Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2658 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,006 out of 2658
  2. Mixed: 448 out of 2658
  3. Negative: 204 out of 2658
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  1. Lezzly
    May 28, 2023
    8
    Black Flag dał mi nowe spojrzenie na serie Assassin's Creed. Przewybornie napisany bohater, który przemierza morza i oceany na swojej Kawce z liczną załogą to coś, czego jeszcze nie było. Gigantyczna mapa pozwala nam na wiele godzin zabawy, co jak dla mnie jest okej. Najbardziej podobała mi się Havana. Nie muszę chyba wspominać o klimacie jakiego możemy doświadczyć. Mocna zmiana.
  2. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Best pirate game ever made. Too many following missions, but the sailing and the exploration and the upgrades and the stealth and the swashbuckling... it's just damn good.
  3. FrankCreeper
    Jul 28, 2023
    8
    A beatiful sequel of Assassin's Creed 3 with a fantastic free roaming style....and a great setting of atmosphere and a beatiful story.Still worth it to play after a decade only one thing is bad the repetitive of combat system style
  4. rodericrinehart
    Jan 30, 2016
    7
    A fun action-movie romp, with too much focus in the animus, and honestly, a pirate game in an Assassin's Creed skin. Doesn't really utilize the power of the PS4 due to being on all the old consoles.
  5. Mando44646
    Feb 17, 2014
    7
    Fun pirate simulator, not so great Assassins Creed game.

    Being a pirate in this game was a ton of fun, and if thats what the game was supposed to focus on, then this would easily be a 9 and not a 7. But the actual AC story in it was just awful compared to previous games. Edward isnt really an assassin and is about the worst protagonist in any of the games in that light. As a pirate, he    Fun pirate simulator, not so great Assassins Creed game.

    Being a pirate in this game was a ton of fun, and if thats what the game was supposed to focus on, then this would easily be a 9 and not a 7. But the actual AC story in it was just awful compared to previous games. Edward isnt really an assassin and is about the worst protagonist in any of the games in that light. As a pirate, he works great. The story progression of AC as a franchise also stalled out a bit in this game and not much was added. Also, more of the same; this makes the 3rd AC game in 2 years set in the colonial North American setting and its getting old now.

    I hope to see the next AC do something new in regards to setting and period and I hope to see a true entry in the AC franchise story-wise.    … Expand
  6. intrepidis
    Jan 4, 2014
    7
    A good game, but could be better. Visuals: the sea, ships, towns and animals look great. The resolution and frame-rate are both impeccable. Although the character models are sharp and move great, I find the skin textures are too shiny to be believable. (Maybe I've been spoilt by Heavy Rain The Last of Us?) Audio: music is spot on, sound effects are great. Sailing the seas and listening toA good game, but could be better. Visuals: the sea, ships, towns and animals look great. The resolution and frame-rate are both impeccable. Although the character models are sharp and move great, I find the skin textures are too shiny to be believable. (Maybe I've been spoilt by Heavy Rain The Last of Us?) Audio: music is spot on, sound effects are great. Sailing the seas and listening to your crew sing sea shanties heightens the experience.

    Gameplay: At first I just wanted to get on a ship and sail to new islands, to explore on my own... But I found the game shepherding me too much and I had to fulfill its tasks, which was annoying. After a while the game opened up and I could explore as I wanted, but the thrill had kind of passed by then. (I'm probably being too harsh here.) Another thing is that big blue unbelievable walls (Animus style) appear telling you that you can't proceed in certain directions while in the current mission. I hate that. In fact, the whole Animus idea really destroys the illusion of the game (and previous Assassin Creed games). All Animus sections are boring... I just want to be a pirate. Anyway, you eventually find the strength to ignore all this nonsense.

    Summary: a lovely game, marred by some annoyances, but well worth a playthrough. The companion app (for your phone/tablet) is also brilliant.    … Expand
  7. Kenmei
    Dec 12, 2013
    7
    If you were to directly compare this to AC 3, then this is a huge improvement over what was easily the worst game in the series. If you compare the game to the entire series, then it probably ranks as the 2nd or 3rd best game to come out so far. The biggest thing here is the emphasis on the ships in this game. If you didn't like it in the last game, then you'll hate it here and it'll turnIf you were to directly compare this to AC 3, then this is a huge improvement over what was easily the worst game in the series. If you compare the game to the entire series, then it probably ranks as the 2nd or 3rd best game to come out so far. The biggest thing here is the emphasis on the ships in this game. If you didn't like it in the last game, then you'll hate it here and it'll turn you off so bad that you are forced into playing it, unlike the last game. This game is about 50% old AC stuff and 50% ship battling/exploration. You have to know that going into the game because it'll be a huge disappointment if you're expecting more like AC 2. The issue is that the story is not very good and if you don't like the ship mechanic, then don't play it because that's all you do all the time and the story is not good enough to carry the game through something like that. As a PS4 game, it's essentially one of the few games that is halfway decent on the system right now. If for only the fact that the game is better than most of the other stuff out there, pick this up if you're interested in it on a new system. But I would probably not recommend someone pick this up on the last gen consoles as there are tons of other things that they can play that will far and away better than this.… Expand
  8. mosessaur
    Jan 1, 2014
    7
    Well this one is definitely better than ACIII. Still got few annoying bugs and the free run and combat aren't as fluid as previous titles. Blocking is extremely annoying in this one.
    Sailing is fascinating visuas are stunning. I likedthe story and Edward character.collectables aren't that much interesting except for Mayan and Templar hunt. Naval combats are great too.
    Multiplayer sucks    Well this one is definitely better than ACIII. Still got few annoying bugs and the free run and combat aren't as fluid as previous titles. Blocking is extremely annoying in this one.
    Sailing is fascinating visuas are stunning. I likedthe story and Edward character.collectables aren't that much interesting except for Mayan and Templar hunt. Naval combats are great too.
    Multiplayer sucks big time absolutely nothing new here is played other ac games. Another annoying this is the social events in single player mood. Too rare and impossible to find. Ubi support didn't provide feedback about this so far.
    There is nothing to do after completing the game so replay isn't really that much fun. This is 7 for mr    … Expand
  9. Leandro36
    Dec 1, 2013
    7
    Story is weak and hard to follow at times, too many ship and tailing missions, but other than that it easily improves vastly from the other games and does everything other than the story much better.
  10. Vanpire73
    Feb 10, 2015
    7
    I have never been all that much of a fan of the Assassin's Creed games. I made it halfway through number 2 and quit out of fatigue and never made it back. This is my first attempt since then to give the franchise another shot. Not because I miss the stupid animus **** the painfully awkward parkour system, the endlessly boring and ridiculously finicky eavesdropping/tailing/sneakingI have never been all that much of a fan of the Assassin's Creed games. I made it halfway through number 2 and quit out of fatigue and never made it back. This is my first attempt since then to give the franchise another shot. Not because I miss the stupid animus **** the painfully awkward parkour system, the endlessly boring and ridiculously finicky eavesdropping/tailing/sneaking missions that 95% of the main campaign consists of, but for the pirating stuff. The sailing around and exploring are what make this game fun. Any one of the numerous side missions are much more enjoyable than any of the main ones. Someone else said it in their review, but it is a damn shame a good pirate game had to be stapled to a **** Assassin's Creed game. It probably would have been a 9.5 otherwise.… Expand
  11. Riskyreview
    Jan 30, 2014
    7
    After AC3 i had really low expectations for this game but as it turns out the gameplay is actually pretty damn solid!
    But as in AC3 the story is terrible! especially outside the animus!
  12. Haddex
    Mar 29, 2015
    7
    If you are going to spend A LOT of hours with secondary missions fine, but if you just want to go through the main history...be ready to feel frustrated like hell, repeating the same unbalanced ship battle over and over and over.
    Resources to improve your ship are totally crazy, specially metal. And warehouses (where you find metal) don't resupply even if the main history advanced    If you are going to spend A LOT of hours with secondary missions fine, but if you just want to go through the main history...be ready to feel frustrated like hell, repeating the same unbalanced ship battle over and over and over.
    Resources to improve your ship are totally crazy, specially metal. And warehouses (where you find metal) don't resupply even if the main history advanced years...pretty pathetic.    … Expand
  13. smuniz83
    Jan 17, 2014
    7
    As an assassin's game it fails but as a pirate game is where it shines. The game has many many flaws that can make the game frustrating and annoying which makes me sad to see since most of these flaws are from prior assassin's games and you would expect them to fix that or make it better. Things like your character constantly doing what you don't want it to do. Fighting onboard a ship isAs an assassin's game it fails but as a pirate game is where it shines. The game has many many flaws that can make the game frustrating and annoying which makes me sad to see since most of these flaws are from prior assassin's games and you would expect them to fix that or make it better. Things like your character constantly doing what you don't want it to do. Fighting onboard a ship is pretty terrible since there are a lot of enemies and targeting sucks so you'll be hitting different people that you don't want to hit or worse, something you'll character will be out of combat when enemies are nearby so when you press circle to counter you'll actually put away your swords and get hit. The story is pretty terrible and it's sad to see how instead of the developers fixing what the game was about and improving being an assassin they instead just add something else to it to attract people and hope they ignore all the flaws it has when your doing your assassin thing.
    Essentally this is AC 3.2. Everything from AC3 is in this but with a few new stuff like diving and hunting sea animals and it greatly improves on the sailing part and what you can do with your ship. As a long fan of the AC series it pain me to see how the developers passion for the game is gone, as you can see from the bad story, and all they care about is making money. It's also evident when you play the game and hint at future installments they may make to further milk the franchise.
    Other than all negative I put the pirate side like I said is fun. You can upgrade your ship and ship battles are fun. There are also legendary ships you can tackle but unfortunately you get nothing good out of them other than bragging rights. I wish they would've just made this a stand alone pirate game and made a separate Assassin's creed game that's actually good than we would've gone two great games and the company would've made lost of money since there is a lot of potential when your acting as a pirate.
    Overall if you want a game that gives you plenty to do than this game might be for you if your into pirates. If you want a good story that continues the series then you'll be disapointed if you pick up this game.    … Expand
  14. rhaynes7
    Apr 26, 2014
    7
    While AC4 is certainly an improvement on AC3, and I loved the naval battles and the deep sea diving sections, the game's cities lack that grand scope that the 1st and 2nd had. Furthermore, the lack of a wanted level in the town's makes my random acts of violence go without consequence.

    Although this game does repair many of the bugs from AC3, I still found plenty of little problems,    While AC4 is certainly an improvement on AC3, and I loved the naval battles and the deep sea diving sections, the game's cities lack that grand scope that the 1st and 2nd had. Furthermore, the lack of a wanted level in the town's makes my random acts of violence go without consequence.

    Although this game does repair many of the bugs from AC3, I still found plenty of little problems, some of which kicked me out of the game. None of the sequences stood out to me as any real amount of fun, except for the templar hunts. It's too bad that these were side missions rather than what the game focused on. As much as I enjoyed sailing and pirating, getting all the collectibles across all those uncharted islands is such a chore. Some of the other smaller locales don't even have guards or anything to make them interesting. They look all the same as well. A few design choices seemed a little clueless as well. I'm sorry, but Florida does not have peaks and cliffs.

    The game was good, and there's certainly a sense of adventure, but it feels too much like a chore to sail around. Good thing there's fast travel. I like the frontier areas and running through trees, but there is too much, and the cities themselves never impressed me, and there was no reason to walk around and see all of the city. I much prefer the city and environments of the 1st and 2nd installment that seemed so grandiose.    … Expand
  15. SolarGaming
    Jan 1, 2014
    7
    Single Player:
    Gameplay: While the core features are still there the actual feeling of Assassins Creed, at least for me, is not there. The combat is simple, but a bit too easy. In the earlier Assassins Creed games when you were fighting a target you at least had a challenge in open combat, but here you take them out by countering once or twice and doing a quick slash, or stab to finish    Single Player:
    Gameplay: While the core features are still there the actual feeling of Assassins Creed, at least for me, is not there. The combat is simple, but a bit too easy. In the earlier Assassins Creed games when you were fighting a target you at least had a challenge in open combat, but here you take them out by countering once or twice and doing a quick slash, or stab to finish him. Naval combat is a blast and where this game really shines, it's innovative system where random events at sea, such as storms or a convoy, can infuriate you with wanting those 132 Kegs or so of Rum in the British Frigate, but you know you really can't take it at that strength. You really can't get any new ships, you pretty much just upgrade the Jackdaw (Your personal Brig) with more Broadside Guns, Hull Resistance, and etc. The story had some shocking moments and really touching character scenes that I won't spoil, overall the Single Player for Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag was really good, especially the story.

    Multiplayer: While I really didn't dive far in to the Multiplayer I played enough to get the gist of at least what most people will be doing on the game. Missing a HUGE opportunity the game didn't add a Navy Battle game mode to the Multiplayer, the retical didn't seem to function very properly seemingly going a little to the right, but of course this could just be my skill level in the Multiplayer. The level editor I couldn't get to work for me but it seems most people could. Overall the Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag Multiplayer was kind of disappointing.
    Overall:
    Likes:
    A Great Story, with great characters, and writing.
    Naval Combat was really innovative for the franchise.
    Ship Customization.
    Random Events

    Dislikes:
    Difficulty
    Multiplayer    … Expand
  16. carlost
    Feb 8, 2014
    7
    Esta bien, pero no disfrutas a lo loco, con el dineral que se gastan podría estar mucho mejor, pero cumple. He jugado a todos los assassins creed y bueno, este en ps4 debo decir que noté mucho mas el salto grafico en el tres que en este... No puedo evitar fijarme en eso
  17. ronald_koeman
    Mar 23, 2014
    7
    Much improved gameplay since AC3 and is very nice looking. Whether you like this game will come down to one thing.... do you like going around for hours on end in a boat. I do not so therefore found this installment boring but lots of mates enjoyed the boating part so it really comes down to that. I just hope that i never see a boat in assassins creed ever again
  18. darthbadger
    Mar 30, 2014
    7
    First of all, this game looks fantastic. The controls, plot-line, and cut scenes are all pretty awkward, and the story is classic assassin's creed bad. But we're all really playing it for the take downs and exploration, of which are are plenty. If you've already got a ps4, I'd recommend this one, otherwise, wait til its less than $50.
  19. flametail23
    Oct 23, 2014
    7
    Pretty good game, minimal problems with story and the combat is pretty decent. My friend loaned me the game and I have enjoyed the time I have put into it.
    7/10
  20. Beko-Gamer
    Jun 28, 2014
    7
    Assassins Creed Black Flag is a really good game. Its fun and has a lot of stuff to do. But IT IS NOT NEXT GEN graphics are bad. Even worse than some games that came out for the 360 and ps3. Maps are big but repetitive nothing new same design. However it is fun and it is worth your money.
  21. JoshLuck1995
    Jul 24, 2014
    7
    Tried to re ignite my love for the AC franchise, but it didnt work. I do not like this pirate idea, its really not a good idea, i guess thats why they are going with the idea behind Unity. The graphics are good and the game runs really well thats why im giving it a 7 and i can fully understand how some people will love it, especially if they are into pirtates etc, but seeing as im not andTried to re ignite my love for the AC franchise, but it didnt work. I do not like this pirate idea, its really not a good idea, i guess thats why they are going with the idea behind Unity. The graphics are good and the game runs really well thats why im giving it a 7 and i can fully understand how some people will love it, especially if they are into pirtates etc, but seeing as im not and i am not keen on the idea of it in a video game i have to give it a 7.… Expand
  22. erhanz
    Jul 26, 2014
    7
    Finished this game a week ago.
    The latest installment to the Assassin's Creed franchise, featuring a new character, Edward Kenway.
    As you may know, Edward Kenway is the grandfather of Connor Kenway, the protagonist from Assassin's Creed III. Edward is just another pirate who's trying to find lots of money, so he can live carefree in this world. One day his ship crashed and he was    Finished this game a week ago.
    The latest installment to the Assassin's Creed franchise, featuring a new character, Edward Kenway.
    As you may know, Edward Kenway is the grandfather of Connor Kenway, the protagonist from Assassin's Creed III.
    Edward is just another pirate who's trying to find lots of money, so he can live carefree in this world. One day his ship crashed and he was stranded in an island. There, he met an Assassin, he killed him and took the Assassin's name as his own. Edward is the first character in the Assassin's Creed that learn everything about assassination not from the Creed. He's self taught because he has the "sense" of an Assassin (In other words, a genius). Find out the journey of Edward in the Caribbean Sea.

    Plus point:
    - First Assassin's Creed game that was released on a next gen console. And i must say, although the graphics are not better than Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, the environment is awesome. The sea, the sky, everything is so colorful, making your naval journey awesome. Also harpooning is fun.
    - A new character who is unique and breaking the stereotype of Assassin's Creed protagonist. Edward, he doesn't care about justice and stuffs like that, all he wants is money. And his character development is really interesting, because he becomes a "real" assassin at the end of the game.
    - Battle systems are as always, too easy and boring. But this time, our hero use a new weapons. Which is Dual Sword & 4 Handgun. Pretty neat.
    - Freedom Cry, a stand alone DLC was released for this game. It told the story of Adewale, Edward's crew on the Jackdaw. The story takes place a few years after Black Flag, although Edward's name was mentioned a few times, it was unknown about how he was doing. This DLC worth every penny of it. It's enough to enjoy the Caribbean Sea once again with another character and another purpose.

    Minus point:
    - The world is too large. I found myself spending too much time on the exploration part.While the story is just too short. Sailing through the sea took my sweet time on this game. I must say that it was quite boring sailing through the sea and waiting for my ship to arrive at the destination.
    - Same old Assassin's Creed. Hope Ass Creed Unity can bring a new wind to this franchise.

    The verdict:
    I don't know why the hate for ACIV. I love the game & i love edward. The game is visually stunning in some aspects, but kinda looks bad on another. Although there are no new big changes to the gameplay, the story itself isn't that bad. It's good to see someone different from the previous protagonists. If you have PS4, then play this on PS4. It's really good, since there are no problems with Frame Skip like in PS3. The game runs smoothly on PS4. Totally recommended. But i must say, that this is just another game of Assassin's Creed. Nothing more and nothing less. 7/10 for this game.    … Expand
  23. Coops
    Jul 4, 2014
    7
    More of the same which isn't a bad thing, it looks beautiful, the controls are good and the missions are great fun but tend to be a bit of a slog on some occasions. The sailing on the open seas are fantastic with plenty to do. The multiplayer is a bit of a let down with no real changes but still fun enough. All in all if you're a fan you'll enjoy it, not a must buy but a worth a place inMore of the same which isn't a bad thing, it looks beautiful, the controls are good and the missions are great fun but tend to be a bit of a slog on some occasions. The sailing on the open seas are fantastic with plenty to do. The multiplayer is a bit of a let down with no real changes but still fun enough. All in all if you're a fan you'll enjoy it, not a must buy but a worth a place in your collection.… Expand
  24. Murredly
    Aug 26, 2014
    7
    I have never played an AC game until this and I was pleasantly surprised.

    The graphics and open world, created by the use of ships, and the amount of customization made the game fun. However, the amount of random glitches and useless exploring required to achieve these upgrades got boring quick. There is some fun challenges with community events and elite ships, but unless you have    I have never played an AC game until this and I was pleasantly surprised.

    The graphics and open world, created by the use of ships, and the amount of customization made the game fun. However, the amount of random glitches and useless exploring required to achieve these upgrades got boring quick.

    There is some fun challenges with community events and elite ships, but unless you have friends who play, you can feel rather isolated in a game that seems to want some form of co-op.

    Definitely recommend this game.    … Expand
  25. Seilof
    Sep 24, 2014
    7
    Meh...

    Its pretty ok! As a pirate game, it's a 8.5/10 or something like that. As an assassins creed game, it's still good. But at the end I felt a bit bored, but the pirating was still fun!
  26. Rainwhole
    Oct 15, 2014
    7
    Why not just make it a pirate game? Black Flag is a game held back because of it's misguided Assassin's Creed tittle. An identity that forces itself on some truly fascinating elements, making an odd mix.

    The naval combat is back from AS3, and it's still awesome. On top of that you got a bunch of other activities like whaling (no, I DON'T support animal cruelty but for the sake of    Why not just make it a pirate game? Black Flag is a game held back because of it's misguided Assassin's Creed tittle. An identity that forces itself on some truly fascinating elements, making an odd mix.

    The naval combat is back from AS3, and it's still awesome. On top of that you got a bunch of other activities like whaling (no, I DON'T support animal cruelty but for the sake of historic accuracy I approve), and sailing through a storm is a truly impressive and intense moment. The thing is, all those things get all after a while, specially on a game asking for many hours of dedication.

    So what's the problem here? Well, on top of the naval exploration. You have all your traditional Assassin's Creed activities like spying, stalking, and of course assassinating. Mind you, all these elements work perfectly find but in my honest opinion they don't match the pirating theme.

    I just wish, Black Flag would have been just a pirate game, and with a focus of pirate activities. Give us pillaging, in depth treasure quests, or the option to become buccaneers. The Assassin's Creed games are fantastic (mostly), but this combination of a pirate game and an AS game is depriving us from two amazing games. One amazing pirate game, and another amazing AS game.    … Expand
  27. Fryto
    Dec 2, 2014
    7
    AC IV: Black Flag is one of the better looking games I've played so far on the PS4. The world is colorful and detailed. The cities and settlements look stunning and are fun to explore, although it isn't exactly a 'real' open world, as each area has its boundaries beyond which you cannot explore further.

    The controls lack a bit of finesse, which can be frustrating sometimes. Also the    AC IV: Black Flag is one of the better looking games I've played so far on the PS4. The world is colorful and detailed. The cities and settlements look stunning and are fun to explore, although it isn't exactly a 'real' open world, as each area has its boundaries beyond which you cannot explore further.

    The controls lack a bit of finesse, which can be frustrating sometimes. Also the mandatory pirating activities start to feel like a grind after a while, as they're necessary to further upgrade your ship, which in its turn is a requirement to be able to start some of the story missions. And this is where it kind of starts to fall apart. If you don't care much about the pirating part, you'll encounter a point in the game where you suddenly need big improvements on your ship. And the only way to get these is to go play pirate to get the necessary resources, so you're in for a long grind...

    Apart from that the story is a joy to play through and the missions are varied. Count with that the countless number of sidequests and collectibles, and you know you'll be in it for a while.

    Microtransactions are available but not required to play the game (luckily). Still there should be no place for such nonsense in a full retail game.

    + Graphics
    + Story
    + Overall fun factor if you don't mind the mandatory pirate gameplay
    + Lots of content

    - Mandatory pirate activities
    - Open world isn't really 'open'
    - Microtransactions    … Expand
  28. BuyukBurak
    Apr 14, 2015
    7
    Assassin's Creed 4 is the Pirate game. Graphics are good gameplay is not bad. Story is Mediocre. I like this game but this is not AC game.

    My score 7/10
  29. Nel
    Dec 10, 2016
    7
    Classic Assasin's creed game, usually don't disappoint, and this one didn't do it either. The game has several fun and different modes you can do, and is a vast game there is potential to spend several hours just exploring and collecting things.
  30. Abhaygamin2002
    Sep 20, 2016
    7
    I borrowed this from my friend and played this game till the end.the story was amazing,nice characters,amazing graphics I remember playing this game for hours.buy it for not more than 20$.
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PS4 Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2013
4
#4 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. GamingTrend
    Apr 20, 2014
    90
    The PlayStation 4 version of the game is mechanically the same as the PlayStation 3 version, but the new engine is eye-poppingly awesome.
    Read full review
  2. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Jan 30, 2014
    83
    Ubisoft significantly improved the multiplayer side of things. Also, story takes you places.
    Read full review
  3. Thunderbolt
    Jan 4, 2014
    80
    It’s difficult to imagine Assassin’s Creed ever leaving the sea behind.
    Read full review
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