Why I Am Excited About Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

Will you be setting sail this fall or has the Creed worn thin with this one.

 

Assassin's Creed 4 is the sixth game in the main series, if you only include its console releases. As such one would be forgiven for feeling fatigue setting in, especially since the series has shifted to a yearly release schedule. Though I hear the dissension and I can completely understand it, but I must disagree with those who are down on this particular release in the series. Why, you may ask, do I care about a franchise that seemingly has lost its way in more ways than one? Well, the sea you see, Is the reason.

Set sail with the Jackdaw 

I do still have my doubts, after all. When AC4 was first announced earlier this year, I was just as pessimistic as some of the detractors I have seen and heard from. I told myself that I had no intention of even listening to any AC4 news. But, here we are, only a few months later, and I can now say--after listening to a lot of the news that has been revealed-- that I am hopeful this entry in the series will live up to the potential espoused by the solid, personal favorite of mine, Assassin's Creed 2. Assassin's Creed 2 is, in my opinion, exemplary of the franchises capabilities; from its rich, expansive Italy, to its much improved variety over AC1, AC2 combines the open-ended structure of AC1 with an expansive narrative and a variety of gameplay. With AC2 in mind, what can we gauge from what little we know about AC4? The Jackdaw, which looks to be a symbol of freedom, liberation and a much welcomed return to Assassin's Creed 1 levels of open-ended gameplay. Running off of the ground-work, laid down in last years AC3, the open sea Caribbean expanse of AC4, looks to catalyze a, somewhat lost, sense of adventure. The heavily praised naval missions of Assassin's Creed 3 are proof that life on the Jackdaw will rouse the most cranky of fans, as the open sea is rife with mystery and adventure.

A Return to Form, At least that's the Idea

 

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Assassin's Creed 4 looks to be a return to form. A return to an open-ended structure that can potentially free the gamer up to tackle missions with out feeling like they are restricted by an unseen script. Let's face it, as much as I did enjoy AC3, It did feel restrictive in execution--though I can see it had great ambition. The level of polish decried in AC3, by clamoring gamers, did not help its case. Though I do not completely view Assassin's Creed 1 with rose-colored lenses, as It did include a lot of repetition, I still see it-- in essence-- as a blueprint from which to guide the construction of other entries in the series. I'm not sure how anyone else feels on this subject, but I see the most recent entries as deviations from the "Creed", in Assassin's Creed. Oh, don't get me wrong, sure Desmond was around and Abstergo, but where was the investigating, the set-up, the need for social stealth and the sense of struggle to either adhere to the code, resist it or shape it. There seems to be a sense of renewed vigor. Stealth is touted as an "option", and I understand that marketing buzzwords are at play here; but stealth, viable stealth...yes please! Along with stealth there is less of an emphasis on ,what sometimes felt tacked on, the brotherhood summoning abilities. I was a fan of the added flexibility due to an expanded repertoire of abilities, but it didn't always mesh--though,again, I-- personally-- had no issue with it. (the brotherhood mechanic felt like it was attached as a time sink, with shallow upgrades and an unbalanced deployment in-game). There will be more to upgrade and purchase--all the more reason to search for treasure and blue prints--,build and customize. The developers have talked about the need to upgrade (what is essentially a second companion) the Jackdaw, in order to handle sea-warfare against larger frigates and dreadnoughts. So, in all, I would say the greater emphasis on a seamless world, from land to sea, on the decreased emphasis on overly restrictive mission structure (whereby a player doesn't need to approach a target from a predetermined angle or vantage, but instead could sneak from any point of access they can devise); and-- continuing with the mission structure-- the return to assassinations that mean something due to the increased agency afforded the player(assassin), I will say that AC4 looks to by a definite "game to watch".

Thanks for reading. I hope my thoughts provided some you with something, let me know your thoughts. More to come, so stay tuned.