Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag review

[PeteJ]

I'm getting farcry 3 vibes too.

The Far Cry 3 team implemented the hunting and crafting system, which may explain that.

Oh man, Far Cry 4 on next gen....mmmm.

[fishbowlhead]

Im surprised at the lack of excitement around this, i know its on current gen as well but the next gen versions look absolutely stonking graphically, plus the game looks like really good fun with the seamless ship battles and hopping off to look for treasure. This would of been my first choice for a ps4 or xbone game.

[Brad]

I'm really enjoying it. Been sharing my time with other stuff though but now the KZ campaign and Contrast are done I'm on this full time, except for KZ MP with the Bordersdown crew!

What this and Killzone have highlighted for me though is how much I want an advancement in gameplay. AC and KZ feel very old in their mechanics now.

[Zaki]

Im surprised at the lack of excitement around this

It's my game of the year (and I didn't like any of the previous games)! It all flows very nicely.

I was really, REALLY sad when it finished! (and I got all the collectibles before the game ended)

Stunning at 1440p on PC.

[FelixofMars]

I am playing on PC as well, I really have enjoyed it but only about 45% way through it. my main complaint would be that while the main Assassins Creed gameplay works it would have been much better without it. Also some of the AC gameplay means you cannot move back to the pirate/sailing sections until you do X number of stealth missions which I find the worse thing about it now.

I also found a fair few of the story stealth missions lacking direction for the player often forcing you to tail people through open areas with lots of guards so you have bugger all chance of stealth-ing. These often seemed to have nice set pieces like exploding docks or something but I began to think these handful were probably done by a lead designer hotshot who could throw around art/animation time for these setpieces but actually wasn't good at flow. Maybe the ex-Designer in me talking :P

The second really annoying part was the diving missions were they have sharks or in fact any predator skinning mission. Mostly because you seem constantly the target and have no break to try to gather yourself.

Bits I really enjoy, sailing and slowly upgrading your ship and finally a reason to use your money! even sending out your troops (which are now ships) is reasonably fun if not much different from when they added the feature in AC2. One thing is for sure it's miles about AC3 even with all the stuff they have borrowed and reskinned.

[dazza_cole]

I have this for the PS3, but not started yet. Is it worth hanging on and waiting to play on PS4 (hopefully early Jan when stocks allow) via the 'upgrade' option. Is it that much of an improvement on PS4?

[Zaki]

I have this for the PS3, but not started yet. Is it worth hanging on and waiting to play on PS4 (hopefully early Jan when stocks allow) via the 'upgrade' option. Is it that much of an improvement on PS4?

If it's anything like the PC version then YES! I would wait.

[Zaki]

Actually, not sure it's as big a jump as PC:

http://playeressence.com/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-graphics-comparison-ps3-vs-ps4/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTiD9-Ma5HE

http://www.nowgamer.com/features/2164006/assassins_creed_4_currentgen_vs_nextgen.html

[PaTaito]

I have this for the PS3, but not started yet. Is it worth hanging on and waiting to play on PS4 (hopefully early Jan when stocks allow) via the 'upgrade' option. Is it that much of an improvement on PS4?

Its my most played ps4 game by a mile, the visuals are wonderful on ps4 with full 1080p, more foilage, better textures, added effects and a generally smoother framerate.

I'd say hang on for the ps4 before starting...

This is my favorite AC game so far, and the lovely new full HD visuals certainly help the cinematic feel of the game.

Being at sea, especially when choppy, is so damned convincing...

[SUMIRE]

Really nice game this, the best of the system in my opinion. I didn't like Rosogun, that definitely doesn't warrant a next gen machine purchase and Killzone is just so behind the Halo series in terms of atmosphere and gameplay.

[capcom_suicide]

Actually, not sure it's as big a jump as PC:

http://playeressence.com/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-graphics-comparison-ps3-vs-ps4/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTiD9-Ma5HE

http://www.nowgamer.com/features/216...s_nextgen.html

After the 1080p patch, PS4 looks onpar with PC:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-assassins-creed-4-next-gen-face-off

[Neon Ignition]

I'm approaching halfway through now that this is finally my main game for playing at the moment. After following the series step by step I feel it's only really had one mis-step which was Revelations. I get the critique that AC3 gets, it was slow to build steam and the technical aspects were pushing the old hardware a bit too much at times but here neither is the case. In fact, if I'm being honest, based on the first half so far I feel I'm going to stick my neck out and say we have the first full on fail entry into the main series on our hands.

The sailing is nice, they've fleshed it out from 3 but in doing so gone over the top. After the first few hours I'm finding it a chore that stops me from cracking on with the rest of the game. It feels like I spend 20% of my time on land doing AC things and 80% at sea dicking about getting from place to place. Fast travel is handy until you need somewhere new, the game so keen on each new wrinkle that even this many entries in and hours played in 4 alone that tutorial popups are common place. Edward is a real blank canvas in every sense, a pirate with none of the charm and and an Assassin wannabe with magically all of the skill. Speaking of assassins, we seem to have finally reached a point in the series where assassinations have become a rare thing. The one or two occassions you're actually in a town with a target you're much more likely to have to tail them than kill them.

Of course, by now, through reiteration, everything works fine. The old collectables are still plentiful, the even more pointless present day sequences are even more basic and throwaway, the controls a little more solid so I'm enjoying it enough to keep playing and hope that the second half starts being an AC game soon. So far though this is more like a sea venturing spin-off, another example (like the property options, brotherhood management or wilderness systems of previous games) of Ubisoft getting praise for an aspect of one entry and so going overboard on it for the next.

One day Ubisoft will do a true AC sequel wherein the player is given a target, a city and the tools up front followed by the freedom to hunt their target instead of continuously moving away from that core concept. This honestly is fine enough in its own way but as an AC main entry I don't know if I could stick with Assassins Creed V if it also involves this much fa**ying about.

[Neon Ignition]

Done now, despite some decent moments this entry is mostly padding and aimless mission design. It easily has the weakest story, area design and characters in the series. I did a tailing mission, a sneaking mission, another tailing mission, then tailing again but by ship, sneaking by ship.... one assassination in that with a prescripted path and the guy pretty much just stood there after having to tail him for nearly 10mins. It's like a worst missions compendium. They need to make a proper game next time of I think I'm reaching my AC end.

[EvilBoris]

The tailing / eavesdrop missions are the worst.

[sj33]

Right, got a question for you folk. I have the North American PS4 version of this game (I guess it is Canadian, it has both French and Spanish all over the cover!). Can I buy a season pass from the UK store, and this will work fine? This would be much simpler than having to buy a US one.