Back in 2017, I was at E3 attending a bunch of appointments to see newly announced games and play demos of upcoming ones. The one appointment I was most excited for, however, was Ubisoft’s. You see, they had just announced Skull and Bones, a naval combat game with pirates and giant ships, complete with a ship battle system not unlike the one we’d seen in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
I had a special attachment to this one, too. Skull and Bones was set to be the first major project led by Ubisoft Singapore, and look, when my country calls, I answer. I ended up writing a fairly glowing preview for Skull and Bones. In my defense, it was pretty damn impressive at the time, but, well, we all know what happened to Skull and Bones when that finally released in 2024 and the less said about that, the better.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is the second project whereby Ubisoft Singapore has served as the lead studio, and in many ways, it feels like a chance for redemption. After all, Black Flag is one of the most beloved games in the series, receiving critical acclaim not only for its story and the roguish charm of protagonist Edward Kenway, but for its fantastic ship combat which served as the heart of the game. I’m happy to report that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is even better than you remember it, and no, I did not even need to be compelled by my national duty to sing its praises.
Originally released in 2013, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a full remake of the fourth mainline game in the series. You take control of Edward Kenway, a pirate rascal who survives a run-in with a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, kills him, and decides to disguise himself as an Assassin to claim a reward from some seriously powerful people. Needless to say, it is a terrible idea that lands Kenway into a lot of trouble, while also propelling him on a journey across the seas.
While I wasn’t the biggest fan of 2013’s Black Flag, I have to say I was instantly impressed with just how stunning the game looked. The original Black Flag struck me with just how vast its open-world was, and I was enamored with the naval combat, collecting sea shanties, and just whiling away the hours at sea. Black Flag Resynced recreates the version of the original game that I’ve held in my memory all these years (I rebooted the original, it does not look anywhere near as good), and then some.
The way the rogue waves hit the Jackdaw as you’re sailing, the splash effects of the distant waterspouts… Everything in Black Flag Resynced has been polished to a gleaming shine.
And of course, once the novelty of the updated graphics wore off, I was reminded of how fun these old-school Assassin’s Creed games could be, especially when they’re set in an open-world that actually feels conquerable, and not as overwhelming as, say, Shadows or Valhalla. The usual Ubisoft-isms are all here — the synchronization points, the collectibles, and the enemy fortresses that are perpetually ripe for looting. I’ll admit that it’s been a good while since I’ve properly sat down to enjoy an old-fashioned Ubisoft open-world game, but as soon as I began my journey in Black Flag Resynced, it was as if all my neurons started firing off at once.
Going through all the activities on my open-world checklist was satisfying. I was drawn into the loop of unlocking viewpoints, chasing down those pesky sea shanties, liberating fortresses, and getting on my ship to be an utter menace to the other innocent brigs and schooners just minding their own business as I rained fire down on them. The upgrade and customization loop continues to be compelling as well, as you can collect materials and resources from all over the world to make your ship sturdier, and also personalize it to give it a bit more character.
There are issues with Black Flag Resynced, such as the ground combat itself, which still feels wonky and unwieldy. During my time with the game, I found the target lock and target switching systems to feel somewhat unreliable. Locking on to a single target was usually fine, but switching targets or trying to choose the right target to lock on to when I was surrounded by multiple enemies often felt like a nightmare. It doesn’t help that the swordfighting isn’t exactly all that fun either, and I often found myself simply mashing or holding R1 while waiting for the fight to be over.
You can also expect the usual Ubisoft jank here, like enemies noticing you when they shouldn’t, or enemies completely looking past you when you really should’ve been caught right then and there. Walking just slightly out of line could get an entire fortress to aggro on you within a split-second, and trying to follow a target or pickpocket them stealthily will always be just that little bit more annoying.
These are all problems that have plagued the other Assassin’s Creed games — new and old — to be sure, but that doesn’t make them any less frustrating. You’ll get used to them eventually, and I certainly wasn’t expecting Ubisoft to iron out every single issue present in the original game. Still, if you can get past the wonky combat and parkour, it’s easy to appreciate just how gorgeous everything looks.
What really sets this game apart from the rest of the entries, though, is Edward himself and the carefree nature of Black Flag. Unlike most of our other Assassin’s Creed protagonists, Edward didn’t join the Brotherhood out of some sense of duty or higher calling; he lucked into it, and for the completely wrong reasons to boot. Our boy Edward is just in it to get rich, and his lack of scruples is actually oddly refreshing in a series that’s so often overcrowded with moralistic characters and do-gooders.
His supporting cast continues to be excellent too, with James Kidd, Blackbeard, and Adewale stealing the spotlight whenever they’re onscreen. This should come as no surprise, as Black Flag was notably lauded for having a strong roster of characters that supported and complemented Edward throughout the entire story. I still found myself getting invested in Kidd’s character arc over time, despite already knowing how it ends, and I’m glad to report that Black Flag Resynced does justice to the original story while also building on it meaningfully.
The one area where Resynced stumbles, however, is in its inclusion of wholly new content. If you’ve been following along with the Black Flag Resynced news cycle, you might’ve already seen some clips of the new missions and characters, including Lucy Baldwin, who’s introduced as one of the new officers you can recruit for the Jackdaw. Generally speaking, I appreciated the new inclusions. Black Flag Resynced is such an immersive pirate sim game that I relished the opportunity to spend more time in its world, kitting out the Jackdaw and improving my gear and crew wherever possible. So, being able to recruit new officers is an idea that I enjoyed.
That being said, I couldn’t help but notice that there was a clear deviation in writing quality between the new and old content, and as much as I love the idea of Lucy Baldwin and her character design, she felt like a notably weaker addition to the roster especially when compared with more colorful companions like Thatch. Even Edward’s own characterization could feel somewhat inconsistent at times during these new missions. The short answer is, the new missions range from mediocre to fine at best, and I could take them or leave them. The good news is that they don’t affect the original content at all, and I still thoroughly enjoyed my time in Black Flag Resynced from start to finish.
It helps that the core of the game is so strong. After defeating your first boss and claiming your first stronghold, the world truly becomes your oyster. You have the option of chasing down resources to strengthen the Jackdaw and its crew, or you could spend time decorating your base and improving it. If you prefer the hand-to-hand combat aspect of Assassin’s Creed, you could chase down the rest of the Templars for their keys to unlock that sweet armor that’s staring you in the face back at base.
While I have my gripes with some of the new content that’s been introduced here, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a stellar remake of one of the best games the long-running series has to offer. Ubisoft Singapore has brought the pirate dream back to life with Resynced, and I think longtime fans will be very pleased with their efforts here.
A review code for the game was provided by the publisher. You can check out our review policy here. Reviewed on PS5.
