make it to be, some good things are the world, its huge and interesting to explore, some missions when you are underwater and enter a cave were there are enemies its preety fun, the way you kill with the gun its great, i have to say that the story is really good too, but here is the thing,I may say this is a really good game and i had my fun with it, but i think it isnt as good as people make it to be, some good things are the world, its huge and interesting to explore, some missions when you are underwater and enter a cave were there are enemies its preety fun, the way you kill with the gun its great, i have to say that the story is really good too, but here is the thing, the graphics dont look as good as AC3, it looks so yellow and just not as great, it doesnt feel like assassins creed in some way like the cities, they arent big enough to mess around, and most of the places are islands, the worst part of the game are the naval missions, if in AC3 were bad, at least there they were side missions, here they force them in your throat and they arent fun, some ships are way to hard and unfair, other bad thing is the gameplay, i love AC3 gameplay and this is somewhat the same gameplay... but they made a manner to make it worse, i dont know i just dont feel the same fun doing parkour or killing enemies like in the last games, the sound effects are awful, the way edward runs, the fighting its just not fun, and the missions in the last games were great and unique, here... all the missions are to damn similar and ununique, its just follow this guy without him noticing, kill him, now do this awful naval mission, and again and again and again. i dont like the word overrated but i think this describes the game well.… Expand
  38. Kwstis_Sidi
    May 14, 2023
    7
    The story is average at best, created in a true Ubisoft spirit. The graphics and the sound are good for an initial xbox 360 / PS3 title. The gameplay is quite good, with some more work needed related to the melee combat. All in all, it could have been a far better game if it was created by another company and not by Ubisoft which in her effort to deliver a game to liked by everybody, endsThe story is average at best, created in a true Ubisoft spirit. The graphics and the sound are good for an initial xbox 360 / PS3 title. The gameplay is quite good, with some more work needed related to the melee combat. All in all, it could have been a far better game if it was created by another company and not by Ubisoft which in her effort to deliver a game to liked by everybody, ends up making it average and bland. It is worthing 10 USD / EUR if you wanna buy it now and play it, but not more.… Expand
  39. Xcvb
    Aug 10, 2022
    6
    لعبه جيده و لكن سبب التقيم المتوسط هو الاعتماد الاكثر من اللازم على ميكانيكية السفينه
  40. JrDouble
    May 21, 2023
    6
    Bi improvement over Assassin's Creed 3, but runs horribly on the PS3. An almost unplayable framerate with the same old garbage Assassin's creed controls. Should have not been ported to the PS3.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PS3 Game of 2013
11
#11 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
15
#15 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2013
    90
    All the distinguishing features of the series – the Templars, parkour and brutal assassinations – are here, but now they are not the core, they are just elements of the best pirate game ever, of a Red Dead Redemption at sea. [13/2013, p.52]
  2. Impulsegamer
    Nov 16, 2013
    90
    Black Flag is a remarkably new take on the series, and I would go as far to say it’s the finest entry we’ve seen to date.
    Read full review
  3. XGN
    Nov 15, 2013
    85
    With the new Assassin’s Creed we find ourselves in the Caribbean with a new main character called Edward Kenway. Black Flag focuses on the sea battles we saw in the third game and continues with this, with some new additions. Overall, you’ll be busy for a while – 40 hours, give or take – but the story isn’t that compelling.
    Read full review
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