Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review: a stunning journey through the Caribbean
, by Chris
Thirteen years ago, when the Assassin’s Creed series was at the peak of its popularity, Ubisoft released a fourth installment—a completely different take on the theme of piracy. It was the first game in the series not to feature the story of Desmond Miles.
For many, this title didn’t feel much like an Assassin’s Creed at all; it simply borrowed the franchise’s name to ride on its popularity and deliver a pirate game.
For others, it was nothing less than the best game in the series. In any case, historically, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has remained a full-fledged installment in the series that has consistently enjoyed high popularity.
As Ubisoft undergoes a major restructuring—with significant changes to its organization, hierarchy, and project management—the company is trying to play it safe by focusing on remakes. It’s only natural that the Black Flag remake was quickly brought to the table. The goal is to offer a true remake, with improvements, changes, and a few new features. Does the magic still work 13 years later? Let’s take a closer look.
A magnificent journey to the heart of the Caribbean
Let’s cut to the chase: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a true remake that gives the game a major facelift.
Graphically and visually, the game was already a real showstopper back in 2013 when the PS4 and Xbox One launched. Thirteen years later, on PS5, XBOX Series X/S, and PC, the game is simply stunning. A lot of work went into the water rendering, whether on the high seas or near the shore. The seabed has been completely redone, resulting in beautiful water visuals when the water level isn’t very high.
The lighting, shadow, and reflection effects are also very well done. Visually, there’s nothing to complain about—we’re treated to stunning views that make (re)discovering this region of the Caribbean a true delight.
Thanks to the new graphics engine and the work done on the map, the game feels even more alive and realistic. The vegetation is much more lush. Every location on the map—whether it’s temples, the jungle, camps, or villages—is much more enjoyable to discover and explore.
An atmosphere that’s as compelling as ever
Nearly 13 years after its release, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag hasn’t lost any of its key strengths: its atmosphere.
This is a true pirate game. And undoubtedly one of the best games of its kind, because as crazy as it may seem, Black Flag is arguably the only narrative-driven, single-player, open-world action-adventure game centered on piracy. It therefore has the field to itself, allowing us to take part in this adventure where we’ll rub shoulders with some of the most iconic pirates, such as Blackbeard.
The game lets you experience the full pirate life—from visiting various taverns to attacking and boarding merchant ships, engaging in naval battles, managing your crew, and even running your own island, which will be a true den of thieves!
At sea, your crew sings sea shanties. Whether visually—with the settings—or audibly—with the ambient sounds in towns and on your ship—you really feel like you’re living the pirate life.
New features, improvements, and changes… for a better experience
Ubisoft is taking advantage of this remake to make significant changes. First, the development teams removed all present-day sequences related to Abstergo. Your entire adventure follows the exploits of Edward Kenway, and you’ll be immersed in the Caribbean during the 1700s. This creates a more linear experience and no longer disrupts the game’s momentum.
Ubisoft has also improved combat mechanics. Combat is slightly simplified and more fluid, allowing for quite a few combo moves. That said, it still gets a bit confusing and chaotic when there are too many enemies. Parkour has also been improved to be even more precise and fluid.
In terms of new content, there are a few Blackbeard-related quests, new storylines tied to collectibles, and new crew members. Altogether, these additions provide about ten hours of fresh gameplay.
The game thus offers excellent replay value, keeping you busy for about 25 hours on the main story and perhaps twice that if you aim for 100% completion.
A few remaining flaws
Despite all these strengths, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced isn’t without its flaws. As usual—it’s practically a tradition—Ubisoft has delivered a game with a few bugs. Even for a remake.
So, let’s be honest—it’s not a disaster. Over about 40 hours of gameplay, we encountered only one major bug, which prevented an objective from triggering and forced us to restart the checkpoint. Aside from that, we’ve mostly just run into minor bugs involving collisions or NPCs that are out of control!
Another minor issue is that some of the game’s mechanics and moments feel dated and haven’t aged well, despite the graphical overhaul. With certain gameplay mechanics, movements, or animations, you can tell the game is showing its age.
Ubisoft has added a dynamic weather system, but it’s not quite polished yet, with weather conditions that can change in a fraction of a second.
Another minor issue is that some NPCs aren’t voiced or subtitled.
Tested on PS5. See our rating policy here.
8/10
Thirteen years after its original release, it’s a real pleasure to rediscover Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Visually, the game is a true graphical feast that takes us on a sublime journey through idyllic islands and locations. Ubisoft has included some welcome new features, giving us a few extra hours of fresh gameplay. For those looking for a pirate game with realistic, high-quality graphics, a compelling storyline, and an open world, Black Flag Resynced is the perfect choice—provided you don’t mind some dated gameplay mechanics that remind us this is, first and foremost, a remake of a title celebrating its 13th anniversary this year.
- + Visually, it's stunning
- + The atmosphere is as incredible as ever
- + The removal of scenes set in the present
- + Solid content
- + New features with about ten hours of additional content
- + A major overhaul (improved gameplay, vegetation, effects, etc.)
- + A map and Caribbean region that are even more enjoyable to discover and explore
- + More dynamic combat
- - A few bugs present
- - Some NPCs aren’t voiced (in French)
- - Some mechanics have aged poorly, though
- - The camera can be a bit wonky at times
- - Combat can get chaotic when there are too many enemies
- - The dynamic weather system is a bit clunky