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. TCJT11-10-1996
    Nov 8, 2013
    10
    THAT IS AN AWESOME GAME MAN! IT`S SOOOO COOOOL!!!!!!! I love ASSASSINS!!! NICE GAMEPLAY, GRAPHICS, AND VISUALS! THIS GAME IS VERY NICE!!! OXD OXD OXD OXD
  2. aaronspada
    Nov 15, 2013
    3
    The graphics are great, the game play is just awful. I didn't like ac 3 and I was wishing for a better game here and it just didn't deliver a great game. this will honestly be the last ac i will ever buy.
  3. The_Crusader
    Nov 17, 2013
    8
    In AC4, you follow the life of a privateer turned pirate turned assassin, Edward Kenway. This game, however, mostly ignores the conflict between Assassins and Templars.
  4. dj51234
    Nov 1, 2013
    3
    I feel like this is a DLC extension of Assassin's Creed 3. And like the other user said, it is the same missions from past games. Follow a guy, trail some guy, kill another guy. SAME missions, different setting. The ship stuff was a good idea but it is boring to me.
  5. austenite
    Dec 15, 2013
    2
    This game is bland. The combat is the same boring system used in previous AC games. You simply wait for the O to appear above your head then press it, then do it, then Square then do it over again 1000 times.(twirls finger in the air).

    The ship combat had the potential to be interesting. If they had included actual sailing mechanics (adjusting the sail angle depending on wind) it would    This game is bland. The combat is the same boring system used in previous AC games. You simply wait for the O to appear above your head then press it, then do it, then Square then do it over again 1000 times.(twirls finger in the air).

    The ship combat had the potential to be interesting. If they had included actual sailing mechanics (adjusting the sail angle depending on wind) it would have been. Instead it controls like driving a really big car about 5 mph in a giant parking lot. Not terribly exciting.

    The parkour bits are the same as previous games. You hold down a button and do all sorts of fancy free running stuff. No effort needed on the part of the player.

    The dialog and story are, at best, boring.    … Expand
  6. jafc34
    Nov 7, 2013
    9
    Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is a solid step up from the previous games, while it retains the core stealth assassination aspects of the game the story line has been re grafted around the life and times of a pirate captain which provides a more balanced and accessible gaming experience which would give it a wider appeal to more gamers. You can choose which aspect to focus on and advance theAssassin’s Creed Black Flag is a solid step up from the previous games, while it retains the core stealth assassination aspects of the game the story line has been re grafted around the life and times of a pirate captain which provides a more balanced and accessible gaming experience which would give it a wider appeal to more gamers. You can choose which aspect to focus on and advance the story as you please with plenty of side missions and exploration to ignore or investigate along the way.

    The story line is not a heavy presence in the game, that may please some but not all, the real world non historical persona of the character is nearly minimal and far less obtrusive than before.

    The game play mechanic is essentially the same with the addition of the new ability to pilot a ship and engaged in ship to ship warfare which is well done. The graphics are of high quality with the exception of the game world edge zones which are just annoying and the Hud which can get a little cluttered if there is a lot going on. The upgrade system is good, but some items do require additional real world purchases to obtain which is disappointing.

    An excellent AS game, it is well rounded, engaging and much better than the previous two games. An excellent point for those who have not played the series before to enter and enjoy. Wait until the price is not ridiculous and then put this one on your shelf, you will not be sorry.    … Expand
  7. 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.
  8. MitchellKiss
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    Fantastic game! Best in the series since the glorious Assassin's Creed 2 and fixes almost all of the issues of the divisive Assassin's Creed 3. Black Flag delivers a beautiful open world experience which is as good as other open world games we have seen this gen, like Red Dead Redemption and Far Cry 3!
  9. akshajb07
    Nov 7, 2013
    10
    superb game! great mix of assasins creed 2 and brotherhood plus the pirates theme and gemeplay is amazing! it's a must buy for all real gamers. A great game no matter what the critics say it is a great game
  10. woop952
    Nov 6, 2013
    9
    Wow Samax22 I hope you're not expecting anyone to take your review seriously, jaysus. First off, this game is great, absolutely beautiful, there is a lot of stuff to do.Very addicting, I played over 30 hours in my first session. It will take you about 60 hours or more to do the main story, explore every location, and to do most of the side quest. Characters are pretty good as well,Wow Samax22 I hope you're not expecting anyone to take your review seriously, jaysus. First off, this game is great, absolutely beautiful, there is a lot of stuff to do.Very addicting, I played over 30 hours in my first session. It will take you about 60 hours or more to do the main story, explore every location, and to do most of the side quest. Characters are pretty good as well, Blackbeard and James Kidd are among the standouts. I liked the story except for the ending. Gameplay is good, same as AC3. There are a few things I didn't like, you will spend a lot of time following people around while trying to avoid guards and it can get annoying. And there in not that many missions in each sequence. But overall it's a great game, 9/10 for me.… Expand
  11. Hellion
    Dec 21, 2013
    0
    One of the most overrated franchises ever created. Predictable plot, mediocre combat, and worst of all..tons of cliches. Don't understand the hype or the interest.
  12. seantimothy
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    The game is blowing my mind. They've combined all the best elements of all the games before, including Brotherhood, and packed it into what is undeniably the best action adventure game out on the PS3 right now. But don't take my word for it, at least rent it. But I'm thinking the replay value is worth the buy.
  13. 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
  14. Gamer44
    Nov 4, 2013
    10
    Assassins Creed IV is a phenomenal gaming experience this is truly the best assassins creed to date. The graphics is gorgeous the controls are smooth and the game is extremely fun and quickly becomes addictive. Ubisoft once again delivered a phenomenal game.

    Being a true die hard fan of the assassins creed games I was not let down one bit by this game it is a flawless gaming experience    Assassins Creed IV is a phenomenal gaming experience this is truly the best assassins creed to date. The graphics is gorgeous the controls are smooth and the game is extremely fun and quickly becomes addictive. Ubisoft once again delivered a phenomenal game.

    Being a true die hard fan of the assassins creed games I was not let down one bit by this game it is a flawless gaming experience and one I will enjoy for many more hours and years to come.

    If you played all the assassins creed games then I highly recommend this for you because simply you won't be disappointed a bit. Each assassins creed game was phenomenal but the fourth installment is by far the most superior one of them all.

    Thank you Ubisoft for delivering and making such an amazing game and I look forward to the future ahead wit Ubisoft    … Expand
  15. Joss
    Nov 3, 2013
    8
    Very interesting open world with excellent Naval navigation and boat fight. A lot of frustration from ACIII disapear with smart upgrades like economic system, hunting, and it's bug free On the ground, Parkour and jumping aren't precise enough for me, and AI is so dumb. But sword fight and assassinate is always the force of the game (more and more brutal). The Story is good withVery interesting open world with excellent Naval navigation and boat fight. A lot of frustration from ACIII disapear with smart upgrades like economic system, hunting, and it's bug free On the ground, Parkour and jumping aren't precise enough for me, and AI is so dumb. But sword fight and assassinate is always the force of the game (more and more brutal). The Story is good with charismatic pirates, and a good evolution. but like in every open world, it's sometime difficult to maintain the rythm. Seemless transitions between cinematic and gameplay are on the good way. To be honest, it's a good opus (more pirate than assassin and you could appreciate the multiplayer upgrade too.… Expand
  16. 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
  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. SJ555
    Nov 26, 2013
    9
    Pros-
    *Vast and Beautiful World
    *Distinctive cities and locations to see
    *Edward is Epic
    *Vastly improved naval gameplay
    *Stylish story and character
    *Surprisingly good side-mission

    Cons-
    *Bugs
    *Repetition in story mission
    *Kinda lost that Assassins Creed Edge

    Overall a way much better than AC3 an absolute amazing game
  19. RobyMarian2800
    Nov 3, 2013
    10
    Guys, the AC series is one of the best video games ever made. Yeah AC4 brings some things from AC2 like exploration but the are a lot of things that are better in AC4: 1.the Jackdaw is like the AC3 manor. In AC3 you needed to upgrade it in order to unlock some upgrades to the weapons. The Jackdaw is more resistent if you upgrade it.
    2. There are new weapons in the game like the dual    Guys, the AC series is one of the best video games ever made. Yeah AC4 brings some things from AC2 like exploration but the are a lot of things that are better in AC4: 1.the Jackdaw is like the AC3 manor. In AC3 you needed to upgrade it in order to unlock some upgrades to the weapons. The Jackdaw is more resistent if you upgrade it.
    2. There are new weapons in the game like the dual swords, the blow pipe, berzerk pipe, and the best of them all the 4 pistols that have free aiming.
    3. the treasures are all over the world
    4.you can hunt sharks.
    So before leaving a negative review to this game, please PLAY IT!    … Expand
  20. moviefan2
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    i was not in the mood to write a review, but i thought this one deserves some props. when i first started playing, i was thinking brotherhood, which i did like. as i continued to play it just kept getting better. there is so much to do. the side missions and challenges were rewarding and challenging. the choice to do inland or sea missions was great because sometimes your mood wantsi was not in the mood to write a review, but i thought this one deserves some props. when i first started playing, i was thinking brotherhood, which i did like. as i continued to play it just kept getting better. there is so much to do. the side missions and challenges were rewarding and challenging. the choice to do inland or sea missions was great because sometimes your mood wants something different. the ship action was fun. i can't imagine why some didn't like this unless they don't like ac games. this is probably my favorite ac game so far. thank you ubi for a awesome game. the only thing i didn't like about this was that you can't attack the characters that aren't part of the mission. i like being able to interact with the innocent like in brotherhood. you can run into them or not them off of the docks, but that's pretty much it. great game still, just bring back the cheap attacks on the innocent...sounds bad, but it added a little mischievousness to the game.… Expand
  21. spookey0188
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    I'm a big fan of the ac series. ac1 was awesome, ac2 was amazing, brotherhood was pretty good, revelation was crap, ac3 was terrible, but ac4 is probably my favorite out of the whole series. although ezio is still a better character with a better story, I still loved Edward as well. just get the game!
  22. CrashJones
    Nov 6, 2013
    9
    The 1st AC I played was III. About 4 months ago. I stopped playing before opening up anything major due to weird control issues. I got II about a month and a half ago, hearing it was the best one, and wanting to get to know the story before Black Flag came out. I burned through ACII & Brotherhood. I loved them both. Revelations is a beautiful game. The tower defense game people complainThe 1st AC I played was III. About 4 months ago. I stopped playing before opening up anything major due to weird control issues. I got II about a month and a half ago, hearing it was the best one, and wanting to get to know the story before Black Flag came out. I burned through ACII & Brotherhood. I loved them both. Revelations is a beautiful game. The tower defense game people complain about can be avoided by visiting the heralds. I was going to finish Revelations before picking up black flag, but could not resist.
    Black Flag is a Pirate game first and foremost. A GREAT pirate game. Since November 1st I have hardly stopped(November 9th today...wow... 8 days, gone, just like that). I am at 52% completed and the game awesome.
    I took a break from it yesterday and put Revelations back on and enjoyed a great 1 hour session playing the older Ezio. During that session I got to compare straight up(I also collected the 3rd disc and got to play Altair, seeing what happened to his youngest son and wife.. Revelations rocks as well...making the "Ezio Trilogy" the best Assassin "game".
    BUT!!!
    If you want Pirates!?!

    AC4:Black Flag IS the game for you!    … Expand
  23. 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.
  24. monkeydluffy
    Dec 8, 2013
    9
    this is the best ac game the best part are the fights you can have with your ship the whole pirate theme is really good the online is pretty fun but no one is better than ezio and thats why is not a ten on ten
  25. LegacyFlareGame
    Dec 26, 2013
    8
    So the assassin's creed franchise continues to amaze gamers with this game being set it the pirate time era it calls for great pirate gameplay,fun and shenanigans. You play the role of Edward Kenway farther to Haythem Kenway [Charter from AC3]. I played this on ps3 and the game looks good for how a PS3 game also on next gen game should be. It brings over the naval combat from AC3 and isSo the assassin's creed franchise continues to amaze gamers with this game being set it the pirate time era it calls for great pirate gameplay,fun and shenanigans. You play the role of Edward Kenway farther to Haythem Kenway [Charter from AC3]. I played this on ps3 and the game looks good for how a PS3 game also on next gen game should be. It brings over the naval combat from AC3 and is stella the naval combat is definitely the best bit of the game. Where the naval combat is great the hand to hand combat really sucks press square to attack and press circle to counter in coming attacks adding pistol and other weapons to the combat that have other effects. The stealth feels really lame in this game with it being used less and less from other assassin's creed games. The charters such as Edward and your pirate crew are really awesome but you never feel like a pirate your crew always loves you and nothing really fell as your a pirate. The world in this game is amazing from the giant open ocean and vass epic landscapes are great to play in felt as a massive expanded far cry 3. The Desmond story dosen't continue
    in this game [thankfully] instead you play as you and go into the animus to play as Edward and do all the epic pirate snazz. The misson types are great ranging from a wide range of activates to do and plenty of side quest, hunting and plenty more. Assassin's Creed 4 black flag is my favourite assassin's creed game ever the pirate theme is great its well packed with a great open world but it still lacks in the combat which lets the game down for they really need to fix this in the instalment of the franchise The final verdict is a 8.5 a Great game and this defiantly one not to miss this holiday season    … 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. SpawnCap
    Apr 21, 2014
    10
    One of my favorite Assassin's Creed game. Lots of content, ship battles are great, really makes you feel like a bad@ss Assassin/Pirate. Best graphics so far.
  28. FranciscoM
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    Unlike some of my friends of praise AC 1 and 2 and the best games of the series, Black Flag was actually the first time I was in contact in the series and I loved it! It doesn't really feel like an AC game, to be honest, it focuses more on the historical events than anything else but that's why I loved it! Couldn't recommend it enough!
  29. 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
  30. Apollus
    Dec 20, 2013
    10
    I really wanted to give this game a 9.5, but I rounded to 10.

    Let me start off by saying that this is my first Assassin's Creed game. I have been reluctant to start one for a while since I figured I didn't know the story or game-play. I easily jumped right into the game. The controls are pretty basic and the gameplay is fairly easy to grasp. I would suggest looking up some major    I really wanted to give this game a 9.5, but I rounded to 10.

    Let me start off by saying that this is my first Assassin's Creed game. I have been reluctant to start one for a while since I figured I didn't know the story or game-play.

    I easily jumped right into the game. The controls are pretty basic and the gameplay is fairly easy to grasp. I would suggest looking up some major plot points before starting, though not really necessary. I do not love this game because of the story, but rather the open world pirate setting. It baffles me that it took this long for a pirate game of this quality to be made.

    I am still curious as to whether I would like another Assassin's Creed game due to somewhat repetitive trailing missions, but this was the perfect dose for me.    … Expand
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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

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
See all critic reviews »