Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced - Spoiler Free Video Review

Sail once more upon the calming waves of nostalgia

Set the sails once more for an expensive adventure, as Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced sets its sights upon a July 9th release window, giving players a summer to remember.

Although summer is an unusual release window for Ubisoft, who tend to favour a Fall launch, it could also be a smart move considering the all-consuming GTA 6 is set to launch in November, leaving everything else in its wake. 

Resynced presents Ubisoft with the difficult task of remaining true to the original vision, while providing worthwhile, meaningful content for new and old players alike. Many are asking;

▪️Can Ubisoft make a faithful adaptation of a beloved title?

▪️Does it do enough to appease critics of the original game?

But for longtime fans of Black Flag, such as the team here at The Ones Who Came Before, who have spent the last 13 years arguing that Edward was a Master Assassin, and that Black Flag isn't just a pirate game, does Resynced add enough additional content to portray this?

Black Flag Resynced is the first remake for the Assassin's Creed series, taking us into uncharted waters. Many feared that the game would be a disaster like Skull and Bones, losing faith in the project entirely.

‘Codename Obsidian’ rumours first began flying around in 2023, with more and more information leaking out over time. Ultimately, the development of Resynced had more leaks than a sinking ship, something which was playfully acknowledged during the marketing campaign. 

Resynced also signals the first major attempt by Ubisoft to course-correct after the rumoured disappointing sales of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was ultimately outsold by Assassin's Creed Mirage, a shorter game that originated as a DLC for Valhalla.

Some questioned the decision to remake Black Flag first when older games such as AC1 would benefit more, but after a difficult year of internal restructuring, stock crashes, and leaks, it looks like Ubisoft may be able to take a breath, as Black Flag Resynced has the potential to change everything.

The Biggest Win in Recent History

After playing Black Flag Resynced for 50+ hours, we can confirm that the game

captures the essence of the original, which players know and love. The development team took great care in recreating the beloved title, rebuilding core pillars such as combat and parkour from the ground up whilst incorporating signature moves from the original. Black Flag Resynced is a thoughtful reimagining of the original which elevates the game to new heights.

Ubisoft managed to steer the ship away from the alluring temptation of RPG elements, something which was crucial for many fans who did not wish to see the original action/ adventure title switch genre. It's great to see that Ubisoft took the time to listen to fans, hosting workshops and early access sessions to gather feedback early in development. 

The game is also very focused in its intent on staying true to the original, avoiding the possibility of overcomplicating things. No Freedom Cry expansion or multiplayer is a good thing, as it allows the game to excel at delivering a solid single-player experience. Both of these cuts may come to fruition at a later date via Assassin's Creed Invictus or even Freedom Cry Resynced.

For now though, Black Flag Resynced is set to capture the next generation of gamers, pulling together original cast members, developers, and ideas to tell the complete version of Edward's story. Breathe a sigh of relief, as Assassin's Creed veterans Darby McDevitt (Lead Writer on AC IV Black Flag) and Jean Guesdon (Creative Director on AC IV Black Flag) return to expand the original vision. Darby returned to helm two new scenes and revised an existing one. Jean is now Head of Creative at Vantage Studios (The Ubisoft Subsidiary now in charge of AC), so he was responsible for the overall creative vision. 

Be A Scourge Of The Seas Once More

One thing Ubisoft had to consider with the remake is that the reputation of Black Flag remains largely positive, even though 13 years have passed since launch. Fans remember a plunderous adventure filled with opportunities, but also really like Edward as a character. One of the reasons why many connected so much to Edward's story is because of how flawed he is as an individual. With all his charm and optimism, his pursuit of wealth leads to him losing himself in a whirlwind of opportunities, and ultimately, becomes a different man entirely.

A new generation of players gets to experience a great Assassin's Creed game, with updated visuals, storylines, and mechanics. We hope that we manage to answer your many questions in our review, breaking down the core pillars and diving deep into all things Assassin’s Creed Black Resynced. 

The World

Resynced is an extremely beautiful and visually impressive game. Many will consider it the best looking Assassin’s Creed game. All assets for Resynced were created from scratch for the latest version of the Anvil engine, leading to a breathtaking visual experience. The world feels more alive now, on land and at sea, above water and below. The dynamic weather system adds a new level of realism, something which is especially noticeable when exploring the world. Rain in particular is striking, adding atmosphere and gloom to the game, which provides the perfect cover to strike. 

Some of us within the team found the saturation levels a tad too high. Characters can appear red-faced. Luckily though, the Vibrant saturation can be turned down in the settings. Ubisoft likely opted for this to make the colours more engaging. Players will notice added foliage in the world, adding to the immersion.

Being able to dive anywhere at will is a massive improvement, and the water is generally vibrant, beautiful and alive. We did find however that in deeper seas it’s very dark, but also appears to be barren of any life even though you can see dolphins etc jumping out the water. But underwater there’s nothing. Exploring the world with the Jackdaw feels like reuniting with an old friend. The improvements to the Jackdaw are brilliant and really make the ship feel like the second character of Black Flag.

Another place Edward can call home in Resynced is Great Inagua, with The Manor hideout, which now has improved customisation options, making it feel more personal and homely for Edward when he’s not sailing on the Jackdaw or residing in Nassau. It definitely feels like more of a place to call home.

Throughout the game, NPCs feel more lifelike than in the original, as Ubisoft has added additional dialogue, new behaviours, and animations. Different areas of the map feel worlds apart, as they feature various languages, colours, and even dress styles, accurately depicting the cultures settling in the Caribbean territories in the 18th Century.

The world of Black Flag Resynced is a carefully crafted homage to the original, incorporating the elements which fans loved and making them even more vibrant and dynamic. We think that players will love getting lost in the beauty of the game. We can’t wait to see the photo mode captures!

TMAC: The three main cities of Havana, Kingston, and Nassau return. They're now much bigger and expanded, but they still hold that magic feeling of nostalgia and are no longer separated by a loading screen. Port Royale, Part of Kingston in the OG, is now its own separate location 

Combat

The combat system in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced represents a massive shift from the 2013 original. Ubisoft Singapore has rebuilt the system from the ground up using the modern Anvil engine. It is heavily inspired by recent Assassin's Creed titles, borrowing core mechanics from Assassin's Creed Shadows and Assassin's Creed Mirage.

Enemies are no longer passive targets that wait to be countered. Instead, Resynced features visible health and defense bars. You must actively break an enemy's defense through a combination of heavy attacks, precise parries, and well-timed dodges before dealing lethal damage. Perfect parries create openings for takedown opportunities.

It’s a more reactive combat experience that makes you think about how to attack/defend rather than button-bashing, as enemies learn and adapt depending on how you use the combat system, delivering a more satisfying and challenging experience. Overall, we were impressed with the combat and like how it finds a middle ground between the old and new systems. Timing the parrying can be difficult as it doesn't slow down time like in the original, and enemies are fast and reactive. Edward can use his surroundings to his advantage through the use of breakable objects such as tables and chairs, or even falling items, which can be triggered by pushing enemies back to cause damage or even slow them down.

Edward can now sweep enemies to the ground with a long kick, or give a shorter kick for more power. It’s worth rotating through the combat maneuvers rather than favouring one, or enemies will quickly learn and anticipate actions. Enemies adapting is a great move, as it adds another level of thought when taking on opponents.

There are also many different types of finishers using swords and pistols. Takedowns are incredibly satisfying. In particular, the hidden blade finishers are brilliant. Once triggered, Edward delivers a fatal strike, many of which are particularly brutal and impressive. Finishers feel highly rewarding, as the animations vary, delivering a variety of strikes. Overall, the movement feels quicker than in the original game, especially as Edward breaks down an enemy's defence, which leads to opponents losing an item of clothing, often a hat, the equivalent of them having their armour damaged. Similarly, Edward picking up injuries on his face after a fight is another great touch; we love little details like this which add to the immersion.

Disadvantages: the launch version of the game does not include Hidden Blade combat, which will definitely be missed by many fans. Unarmed combat is also limited to tavern fights. Weapon disarming and pickup from the ground have been removed. Chainkills are also limited to avoid Edward becoming too overpowered like in the original. Some of our team members found the health bars a little annoying, decreasing the fluidity of the fight, but many options for the HUD can be modified in the settings.

Combat is much more realistic than in recent AC titles, removing overpowered special attacks and replacing them with more grounded strikes which feel more believable. Even though combat feels more realistic, it may be the pillar which takes the longest for fans to adjust due to its challenging nature. Timing and variation of moves are the key to mastering it, and players will need to break patterns of familiarity to excel. Practice makes perfect!

TMAC: While I appreciate this take on combat over the ability based of the last few entries. It does get old after a while, and the timing windows for parries are very small. Additionally, I do have a gripe that the sound for the Hidden Blade sounds a little off. Hopefully these issues can be ironed out post-launch. It is still super funny and strangely satisfying to kick enemies off of high places. 

Edward

Overall, we’re really impressed with the new design of Edward Kenway. To us, it seems to be somewhat of a mix between Matt Ryan and the original CGI trailer for Black Flag. Although many of the characters, including Edward, lose the grunge and moody aesthetic of the original game, they shine bright in the remake as the new facial models are incredibly lifelike and realistic, especially in cutscenes.

Matt Ryan returns as the charismatic Pirate Assassin, blending a mix of charisma, sarcasm, and Welsh fury. The invigorating performance of the original is expanded through the inclusion of

new dialogue, missions and motion capture, delivering a more complete experience which focuses more on Edward’s personal journey.

Although we remain happy with the creative decisions, when the remake rumours first started floating, we wondered if Ubisoft would recruit Charlie Hunnam for Motion Capture, whilst keeping Matt for the voice. This could have been followed through with an appearance in the upcoming Netflix TV show, but we now know that the show will be set in Ancient Rome. That being said, Matt Ryan is Edward Kenway, and this game solidifies that fact further.

One of the narrative areas the writers wanted to explore further is Edward’s relationship with his wife, Caroline. These calming scenes back home show another side to Edward, and give his struggles in the Caribbean motivation and purpose. 

Other positives we noticed:

• All the outfits from the original game are featured, with added flair and colour 

• Adjustment to Edward’s outfit, making it more vibrant blue, with two gun holsters, more red on the sash, and a darker leather. The updated version looks great.

• Unlocking the rope dart earlier gives Edward another tool in his arsenal.

• Auto follow in mission, doesn't require a key tap.

• Trinkets and perks are another big win, and being able to equip two trinkets is a bonus.

We’re thrilled to see that Ubisoft has taken their time to take Edward’s character and make it even more likeable through additional content. We’re sure players will have new favourite lines thanks to Matt and the writers at Ubisoft. 

TMAC: I'm glad Matt Ryan returned to the role. I bet it was a strange call being asked to reprise a role after 13 years but not as a sequel. The game is full of old and new scenes, and unless you know, you can't tell the difference with the audio consistently. Shout out to the audio for this. 

The Jackdaw

The iconic Jackdaw returns, but it functions completely differently thanks to the removal of loading screens. You can now sail directly up to major ports like Havana or Nassau, drop anchor, and seamlessly jump off the ship into the city without a single cut.

Sailing across the massive and beautiful Caribbean is now significantly smoother thanks to two brilliant new mechanics: Pathfinder and Follow Sea. With Pathfinder, you can plot a proper route to your destination by placing a marker, which displays a white navigation path in front of your ship. With the Follow Sea feature, you can enable autopilot for the Jackdaw, allowing it to automatically sail to your selected destination.

While sailing, you can listen to all 35 of the original sea shanties, along with 10 brand-new songs added especially for this remake. The new shanty wheel makes it quick and easy to select a song.

You can also recruit three new officers, each with unique perks. Lucy Baldwin unlocks the Perfect Brace mechanic, drastically reducing damage when you time your brace perfectly against incoming enemy ship attacks. The Padre unlocks an aggressive ramming mechanic and serves as a powerful ally during ship boardings. Tobias "Deadman" Smith is a master gunner who significantly enhances your offensive firepower with mortars.

You can also have a new animal companion aboard the Jackdaw. Choose between a cat or a monkey, both of which are unlocked by completing their respective missions. The inclusion of ship animal companions feels like the opportunity for microtransactions to rear their ugly head from the depths once more. Players have the opportunity to select between a cat or a monkey (for now). We can only hope that this feature doesn't become overly-monetized through the Animus Store, with the addition of additional pets, or worse, costumes, as was the case in the AC Shadows Dojo.

Other things the team liked:

• Lanterns glow on the ship when it's dark, particularly noticeable at full sail, a nice touch.

• New sea shanties.

• Cloth sails look more realistic.

• Rogue waves and wind can blow the Jackdaw off course.

• New weapons and upgrades

Worth mentioning:

• It’s important to upgrade to compete with other vessels.

• Attacking forts: enemy ships will enter the fray and protect, making it even harder. 

Overall ship combat is quite challenging, but it may act as a barrier to new players who may need to adjust the difficulty sliders. Naval combat is likely to attract new players to the franchise, and we can’t wait to see the many variations of The Jackdaw causing chaos on the high seas.

TMAC:  One of the new additions here is secondary firing from your officers, and they are a game changer. I did find that ship is easier and less of a grind to fully upgrade than the OG. However, she still turns slowly, and with the many uncharted islands and rocks, you can often hit them in the midst of battle. A minor gripe is when docking or boarding a ship, the time to do that task is a little too slow. 

Narrative

Black Flag has a story which sticks with fans. At first, the Pirate Life may seem romantic and fun, but Black Flag holds a darker message. Appreciate what you have before it's gone, and the inability to be satisfied with what you have in life can lead to you losing what you once had entirely. How much gold is enough? 

Edward's thirst for self-improvement can never be quenched. Black Flag proves that actions have consequences, even if you attempt to look the other way.

Although Edward sets out with pure intentions, earning his fortune to improve life for him and his wife back home, along the way he gets lost, and it’s in that journey that we find our adventure. 

Fans of the original will rediscover a tale of heartache, and open up an old wound in the process, whilst new players will have their eyes opened by a pirate adventure not written by Disney, featuring the brutality of history mixed with the Assassin’s Creed lore. Secret forces manipulating events from the shadows, First Civilisation technology and reincarnation, Black Flag is a story like no other.

Side character narratives are woven in, making up the bulk of the six additional hours of added content. The new missions with Ship captains slot well into the game, and Matt resumes his voice well. We did however notice a dip in quality throughout the added cutscenes, which can be found in new motion capture scenes which don’t feel as dynamic as those featured in the original. An example of this is prop use, something which the original game excelled at featuring. We also noticed the at times wooden dialogue, which sometimes leaves unnecessary awkward pauses, or lines which just don’t fit Edward’s brash and driven nature at that moment in time. Finally, something which keeps returning are the same recycled static animations,which are in serious need of an upgrade. Idle stance animations when making conversation in cutscenes feel VERY familiar, as in copy and pasted across. We hope to see brand new animations for Assassin’s Creed Hexe, even if that means having to wait a little bit longer.

The focus on side characters like Stede, Blackbeard and Anne means that the game doesn't do enough to showcase Edward's transition from a Pirate to a Master Assassin / Mentor, which was a huge criticism for many of the main game. It simply refuses to tap into the well of untapped potential. In the expanded media, Edward travels to The Middle East, Singapore, and returns to London as a Master Assassin. Maybe Ubisoft are saving all that for DLC?

The original narrative of Black Flag once again shines, as the masterful storytelling is a classic old fans look back fondly on. It’s a powerful journey depicting what it means to lose sight of your original goals. Edward and his friends dream of Nassau becoming a place where all may live free, but that dream dismantles when history has other ideas.

We can’t wait to see the reactions of those playing Black Flag for the first time! First round of therapy on us.

TMAC: I've always stood by that Black Flag has the best narrative of the series and that remains true here. The subtle additions help solidified some of the gaps the original left. But its also a missed opportunity to explore what happened afterward as there is another decade of Edward's life to explore. 

Modern Day

The original Assassin's Creed Black Flag modern day gameplay has been completely removed and replaced by the Animus Hub and Rifts. The modern day story in Black Flag Resynced continues from Assassin's Creed Shadows through various data files that can be collected throughout the map, as well as from the Animus Hub project by completing Anomaly missions.

There are a total of 4 Rifts in the game, which unlock one by one as you progress through the story. Whenever a Rift becomes available, you'll receive a notification. To access it, you must find the specific island, which is easy to spot thanks to the glowing light in the sky and the Isu blocks scattered around the area. Simply pass through each gate to begin the mission.

These Rift missions are similar to those in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but this time they are much more refined and genuinely fun to play. Each of the four Rifts is based on a different character in the game, and completing each one rewards you with unique unlocks

The lack of Modern Day will be a sticking point for many, who have endured years of it being stripped back or sidelined. For several members of our team, the fact that the original Modern Day was cut is the biggest negative of the game. It had so much lore, cameos and universe implications. It's not the same without it.

Assassin’s Creed has always come with the baggage weight of modern day for new players, especially in the earlier games as an overarching narrative connected them all up until AC3. For Ubisoft though, seeking to make the games more standalone so casual players can buy based upon historical settings they like, it’s a logical move to reduce modern day or remove it entirely, even though we don’t support that mindset. We will always act as strong advocates for Modern Day preservation here at The Ones Who Came Before. In Juno we trust.

TMAC: The modern day concept of an ancestor or subject experiencing someone's genetic memories has always been one of the biggest draws of the IP and the core power fantasy. Removing that very element not only hurts the brand but the games. I hope that if anyone future remakes are produced that they retain the modern day. ‘[our] story is one of thousands and the world will not weep if it ends too soon’ 

Parkour

Parkour in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has been significantly improved over the original game. All the important parkour mechanics, such as manual jumps, side ejects, and back ejects, are available from day one, thanks to the Ubisoft Quebec team for their amazing work on parkour in AC Shadows.

It truly feels much more fluid when you parkour through the city areas. The more fleshed out and updated parkour system doesn’t feel so clunky and cumbersome as in previous games. Many locations across the map have been redesigned to support the new parkour mechanics and modern gameplay physics. Tree parkour is also back, and you now have different routes to reach specific points. Many chests are located in elevated or hidden areas, requiring you to climb and parkour through trees to unlock them.

You receive a short speed boost after mantling, and you can roll upon hitting the ground to maintain a full sprint. The enhanced, highly manual Advanced Parkour can be toggled off if you prefer the more automated traversal of the original game.

Edward can also utilize newly added ziplines for quick, long-distance travel between high and low ground. This also introduces the possibility of zipline assassinations, something which we haven't seen since AC Revelations!

This is a seriously great addition to the game as it's another dynamic way for Edward to move around the map.

Song sheets return to encourage parkour, which take Edward on short routes involving trees, rooftops and lifts, in timed run and grab opportunities which make a return. It's also great to see the pulley system lifts back to make access to rooftops quicker.

Other things we noticed: 

• Enemies on rooftops can cause the player to adapt their parkour route.

• Not everything is climbable.

For a more detailed breakdown of parkour, we'll wait for the professionals Ropotopolus and Leo K to give their thoughts 💬 

TMAC: I had some trouble with Parkour inconsistencies that seem to be due to the advanced parkour setting, so I suggest turning that off until the issues are ironed out

Stealth 

The stealth system in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using the modern Anvil Engine, including many features first introduced in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Edward can now crouch anywhere at the press of a button, and it’s a game changer. Gone are the days of running towards bushes or tall grass to avoid detection from enemies. Crouching drastically reduces his visibility profile and slows down how quickly the detection meter fills. The Visibility Meter now continuously tracks how exposed you are based on lighting and your surroundings. This detection system from AC Shadows, often referred to as the ‘eye’ can also be dependent on time of day and the weather. Running out in the open or making sudden movements instantly increases enemy awareness.

Many consider Assassin’s Creed Shadows to have the best stealth in the series, so it’s refreshing to see many of the ideas and systems move across to Resynced. Enemies reacting to the sounds of footsteps or swords is also great, and we feel that most will find that Resynced has a better detection system than in the original.

Classic stalking zones, such as tall grass, return and Edward can now seamlessly press against walls, low crates, and structural corners to break the enemy's line of sight. Social Stealth and Crowd Blending are also back. 

Tedious tailing missions and eavesdropping opportunities, leading to immediate desynchronization have been adapted for a more forgiving experience. Edward can be detected, and can still complete the mission through notes found on enemy bodies containing information revealing the next location and continuing the mission. This removes the constant stop/starting if things go wrong. Tailing missions have been significantly improved. They are no longer instant failures if you're briefly spotted. Instead, you can eliminate the target, loot a letter. In the original game, tailing missions were widely considered one of the most frustrating features by fans. Resynced streamlines these missions and saves a lot of time.

Eagle Vision returns alongside the new Observe mechanic from Shadows, allowing you to see through walls and solid objects to highlight and tag enemy guards. While using Observe, the color indicators are:

🔴 Red: Enemies

⚪ White: Large chests and secrets

🟡 Yellow: Small chests and resource crates

🟢 Green: Objectives

The Rope Dart is now unlocked as early as Sequence 3, offering new ways to distract enemies and perform long-range stealth takedowns by hanging them from trees. Sleep Darts and Berserk Darts are very effective for stealth gameplay in Black Flag Resynced. You can also lure enemies by whistling while hidden in cover.

Other things we noticed:

• Social stealth, blend, bench return

• Manual hood will be a crowd pleaser. 

• Didn't move across from AC Shadows: light manipulation (blowing out candles), prone, underwater breathing using reeds.

• Hidden Blade kills are particularly brutal due to the speed and sound effects.

• Smoke bombs remain overpowered for multiple hidden blade assassinations.

• Double assassinations are back.

Overall, we're pleased with the stealth in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced; when done properly, it can be an incredibly satisfying experience. We can't wait to see the stealth run videos!

New Content

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced includes over 6 hours of new content, featuring 9 new Officer Missions, 8 new side quests starring Robert Maynard, a new Blackbeard side quest in which you discover a map hidden inside Blackbeard's hat that reveals the location of his treasure, a new side quest for Stede Bonnet, and 4 new Animus Rift missions (which we already discussed in the Modern Day section).

In addition to the above additions. The main story mission design has been changed. New scenes have been added, ambient dialog, and some of the memories have new lines of dialogue. Look out for the full list by community member TMAC.

Lucy Baldwin and The Padre Officer Missions become available once you reach Great Inagua, while the Tobias "Deadman" Smith mission unlocks later in the story.

Out of all the new content, the Robert Maynard quest, "A World Without Gold," is easily the standout. This is a new endgame 8 mission arc involving the famous pirate hunter and one final part of Edward's West Indies adventure. 

TMAC: I felt that since it was such a late game arc, Edward had an inconsistent characterization at that stage, or it may have been the writing. However, I did appreciate the full performance captured cutscenes, something we need to see in the series again. I also really enjoyed how it highlights Edward's relationships with Anne Bonney, Lucy, Padre, and Tobias, and how they all trust each other and acknowledge their faults. 

Additionally, the hideout at Great Inagua has a lot more life to it. With portraits, a gear room, and an art room, akin to the villa in AC2, and a butler.

Conclusion 

Although Black Flag Resynced takes great strides to cement itself as the ultimate pirate game, it does little to enhance the Assassin experience, missing huge opportunities to do so by exploring established canon Edward Kenway transmedia material, instead opting to focus on his friendship circle. 

It does, however remain truthful to the original, and expands on the original more than any other remake we've seen and deserves the price tag. Oblivion Remastered, for example, was £49.99 and that was a simple graphic overall. Resynced is way more than that, weaving it new narratives which expand the game, adding new opportunities and characters which make it both memorable and an overall enjoyable experience.

After a long time in the making, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced could be a hugely successful release for Ubisoft and may even mark the beginning of Ubisoft's redemption arc.

Pros 

• A faithful remake and great game for new and old players.

• Motion Capture returns

• Some original cast and developers return to the project

• Additional shanties

• Graphics & World

• Photo Mode

• No Loading Screens

• Faster movement and parkour

• Amazing graphics

• All Parkour mechanics from day 1

• Dedicated Crouch button

• Improved stealth system

• Photo mode

• Seamless sailing without loading screen

• UI sound is the same

• Level design changes

• Forced Day Night Cycle

• Jackdaw heals health chunks outside of combat if not depleted 

• More animation variety 

• Kenway Fleet redesigned 

• Edward's New Design

Cons

• Only 6 hours of extra content added

• Shies away from exploring transmedia content which elevates Edward's status to Master Assassin

• Some Outfits in the Animus Hub

• Reduced chain kills

• No optional objectives 

• Jarring noticeable transition between areas where you have a modern day break in the OG game and end of Sequences

• Enemy health bars 

• Gear system with damage output. 

• No regen for health; Valhalla rations systems return.

• No replayable memories 

• No mini map.

• Helix Store is expensive.

• Inability to go below deck on The Jackdaw

• No Hidden Blade Combat

• Unarmed combat limited to tavern

• Lack of motion capture in side quests

• No playable modern-day storyline

• Shadows control scheme and UI

• Retroactive Animus Hub interpretation

Our score

9/10

Photo Mode (Frame Hold Photography)

It’s very exciting to revisit the world of Black Flag with modern graphics, renewed mechanics, and the ability to capture the beauty of it all in Photo Mode! Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’s Photo Mode is extremely similar to the Photo Mode Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched with. Resynced’s Photo Mode is a hodgepodge of Shadow’s original, clunky Photo Mode, and the refined Photo Mode from Assassin’s Creed Shadows Title Update 1.0.5. 

The speed at which you can change your photo’s settings is much faster compared to the extremely slow tool Shadows launched with. The Filters Tab features FX Effects that change the entire look of your game, and it seems like the ‘Red’ filter from Shadows is still present, but not working properly in the build I played during early access. Surprisingly, the one feature that carried over from Shadows 1.0.5 Photo Mode update is the ability to change the color of the stickers you apply to your captures. Sadly, there are only 3 stickers to choose from, whereas Shadows has many more. Luckily, you can fully hide the UI and move the camera around, which is a feature Shadows did not launch with.  

Perhaps the most disappointing part of Resynced’s Photo Mode is the lack of a ‘Characters’ or ‘World’ tab. Since Edward has the ability to sit and change the time of day, I was really hoping we could change the time of day in Photo Mode. Sadly, that is not the case. The lack of a ‘Characters’ tab also means that we cannot toggle Edward’s headgear from Photo Mode, nor are there set poses to choose from like Naoe and Yasuke had.

Overall, I feel like Resynced’s Photo Mode is a stripped-down version of Shadows’ Photo Mode, and is lacking some really nice quality-of-life improvements that Shadows already has in the same game engine. I hope that in a future title update, Resynced gets an updated Photo Mode, since there are really promising elements here.  

Additional Team Thoughts: 

To improve in future updates

- Would like to be able to hide weapons on Edward, akin to how it is with the bow in Valhalla. 

- Without a bird companion, increased range for the Photo mode is essential for capturing the Jackdaw at sea. 

- Being able to dive anywhere is great but we feel that something is missing when you dive too deep. When I did it, the screen just slowly goes black but I feel like it needs something like maybe a shark or kraken attacks in an animation to desync.

However if you have played the original Black Flag a lot then we would be remiss if we didn't mention that the remake does take liberties and cuts stuff that was in the original game such as the Modern Day missions; sage storyline, hidden blade and unarmed combat, optional objectives, replayable missions, social stealth, the Freedom Cry and Aveline dlcs, the multiplayer mode, the original combat system, the Animus fragments, some of the assassination contracts, and one of the biggest cameos. Just something to keep in mind, creative choices were made.

Alternative opinion(s)

TMAC: I questioned the need to remake Black Flag. So when this was announced I was skeptical. I never saw the need to remake it as I felt that 1 only deserved that treatment. The more I played of Resynced helped me in that regard. Did it need a remake? No. But it sure does like and play nice and the additional changes fill in some gaps, but overall you're still better off playing the original at some point. It adds as much content as it cuts from the original. It sure looks better and plays smoother but to me it doesn't justify its existence. While those who played the original extensively will appreciate the new lease on life that Resyched provides, I feel it may not be so for those who are experiencing Edward's journey for the first time. I'd give it 8.