Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced officially revealed and a lot has changed

Ubisoft has officially revealed the remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, with gameplay footage of all the new features in action.

To say that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced may be the most leaked video game ever almost seems like an understatement. Rumours of its existence first emerged three years ago and while reports suggested it had been internally delayed, there never seemed to be any doubt that it did exist.

When Ubisoft did finally confirm it, they did so in the most understated way possible, via a single screenshot in a blog that didn’t even mention the game. But now they’ve made up for that lack of showmanship with a lengthy behind the scenes video explaining exactly what the remake is and what it changes.

Except, inevitably, all that information has leaked out already. Although whether that’s going to make people more or less excited about it, we couldn’t say. If you are interested we’d advise watching the full video below, but we got to see it early, a few days ago, and it’s clear a lot of effort has gone into recreating the 2013 original.

The common problem with remakes is that no matter how much they’re improved they only ever end up looking like how you remember them, even if those memories are rose-tinted. That’s true unless they’re so old that the original technology was on another level, but even with Resident Evil 2 and co. there’s a lot of déjà vu for what you thought the game looked like, rather than the reality of its appearance.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is only 13 years old and while that’s a long time in gaming, it’s not as If the original was using pre-rendered backdrops and tank controls. Nevertheless, you can see that Resynced represents a considerable glow-up over the original, with Ubisoft also promising significant changes to how the game plays.

However, they have made it clear that the game has not been redesigned as an action role-playing game, in the style of the newer Assassin’s Creed games, and that it’s still a straight action adventure like the original.

It also still stars Matt Ryan, known for playing John Constantine in various DC Comics projects, as Edward Kenway and while there’s lots of promises of high-resolution textures, enhanced lighting, and more detailed environments there are also brand new features, like a dynamic weather system and entirely new combat that’s meant to be ‘faster’ and ‘more fluid’.

The parkour system has also been improved with tighter controls, while the stealth system now allows you to crouch at any time, rather than just when the game allows. Tailing characters and eavesdropping on them is also now easier, with no instant fail if you mess things up.

Other new content includes three new officers – Lucy Baldwin, The Padre, and Dead Man Smith – all of who confer unique abilities to your ship, the Jackdaw, such as double shot broadsides. Although all weapons now have an alt fire now as well.

Each officer has their own Mass Effect style narrative quest, while you can also own a pet cat or monkey. Oh, and there’s new sea shanties too, along with the old classics.

What Ubisoft are adamant about, is that the game doesn’t change the story, although there will be new narrative arcs and missions for Blackbeard and others, including Edward’s wife Caroline.

What there won’t be, though, is any multiplayer and there’s no plans to remake the original DLC either. There were a bit vaguer on how they’d handle the modern day elements of the original, but the implication seems to be that this will be reduced to a minimum and not necessarily follow the sub-plot of the original.

A Collector’s Edition was also unveiled, including the obligatory statue, a notebook featuring in-game story elements such as Kenway’s diary, a brooch, and a cloth map. No price was given but a leak revealed it’s £174.99 in the UK.

The release date is, as already leaked, July 9 with the game due out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC and the standard edition priced at £59.99 on consoles.

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