Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - Freedom Cry

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 254 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 254
  2. Mixed: 113 out of 254
  3. Negative: 48 out of 254

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  1. sems1193
    Jan 18, 2014
    6
    It'll serve you good if you're looking out for more of the Assassin's Creed Black Flag formula and for a refreshing topic that is seldom touched upon in video games: slavery, but if you're looking out for an experience that pays off in the end, save your money. The soundtrack is really nice, however. Yes, Freedom Cry is a decent piece of DLC, but it offers nothing to the AC canon besidesIt'll serve you good if you're looking out for more of the Assassin's Creed Black Flag formula and for a refreshing topic that is seldom touched upon in video games: slavery, but if you're looking out for an experience that pays off in the end, save your money. The soundtrack is really nice, however. Yes, Freedom Cry is a decent piece of DLC, but it offers nothing to the AC canon besides providing an insight into Adewale's story. Just don't expect anything mindblowing in the end.… Expand
  2. tonylaw74
    Jan 7, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I bought the season pass and FC didn't make me feel as though I'd wasted my money. It was a fun tack-on to the main storyline but, in the end, I found myself just wanted to slog through it and see what happened. This was due completely to the fact that freeing slaves simply meant I had access to more items.

    I was excited at first because I saw that I could go around freeing slaves and the more I freed, the more stuff I could have access to; bigger machetes, etc. But I also assumed that, in the end, I would be leading the slave revolt of Haiti and that more freed slaves meant a larger group to lead. But that never happened. Freeing slaves, while morally great, was nothing more than a tool for material gain and nothing more. I really think the developers missed the boat on that part of the game.    … Expand
  3. djjohnsson
    Jul 15, 2014
    6
    What Freedom Cry does well is that it delievers more of Black Flag. Sure Ubisoft could have made a lot better and a lot more with the content but in the purpose of having some more entertaining missions to play out it does well. With the major technical issues however my score drops down to a 6. Until (if ever) Ubisoft fixes the constant freezing I recommend players to get the content asWhat Freedom Cry does well is that it delievers more of Black Flag. Sure Ubisoft could have made a lot better and a lot more with the content but in the purpose of having some more entertaining missions to play out it does well. With the major technical issues however my score drops down to a 6. Until (if ever) Ubisoft fixes the constant freezing I recommend players to get the content as DLC rather than the stand-alone version.… Expand
  4. huss2215
    Dec 26, 2013
    7
    Nice addition to the single player although locking you out of main sequences used to extended the game. The add on is still fun but way too short for the story itself. Around 3-4 hours to complete. 7/10.
  5. aGUYtoREMEMBER
    Mar 3, 2014
    6
    It is a good game add-on here is what I think.

    Pros:
    Good story, nice gaphics, great development.

    Cons:
    small, short in length, and just not reaching the hyped potential
  6. SixThreeBC
    Mar 13, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Eh, I wouldn't say that it was worth $10 to download but it wasn't particularly awful either. The story in itself is standalone, so if you're expecting any loose ends from Black Flag to be tied up here in Freedom Cry you might want to save yourself the trouble. Ade makes a few mentions of Kenway and you do go on a diving mission to visit the wreckage of Jackdaw, but that's about it as far as Black Flag references go. The premise of this DLC is to liberate slaves from oppression, and it does so using gameplay elements identical to those implemented in Black Flag. Ade moves, fights, swims and climbs just as Edward Kenway did as though you are using the same player with a different skin. The Experto Crede sails and battles in an identical manner as the Jackdaw once had. There truly isn't anything new aside from Ade using a Machete and Blunderbuss as his main weapons as opposed to Kenway's Rapier/Pistol combination. You can also throw Firecrackers as a means to distract guards, but there is quite literally only one instance in which they are absolutely essential.

    Black Flag was a good game in my opinion, so with Freedom Cry being so very similar I cannot give it any lower than a 6. As I said, it's a nice 3 hour extension to the main game, but absolutely not worth the monetary investment. If you truly are adamant about the story, I would advise that you watch the cutscenes online. Gameplay-wise Freedom Cry brings nothing new to the table, at all.    … Expand
  7. FallenHero217
    Feb 17, 2014
    7
    Whilst this DLC may be lacking in the amount of time it takes to complete, there's no doubt that Freedom Cry is a very solid DLC. Freeing slaves around the game world gives you personal satisfaction, and the environment detail is as good as it was in the full game, much like the voice acting. I would recommend waiting until the second DLC comes out, and if it stacks up better than FreedomWhilst this DLC may be lacking in the amount of time it takes to complete, there's no doubt that Freedom Cry is a very solid DLC. Freeing slaves around the game world gives you personal satisfaction, and the environment detail is as good as it was in the full game, much like the voice acting. I would recommend waiting until the second DLC comes out, and if it stacks up better than Freedom Cry, purchase the Season pass so that you can get both of them for a cheaper price.… Expand
  8. AccurateReview
    Feb 19, 2014
    7
    Although it may have a great story line, great detail in character, the world is not that big as the main game. As well, you have limited of the options to make. As well, the story is sometimes vague. But it does not lack the adventure and the stealth missions. And there is no "run and stab" missions, which is repeated a lot in the other games. The voice acting is well done. Additionally,Although it may have a great story line, great detail in character, the world is not that big as the main game. As well, you have limited of the options to make. As well, the story is sometimes vague. But it does not lack the adventure and the stealth missions. And there is no "run and stab" missions, which is repeated a lot in the other games. The voice acting is well done. Additionally, whenever I see a slave trying to escape, it makes me want to stop what I am doing and save the slave. This game is well done and it could have been better if the story was well more set and the world was much bigger.… Expand
  9. LongMaySheReign
    Mar 13, 2014
    7
    It is lamentable that Ubisoft, in making one of the first games focusing entirely or intently on the Atlantic slave-trade, decided upon a such a gormless story. While Adewale may be an engaging protagonist he is certainly no Django or Solomon Northup, and literally every other character in 'Freedom Cry' is either inanely stereotypical or insufficiently fleshed out.

    This is especially    It is lamentable that Ubisoft, in making one of the first games focusing entirely or intently on the Atlantic slave-trade, decided upon a such a gormless story. While Adewale may be an engaging protagonist he is certainly no Django or Solomon Northup, and literally every other character in 'Freedom Cry' is either inanely stereotypical or insufficiently fleshed out.

    This is especially disappointing as the game's developers appear to have had everything at their disposal to tell a more captivating and engaging story; perhaps even something that might resemble "Django Unchained: The Video Game" were it ever made.

    The gameplay itself is almost indistinguishable from that seen in 'Black Flag' and the major addition to the player's arsenal -- the 'blunderbluss' -- is utterly, obscenely, unrealistically overpowered. That's not to say that the gameplay is bad or boring, but gamers who have already spent 25 hours on 'Black Flag' will find that the experience is almost indiscernible from the original title.    … Expand
  10. TheNastyDraw
    Jun 29, 2015
    7
    Freedom Cry is a rare game , the type of the game that presents you with a good value for money proposition. It's a standalone DLC story where you take control of Adewale , Edward Kenways second in command in Black Flag and takes you to some remote Carribean Islands you dont get to go to in the main game, and tasks you with freeing slaves and maroons from plantations and ships.

    I got a    Freedom Cry is a rare game , the type of the game that presents you with a good value for money proposition. It's a standalone DLC story where you take control of Adewale , Edward Kenways second in command in Black Flag and takes you to some remote Carribean Islands you dont get to go to in the main game, and tasks you with freeing slaves and maroons from plantations and ships.

    I got a good few hours out of the storyline and enjoyed the refreshing take on the series. I thought the music was great the representation of some of the characters was good and i honestly enjoyed this small story a lot more than some of the bigger "full retail" games in this series. Gameplay wise it is very similar to Black Flag as Adewale gets his own ship to command.

    Conclusion : I think Ubisoft would do well to put more effort into their standalones like Freedom Cry , I really seem to be enjoying the smaller scale Ubisoft games at the moment    … Expand
  11. LatinCritic13
    May 18, 2020
    6
    Set after the events of ACIV, Adewale's story of revenge and freedom cry is way too short to appreciate. At least, it's better than that pointless Aveline's PS4 story exclusive chapter add-on.
  12. Uygar
    Aug 30, 2017
    7
    The Freedom Cry downloadable content is set twenty years after the events of Black Flag and follows Adéwalé in his mission as an Assassin. While attempting to intercept Templar activities in the West Indies Sea, Adéwalé is shipwrecked off the coast of Haiti.
  13. KayVen17
    Feb 11, 2019
    7
    Deutsche Review

    Pro: + geile Regen/Sturm-Effekte + sehr guter Soundtrack! + sehr gute deutsche Synchro + die Gesichter der Charaktere sind noch heute detailreich + das Klettern macht wie immer Spaß Contra: - etwas trockener Anfang - AC typisch-schlechte KI der Gegner - AUfgaben wiederholen sich - Ubisoft-Formel - HUD ist zu überladen - Story ist sehr "belanglos" -    Deutsche Review

    Pro:

    + geile Regen/Sturm-Effekte
    + sehr guter Soundtrack!
    + sehr gute deutsche Synchro
    + die Gesichter der Charaktere sind noch heute detailreich
    + das Klettern macht wie immer Spaß

    Contra:

    - etwas trockener Anfang
    - AC typisch-schlechte KI der Gegner
    - AUfgaben wiederholen sich
    - Ubisoft-Formel
    - HUD ist zu überladen
    - Story ist sehr "belanglos"
    - Spiel ist zweimal im Menü abgestürzt
    - manchmal waren Passanten transparent (Grafikfehler)

    Punkte: 66/100    … Expand
  14. Alvokun
    Aug 5, 2017
    5
    I have not enjoyed this game whatsoever. About six years ago I stopped buying Assassin's Creed games as they were always repetitive and uninteresting to me, but at least the last ones I played (Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood) had charm and a nice gameplay.

    In the case of this DLC/short game, which I would have probably never played if it had not been free for PSN Plus users,    I have not enjoyed this game whatsoever. About six years ago I stopped buying Assassin's Creed games as they were always repetitive and uninteresting to me, but at least the last ones I played (Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood) had charm and a nice gameplay.

    In the case of this DLC/short game, which I would have probably never played if it had not been free for PSN Plus users, gameplay is simply awful: the controls are a constant struggle, both on land when playing as the assassin and, particularly, when on the ship. If they were going to offer such a boring and repetitive naval elements, they should have directly not included them; I would have preferred so.

    Regarding the storyline, I found it uninteresting as well (though I must recognize that slavery is a topic I am not particularly fond of). There are some slightly good moments, but the constant frustration because of gameplay and being stupidly detected ruin everything.

    I guess the other Assassin's Creed games are not this bad, they cannot be. I will not be the one checking it, anyway.    … Expand
  15. ViniciusBrito
    Feb 9, 2019
    5
    This is a stand alone DLC from the game Assassin's Creed IV Black flag, that was originally released for playstation 3.
    Adewale is a originally a sailor that worked with Edward Kenway, the main character in the original game, in here the story happens 15 years after the main game, where Adewale finds himself shipwrecked and with no crew in a city full of of slaves. It is made by Ubisoft.    This is a stand alone DLC from the game Assassin's Creed IV Black flag, that was originally released for playstation 3.
    Adewale is a originally a sailor that worked with Edward Kenway, the main character in the original game, in here the story happens 15 years after the main game, where Adewale finds himself shipwrecked and with no crew in a city full of of slaves. It is made by Ubisoft.
    The story in this dlc is fine, it isn't complex or big, it works more as a background than anything, none of the characters have layers or anything different or specific, it is a very shallow story line, but it does have a nice historical context about slavery, and it is nice that you can free them and have them joined in your team as a rebellion, this is nice, the problem is that you never see that working as a rebellion, there is a group of people in certain place that don't really do much during the course of the narrative.
    This DLC does have that same map aspect the original game, where you can get to your ship and travel to different places, in small islands that can only be acessed by this way, wich take us to the best part and moments of the game, wich is the sea parts, it is perfect that they have bringed it back from the game, the fact that you can get in the ship and sail to other places freely are very cool and fun, while in the sea you can see a lot of other ships, you can see Waterspout, sea animals that you can hunt them if you want to, it is a very nice place to be while in the game traveling around.
    The moments where you aren't in the sea aren't very fun, it was already kind boring at that time, and this one while in the ground aren't much fun to do, it is pretty much the same as we already was used to in the other 3 or 4 games that came first, there some nice gadgets that we can use, some different kind of missions to release prisoners, it may be fun at first, but after a hour it is already way to repetitive.
    So the sea part it is dope and very fun to play, and the ground one it is boring and way to repetitive.    … Expand
  16. EmadF7000
    Oct 14, 2017
    6
    This Game is not bad, but it has so many glitches, every time i kill an enemy his body glitches through the floor.
    This Game costs around 20$ on the PlayStation Store which i say is fair it only took me 15 Hours to complete all the missions and an extra 5 Hours to explore and synchronize each island.
    All of the missions are easy but the part i hate the most is when the mission is locked    This Game is not bad, but it has so many glitches, every time i kill an enemy his body glitches through the floor.
    This Game costs around 20$ on the PlayStation Store which i say is fair it only took me 15 Hours to complete all the missions and an extra 5 Hours to explore and synchronize each island.
    All of the missions are easy but the part i hate the most is when the mission is locked that i have to free a specific number of slaves, sometimes it says 20, sometimes it says 400.
    But i wouldn't lie if i didn't enjoy freeing the slaves and stealing cargo from ship those are the only good thing from this game.
    i would recommend you buying this game, if you are one of those guys who play video games to get to the platinum trophy, will this is one of those games.
    I Hope you buy this game to get all of the trophies because that's the only good thing other than freeing slaves and stealing a ships cargo.    … Expand
  17. morakasper
    Nov 2, 2017
    6
    So when I started the game (DLC) I was actually happy and excited, but at the end of the game it felt like an obligation to me to finish it (I completed everything). The map it’s fine, yeah, but I think that it would be better if it had more side quests ore activities to do. Adéwalé was a more interesting character on the AC IV Black Flag game and in this DLC I feel like it was despised.So when I started the game (DLC) I was actually happy and excited, but at the end of the game it felt like an obligation to me to finish it (I completed everything). The map it’s fine, yeah, but I think that it would be better if it had more side quests ore activities to do. Adéwalé was a more interesting character on the AC IV Black Flag game and in this DLC I feel like it was despised. Yeah the DLC can give you a very reduced idea of what AC compared to other AC expansions, like the Death Kings expansion in AC Unity. The story for me wasn’t very interesting, it has some interesting missions but because of the UI and animation “problems” (that don't feel very flee-flowing) on the DLC the missions weren’t that good. To finish I recommend the game if you want an idea of what AC is or was because with Origins a lot of things have changed. The prize is very fair but I’ll give it a 6/10.… Expand
  18. Benonline27
    Nov 10, 2017
    5
    pros:
    stealth
    graphics
    open world
    piracy
    weapons

    cons:
    repetitive
    characters
    voice acting
    ai
    combat
    short story
    bad story
    a lot of forgotten features
    ruined ending
    after game is finished your only option is to restart
  19. TheCornflex
    Feb 1, 2018
    7
    Really short, but as good as Black Flag. There is not really much to do so I prefer Black Flag.
  20. Berik
    Oct 31, 2020
    7
    To my surprise, I'm enjoying Freedom Cry far more than Black Flag. This is the stand-alone expansion to Black Flag, and instead of Kenway you play as Adewale.

    Story: In Black Flag the assassins Creed storyline of Desmond and the pieces of Eden was all but **** on to make a watered down pirate game. The assassins storyline was boring, and Edward was a very politically correct and    To my surprise, I'm enjoying Freedom Cry far more than Black Flag. This is the stand-alone expansion to Black Flag, and instead of Kenway you play as Adewale.

    Story:
    In Black Flag the assassins Creed storyline of Desmond and the pieces of Eden was all but **** on to make a watered down pirate game. The assassins storyline was boring, and Edward was a very politically correct and underwhelming pirate (and character). Those themes are just an afterthought, as the big main theme of Freedom Cry is slavery. And to my surprise this gives satisfaction to the game. Kill slavers, free the slaves and repeat. Now that's what i call justice! It's an enjoyable game loop (on land).

    Gameplay:
    It is the same gameplay as Black Flag, and that was pretty good. As this game is far shorter than Black Flag, the game feels more linear. You can still go out and explore, but there's not much to find. And i think that's to the betterment of the entertainment value. Freeing slaves is your progression meter, and the more slaves you free the more upgrades you unlock. So doing the good thing gets you rewards! Isn't that awesome!? You can also kill whales and sharks still though...

    Graphics:
    Back in 2014 Ubisoft was still competing to deliver good graphics. In 2020 they have abandoned it altogether to sell you time savers and push out as much content as possible, but Freedom Cry does not age badly. It's not that good either though.

    Game loop:
    Kill slavers, free slaves, get rewarded, rince and repeat. On land i find this loop to be very enjoyable. The naval combat is still fun, but i feel like it is secondary to the satisfaction of killing dozens of enemies on land.

    Technical state:
    The game is a little bit more shaky than Black Flag. During a boarding, the reaction time between pressing a button and getting a reaction is still lagging, and the camera is too constricting and moves sluggishly. Other times it isn't showing the proper angle, thus leading to some very cheap deaths by off screen attacks. Adewale sometimes goes Windows 95 on you during a counter animation, which should really terrify those 18th century sailors.

    It is a good game, as its smaller size and new theme feel more satisfying. Unfortunately it also suffers from the same problems as Black Flag. I give it an 7/10.    … Expand
  21. PSGaming
    May 30, 2021
    7
    It was very short experience.Gameplay, graphics and audio are the same.Story is interesting,but not that great.
  22. Alm0
    May 9, 2020
    7
    The gameplay is cool the fighting mechanic is cool too im not bored stil but the story is bad
  23. DzmitryBoston
    Jul 8, 2020
    6
    Not enough for a stand-alone game, just a short addition to the black flag experience. Might be skipped.
  24. FRIST_008
    Jun 14, 2021
    5
    Когда есть геймплей и нет сюжета, это как есть шашлык без кетчупа или кетчуп без шашлыка
  25. iCampoRamil
    May 5, 2022
    6
    Bien, la historia está guay, incluso tiene momentos bastante crudos, pero no expande demasiado, en general no se la juega, correcto en la mayoría de sus aspectos.

    · Cosas buenas: el equilibrio que plantea, Adéwalé es un gran personaje, y algunas escenas están realmente bien. · Cosas malas: no arriesga en absoluto, es más o menos lo mismo. · Conclusión: interesante de jugar, pero no te    Bien, la historia está guay, incluso tiene momentos bastante crudos, pero no expande demasiado, en general no se la juega, correcto en la mayoría de sus aspectos.

    · Cosas buenas: el equilibrio que plantea, Adéwalé es un gran personaje, y algunas escenas están realmente bien.
    · Cosas malas: no arriesga en absoluto, es más o menos lo mismo.
    · Conclusión: interesante de jugar, pero no te va a maravillar, algunas mecánicas nueva están guays.    … Expand
  26. mikesgold2K
    May 16, 2023
    7
    trochę uboższy Black Flag z naciskiem na problem niewolnictwa i walki z nim. Przyjemnie się gra choć miejscami toporność męczy
  27. BrianDavid94
    Oct 22, 2022
    7
    Quick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rarer for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find somethingQuick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rarer for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find something new that I didn't think I'd like. I own a PC (built by me), Xbox One X, Xbox Series X, PS3, PS4, PS5, and a Switch. I prefer Playstation due to their focus on narrative games. For scoring, I’ll be using the Gameinformer review scale and of course influenced by my personal opinions.

    (7) Average. The game’s feature may work, but are nothing that even causal players haven’t seen before.

    Short stand alone game that was originally planned as Black Flag DLC. It touches on slavery which is nice but I think this topic should be more explored more in a full game in the AC world. its in the AC world but adds nothing to the overall lore of ac. Get this game if you just want more ac content and to continue naval content that Black Flag did very well with but otherwise I would pass especially if you're worn out from Black Flag. There is nothing wrong with the game but there is also nothing to look forward to.    … Expand
  28. dr-kenobi
    Sep 7, 2022
    7
    Nice little DLC to check what happened to Adewale. Not great, not terrible.
  29. Agt_Killionaire
    Jun 14, 2023
    7
    This game is more like a paid trial to the main game. It does not have all the meat to stand successfully on its own. Though if it were not standalone I probably would have never played it. Everything is the same except for a couple of weapons and a liberation system to unlock gear.
    The two new weapons are the machete and the blunderbuss. Throughout my play through I avoided using them.    This game is more like a paid trial to the main game. It does not have all the meat to stand successfully on its own. Though if it were not standalone I probably would have never played it. Everything is the same except for a couple of weapons and a liberation system to unlock gear.
    The two new weapons are the machete and the blunderbuss. Throughout my play through I avoided using them. The better blunderbuss has a wider spread that probably was great for gathering a group of enemies and wiping them away with a quick shot. The machete I had an issue with as I felt it killed in the same amount of hits as a sword but you had to swing it slower.
    I’m sure most people’s favorite aspect of this game is the ship combat. It’s the same as the main game and has one issue I did not enjoy. When you would fire the cannons at a stand still the smoke would rise up and block vision. It is not enough to cause a major issue but slowed ship combat a tiny bit.
    The story is very short with 9 total missions. My least favorite of these comes down to the eavesdropping ones. The story is about Adewale after his story with Edward and his training with the assassins. He is deserted on the island of Haiti and tries to help with the liberation of slaves.    … Expand
  30. FrankCreeper
    Jul 28, 2023
    7
    Its not a bad game but for a stand-alone game....it is very shortly the story its pretty with his protagonist too bad combat system its still the same as his predecessor...for the free roaming...its more repetitive than Black Flag after all this problem is still a good and shortly game

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PS4 Game of 2013
16
#16 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2013
11
#11 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Game Revolution
    Jan 14, 2014
    80
    Adéwalé has his moments, but the real draw here is in the expansion of free-form gameplay both on land and at sea, meaning Freedom Cry succeeds at what it set out to do.
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  2. Cheat Code Central
    Jan 8, 2014
    90
    Despite its issues, both technical and philosophical, I'm giving Freedom Cry a “must play” rating. I think it's an important start in tackling such a difficult and tragic topic via the medium of interactive entertainment.
    Read full review
  3. Hardcore Gamer
    Jan 6, 2014
    80
    Freedom Cry is simply a great addition to an excellent game, offering a story worth experiencing across a setting worth exploring.
    Read full review
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