Will Black Flag Resynced "Replace" The Original?

One question many Assassin’s Creed fans are facing right now, while the wait for the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Black Flag - Resynced continues, is will this reiteration of one of Ubisoft’s most iconic and household games ever, also having left its mark on gaming history overall, “replace” the legendary 2013 original? This is something that has the potential to cause strong debate amongst fans; some might feel this remake is a replacement of the original game, that fans and critics alike loved and praised, and for others it is merely a more enhanced version of the original. Fans will flaunt these ideas around until they get to play the game for themselves, when it arrives this summer on July 9th.

This reiteration of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, comes at a time where remakes and remasters of games are all the rage in gaming. Technology in gaming has rapidly improved in a short period of time, and it makes sense to rebuild classic games, taking advantage of today’s enhanced technology, taking games to a new level, maybe even making them reach their full potential as always intended. Back in the day, certain developers would built their game with the technology they did have, but always envision more, but that simply was not possible to implement given the technology of the time. Whether it be character models, environment, gameplay mechanics, or other aspects. One good example of this is probably still another one of 2013’s landmark releases, Grand Theft Auto V. Originally released for PS3 and Xbox 360, this original version pushed those consoles to the very limit technically, but still achieved so much under the circumstances. Mere 14 months later, the game was re-released for the new generation of consoles, in the form of the PS4 and Xbox One, and the game had been severely enhanced in a number of ways, at last reaching its full potential, and becoming what it was likely always meant to be.

Many are seeing Black Flag - Resynced as a tribute to the original, as it is well known that the 2013 classic is irreplaceable and incredible in its own way, and nothing could ever change that. So far, it is pretty clear that this remake is a faithful adaptation of the original, that stays true to it and does not dampen the legacy of the first game, but simply builds upon what made the original so great. It is easy to see this remake not as a replacement, but more of a testament to what the original game did for gamers, and seeks to merely empower and enhance the original, and not disrespect it in any way.

Another thing that proves Ubisoft is treating the original game with respect, is that the game is not going to be delisted from digital storefronts following the release of this reiteration. The classic game will stay available for purchase everywhere, despite the anticipated remake inching closer to release. In some cases, it has become an unfortunate trend, that when a remake is released, the original game is removed from storefronts, and is basically abandoned and forgotten by the developers. This does not seem to be the case at all for Ubisoft. They understand very well that this game is very special to many people, who have made memories with it over the years, whether they’ve been there since day one in 2013, or discovered it years down the line.

Based on much of the footage we have seen of Black Flag - Resynced so far, the game clearly intends to be a faithful adaptation of the original game, not a completely revamped experience, that transforms the game into a full blown RPG like most newer instalments in the franchise. It seems Ubisoft understands making changes that drastic would not sit well with many fans, so this reiteration merely builds upon the excellence of the first game, and simply enhances it with modern visuals and improved gameplay. Ultimately, there were also a few aspects of the original game that do not necessarily hold up by today’s standards, so Resynced shows improvement upon the select few things of the original game that were more unpopular, such as the stealth mechanics, tailing missions, and clunky combat system, all of which are being improved with modern technology. When the original game was released, it also came out during a much different era of the gaming industry, where certain features of the game that felt normal then, do not necessarily hold up well in modern standards. This was natural to have happened, as the gaming world advances faster than one can keep track of. Resynced intends to fix these minor flaws of the original, and create an as close to “Definitive Edition” of the game as possible that honours and sticks true to the original, bringing its own new life into the legendary game, that was and remains so beloved by fans and critics alike.

Black Flag - Resynced, in some ways, is a fresh interpretation of the original game. It builds upon what the original did well, while adding new features that make it unique, rather than a full on retelling. The game does a great job at bringing new life, into a game that is over a decade old, and does not attempt to replace the original, but uses it as a stepping stone to all the advanced technology of today, that creates a fuller and more complete version of a game, that is considered the best game in the series by many, and that says a lot with how long the franchise has been around, and how many other games have released both before and after the 2013 classic.

Still, the full picture of what has been improved, and what might ultimately have been removed from Resynced remains to be seen. So far, it is still unclear if features such as 100% total sync and optional objectives in main story missions will return, latter which were some to players’ liking, while others thought them annoying and pointless. If this or other drastic changes yet to be seen are introduced in Resynced, it is very likely a lot of fans of the original game, will hop off and lose interest quickly, feeling the original game is being disrespected after all. If this was to happen, it is likely some fans will be very dissatisfied with this remake, and will instead just stick to the 2013 original. This has happened with remasters typically called ‘The Definitive Edition’ before, either being too different from the original, or having bad launches that quickly impact their reputation, making players just stick to the old version. In recent times, this was apparent for the release of the GTA Trilogy - The Definitive Edition in 2021, the three games - Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City & San Andreas - being a buggy mess for some players at first, quickly damaging their reputation, and quickly making players just return and stick to the 2004 PC original of San Andreas for one.

No matter what, the 2013 original has one of the strongest legacies in the franchise, and depending on Resynced’s reception, that could grow even stronger, depending on how this new version stays true to and respects the original in the very end. The original has its legacy, Resynced has the opportunity to leave its very own one, in the end making both games different and unique and each their way, with each their unique legacy.

In the end, the debate of whether or not this remake will “replace” the original will go on, but so far all signs point to Resynced merely being a faithful adaptation, that simply takes what the first game did correctly, and enhances it by fixing the flaws, upping graphics and mechanics, and adding additional content, all bringing new life to the game. While the wait for the game’s release continues, fans will have the opportunity to decide on this topic for themselves, but when July comes around, many will be able to make more accurate assessments, on what Ubisoft did right, and what they could have improved upon.

Will you be buying Assassin’s Creed Black Flag - Resynced when July comes around, maybe even having pre-ordered the game already, and are you excited for it? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and stay tuned here on The Ones Who Came Before for all news and more content on the game!