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. elmaigoch09
    Mar 27, 2014
    9
    Better the the third game, great story, characteres and also has a better unique gameplay and combat system, definitely worth playing if you're a fan of this saga.
  2. 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
  3. hiwasafari
    Mar 11, 2014
    9
    I feel very happy about ac4 because it is a really good game. I have played every AC even Liberation on Vita, and honestly AC4 is one of the best if not the best AC game ( This or ac2 fighting for nr 1). After ac3 which was a huge dissapointment AC4 brings back what was so great about that game which was naval combat.
    The naval combat feels a lot better and is the best thing that could    I feel very happy about ac4 because it is a really good game. I have played every AC even Liberation on Vita, and honestly AC4 is one of the best if not the best AC game ( This or ac2 fighting for nr 1). After ac3 which was a huge dissapointment AC4 brings back what was so great about that game which was naval combat.
    The naval combat feels a lot better and is the best thing that could happen to the series. The only thing I feel the naval combat needed was more customization for ur ship, sure you can updrage your ship but what about diffrent ships. Like a heavy ship thats slow, or a fast speed sheep, Would be great if you had options like that and hopefully we will either get a fully pirate game from ubisioft or another ac that uses the naval combat.
    The rest of the game besides the naval combat is like every other AC game. Sure the game has new settings but the gameplay feels a lot like the previous games. The story of Edward is good and enjoyable but the Assassins vs templars story starting to get irrating with no end.
    Another thing i want to praise are the sea shanties , a lot of fun and I enjoy hearing them during my playtrough.

    After all this game is really good and every Ac fan should try it. The setting and the naval combat a lone makes it worth the while. I will give this game a 9/10 and hopefully we will a open world pirate game from ubisoft or another ac game likes this with a lot more customization!    … Expand
  4. 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
  5. mrdodo
    Feb 26, 2014
    10
    Great game, i advise everyone who hasnt tried it to go ahead and get themselves a copy. Its an experience you cannot miss out on. Ubisoft really stepped up their game this year, with beautiful scenery and a mix between both playing on water or inland.
  6. UserScore
    Feb 15, 2014
    8
    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Review.
    Pros/ Good Points:
    + A beautiful, detailed yet enourmous open world to explore. Ship controls and mechanics much more simplified for a better experience. Emotional moments in the story (all I can say without spoiling). It isn't as bugged/glitched as Assassin's Creed III. The sense of verticality everywhere you go, from jungles, to cities and    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Review.
    Pros/ Good Points:
    + A beautiful, detailed yet enourmous open world to explore. Ship controls and mechanics much more simplified for a better experience. Emotional moments in the story (all I can say without spoiling). It isn't as bugged/glitched as Assassin's Creed III. The sense of verticality everywhere you go, from jungles, to cities and islands. The game doesn't restrict you from exploring the world, you can explore it from the get-go. Full of enjoyable side content. Dumber AI that motivate the use of stealth. 100% completition of missions is simplified and the side-objectives aren't as specific as to how to engage the mission. Enjoyable underwater segments. Things to spend your money in, unlike it's predecessors. Strong characters and character development. Impressive graphics. Soundtrack hasn't dropped quality since the first game, this is not the exception. Simple and smooth menus that makes navigating through really easy. There's ambient/background music while you're just playing around, which is a nice little touch.
    Cons/ Bad Points:
    -Way too long and weak story, both in the present day and golden age of piracy, that doesn't add much to the AC universe. Multiplayer needs reinvention and quickly, gamelab wasn't enough. Only the two swords and fists as the game mele weapons. It's difficult to control the character, mainly in the JackDaw and when you're trying to board, considering the tight spaces and that the character usually goes where he wants to go, and not where I want him to. Boarding turns really quickly into something repetitive and boring. The game cannot be completed at a 100% without using Kenway's Fleet (for which you need to be online) and it's really not a very nice change. Though it doesn't have as much bugs/glitches as ACIII, it still have some few game-breaking problems. Aveline missions don't stand on it's own and don't even add anything more to what has been already seen in Liberation. It's a silly thing but, you can't run while using your eagle vission, it's really annoying. Frame rate drops many times when you are running through rooftops in big cities.
    Final thoughts and score:
    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag tries to innovate as much as it can, but the game never managed to stood out from ACII and Brotherhood. Still, it is somewhat refreshing and it is by far the best AC game since Brotherhood.
    Average Score: 8.6/10
    For more Assasssin's Creed Reviews go to:
    http://www.metacritic.com/user/UserScore    … Expand
  7. DittoDude
    Feb 14, 2014
    0
    Awful awful awful game. Wolfpack Discovery mode M4: No Time For Rest is impossible, 100% sync is impossible, and too much sailing. By far, the worst game in the series
  8. NicoDane
    Feb 13, 2014
    10
    Assassins creed 4 Black Flag is a ton of fun. This is the best game i have ever played in 2013. And if this is not the best then it is one of the best assassins creed games that have been made. It has never been more fun looking for treasure. It makes you feel like you are a part of the crew. In Assassins creed Black flag they have combined the gameplay from assassins creed, with theAssassins creed 4 Black Flag is a ton of fun. This is the best game i have ever played in 2013. And if this is not the best then it is one of the best assassins creed games that have been made. It has never been more fun looking for treasure. It makes you feel like you are a part of the crew. In Assassins creed Black flag they have combined the gameplay from assassins creed, with the hunting system from Far Cry. and instead of just have 2 pistol like in Assassins creed 3, you can now have 4 PISTOLS. You have to upgrade Edward, BUT you also have to take care of Jackdaw your ship. Because if you never upgrade it you will never be able to defeat a man'o war.

    Overall: Assassins creed 4 Black Flag is one of the best games Ubisoft has ever made    … Expand
  9. ebj3000
    Feb 2, 2014
    10
    This was easily my favorite AC game so far. It incorporated everything that was good about AC2 and added pirates! One of my favorite games from last year was Far Cry 3, and the open world and crafting of AC4 felt a lot like that game. I absolutely hated AC3 aside form the naval combat, but there wasn't enough of it. AC4 allows you to roam freely, hunt, harpoon, etc. There are plenty ofThis was easily my favorite AC game so far. It incorporated everything that was good about AC2 and added pirates! One of my favorite games from last year was Far Cry 3, and the open world and crafting of AC4 felt a lot like that game. I absolutely hated AC3 aside form the naval combat, but there wasn't enough of it. AC4 allows you to roam freely, hunt, harpoon, etc. There are plenty of side missions to keep you busy as well.

    This is definitely worth your time. Ubisoft is quickly becoming one of my favorite publishers.

    Note: Don't ignore the Community Challenges while you are playing the game if you want to get 100% synced.    … Expand
  10. Vicjo
    Jan 27, 2014
    9
    Assassins creed 4 gets the best the others assassins, the game is very funny, you explore every corner looking all your secrets. Edward kenway is a character with personality (not as connor, assassins 3), but Edward don´t is a assassins only he moves by the money. The gameplay is really fun, climb building never have been so fun, the battles improves respect assassins 3, but far from theAssassins creed 4 gets the best the others assassins, the game is very funny, you explore every corner looking all your secrets. Edward kenway is a character with personality (not as connor, assassins 3), but Edward don´t is a assassins only he moves by the money. The gameplay is really fun, climb building never have been so fun, the battles improves respect assassins 3, but far from the leaders of the genre. The ship battles are something else, very funny but is just doing repetitive. The game has a lot of side quests (follow a guy, kill guy...).

    The main story doesn´t explain anything, if a good game but is a pirates game, not a assassins game.    … Expand
  11. vizard00
    Jan 26, 2014
    3
    AC2 was a great game , but this one named Black flag a pirate story , so expected a great sea experience a views u know sun water birds Land over there... but lol when i played the i was shocked by the quality of the waves and how the Main character Swim its a joke UBI right ?! , a pirate game with a bad water effect and quality , and the character movement are flow at all , so i say andAC2 was a great game , but this one named Black flag a pirate story , so expected a great sea experience a views u know sun water birds Land over there... but lol when i played the i was shocked by the quality of the waves and how the Main character Swim its a joke UBI right ?! , a pirate game with a bad water effect and quality , and the character movement are flow at all , so i say and ill always say AC2 was and will be the best game ever produced in Ac series .… Expand
  12. asfj
    Jan 25, 2014
    0
    Unbelievable for the high reviews. Don't you find this game has very little content, but self copy again and again like bacteria so as to create an epic elusion?

    That's true there are many mini games sprinkled on map...randomly..., but every time you play it, it just repeats the same animation. More annoying is that you have to waste time very long to finish one. Naval battle is in    Unbelievable for the high reviews. Don't you find this game has very little content, but self copy again and again like bacteria so as to create an epic elusion?

    That's true there are many mini games sprinkled on map...randomly..., but every time you play it, it just repeats the same animation. More annoying is that you have to waste time very long to finish one.

    Naval battle is in fact very boring, what all you do is just playing circling game with rival ship to find a good angle to shoot, again and again. If you want to board, you have to waste another 10 mins, during which you just encounter same enemy, same animation, same music and same boarding missions, utterly boring and annoying. But in return, you only gain double loot. The loot is just a form of EXP for your ship, nothing special. So I prefer directly wrecking the rival ship, then gaining even half loot spending just 5 seconds.

    The environment is really visually-tiring, just same coastlines with randomly planted trees.
    The city is very flat, constructed with several pattern of normal buildings randomly composed, Nor historical landmarks or classical/elegant internal architecture at all!!!(Recall what was in AC II is so memorable). The designer boasts the environment is epic... Don't fool us, designing this random and repetitive will cost you very little efforts, you know, lazy. We want diverse and elegant content. I have to say, in AC II, climbing to the peak of buildings to overlook the city is my favorite. However in AC IV, I never do this again because of the so lack-of-characteristic scene.

    What about main story? I have forgotten most of it. What is left is just some repetitive trailing and killing missions. In addition, a strong anxiety/confusion is why the hell does he wear like an assassin?
    The confusion makes me very lack of motivation to continue the game because, in instinct, a strong feeling is that he has no soul of assassin which however is forced to be titled on him by dev so as to be coherent with the franchise.

    After a 4-hour playing, I felt this game is very shabby and hollow, full of random and repetitive mechanism, lack of soul of assassin, with little and tricky effort from dev who seems to have found a lazy way to create an addictive game.
    IMO, it is reasonable for a game to have a certain amount of random and repetitive mechanism to extend gaming time and save cost for dev, but in AC IV , this conduct is too obvious, excessive and aggressive. In other words, the dev are taking customers as fool. This is unacceptable.

    I tried this because of good impression from AC II. Ok, now, I know this franchise has faded. Good bye.    … Expand
  13. Cmcolin
    Jan 22, 2014
    8
    Another winner in the ASSASSIN'S CREED series. A sprawling, open world experience that is as fascinating as it is fun. The graphics, sound, and acting are, perfect and the missions are well designed and interesting. The naval combat has been vastly expanded and is so amazing, it would be easy to simply discard following the story and just pillage on the high seas all day. The game'sAnother winner in the ASSASSIN'S CREED series. A sprawling, open world experience that is as fascinating as it is fun. The graphics, sound, and acting are, perfect and the missions are well designed and interesting. The naval combat has been vastly expanded and is so amazing, it would be easy to simply discard following the story and just pillage on the high seas all day. The game's balance is fantastic, too - never letting the various treasure hunts and side missions muddy the flow.

    The only real problems the game has are in the main storyline. Pirates are simply not as interesting historical figures as those we find in Renaissance Italy or Colonial America. The Templar/Assassin conflict is treated as almost an afterthought and the game does not further the mythology of the AC universe very much. Also, Edward Kenway didn't really do it for me as a main character. His eventual conversion and redemption with the Assassins feels perfunctory and happens far to late in the game to really believe it. I find myself far more interested and engaged in the Black Flag characters when I play as Adawale.

    If you like ASSASSIN'S CREED, you will love this game. It is one that will keep you happy for a good long time.    … Expand
  14. fowl
    Jan 19, 2014
    10
    The BEST AC since the 2nd. Such a great story, so many collectibles, so much to do, maybe the best AC ever, and one of the best Action/Adventure games of 2013.
  15. MikeVernon97
    Jan 12, 2014
    9
    AC4 is a lot of fun. The game's large map demands exploration and the naval element of the game is refreshing and interesting. The story is acceptable but did not come to the same heights as AC3's emotional and powerful story. The caribbean setting is open and full of life. The cities of Kingston, Havana, and Nassau are each very different and fun to explore. The core stealth and combatAC4 is a lot of fun. The game's large map demands exploration and the naval element of the game is refreshing and interesting. The story is acceptable but did not come to the same heights as AC3's emotional and powerful story. The caribbean setting is open and full of life. The cities of Kingston, Havana, and Nassau are each very different and fun to explore. The core stealth and combat mechanics remain basically untouched from AC3 which is both a plus and a minus. It was nice to be able to pick up AC4 and play it without anything new to learn. However, it would have been nice to introduce a deeper combo system. The weapons in AC4 are also pretty limitting being restricted to carrying two swords and only being able to temporarily pick up other weapons. After AC3's large catalogue of swords, tomahawks, daggers, and heavy weapons, AC4 seems like a step down in terms of weapon choice. However, the expansive setting full of rich side quests and missions including hunts for treasure, underwater shipwrecks, island and cave explorations, and plenty of assassination missions make up for any let downs in story or weapon choice. Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag is an excellent game.… Expand
  16. Zodiaci
    Jan 10, 2014
    10
    I'm not a fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise. This game is like they took everything that was wrong with the previous games, threw them in the trash and then disintegrated them. There are way more types of missions, collectibles, secrets and tons of new tricks. Edward Kenway is the first of the series that doesn't decide to chase nearby flies or examine cracks in walls as he's runningI'm not a fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise. This game is like they took everything that was wrong with the previous games, threw them in the trash and then disintegrated them. There are way more types of missions, collectibles, secrets and tons of new tricks. Edward Kenway is the first of the series that doesn't decide to chase nearby flies or examine cracks in walls as he's running around.The combat is still easy, but not as easy as previous games and has an actual feeling like you could be defeated rather than a feeling that you are going to use your massive instakill-explosion at every encounter. It IS still easy though, don't be fooled. The acrobatics you can perform are much easier to use and don't disobey everything you say.
    Also, pirates.    … Expand
  17. 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
  18. XxC_GamingxX
    Jan 9, 2014
    9
    My hopes were Assassin's Creed 4 would be much better than the underwelming, Assssin's Creed 3 (mainly due to the ending).

    The story isn't the best in the franchise but it is well done, For future Assassins Creed games keep The Optional Objectives out of the game, it makes missions more linear if you want that 100%. Naval combat has made a return and better than ever. My favourite    My hopes were Assassin's Creed 4 would be much better than the underwelming, Assssin's Creed 3 (mainly due to the ending).

    The story isn't the best in the franchise but it is well done, For future Assassins Creed games keep The Optional Objectives out of the game, it makes missions more linear if you want that 100%.

    Naval combat has made a return and better than ever.

    My favourite parts of the game were the side missions from Assassin Contracts to simply a game of checkers.

    The Open World is great you can explore the vast sea and access Havana,Nassau and Kingston along with small villages you even get you're own village, you can customize so it has Shops,Taverns etc.

    Despite Assassin's Creed II being the top of the franchise this is my 2nd Favourite Assassin's Creed game

    9/10    … Expand
  19. daan14acdc
    Jan 5, 2014
    9
    i had hopes fore ac4 but this is not what i expectid wow.
    finally a great pirate game a great charecthers and good music.
    a realy great story and ship gameplay just taking down ships is amezing.
    the only thing is they need a new combat then this game wil be even better.
  20. julius98
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    The game itself deserves a 10/10. The limitations on the PS3 result in framerate issues are problematic. I would recommend it for the PC instead......
  21. Zbrawlrock123
    Jan 2, 2014
    10
    Best free roam and can lift your spirit every time. You can upgrade your ship,boarding ships,liberate naval forts, and a long story that can lift you anytime. I recommend you to buy it. It's Awesome!!!
  22. aGUYtoREMEMBER
    Jan 2, 2014
    9
    For those who do not know this game goes backwards in time, however forward in the story. The main guy is Edward Kennway, father of Haythen in AC3 and Grandfather of Connor. that is all I will say.

    I dont know why people say that AC is dying out. This game is really good. Goes into depth, has good side missions, allows you to really explore a much more realistic world and setting.    For those who do not know this game goes backwards in time, however forward in the story. The main guy is Edward Kennway, father of Haythen in AC3 and Grandfather of Connor. that is all I will say.

    I dont know why people say that AC is dying out. This game is really good. Goes into depth, has good side missions, allows you to really explore a much more realistic world and setting.
    Graphic 9/10
    Story 10/10
    controls 9/10
    online- 7/10
    Smoothness 10/10    … Expand
  23. jbi6059
    Jan 1, 2014
    10
    I cant stop playing this game its got everything you need, great graphics, good story, awesome mechanics and barely any lag im pretty sure most gamers would enjoy this game
  24. 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
  25. AliBader1997
    Dec 31, 2013
    10
    Amazing, beautiful, and epic. This game is definitely the best AC game yet, there is soo much stuff to do and yes after a while it does get slightly repetitive but not really in a bad way. The story is simple, but still pretty good and perfectly captures the way of life during the Golden Age of Piracy. Graphics are amazing, way better than AC3 and Edward Kenway is a much more excitingAmazing, beautiful, and epic. This game is definitely the best AC game yet, there is soo much stuff to do and yes after a while it does get slightly repetitive but not really in a bad way. The story is simple, but still pretty good and perfectly captures the way of life during the Golden Age of Piracy. Graphics are amazing, way better than AC3 and Edward Kenway is a much more exciting character than Connor. The only problem I had with this game is the controls, Edward disobeys my command every now and then which sometimes has fatal consequences. Its a 9/10 game, I gave it a 10 because it deserves a higher User Score. 8.1 for this? No way should be 9.5.… Expand
  26. 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
  27. hooper-316
    Dec 30, 2013
    10
    Top game absolutely great fun and I wish I had picked it sooner rather than later.
    I love nearly all aspects of this game from free running to taking control of a full sized galleon but if there is any criticism I would say the online modes are most definitely the worst I've played in recent years which is a crying shame as the rest of the game is a joy to play.
  28. 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
  29. IcedDemon
    Dec 29, 2013
    9
    Jogo fantástico, quem tiver a oportunidade JOGUE.
    Comprei este jogo sem muitas expectativas (pois já havia enjoado do universo de Assassins Creed no 2° jogo da franquia), mesmo assim, após ver a temática nova do jogo fui correndo comprar.
    MEU, QUE JOGO ESSE?
    Se vc gosta de assassinos compre, se vc gosta de piratas compre, se vc gosta de gta com barcos compre, resumindo: JOGÃO!
  30. XxBlackpoisonxX
    Dec 26, 2013
    10
    I thought no AC game could top AC2, but then this game came out, and it was by far the best assassin's creed game I have ever played, and easily the best game I have ever played, after playing the last of us this year, I said it was my favorite game ever, but this game topped it, you should really buy it
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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

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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.
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  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.
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