Of the many Assassin’s Creed games released over the past 18 years, few are as revered as Black Flag, a pirate-centric entry that put players in the boots of Edward Kenway. In addition to being a great Assassin’s Creed story, it’s a fantastic pirate game, and over a decade later, there aren’t many (some might say there are none) that live up to the example Black Flag set. It’s a fitting choice for the series’s first true remake, and after seeing footage of the game in action, we’re eager to helm the Jackdaw once more.
Resynced is a from-the-ground-up remake, meaning Ubisoft recreated all of the game’s elements in its latest engine, Anvil, to make it look and feel as good as possible. Character models have been refreshed, environments have more detail, and modern lighting and environment systems (like newly realistic, dynamic weather) tie the whole thing together. That said, I’m very familiar with the original game, and I’m pleased to report that the world’s fundamental structure and design seem unchanged. As far as visuals go, the game is refreshed but faithful, which is exactly what I hoped for.
The story is largely the same, though there are some additions. Edward’s story and the overall plot will remain, with lines being re-recorded by returning cast members. It was the first Assassin’s Creed game to de-emphasize the Assassin/Templar conflict in a major way, which benefited the story overall by focusing on Assassin-aligned pirates and outlaws to put the larger struggle in context. Resynced doubles down on this, adding three new contacts with side quests that Edward can experience, as well as adding more content around Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. (After watching Our Flag Means Death, I’m excited to revisit both of those characters, though I expect Ubisoft’s take to be less romantic.)
These side quests will tie into the improved naval combat and sailing mechanics. Each ship weapon type will now have a secondary firing option, allowing for more flexibility in open-sea battles, and some of these are unlocked by doing quests with these new contacts. One example of a reward was a double-shot option for broadside cannons, meaning the Jackdaw (Edward’s ship) could fire twice in rapid succession, skipping the reload time. When you’re out of combat, sea shanties sung by your crew will not only return, but Ubisoft is adding new tunes to discover. Outside these new options, however, the naval sections seem largely unchanged, which is good, as they were among the original’s biggest highlights.
Melee combat in Resynced will be much different. While the animations of many of Edward’s moves have been preserved, the mechanics of each fight have been overhauled from Black Flag’s simpler approach. Now, there are more advanced combos, tools like the rope dart are quicker (making them easier to use in combat), and instead of simple counters, Edward can now parry with his dual swords. The developers at Ubisoft were clear, however, that this remake would not be an RPG, like more recent games. It remains a single-player, action-focused experience without skill trees or XP.
To that end, stealth has also been improved in one major way as well; Edward can crouch now. Earlier Assassin’s Creed titles would only allow the player to crouch in designated stealth areas, like bushes or tall grass. While it might not seem like much, the ability to just crouch behind waist-high obstacles is absolutely a welcome one. Black Flag, notoriously, also had a lot of annoying eavesdropping/tailing missions. Players would have to stealthily remain within range of a conversation between two enemy characters, and being detected would force you to start over. Resynced is reducing the number of those missions present and making them more flexible. Being detected now triggers a fight, rather than an instant desynchronization.
Thanks to repeated leaks, we’ve known that Black Flag: Resynced has been in the works for years, but thankfully, we don’t have to wait too long after its official reveal to actually play it. Ubisoft announced that the game will drop on July 9, just a few months away – a great time of year for a sunny, seafaring adventure.
In the meantime, check out the contents of the Deluxe Edition and the Collector’s Edition in the images below: