Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

 Xbox One
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 492 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 364 out of 492
  2. Mixed: 63 out of 492
  3. Negative: 65 out of 492
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Hortiez
    Jan 20, 2014
    9
    Amazing open world game. Amazzing graphics, fun gameplay, and being a pirate a lot like jack sparrow is fun. Exploration, battles, ships, beautiful carribean waters, amazing sunsets and whales jumping. Onlines fun too, sneaking around multiplayer. Only missing online ship battles, bow that would be incredible.
  2. Markus_monty
    Mar 21, 2014
    10
    Fantastic game, have loved it from beginning to end. The combat both melee and ship is excellent, typical AC leaping, running and jumping.

    Probably only a couple of criticism's which I will state up front don't detract from the overall game for me, the characters could be a little more fleshed out, maybe more involved throughout the game instead of just the occasional cut scene and your    Fantastic game, have loved it from beginning to end. The combat both melee and ship is excellent, typical AC leaping, running and jumping.

    Probably only a couple of criticism's which I will state up front don't detract from the overall game for me, the characters could be a little more fleshed out, maybe more involved throughout the game instead of just the occasional cut scene and your home town with all the upgrades just seemed to be a money pit instead of giving something back, didn't really add anything to the game, yes the templar armour set was there but nothing really necessary.

    Ran great on the xbone so no complaints there, and the companion app worked well, i liked being able to manage my fleet with that while still playing missions.    … Expand
  3. ekin09
    Jan 13, 2014
    10
    It's been a while since I've played a game that kept bringing back like this one does. Such a great game, and beautiful to look at. Sometime I find myself starring. This is up there with some of my all-time favorite.
  4. armandothegreat
    Mar 31, 2014
    9
    The first mission is cool, then you get stuck in Havana for a bit doing old style assassin's creed tasks. Don't let this stop you from playing the rest of the game. I almost pushed this one aside thinking it was a dud, but once you leave Havana and get the real pirate adventures going this game is nearly perfect in how fun it is and how much content there is to the game.
  5. ITZZZPERRY
    Mar 8, 2014
    9
    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is an outstanding game. So much to do, and a sense that everything needs to be completed kept me engrossed in the experience for many days. Multiplayer feels like it may need an update, but overall, this an awesome game.
  6. minimalsystem
    Jan 2, 2014
    9
    Assassins Creed is a series that I have never really been fully committed to. I played the very first Assassins Creed game and liked it but did not play any other titles in the series until picking up Black Flag for the XBOX One.

    On loading up the game I jumped straight in to the single player campaign mode and was thrown right in to the action. The first thing I noticed is the visuals    Assassins Creed is a series that I have never really been fully committed to. I played the very first Assassins Creed game and liked it but did not play any other titles in the series until picking up Black Flag for the XBOX One.

    On loading up the game I jumped straight in to the single player campaign mode and was thrown right in to the action. The first thing I noticed is the visuals are beautiful with very long draw distances and lots of detail (however you do get the feeling the XBOX One is capable of more, as we will see with future releases). The campaign mode is engrossing and there is just so much to do, I have put a good amount of hours in to the game and I am still completing side missions and generally exploring the game world. There is a lot of depth in Assassins Creed Black Flag and you never feel stuck for something to do.

    The multiplayer mode was intriguing as I was not sure how it was going to work, it turns out there are traditional game modes such as capture the flag, holding territories etc, but is all has to be done using the art of stealth. The multiplayer is very deep with lots of upgrades to unlock and challenges to complete. The only real issue is there seems to be a lack of players currently.

    I would definitely recommend Assassins Creed: Black Flag.    … Expand
  7. drifter136
    Jan 4, 2014
    10
    I tried to give this game a 9 but couldn't justify it. AC3 was a disappointment, after loving Brotherhood and Revelations never played the first 2 games). This game is simply engrossing. All the awesome open world from prior games with the overbearing RPG elements of AC3 taken back out. Still some great cinematics, though the story sometimes breaks down a bit as they try to incorporate anI tried to give this game a 9 but couldn't justify it. AC3 was a disappointment, after loving Brotherhood and Revelations never played the first 2 games). This game is simply engrossing. All the awesome open world from prior games with the overbearing RPG elements of AC3 taken back out. Still some great cinematics, though the story sometimes breaks down a bit as they try to incorporate an AC angle on real historical events.

    Naval battles are awesome and taking the AC branding off the game and making Black Flag its own brand would have made for an amazing game...and truthfully that's the mindset I have when playing it. Some of the assassin skills and weapons from previous games add a nice depth to the fighting.

    The companion app on my tablet really enhances the game experience as well, with the Fleet minigame being accessible from the app along with REAL TIME tracking your character on the map.

    This game is an all-engrossing experience that I can't put down...and thanks to a great companion app, I never really have to.    … Expand
  8. Munthelion
    Jan 21, 2014
    8
    There was some major weaknesses here.

    But having said that, this is simply one of the funnest games I've yet played. Blasting my enemies Man 'O' War into a floating trash heap is pretty satisfying. I've completely lost interest in the story which is quite frankly rubbish, but exploration and side quests more than make up for that. The game looks fantastic. When you climb to the    There was some major weaknesses here.

    But having said that, this is simply one of the funnest games I've yet played. Blasting my enemies Man 'O' War into a floating trash heap is pretty satisfying.

    I've completely lost interest in the story which is quite frankly rubbish, but exploration and side quests more than make up for that.

    The game looks fantastic. When you climb to the top of your foremast anywhere you happen to be on the map you will find a living, breathing world around you that makes you feel like you're a small part of it which I think adds to it, characters are more down to earth and not Time Jesus.

    Kenways Fleet is also a nice addictive edition to the franchise, even If I'm not playing the full game that day, I'll quickly log on to send my fleet on trading missions to keep those Reales flowing.

    All in all a superb game.    … Expand
  9. herbertlives
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. black flag is MAGNIFICENT! i cant think of a single flaw in this game. the graphics are AMAZING! the gameplay is FUN AND INTENSE! the missions are EXCITING! i cant think of a single time at ALLLL in ANY assassins creed game in which im bored. (!!!SPOILERALERT!!!) probably my favorite moment in ANY game AT ALL is when Edward is haythams father and connor is haythams son! i LOVE the ship customization, as it reminds me of pirates of the carribean! (i love the movie, also!)… Expand
  10. gentrumpet
    Mar 21, 2014
    10
    I've purchased 5 games for xbox one so far (Battlefield, Forza, Dead Rising, and NBA 2K14) and this is clearly the best of the bunch, but the controls are a bit awkward and some parts are too difficult.
  11. Bopperman
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    It's not perfect, but i love this game. There are so many ways to play it. You can stick to the story and finish quickly or go off and do an number of other side activities depending on your mood. The naval combat is fantastic, I never get bored of it and feeding it into the iOS app means you can take it on the road when you are travelling.

    If i have any negatives it is that there    It's not perfect, but i love this game. There are so many ways to play it. You can stick to the story and finish quickly or go off and do an number of other side activities depending on your mood. The naval combat is fantastic, I never get bored of it and feeding it into the iOS app means you can take it on the road when you are travelling.

    If i have any negatives it is that there could be more assassination contracts and there could be more involving and complicated. With most you can sneak up and bang a berserk dart into the target and job done. More hitman style missions would be better. The AI is not that great all the time - in my view once a guard has seen you he shouldn't forget that you existed within a few minutes. But these are details.    … Expand
  12. IamDeWitt
    May 8, 2014
    9
    After the last Assassin's Creed game I properly played was Brotherhood and Only playing a small bit of number 3 because of how much it bored me, I was mainly buying this for the multiplayer after loving it on brotherhood, but after playing the singleplayer and being drawn in by it, I am in love with the game. The sailing which I thought I'd hate is surprisingly fun and the side quests areAfter the last Assassin's Creed game I properly played was Brotherhood and Only playing a small bit of number 3 because of how much it bored me, I was mainly buying this for the multiplayer after loving it on brotherhood, but after playing the singleplayer and being drawn in by it, I am in love with the game. The sailing which I thought I'd hate is surprisingly fun and the side quests are so much fun, I haven't played a good open world game on the Xbox one before this and I has took many hours from me, great game.… Expand
  13. utajet34
    Nov 26, 2013
    10
    I was skeptical about the game before purchasing it,since I'm not really into pirates. After getting the game, its nearly all I've played on my Xbox One. The graphics are great and make it very enjoyable, but above all I was shocked by how smooth it played and all of the options that it gives you. You can transition from being the captain driving the ship to hopping into the ocean andI was skeptical about the game before purchasing it,since I'm not really into pirates. After getting the game, its nearly all I've played on my Xbox One. The graphics are great and make it very enjoyable, but above all I was shocked by how smooth it played and all of the options that it gives you. You can transition from being the captain driving the ship to hopping into the ocean and swimming to an island instantly, no wait time, its great. I also enjoy how large the map is. The map is a scaled down version of the Caribbean and seems at this point it will take a long long time to beat the game and all the quests. Great game, even if you don't like pirate games, you will have fun playing this. Its cool because you attack and shoot other ships and forts, once you lower their health you jump on the ship and fight hand to hand to win their ship and take their supplies. Its a great balance between being on the ship and on land, that is for sure.
    Bad things: I wish there was more customization, you can only get 5-10 swords/pistols each. I feel like they could have really made it fun if they allowed you to customize your stuff in more detail with more options    … Expand
  14. Stever35
    Dec 3, 2013
    9
    After an extremely disappointing and dull affair that was Assassins Creed 3, I promised myself that I would never again waste my hard earned cash on an Assassins Creed game. So when the announced AC 4, I said here we go again and no thank you. But since its release I have been keeping an eye on gameplay trailers and reviews which started to change my mind.

    So I eventually took the    After an extremely disappointing and dull affair that was Assassins Creed 3, I promised myself that I would never again waste my hard earned cash on an Assassins Creed game. So when the announced AC 4, I said here we go again and no thank you. But since its release I have been keeping an eye on gameplay trailers and reviews which started to change my mind.

    So I eventually took the plunge and purchased the game, and boy was I surprised.
    It is just superb, ok it’s not perfect and no game is I suppose. It still lacks the ability to crouch, this for some reason has never been part of the series and they should include it in the next game. And there are the usual tedious follow and listen missions, but aside from all that.

    The environments are amazing; from the lush jungles to the tiny fishing villages are all bright and colourful. Then they are the Naval battles and Sailing, which are the highlight of the game, it is a superb experience and one that will remain with you for hours after each time you play it. I can’t get enough of sailing the high seas and listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the hull and discovering new places.

    I for one have a renewed love for the franchise and its all because of Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag.    … Expand
  15. SchroederRock
    Nov 21, 2013
    8
    After playing all the Assassin's Creed games, Assassin's Creed 3 was for me a welcomed new direction for the franchise that attempted to add depth to the game away from the main story missions. It wasn't the best game of them all, but it introduced the ship to ship combat and touched on a piece of American and British history that is very vital and interesting to me. Black Flag ups theAfter playing all the Assassin's Creed games, Assassin's Creed 3 was for me a welcomed new direction for the franchise that attempted to add depth to the game away from the main story missions. It wasn't the best game of them all, but it introduced the ship to ship combat and touched on a piece of American and British history that is very vital and interesting to me. Black Flag ups the ante a bit and fleshes out the combat at sea to the point that it's not just a side-note to the game. You can really feel the combat and parkour/free-run aspects solidifying with each title in this spectacular franchise. On Xbox One and PS4, the world is beautiful and showcases a little of what next gen consoles can do. I'm still a sucker for Assassin's Creed 2 & Brotherhood, but Black Flag brings out the swashbuckler in me and makes me want to reach for my best Jack Sparrow outfit, grab a bottle of rum, set sail and get lost at sea for days.… Expand
  16. Plaidbear
    Nov 26, 2013
    9
    Never played AC before. Ship combat is stellar and the feeling of going over real waves in the open sea must be experienced and is worth it alone to get the game. Hands down the ship combat is perfect and they nailed it. The open world and towns are also fun and the missions entertaining. I was a little frustrated by the difficulty at running through town at high speeds and accidentallyNever played AC before. Ship combat is stellar and the feeling of going over real waves in the open sea must be experienced and is worth it alone to get the game. Hands down the ship combat is perfect and they nailed it. The open world and towns are also fun and the missions entertaining. I was a little frustrated by the difficulty at running through town at high speeds and accidentally climbing walls, such as when chasing a courier, but that relatively minor. A great game all around and one that I will playing a lot. I love Ubisoft! One can tell they care a lot about this game and take pride in it. The scenery is spectacular, as well as the storyline. It would have been fun to have more chests to find on remote islands, some with gold even, and have them hidden and not appear on the map. Completists would complain but the game would be better with more random and difficult to find items and events. Sea storms are incredible, but the weather should persist through a ship battle and after, and ships a lot be able to attack during a boarding. Be able to reload the pistol by visiting your cabin to get more ammo. Perhaps have a realism gameplay mode that has greater risks but rewards. I would buy this for $100 now that I have played it as it stands now. Please make an open world ship battles with island control points where you set your flag on an island to get points, like Battlefield 1943 scoring and this would be the game to end all games.… Expand
  17. countyourmacros
    Sep 21, 2014
    6
    Good:
    -Huge step in the right direction for this franchise
    -Naval combat is much fun -Storyline is engaging and you actually care about the characters -Music is amazing. I felt like a pirate playing this game. Bad: -Stealth mechanics are a joke -Stalking missions are so frustrating -You need to do frustrating side missions to stand any chance at beating the story mission    Good:
    -Huge step in the right direction for this franchise
    -Naval combat is much fun
    -Storyline is engaging and you actually care about the characters
    -Music is amazing. I felt like a pirate playing this game.

    Bad:
    -Stealth mechanics are a joke
    -Stalking missions are so frustrating
    -You need to do frustrating side missions to stand any chance at beating the story mission
    -Underwater mission is not fun, swimming with sharks is NOT fun
    -Very DLC driven game.
    -Multiplayer is non-existent
    -Cooperative mode is more like "lets see how can kill this guy first mode"    … Expand
  18. AustinTippy
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    As a person who didn't like Assassin's Creed 3 I nearly gave up on the series after that.But after playing Black Flag I am happy to say that it vastly improves over it's predecessor and improves the Ship battles so now they have more and are a vital part of the core game mechanics then a easily ignored side quest.The combat is better and it now flows naturally instead of feeling clunky andAs a person who didn't like Assassin's Creed 3 I nearly gave up on the series after that.But after playing Black Flag I am happy to say that it vastly improves over it's predecessor and improves the Ship battles so now they have more and are a vital part of the core game mechanics then a easily ignored side quest.The combat is better and it now flows naturally instead of feeling clunky and uninspired.… Expand
  19. jthiel09
    Nov 25, 2013
    10
    I love Assassin's Creed I've been a fan since day one of the first game. Ezio's story got stagnant towards the end of his run, but when they changed it up with III and involved the Revolutionary war it breathed new life into the series, especially for me. This one continues in that sense with it's focus on a subject that Johnny Depp made popular again pirates.

    Top to bottom this game    I love Assassin's Creed I've been a fan since day one of the first game. Ezio's story got stagnant towards the end of his run, but when they changed it up with III and involved the Revolutionary war it breathed new life into the series, especially for me. This one continues in that sense with it's focus on a subject that Johnny Depp made popular again pirates.

    Top to bottom this game is awesome, graphically it can't get much better for a last-gen game being ported to a Xbox One console. To think of what this game could have been if it was developed from ground up on the new console generations is awesome and makes me very hopeful.

    This size of this game, variety of things you can do and the story all make this something you should definitely try if you are a fan of the series. I was doubtful on how they could pull off the Abstergo continuation (no spoilers from the 3rd will be typed here) but am happy with how they are continuing this. Overall it's a great game and one that takes great leaps ahead and should excite any AC fan for what lies ahead on the new consoles.    … Expand
  20. Forza182
    Jan 7, 2014
    10
    I own all of the X1 launch titles worth owning and can safely say this is the best of them all. Runs perfectly, looks great and offers so much to do. Haven't spent this much time exploring and doing side quests since Fallout: NV. Gotta say after a terrible and hateful experience with AC3, I am truly impressed and happy that I bought Black Flag, and that I waited for the next-gen version.I own all of the X1 launch titles worth owning and can safely say this is the best of them all. Runs perfectly, looks great and offers so much to do. Haven't spent this much time exploring and doing side quests since Fallout: NV. Gotta say after a terrible and hateful experience with AC3, I am truly impressed and happy that I bought Black Flag, and that I waited for the next-gen version. Easily a 10/10 experience.
    If I were to nitpick, I didn't enjoy being pulled out of the game for the Animus sequences (even though they themselves were good) or the dated character models, but they very, VERY barely affected my enjoyment of a game I spent a good 70+ hours on.    … Expand
  21. happymonster
    Mar 7, 2014
    10
    I enjoyed AC1 because of the great middle-eastern setting and fresh ideas. I tried to enjoy AC2, but found Ezio to be an unlikeable turd. Along came AC3 and away went another $60 I will never get back. Garbage, a real crap-fest. So, like a sucker for punishment I picked up AC4 for my xbox one. And I was pleasantly surprised. AC4 is a fantastic game. For me it has been the best in theI enjoyed AC1 because of the great middle-eastern setting and fresh ideas. I tried to enjoy AC2, but found Ezio to be an unlikeable turd. Along came AC3 and away went another $60 I will never get back. Garbage, a real crap-fest. So, like a sucker for punishment I picked up AC4 for my xbox one. And I was pleasantly surprised. AC4 is a fantastic game. For me it has been the best in the series, by far, and an improvement in nearly every way. Don't hesitate to pick this one up.… Expand
  22. mtlscream
    Dec 5, 2013
    9
    Must better than AC3!
    It's fun! it's beautiful! It's an open world! It's perfect for your Xbox One!
    Fun gameplay, cool story and amazing visual! So much going one in AC4 and you can't be bored!
  23. theDangel
    Jan 9, 2014
    10
    I got so attached towards these characters, I fell in love with them. I cherish every second playing this game, and it completely immerses you in the brutal early 1700's of pirating.
  24. Worldspine
    Nov 8, 2014
    10
    The Assassin's Creed series was kind of becoming stale for me and I never had plans to buy this game or number 3. I received this game when I bought my Xbox One.

    While some of the old Assassin's Creed elements are still there and the city crawling feels wearily familiar. What blew me away and the reason I will be putting many hours into this game is the naval gameplay and combat.    The Assassin's Creed series was kind of becoming stale for me and I never had plans to buy this game or number 3. I received this game when I bought my Xbox One.

    While some of the old Assassin's Creed elements are still there and the city crawling feels wearily familiar.

    What blew me away and the reason I will be putting many hours into this game is the naval gameplay and combat.

    If they released a game that was just the navel aspects of the game I would not hesitate to play it. If you are getting tired of the Assassin's Creed games, but really just want to enjoy a fun pirate game, pick this up.    … Expand
  25. nanibaba
    Nov 22, 2013
    10
    its a quite good game.NOTHING missing.Great job Ubisoft!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  26. partyintheback
    Nov 24, 2013
    10
    Best Assassin's Creed game, no contest. In addition, Black Flag looks downright stunning on Xbox One hardware. The weather effects are better, the foliage is much more impressive, etc. Just a great game all around.
  27. SenshudoTV
    Dec 6, 2013
    8
    Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag mechanics are a great improvement upon previous titles in the series; making the wonder of sailing the ocean as I out run armada’s, hunting whales or boarding ships seem amazing. But the story felt a little directionless this time round because it’s a new protagonist and trying to not give the game away on the bigger picture Ubisoft has in store for theAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag mechanics are a great improvement upon previous titles in the series; making the wonder of sailing the ocean as I out run armada’s, hunting whales or boarding ships seem amazing. But the story felt a little directionless this time round because it’s a new protagonist and trying to not give the game away on the bigger picture Ubisoft has in store for the Assassin’s Creed series.… Expand
  28. FWGHurley
    Dec 11, 2013
    10
    Aside from Assassins Creed 2, this is by far one of the best one from the series. I have played all of them and I am really impreawed to see how deep and rich it has gotten. I love it!
  29. Rick_Canada
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    This is a phenomenal game. Sub 9 user ratings are ridiculous. The game is easily a 9, but rated 10 to balance the idiotically low ratings some users have submitted.

    The graphics are a great display of next gen potential, the story is entertaining and the single player is addictive and fantastic. A negative is how easily you can be stuck climbing a wall or tree unintentionally...    This is a phenomenal game. Sub 9 user ratings are ridiculous. The game is easily a 9, but rated 10 to balance the idiotically low ratings some users have submitted.

    The graphics are a great display of next gen potential, the story is entertaining and the single player is addictive and fantastic. A negative is how easily you can be stuck climbing a wall or tree unintentionally... Although, it's easy to climb when you do intend to trade off I guess.

    I have not yet played multi player but it sounds great as well

    Highly recommended    … Expand
  30. DanielCorfour
    Nov 26, 2013
    6
    Assassin's Creed 4: 90% pirate, 10% assassin. To see a summary of this review scroll to the end.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    In summary, it looks like this game was made just so Ubisoft can make more money off of the ship mechanics in AC3. Combat and land based mechanics are basically the same as the previous game, although they did need changing and improving. The game engine is the same as it was in the third title, with very little improvement, or change, when it, again needed it. And all of this would not be a problem if the game offered a good story, but it doesn't. The story seems like an excuse to sell an adapted version of AC3, and the story is driven by the game mechanics, and not vice versa. Luckily the beautiful setting, graphics and excellent pirate game save the game and prop up the rating to a 6/10. You can't help but feel, if they only spent a little bit more time, and wouldn't pump out a game every year, it could've been an amazing game.    … Expand
prev
Page:

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Gameblog.fr
    Apr 20, 2014
    90
    Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the best Assassin's Creed experience in terms of scale, freedom and gameplay. Between land and sea, the journey of Edward Kenway is really captivating.
    Read full review
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Dec 15, 2013
    92
    I've played all of the major titles released with the Xbox One, and the one that I've had the most fun with, the one that I keep going back to, is Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. If you get only one game with your shiny new Xbox One console, make it this one.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    Dec 4, 2013
    85
    Beyond the underwhelming main campaign, Black Flag delivers a world brimming with gorgeous places to go, amazing secrets to discover, and nefarious pirates to stab.
    Read full review