Assassin's Creed IV : Black Flag

[Hendo]

I had a search and couldn't find a thread on it though I'm sure people here have played this one.

I'm a big fan of the early series but stopped after Brotherhood because it was fantastic but heard middling things about the one after and then worse things about 3. I played 3 when it turned up on PS+ but it was a really boring start so stopped.

I'm very early in but I can really see this sucking me back in.

It looks good, not as good as other games have been on this generation but I think this was a launch game so that can be forgiven.

So far the story has been set with the pirate you play as pretending to be an assassin (I think for easy money reasons) and the infamous Abstergo "real world" bits coming up.

It's far-fetched how much assassin type stuff the pirate can do with no real training behind him but I can let it slide and just enjoy the stealthy stabbing action. It might get touched upon in the story and explain that, I don't know.

Anyway, thumbs up and only cost me 12 quid.

[DisturbedSwan]

Absolutely loved this, you're in for a treat Hendo.

[DisturbedSwan]

Yeah 3 is absolute dogshite.

[Hendo]

I don't know how much of it is playable but the map is fucking huge!

I've gotten into the first town after you gain the ship and there's been tons to do so far. Zoom out of the map and that's just a tiny portion.

[illdog]

OCD mode ON/off

[Hendo]

On all the way, baby.

[Hendo]

I've pretty much spent all day playing this, the collectibles have kept me busy.

I've not been paying much attention to the story but it's been ok so far.

Starting to get a hang of the ship combat and building my crew up, looks like it has some of the Brotherhood type stuff where you send people out to do shit for you, but this time on boats rather than on foot.

[DisturbedSwan]

I spent 55 hours getting almost everything in this, think the only thing I didn't bother with was maxing the ship building stuff and the musical notes, everything else I manages to find and it was damn satisfying when I synchronised 100% of the map I tell you, Hendo, go for it mate, OCD full steam ahead you won't regret it

[Hendo]

I appear to have finished the story. At least I think I have, it just cut to an end and credits rolled.

Granted I wasn't paying attention to the story but seemed a bit abrupt?

[bellow]

Thanks to Blakey for finding this (strangely lightweight) thread.

 

My first question is which game is better on this Switch reissue, Rogue or Blackflag. I don't want to be put off by a lesser iteration, as my relationship with these ubi open world games is already a bit lackluster. Having said that I really like AC2 and the watch dogs games.

[Maryokutai]

Never played Rogue but Black Flag is about as good as "old" AC can get. Basically it made go from completely hating that franchise to actually giving it a chance in the future again (which in turn led me to like both Syndicate and Odyssey). 

 

So yeah, no matter the order you want to play them make sure you give it a fair shot.

[bellow]

Blackflag certainly looks the part on the Switchington. Very crisp and colourful, and that opener was epic.

 

You see, I'm open to this series. I try with it. But sometimes it just bores. 3 was dull as hell, and controlled poorly as well. Although that might have been a dodgy Switch port.

 

This feels a lot better out of the traps.

[DisturbedSwan]

I’ve actually never played Rogue but it’s basically a sequel to Black Flag in the way it plays, naval combat, piloting a ship etc. From what I’ve seen, read and heard about it. I think the biggest difference with it though is that you play as a Templar.
 

Black Flag is a phenomenal game though, far superior to the incredibly shitty 3 that’s for sure. If you end up liking Black Flag the director from that directed AC: Origins too so you may like that as well. 

[bellow]

I'm not convinced it's as easy as this to steer a 200 ft schooner. It's like Grand theft boaty.

[regemond]

Rogue was great as a direct follow-up to BF but it never got any attention because it came out on last gen systems at the same time as Unity.

 

It has exactly the same map as BF, plus an entirely new one in the icy North. You get to avoid icebergs and hunt narwhals. It has plenty of the stuff BF had, but it's all expanded on. At the very least it was far better than Unity was on release.

[bellow]

I think I like this game. Which is a bit of a tenuous pitch of approval, I know.

 

But this franchise always annoys me a little bit - the one button platforming, the abominable combat etc. However, this particular iteration is big, RPG big. It's got good characters, a fabulous overworld, and a nicely acted script. So I've decided it's an RPG. It's well put together enough to be considered so. And you should always be prepared to forgive a bit of janky action in an RPG.

 

I need to calm down a bit, though. I'm only a few hours in and the body count is feckin staggering.

[bellow]

Well I've managed to stick with this for over 20 hours, dividing my time between sea battling, exploration, and the main quest, which, sort of like how it is in an elder Scrolls game, is perhaps the least compelling of the components.

 

Not that I'm complaining. I'm not really invested in the wider lore of this franchise, so a free form adventure is where it's at for me. 

 

Having said that, I'll be doing as little bell diving as I can get away with in this game. Feckin sucks. 

 

And Blackbeard? What an unexpectedly personable fellow.

[bellow]

This is clocking over 25 hours on my switch profile. I hope I'm closing in on the big finish, as it's starting to grate a bit now - these overused tailing missions getting a wee bit annoying.

 

And what's the point of them anyway? You can never remember what anyone said during the eavesdrop because your too busy not getting caught. Shite way of delivering exposition if you ask me. I hardly know why I'm doing anything in this anymore.

 

It's still ok, though. Not my favourite franchise, but a decent game - if slightly overlong at this point.

[Maf]

25 down, 38 to go. Credits, ahoy!

[bellow]

Feck that. I'll throw myself overboard before I set sail to those distant shores, me'hearties.