Black Flag: The original RPG Assassin’s Creed

When conversations turn to the “RPG era” of Assassin’s Creed, games like Origins, Odyssey & Valhalla often take center stage in this debate. Their sprawling worlds, layered progression systems, coupled with an emphasis on player freedom; are all seen as a drastic shift from the series “stealth” driven beginnings. 

But if you trace these mechanics back through the franchise’s history. Their roots don't begin in Greece or Egypt, or even England. They begin on the high seas, in the Caribbean with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

Black Flag introduced systems that would become the cornerstones of the “RPG era” identity. Ship upgrades that mirrored RPG-style progression, resource gathering that demanded grinding. A vast open world that gave the player masses of freedom, that sometimes came at the cost of narrative focus. For many, this blend of mechanics was exhilarating and cemented the game’s reputation as a fan favorite. Yet for me, it has always marked the beginning of a shift that I wasn't fully ready to embrace. 

In this article, I want to explore how Black Flag laid the foundation for the “RPG era” of Assassin’s Creed. Why those design choices resonated with some players but alienated others; and how my own frustration with Black Flag shaped the way I viewed the series’ evolution. 

Map Size & the Open World

One of the striking features of Black Flag was the sheer scale of its world. In numbers alone, it's the second largest map at a whopping 235 kilometers squared; making it around 167 times larger than the largest pre-Black Flag Assassin's Creed title, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

It feels massive in comparison to previous titles in the franchise, not just in map size but also in player freedom. For the first time in the series, players were not confined to a single city or a tightly controlled landscape. Instead they could sail in any direction, uncover any island, even dive into ship wrecks and stumble upon secrets scattered around the Caribbean. This scale was groundbreaking at the time but it also came at a cost. The trade offs that would become more apparent in the “RPG era” 

Earlier entries like Assassin’s Creed II or Brotherhood used tightly designed cities to create density and focus, but Black Flag stretched its content out across an open ocean. Exploration was a massive thrill at first but long stretches of empty water & repetitive encounters often diluted the pace of the game. 

The same issue has now defined the debate around the RPG titles, like Valhalla & Odyssey. They are all undeniably vast but the size of their maps often comes at the expense of the narrative, urgency or variety. 

In this sense, Black Flag can be seen as the prototype for Ubisoft’s later obsession with this huge scale. The series shift towards enormous, open maps didn't start with Origins. 

It started the moment players first hoisted the sails of the Jackdaw.

Combat

Combat in Black Flag also marked the turning point in the series. Earlier entries, particularly the Ezio trilogy, emphasized counters, timing and the Assassin tools of stealth. By contrast, Black Flag leaned more into the cinematic, action orientated approach. Edward’s dual cutlass & pistols made open conflict more viable than ever before. 

Naval combat also became a central gameplay focus, pushing combat even further into the grand spectacle. This shift away from stealth first design, mirrors the trajectory of the “RPG era” in the RPG three, stealth remains an option but the systems in place increasingly reward direct confrontation. Through leveling, skill trees and loot driven combat upgrades.

What was once a series defined by patience and subtlety, gradually transformed into one where combat is not only encouraged but often required to progress. 

For players who prefer the Assassin fantasy of striking unseen, this shift can feel like a loss of identity. Black Flag may not have had damage numbers popping up above enemies heads, but it was already moving into the same direction; away from the intimate, surgical strikes of an assassin & towards the broad, action heavy systems that would define and dominate more of the “RPG era”

Modern Day

If the early games were built on two parallel stories, the historical adventure and the ongoing modern day conflict. Black Flag is that balance which begins to unravel. In previous entries, particularly the Desmond saga, tied the modern day narrative directly into the core of the experience. Players weren’t just reliving history, they were part of something much larger; a contemporary struggle that gave weight to the Animus sequence. 

In Black Flag however, the modern day storyline was pushed to the background. The player becomes a faceless Abstergo employee wandering around an office building, with most the modern day relegated to scattered notes, email or optional interactions. While some found this approach refreshing or less obtrusive, it signalled again a larger shift in the balance of Assassin’s Creed. 

The modern day was no longer an essential part of the narrative. 

The sidelining only deepened in the “RPG era” where modern day narrative often feels fragmented or secondary compared to the sheer scale of the historical sandbox. Just as Black Flag made open world the star of the show, later RPG entries doubled down on the idea that history itself was the primary draw, while overarching Assassin vs Templar conflict faded into the background. For fans who valued the duality of the series, this was a significant turning point in the franchise.

Levelling and Stats through Outfits

Progression in Black Flag also hinted at the RPG elements that would later define the series. Whilst the game didn't have formal levelling systems or skill trees, it quietly introduced the idea of character stats being tied to gear. 

Edward could unlock new outfits that provided tangible bonuses for him. Outfits like the Mayan armor grants a bullet-deflecting effect, the Stealth outfit reduces his detection rate, and the Hunter outfit decreases his detection range by animals. These weren’t just cosmetic, they added a layer of progression that nudged the player towards thinking in terms of builds and stat advantages. 

In retrospect, Black Flag’s outfits system feels like a prototype. A small test to whether the player would embrace progression through gear. By the time the “RPG era” arrived, that experiment had evolved into the series' core identity; with loot, rarity tiers & detailed stat management becoming central to the players experience. 

For players who prefer the simplicity of the earlier titles, this shift can feel bloated, but the roots of that design philosophy were already present in Edward’s wardrobe. 

Ship Upgrades

If there's one system that Black Flag clearly foreshadows in the “RPG era” it has to be the Jackdaw. The ship wasn't just a vehicle, it was a character in itself.one that needed to be upgraded, reinforced and customised in order to take out stronger enemies. Players had to gather resources, invest in improvements and grind for the materials necessary to survive late in the game’s naval battles.

This loop at its core is an RPG progression system. The Jackdaw acted as Edward’s “character level” with each upgrade unlocking new possibilities in exploration and combat.

Just as later RPG titles would gate certain areas or enemies behind level requirements, Black Flag tied access to tougher ships, legendary encounters and hidden rewards to how much time players had invested in the upgrading of the Jackdaw. 

For many fans, this system was the highlight of the game, an addictive cycle of risk and reward; that gave this vast open world a sense of purpose. 

Yet for many others, it introduced a reliance on grinding that would become a major criticism for the RPG titles. What felt fresh in Black Flag became a formula in Origins, Valhalla & Odyssey; progression tied less to narrative achievements and more to how much you were willing to repeat tasks in order to grow stronger. 

Conclusion

Looking back, it's clear that Black Flag was more than a pirate game, it was the testing ground for the mechanics that would become the defining elements of the “RPG era” of the franchise. 

Its vastly expansive open world, action orientated combat, gear based progression & ship upgrades. They all foreshadowed the design model of the RPG games. At the time, these changes felt thrilling to most; offering unprecedented freedom and depth.

Yet the same elements that drew players in also introduced the very frustrations that players voice now about the new era of Assassin’s Creed. Sprawling maps that sometimes feel empty, combat that is prioritised over stealth. And never ending progression loops that encourage over story. In this sense Black Flag was both a culmination of the franchise’s past and a blueprint for its future. 

Whether you love or dislike the RPG titles, it's impossible to ignore the legacy of Edward’s Caribbean adventure. Black Flag wasn't just a high seas odyssey, it was the prototype that quietly reshaped Assassin’s Creed before our very eyes; charting a course that would follow for years to come.