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Republished on Wednesday 13th July, 2022: We"re bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July"s PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows.

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Ubisoft has outdone itself with Assassin’s Creed IV: black Flag, as there’s more lớn see và do than ever in this exciting world of pirates. As you sail the xuất hiện seas, you really do get the feeling that anything is possible, with the far-away horizon filled khổng lồ the brim with treasure, assassination targets, và dark secrets. This is not only an outstanding entry in the French publisher’s popular series, but also a lengthy swashbuckling excursion lớn boot.

Beneath the seafaring & grog, though, this is still a stealth title at its core, with your objective lớn infiltrate enemy strongholds. The simplicity of previous titles remains, but the pacey nature of the kích hoạt makes it enjoyable all the same. A lack of precision in the control scheme – where R2 is used for virtually everything – can make the overemphasis on eavesdropping và chase missions a little frustrating at times, especially when you latch onto objects that you intended to lớn sprint around. Combat, when you’re exposed, is irritating, too, as you button bash your way through skirmishes, rather than fight with finesse. Still, these irritations are mere imperfections on an otherwise fine catch.


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New protagonist Edward Kenway, for example, is a remarkable snapshot of the piratical time period that the xuất hiện world adventure depicts. The character’s unquenchable thirst for success & his cấp độ of ambition make the hero both relatable & a surprisingly strong representation of the Golden Age of Piracy. The developer didn’t slack on recreating the world that he lives in, either, as the architecture, dress style, and nautical vessels glimpsed throughout the on water outing are reminiscent of the era & demonstrate some impressive production values.

Throughout the game, you’ll find yourself slipping through the streets of Havana, Kingston, and several other tropical hot spots. Pick-pocketing the population’s possessions is one of the title’s standout activities, as you blend into crowds and attempt khổng lồ deflect attention to lớn your unsavoury behaviour. This is a common theme in the title’s online multiplayer suite too, as you work khổng lồ blend in with non-playable characters in order lớn throw your pursuers off the scent. Slay a computer controlled civilian as a hunter, and you’ll be penalised for your actions.


It’s the title’s co-operative mode, however, that’s the real star of the show – and arguably one of the best online experiences you’ll find among the PlayStation 4’s launch titles. As part of a team, you’re given different objectives to lớn complete within a certain timeframe. These tasks range from assassinating multiple targets at once in synchronisation with your allies, to defending treasure chests from shrouded thieves & eliminating poor souls who are infected with a deadly disease. Pairing up with the right people is essential as many of these goals are team-based, and require a line of communication between you and your comrades.

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A hearty mix of upgrades means that there’s plenty to plunder, and you’ll find a similar amount of riches when you sail the seven seas in single player, too. A pirate trò chơi wouldn’t be much without a sailing component, and fortunately its fun taking the helm as Edward Kenway. Your ship controls well and you can adjust the speed at which you travel, so setting out for your destination makes for an enjoyable journey. The most fun lớn be had on your vessel, though, is getting your crew to sing lovely sea shanties. These represent one of the many collectible items in the game, as you can also nab Animus fragments, treasure chests, and more. As you move around the waters, you’ll encounter other boats that you can attack, and you can opt khổng lồ pillage these for resources or địa chỉ them to your fleet in an addictive strategy micro-game once you’ve forced them khổng lồ surrender.


Sadly, the excursion does come unstuck somewhat when it cuts to bland modern day sequences where there’s very little going on. With former present protagonist Desmond Miles out of the picture, the futuristic plot parodies a modern day trò chơi developer, as you fill a position at Abstergo Entertainment and interact with a slew of bland software developer stereotypes. There’s a dễ thương idea here – and some stunning vistas – but ultimately you’ll find yourself longing for the virtual shoes of Kenway as you strut around hip office corridors collecting QR code-branded post-it notes.

Incidentally, the visuals are what make the PS4 version of this title worth your time. The frame-rate is as smooth as butter, and it shows serious promise for the future of open world games. Furthermore, the textures and all around image unique – a rich 1080p if you install the title’s latest patch – make this a significant step forward from its current generation counterpart. It’s genuinely a beautiful game too, as whales leap majestically out of the water và immensely detailed waterspouts threaten to lớn wreck your ship. It’s an outstanding artistic achievement, & when you consider the kích cỡ of the world – packed with deep-sea diving missions, hideouts khổng lồ loot, và animals lớn hunt – you can really appreciate the scale of the endeavour.


Conclusion

Assassin’s Creed IV: black Flag doesn’t always sail a straight course, but this is still an excellent entry in an occasionally choppy property. Clumsy traversal mechanics and some dire mission types prevent the release from reaching legendary status, but the slick naval combat, luxurious landscapes, và surprisingly compelling online suite make this a package worth plundering. If the series continues in this entry’s direction, then there’ll be no reason for Ubisoft to drop the anchor on its alternate history escapades just yet.

Great 8/10

Scoring Policy


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Fri 29th Nov 2013

Awesome reviews Katie! Between school & gaming Katie spends translating japanese games... WOW that"s awesome.. Really need khổng lồ learn.

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Fri 29th Nov 2013

I played a few hours of killzone và I"m literally about lớn start black flag. Really looking forward to lớn this!


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Fri 29th Nov 2013

Can"t wait to lớn pick this game up.

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Fri 29th Nov 2013

Yeah, this is great. Looks fantastic on the PS4, too.


Sat 30th Nov 2013

I can"t stand the boat bits.


Sat 30th Nov 2013

the consistent framerate makes all the difference for this series. Yet I wished they could improve edward"s movement control, it"s too loose for its own good (or maybe I"m just not used to lớn PS4"s joysticks yet). But maybe once they scrap making PS3/360 versions they can focus on making even bigger improvements. Bring it on!


Sat 30th Nov 2013

Yea this is my favorite PS4 game by far. Couldn"t believe how awesome it is. Bring on more AC if they"re going to lớn be like this! (Not really though, please not one next year, wait 2 years and blow our freaking minds please??) Focus on Farcry 4 next year Ubi.


Sat 30th Nov 2013

Great review. I"m surprised how much I"ve been enjoying this game given how disappointed I was in III. Best AC since the second, easily, và I"d probably say the best PS4 launch game (NFS is up there too). The chơi game still isn"t too advanced from 2 but that doesn"t really bother me because I loved that game. The setting and story are great & Edward is an awesome lead.


Sat 30th Nov 2013

Great review, i"ve got this but i haven"t started it yet as i"m playing Killzone4, i don"t want to jump between games as black Flag looks really good so i want to lớn play from start khổng lồ finish. I think for me this is going to lớn be one of the best AC games, the settings, the naval combat all look excellent so i"m really looking forwards lớn playing it.


Sat 30th Nov 2013

I enjoy this game quite a bit... I hated assassins creed 3 but this trò chơi I"d give a 9 personally, not to lớn mention it is easily the best lớn play using remote play.


Madd_Hatter401 I also hated assassins creed 3 as i was expecting something really better than 1+2. Hope this proves it wrong.


Sat 30th Nov 2013


Shellybird27 Yes.


Sun 1st Dec 2013

I freaking love this game! I"m having a blast so far! Great review!


Tue 3rd Dec 2013

Well into this now and absolutely lovin" it. Easily the best since 2. Haven"t had a trò chơi where I just don"t want lớn drag myself away lượt thích this for ages.

It has taken all of the good new additions from 3 & refined them whilst recapturing the heart of the trò chơi which had somehow been lost. The persistent mở cửa world (no load screen) is also brilliant. I still miss the glyph puzzles & the tombs but so many good things.

Great nhận xét Katie. I defiantly need khổng lồ try the multi-player. Not sure I would call the combat lacking in finesse though. There is definitely an art to recognizing the different enemy types, và knowing which ones you need lớn break their defenses before you attack, and once you get a kill streak going, keeping it up for as long as possible. I also like that all the enemies now attack at once, which is far more realistic, & makes blocking much harder. You have lớn watch your back.