Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced review: A classic rebuilt
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced | PlayStation 5 (reviewed), PC, Xbox Series X/S | ★★★★☆
The year was 2013: Pope Benedict XVI resigned, Margaret Thatcher died, Breaking Bad ended and traces of horse meat were found in beef burgers sold by the likes of Tesco and Lidl. And Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed Black Flag.
The pirate-centered incarnation of the hugely popular series was well received both critically and commercially (unlike the burgers) so it is perhaps no surprise that Ubisoft has re-released it, rebuilding the game from the ground up in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
The remake had been rumoured for some time, with even its developers calling it “gaming’s worst‑kept secret.” Now Resynced is finally out of dry dock and shipping to nostalgic gamers everywhere.
Built for next-gen consoles, the improvements on this remaster go deeper than just the updated visuals. Around six extra hours of new quests, a host of new items and some added gameplay mechanics make this feel like a fresh iteration in the series, rather than a lazy cash-grab. Gone are many of the momentum-halting Animus sequences, keeping the player firmly rooted in the naval action without interruptions. Loading screens are all but a thing of the past and ‘fast travel’ across the map finally lives up to its name.
Parkour makes a return with more reactive, fluent movement, with the addition of ziplines dotted around the various islands. Combat has more depth than the original, meaning the easy ‘parry, counter-attack’ sequence is harder to pull off, while guns aren’t the silver bullet they used to be. Takedowns offer a satisfying way to end a fight with some brutal moves that ensure your enemies won’t be getting back up. The developers have also enhanced the naval warfare, offering new upgrades for your ship, secondary weapons, and three recruitable officers who each offer a unique buff to your vessel and crew.
Resynced improves the more dated systems
Mercifully Ubisoft has dropped the RPG levelling system and gear scores, making the game feel more like the originals. Resynced still suffers from some of the more frustrating Assassin’s Creed quirks, such as jumping off a building in the wrong direction to your doom, or the incomprehensible insistence on differentiating enemy attack types with red or green indicators, which is useless for colourblind players.
The button to assassinate people (probably the most important command in the game) has also shifted from R1 to triangle on PS5, an unhelpful innovation making double-assassinations incredibly fiddly.
But overall Resynced walks the fine line between staying true to the original and improving its more dated systems, making this a must-play for both wannabe pirates and those nostalgic for the days of Breaking Bad and horse burgers.
• Assassins Creed Black Flag Resynced is out now