Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review (PC): A Pirate’s Life For Me

Sailing the high seas, naval engagements, and brandishing a cutlass as a swashbuckler is a power fantasy I’ve always longed for, and 2013’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag allowed me to live a pirate’s life. As one of the fan-favorite entries in the long-running franchise, the desire to reexperience that adventure with new bells and whistles would have topped the list of my wanted remakes, if done correctly. 

After dozens of hours exploring the Caribbean, hunting down treasure, and meeting history’s greatest pirates, I can confirm that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced hits all the marks for this tale in the modern age. It’s not a complete reinvention, and it doesn’t bring many new ideas into the fold, but for the diehard fans of this franchise highlight, this is the definitive way to experience Edward Kenway’s classic journey.

Charting a New Course

With it being over a decade since the original release, Ubisoft needed to put in the work to make a remake feel worthwhile, and the improvements are immediately apparent. The seas of the Caribbean are gorgeous by today’s gaming standards, from the crystal blue waters to lush green forested islands, all the way to dingy port towns dotted across the landscape. The entire environment is beautifully recreated, with new weather systems and raytraced puddles lining busy streets, adding to the immersion. 

Mission structures have also been updated. For example, previously annoying tailing missions in every shape and form seen in the original are revamped to offer a different path to completion, greatly reducing frustrations I had in the past. In addition to reworked missions, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced includes a bevy of entirely new missions, officers with their own backstories, and different endings for some of the world’s most notorious pirates. The game feels how you remember it, but in actuality a complete overhaul, smoothing out the older game’s aged sides to deliver a fully modern experience.

Master and Commander

Every aspect of the feeling on the sticks has also received an upgrade, from parkour, stealth encounters, sailing the Jackdaw, and, of course, combat. 

Most of your time with Black Flag Resynced is evenly split between land and sea, so it was nice to see both areas touched up. Lowering the sails and hitting the open water is just as engaging as the original, with activities from deep diving to exploring every island you run across providing plenty of adventures along the way. 

But we do live the pirate’s life, so being prepared to take on enemy ships and conquer forts is a must for success. It’s still the classic ship combat that drew so many of us in originally, positioning The Jackdaw alongside other ships to lose broadside cannons or dropping fire barrels to deal with pursuers. 

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has added additional weaponry to your arsenal, with alternate firing modes for each ballistic option giving you new ways to sink an enemy frigate. I spent hours harassing the open ocean looking for gold and supplies, finding the fun in each encounter.

Planting our feet on solid ground also gives us a chance to play with more upgraded systems, from the way you sneak through an encampment, to the moment-to-moment sword fighting before you fell an enemy. Both of these instances feel more akin to the recent entries in the Assassin’s Creed series, making stealth as well as combat feel similar to recent players. 

Edward contends with an enemies’ visibility meter during the sneakier sections, able to utilize tall grass, line of sight, time of day, and even weather to make it harder for him to be spotted, giving players more options and control over avoiding prying eyes. 

Combat also mirrors the newer games, rewarding you for perfect parries and using your heavy strikes, wearing down an opponent until their guard meter breaks, allowing you to deal a lethal strike with the hidden blades. There is a bit of build crafting, equipping trinkets, and different weapon types of varying rarities, giving you unique perks that can affect any combat encounter. A smart move to keep today’s fans engaged with combat they are most used to, while keeping the bloody nature of a swashbuckler intact.

Drink Up, Me Hearties

One thing I adore about the age of piracy is the memorable characters and historic figures turned legend, all while pursuing the idea of freedom in a world hellbent on sending them all to the gallows. This rogue archetype is heavily featured during Edward Kenway’s adventures, from shepherding a fresh-faced Stede Bonnet, to crossing paths and sailing alongside Captain Blackbeard himself.

These legends are interwoven alongside the assassin vs. templar conflict as well, creating a mix of over-the-top fantasy within a fascinating point in history. That actual assassin storyline does take quite a while to get going, but this remake’s removal of the modern-day setting hallmark of the series is a much-welcome change, pacing out what actually matters to our characters in play. 

Resynced smartly expands on these real-world characters, with new quests and endings attached to some of our favorite sailing companions. In addition, the Jackdaw’s crew is also expanded, with three new officers bringing new skillsets to the naval offerings of the game, all the while bringing unique backstories and memorable missions into the fold. I’m not fully sure if everyone else reveres Black Flag so much because of these characters and story moments, but this collection of freedom-loving misfits always held a place in my heart, and I was delighted to hunt treasure with them once more.

Final Verdict

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced brings back a classic from the series past, with all the necessary improvements needed for the modern day. With updated gameplay, more story and characters, as well as a stunning new take on the Caribbean, this remake is the absolute best way to experience this tale of assassins and pirates. A retread of a decade-plus-old game may not entice some, but it’s a masterful retelling sure to touch on many fans’ nostalgia and is the best suggestion for players to experience this story once more.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced was reviewed on PC with a code provided by Ubisoft. It is also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

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