Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 780 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 606 out of 780
  2. Mixed: 84 out of 780
  3. Negative: 90 out of 780
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  1. kingj24
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    Easily the best entry in the franchise. The scope and depth is unmatched by most games to date. Sunning visuals and and interesting character and engaging if sometimes shaky story make this one of the best games of the year.
  2. BladeStrike
    Oct 29, 2013
    4
    Stop paying full price for minor updates. This is a glorified dlc campaign, nothing more. If you must play it wait for a sale. Ubisoft don't deserve full price for this lazy dlc pack. Whatever you do don't listen to the mindless drones giving this a 10, it does not deserve it. They are just fanboys.

    Btw Metacritic have been deleting user reviews all day that don't think highly of this    Stop paying full price for minor updates. This is a glorified dlc campaign, nothing more. If you must play it wait for a sale. Ubisoft don't deserve full price for this lazy dlc pack. Whatever you do don't listen to the mindless drones giving this a 10, it does not deserve it. They are just fanboys.

    Btw Metacritic have been deleting user reviews all day that don't think highly of this game. Thats just pathetic...    … Expand
  3. OMGtoasty
    Jan 7, 2014
    4
    Here is a brutally honest review by a big fan of the franchise. This game is a wreck. It doesn't feel like any of the other classic Assassin's creed games. You spend most of your time out on the ocean using the only successful mechanic from the third game, the naval warfare. This game resembles nothing but a really cool pirate game, but even that part of the game gets old after so long.Here is a brutally honest review by a big fan of the franchise. This game is a wreck. It doesn't feel like any of the other classic Assassin's creed games. You spend most of your time out on the ocean using the only successful mechanic from the third game, the naval warfare. This game resembles nothing but a really cool pirate game, but even that part of the game gets old after so long. The land combat doesn't improve on that. It is way to easy. After you have taken out one enemy you just have to span the attack button and you will kill everyone. All of the characters (excluding Thatch aka Black Beard) are predictable and uninteresting. Even the main character, Edward Kenway, pales in comparison o the franchises past characters (Ezio Auditore).The missions are all very repetitive and seem to drag on. The stalking missions are pathetic because of the eagle visions change.his is the second worst game in he franchise and sincerely hope that changes are made to ring back the old assassin's creed that I love to play. the only reason im not giving this a 0 is because I atleast has a beautiful world an decent voice acting, but they ned to work on the story.… Expand
  4. joao1198pedro
    Nov 17, 2013
    7
    this game compared to the two last assassin's creed is terrific,the game is good in various things,but it is not as good as the firsts assassin's creed but is still a good game.
  5. LausDaeus
    Dec 7, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Assassin's Creed 4 is a decent game, although it seems a bit lacking in polish when compared to its predecessors. The main plot is a bit lacking in excitement (both on the Animus and real world side) and somewhat fails to draw one in, the gameplay has gained some features, but on the whole doesn't seem like a major improvement. The only thing really worthy of credit are the graphics, effects and sound, as those are truly beautiful to behold.

    Plot: 4/10
    Without giving too much away, it can be said that the Desmond storyline is over and that our new main protagonist is pretty much without any identity whatsoever. While some of the former characters recur in a couple of scenes and one can tell that there is some connection to what has already happened, it really makes more of an impression as a side story and the initial mystery and showdown of the last games seem to have basically been forgotten about. Abstergo has interest in a device called "The Observatory" that allows one to see people wherever they want, provided they have their blood, which given the modern era of security and that they control most of the world anyway (as is hinted throughout the game) seems pretty obsolete and bland, especially when compared to something like the "Apple" from the last games. The Assassins are playing some role, but ultimately have no influence on what happens, so one again does not have the impression of much plot progression and the actual writers are just biding their time.
    In the actual game, one plays as a notorious pirate, whose whole goal for around 80% of the game is to make money to live a better life and when he hears of the observatory from the templars he plans to use it to rule the ocean and make more money. Apart from this being a rather dull goal, the character does not make a convincing effort to rule or gain anything and just wreaks havoc inbetween his drunk depressions. Finally towards the end of the game, after almost every friend he knows dies for reasons that he is actually not responsible for, the assassins more or less guilt him into joining them and the story ends with him killing the templars and returning home. So while this plot does place him into the AC universe, he really doesn't fit into it very well and is himself not particularly fun to play given his lacking ambition and accordingly little happening.

    Gameplay: 5/10
    The gameplay of AC has expanded in some ways, as the sailing has now become an integral component and has been somewhat revamped and there are some new minigames such as fishing and a fleet. Some assassination techniques, like the double assassination have also been made easier and the controls are more player-friendly (although I myself found some of them more difficult to get used to).
    So in that aspect the game is all well, but there are also some major pitfalls. For instance a huge number of missions involve tailing somebody, then tailing somebody else, then listening to them and then *maybe* killing somebody. This is all fine to do once in a while, but doing this every second mission or so becomes very tedious and ultimately boring.
    Further criticism can be made to the side quests, where one has to complete shape fitting puzzles that require the intelligence of a 3-year-old in order to get an armor, or mindlessly collect 200 animus fragments that do nothing other than get you an achievement. This, in combination with a map/level design of very small cities (with little to do in them) and numerous islands of which many look the exact same does feel very repetitive and takes some of the fun out of the game.
    The array of tools and weapons in the game has also been reduced, allowing for a dozen dual swords/pistols of one type with slightly different skins and stats and no daggers whatsoever. One final aspect that bothered me, was that the enemy AI has taken to a whole new level of disappointingly easy to the extent, that running up to somebody and jumping on them was a substantially easier method of "assassination" than employing stealth and planning. Admittedly, some of these criticisms are a matter of preference, but with others, it's pretty obvious the game developers were just plain lazy, which does not merit a good score.

    Graphics/Effects: 9/10
    So after all this complaining, it can at least be said that the graphics of the actual game are wonderful to the extent that some PC players may experience quite a bit of lag when compared to the predecessors. Is it worth it? Yes, as the game world is very picturesque and a good level of detail has been applied to make it feel real. The combat animations are also smooth and the characters designs have been put together nicely. One can at the very least say that the artists and graphics engineers know what they're doing.

    Anyways, after all this the verdict is 6/10. This doesn't mean it is a great game or a bad game, but rather one to enjoy more for the effects than the story or novelties of game play.    … Expand
  6. Daelus
    Feb 3, 2014
    8
    Broken down by components this game would likely be a 7, however in its entirety it was a very good game.

    Story - always the weakest point of a AC game; story and execution here probably a 6 tops....why they continue to put the lame present-day story in is beyond me....that BS is always a ZERO! Action - the game allowed significant scope in how to approach the objectives; stealth,    Broken down by components this game would likely be a 7, however in its entirety it was a very good game.

    Story - always the weakest point of a AC game; story and execution here probably a 6 tops....why they continue to put the lame present-day story in is beyond me....that BS is always a ZERO!
    Action - the game allowed significant scope in how to approach the objectives; stealth, force or a combination - 8
    World size - It looks bigger than it is; AC3 was actually larger. The only true area to roam is the ocean (which is a lot of fun), with all but a few of the islands very linear (no entering the woods, etc) follow the path stuff. - 7
    Open world - mini games (8), sea roaming & battles/ boarding/ fort battles (9.5 - the shanties are what stick with me from the game), mini-convoy activity (6), looting warehouses (6), underwater exploration (3), chase the courier (0), collectibles (6 - the rewards are not worth the time, but they aren't onerous)
    .    … Expand
  7. callumjsouth
    Nov 8, 2015
    8
    Black Flag takes the freedom of Assassin's Creed III and improves upon it in every way. Naval combat is now fully cemented into the roots of the gameplay and is a joy to behold. Plundering the West Indies makes for fantastic entertainment and combat is rich here too. The multiple settings in Black Flag are the most tropical yet. Havana and Nassau have a distinct beauty and charm and it'sBlack Flag takes the freedom of Assassin's Creed III and improves upon it in every way. Naval combat is now fully cemented into the roots of the gameplay and is a joy to behold. Plundering the West Indies makes for fantastic entertainment and combat is rich here too. The multiple settings in Black Flag are the most tropical yet. Havana and Nassau have a distinct beauty and charm and it's wonderfully refreshing to not be trapped within one city in an AC game, freedom is everything here. However as free as you are, you are not free from yet another tepid story that lacks any really backbone. The playable protagonist is likeable though and this leads to you having some sort of investment in the outcome of his tale. Again I was fascinated to be in the presence of real historical characters. Franklin last year, Blackbeard this year. Not since Brotherhood have I found few flaws with an AC game. Black Flag is a brilliant adventure in the West Indies rich in naval combat which is led by a likeable protagonist who is able to successfully tie up the Kenway story.… Expand
  8. Sneaktastic
    Feb 19, 2014
    8
    Gameplay same old same old Assassin's Creed- Boat combat is on of the best mechanics in gaming of the last couple years- The ability to free roam around in boats, collect buried treasure, fight legendary ships, take on fleets of ships- Story is fantastic- Pirate genre is a PLUS.
    Get this game if:
    1. You love the pirate genre 2. Loved the ship combat in AC3 3. You love history Do not    Gameplay same old same old Assassin's Creed- Boat combat is on of the best mechanics in gaming of the last couple years- The ability to free roam around in boats, collect buried treasure, fight legendary ships, take on fleets of ships- Story is fantastic- Pirate genre is a PLUS.
    Get this game if:
    1. You love the pirate genre
    2. Loved the ship combat in AC3
    3. You love history

    Do not get this game if:
    1. You do not like AC combat    … Expand
  9. Wolverinemetacr
    Nov 19, 2013
    7
    Its an okay game I liked it. Why so many of the bad reviews were taken off metacritic i dont understand. Not cool when we look to you for reviews guys. It is not worth 60 bones though not for what you get. If you are a fan you will like it, I should have waited a little though bit expensive......
  10. StevenJC
    Nov 21, 2013
    7
    Remains a fun game but the game essentially hasn't improved since the first game in this series. Enjoyable but not original. Still worth playing though.
  11. XMagneto
    Jan 11, 2014
    10
    I put a lot of money in this game including paying for the $120 version, so I took a high risk and I don't regret it. I thought the game was really fun and made me want to explore the world and the ship mechanics were better than the last game, and this game had a lot of feel to it. even though I was disappointed in Edwards origin story I still enjoyed it and I will play it again and again.
  12. MrTwicez
    Jan 23, 2014
    9
    I got this game for my birthday, and I was so exited I got this game, I literally craped in my thong. The graphics are personally better than the game the G T A 7 or what ever you call it. Its sad I didn't finish this game because I got a big erection and it hurt so bad, I had to go to the vet.
  13. stvissocoolgive
    Jan 27, 2014
    7
    this game to me is probably the best one in its series yet, with all the shanties, the loot, secrets and even the pirates itself are amazing. the down side to the game is how short the story is but all the secrets and treasures you can find make it more interesting and longer. for me this game gos up into the top of my list for the assassin creed series
  14. PsychoShane
    Apr 27, 2015
    8
    Assassin's Creed 4 may have the most interesting and expansive open world in any Assassin's Creed creed game, but the adventure element of number 2 is missing a little bit because of '100% checklist formula' that plagues it.
  15. officer7161
    Jan 30, 2014
    2
    boycott this franchise please! All assasin's creed has done is just recycle, recycle, recyle. If you compare the characters and maps etc from the previous titles in the franchise, they just take the same stuff and repackage it. I used to be a huge fan of MP of the series, but just got bored after they just repackage the same stuff repeatedly.
    Now I tried out MP in blackflag I can spot    boycott this franchise please! All assasin's creed has done is just recycle, recycle, recyle. If you compare the characters and maps etc from the previous titles in the franchise, they just take the same stuff and repackage it. I used to be a huge fan of MP of the series, but just got bored after they just repackage the same stuff repeatedly.
    Now I tried out MP in blackflag I can spot characters recycled from brotherhood, revelations etc...
    It's just terrible! guys, boycott the franchise so they will actually put some energy into creating new titles instead of recycling old ones!
    don't buy this game if you played previous title/titles!    … Expand
  16. Deusex
    Mar 2, 2014
    2
    I gave AC one last chance..
    But unfountantly they took the Rockstar bridge with gta 5 and made the same s*** as before except ruined every element.
    I want to play as an assassin, not some pirate. Edward is an affront to the creed, and a badly written character. The side missions are horrible, everything is Repititive and the story is now weak. Everything is ruined.. I've played all 6    I gave AC one last chance..
    But unfountantly they took the Rockstar bridge with gta 5 and made the same s*** as before except ruined every element.

    I want to play as an assassin, not some pirate. Edward is an affront to the creed, and a badly written character. The side missions are horrible, everything is Repititive and the story is now weak. Everything is ruined.. I've played all 6 games (the main ones not psp bulls***) and ill play no more.    … Expand
  17. DanielCorfour
    Nov 26, 2013
    6
    Assassin's Creed 4: 90% pirate, 10% assassin. To see a summary of this review scroll to the end.

    Ubisoft went ahead and did the obvious. They took, the best part of Assassin's Creed 3, really the only really good part, and made a game out of it. Literally, they retrofitted the game engine used in the previous title into this a new game, while barely adding or changing anything. This    Assassin's Creed 4: 90% pirate, 10% assassin. To see a summary of this review scroll to the end.

    Ubisoft went ahead and did the obvious. They took, the best part of Assassin's Creed 3, really the only really good part, and made a game out of it. Literally, they retrofitted the game engine used in the previous title into this a new game, while barely adding or changing anything. This whole game felt like an AC 3.1, rather than a new title.. which, I wouldn't have had a problem with, if they would have fixed the problems that plagued AC3, or actually gave us a good, satisfying story, like AC2, but they didn't.

    Assassin's Creed wasn't particularly good when it came to game mechanics, AC1 and 2 were kind of bad actually, instead, it was built by it's amazing storytelling, beautiful setting, and wonderful soundtrack. I still listen to Ezio's Family by Jesper Kyd from AC2. That song brings back a kind of emotions that I rarely feel with games. AC4, however delivers only one of these, the setting. I'm going to start by criticizing the story itself. It's terrible. First off, it has nothing to do with Assassins, they barely make a cameo appearance, both inside and outside the Animus. The whole game revolves around pirates, and that wouldn't be a problem, if it was a good story. And it starts out good, but then it gets riddled with plot holes, poor writing, scenes that don't make sense, and although they stayed away from the obvious parrot cliches, they added a bunch of them story-wise. The story does make a few twists, but most of them you'll see coming a mily away, and most of them don't make sense. There is no main enemy in the game, and most of the things that happen in the game make no sense. And if you were expecting a great ending.. don't.. it is terrible. The only plot-twist you won't see coming in this game is the ending.. they drop it on you out of nowhere, just when you were expecting the game would truly begin, and then they hit you in the face with a poorly done cutscene, and leave you confused.

    Here's a tip, dear Ubisoft. A story, every story, follows 5 basic steps, not necessarily in this order: Exposition, Rising Action, Progression, Climax, Ending. The 4th is completely missing, and the fifth leaves you confused, when it should leave you satisfied.

    Then there are the actual missions in the story. Boring, repetitive and most of them don't make sense. All you do is follow this guy, eavesdrop on that guy. And on rare occasions you kill someone. Missions involving ships can be interesting, but at times they are the same boring "follow that ship" nonsense. In comparison with GTA 5, or Red Dead Redemption, where every mission was unique and intriguing, here they are boring, unimaginative and repetitive. The same goes for side missions. Assassinations, Naval Missions and Templar Hunts. All of them are basically the same. If you did one then you did all, there's no point in continuing. You play through it once, but you won't want to play through it a second time.

    What saves the game is the beautiful and huge open world game, the side activities(not missions) and the naval combat. The setting is really amazing, although some fans of the series will find it irritating that you won't visit cities that much, only a couple times, and they are small with not a lot of things to do, the setting just didn't allow for that. Most of the time you will do what the game is all about: pirating. Naval combat is really fun, and it's been expanded upon a lot.: you can board ships, capture them, steal their cargo and send them to your fleet, you can attack naval forts and capture them. You can use those resources to upgrade your ship and so on. There are also underwater places you can explore, but there are limited, and in comparison with GTAV, where there was an entire open-world you could explore, here there are only ten locations, but it still looks great, and avoiding sharks and medusas is great fun. You can also raid plantations, which are a ton of fun... basically the side activities are really great, and make this game enjoyable, even though the story brings it down.

    In summary, it looks like this game was made just so Ubisoft can make more money off of the ship mechanics in AC3. Combat and land based mechanics are basically the same as the previous game, although they did need changing and improving. The game engine is the same as it was in the third title, with very little improvement, or change, when it, again needed it. And all of this would not be a problem if the game offered a good story, but it doesn't. The story seems like an excuse to sell an adapted version of AC3, and the story is driven by the game mechanics, and not vice versa. Luckily the beautiful setting, graphics and excellent pirate game save the game and prop up the rating to a 6/10. You can't help but feel, if they only spent a little bit more time, and wouldn't pump out a game every year, it could've been an amazing game.    … Expand
  18. Adamm4231
    Nov 6, 2013
    7
    Much better than AC3 but still lacking in a few departments.First off, I wanted to play Assassin's Creed, not "Pirates of the Caribbean with a slight AC twist". You play as Edward Kenway who is a pirate, he likes to hang out with pirates, and he likes to do pirate things, he likes doing this so much that he literally does them the entire game. Half way through i was getting sick ofMuch better than AC3 but still lacking in a few departments.First off, I wanted to play Assassin's Creed, not "Pirates of the Caribbean with a slight AC twist". You play as Edward Kenway who is a pirate, he likes to hang out with pirates, and he likes to do pirate things, he likes doing this so much that he literally does them the entire game. Half way through i was getting sick of hearing about how he wanted to achieve certain things just for the money, hell even the characters you come across like James Kidd have something to say about his one dimensional attitude to every problem that arises. Finally some form of character development arrives and then BAM!! credit screen. Overall the game play is fun, the combat follows Assassin's Creed protocol but the real improvement lies in the ship combat. Huge amount of ship customization with a hefty amount of new toys to make sure your adversaries sink to the bottom of the ocean. I rate this a 7 because the game play I expected was delivered, I took away points because, like AC3, the main character lacks depth. Maybe one day Ubisoft will realize that is what made Ezio such a great character and such a great enjoyment to play.… Expand
  19. tattoosteve
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    if you were never into AC games you can get into this one and work your way back to AC1. it's probably the most epic AC game they've made so far. the graphics are unbeatable for current-gen and the plotline is absolutely riveting.
  20. ForeverFalling
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    The ultimate AC game and the best pirate simulator out there, lol. Great graphics (current gen), great voice acting, great gameplay, and a huge open world that you can explore with your awesome pirate ship called the Jackdaw. Side missions and collectibles galore as well. Obviously any AC fan should pick this up. If you are not an AC fan, then become one.
  21. LanceUpperkill
    Nov 5, 2013
    9
    This game is amazing, it is the game I have been waiting for since Sea Dogs! The only things that annoys me is the forced current day story line. They should have made it a stand alone pirate game.

    The multiplayer is a let down also. No online ship combat or drop in co op help in battles. Overall though the single player more than makes up for it with its incredible scope.
  22. DukeVega
    Nov 22, 2013
    10
    "Ahoy, she blows" The Quartermaster shouts as the hurricane bellows down upon your small craft, the aptly named "Jack-Daw".
    Our Hero, a welsh pirate from Swansea manning the wheel, you push the craft high over the roaring waves, before crashing back down again. The whole motion of the sea seems real, the shouts of your men and the crackling of thunder actually makes me stare onwards,    "Ahoy, she blows" The Quartermaster shouts as the hurricane bellows down upon your small craft, the aptly named "Jack-Daw".
    Our Hero, a welsh pirate from Swansea manning the wheel, you push the craft high over the roaring waves, before crashing back down again. The whole motion of the sea seems real, the shouts of your men and the crackling of thunder actually makes me stare onwards, smiling in amazement;- My wife keeps asking me to make her a cup of tea
    "NO!" i scream at her as another wave tear's over the deck, not only washing my poor crew-men away but damaging the ship as well.

    Like a cake at a fat kids party we battle on through the storm until eventually the storm clear's and the ocean's settle,

    "Neptune be begging our graves, captain" a man shouts,

    "No Davy Jones locker today" another replies

    We sail on towards an island in the distance, this is one of hundreds of locations across the map, as we sail my men begin singing old sea shanty songs, they sing of women and booze and treasure the songs sometimes get lost in the wind as we howl towards the island
    - and as we settle down to make repairs, I slip into the captains quarters to change my outfit back to the nice garments we stole from the stupid assassin.

    As i return moments later, something magical appear's on the GTA like radar?

    The White whale !!!!!!!

    My crew tell me its a beast from hell, urge me to harpoon it.

    Whale Hunting is legal in this century, so I gather some men and a small row boat and we head out to capture the beast,
    White Wale for dinner tonight boys?

    I cant go on writing this review any longer, sorry... I need to get back in what is no doubt THE GAME OF THE YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I can only describe this game as "Grand Theft Sid Miers Pirat'rim Creed" (The Rim is from Skyrim btw)

    Buy it buy it NOW     … Expand
  23. FlyinBlind72
    Nov 27, 2013
    8
    Much to my surprise, I'm very much enjoying this game. I personally feel that the last good game in this series was AC2 and have been disappointed by the following chapters prior to AC4. Lots of complaints about the story not being as strong but I'm ok with that...it's toned down a bit and that's good b/c the story sometimes feels overly weighty when all you really want to do is playMuch to my surprise, I'm very much enjoying this game. I personally feel that the last good game in this series was AC2 and have been disappointed by the following chapters prior to AC4. Lots of complaints about the story not being as strong but I'm ok with that...it's toned down a bit and that's good b/c the story sometimes feels overly weighty when all you really want to do is play loose and fast. I will say that the naval battles and such do tend to get a bit monotonous after a bit but the world is quite bit and there are lots of things to explore. haven't tried the MP yet but plan to as soon as single player is complete.… Expand
  24. SirGengar
    Dec 4, 2013
    10
    By far one of my favorite titles this year. The game looks gorgeous, is incredible to explore, the characters are great, and the naval bits are fantastic. I would recommend this game to absolutely anyone. I've been playing nonstop since I purchased it. I was up until 2 AM this morning playing!
  25. El_Jacko
    Jan 14, 2014
    2
    I really just do not understand the hype. I am a long time fan of the series and had great fun with every installment up to Revelations. The naval missions in three were a fun distraction from the overall boring game. However, I found their overuse in this tiresome. In three it was like having some nice jam on some horrible bread. In four it was like having an entire sickly bucket of jamI really just do not understand the hype. I am a long time fan of the series and had great fun with every installment up to Revelations. The naval missions in three were a fun distraction from the overall boring game. However, I found their overuse in this tiresome. In three it was like having some nice jam on some horrible bread. In four it was like having an entire sickly bucket of jam on that same horrible bread. They worked better as a distraction.

    The story is meandering and dull. Edward Kenway is quite frankly a complete a complete dickbag and I never once cared about any of the characters in the entire game. I cannot express how truly, truly terrible the missions on land are. They are just so godawfully boring. They almost all either come down to eavesdropping on people or just plain following them. And you will do this again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And just makes me want to tear my hair out thinking about it.

    There are plenty of things for you to do outside the story like raiding ships (which is, actually quite fun), hunting sharks and finding collectibles but I couldn't really be arsed for those as I found most just boring. But then the game pulls a fast one because you complete these to acquire upgrades for your ship and failing do so means that in the later story missions some men of war are going to come along and anally f*ck you faster than a jack rabbit on crack, so I just quit the game altogether. That is something I do not do very often.    … Expand
  26. MarcusFenix0012
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    Best of series outside of Assassin's Creed 2. Love the open world combat and I love that they throw you right into the action as opposed to Assassin's Creed 3's five hour long tutorial. I love completing each island in the hope of fully upgrading my ship. Only issue being that Uplay kicked out every once in a while stopping me from playing the Kenway's Fleet minigame.
  27. Cimentoid123
    Dec 6, 2013
    3
    Ubisoft presents: PIRATES OF CARRIBEAN: Assassin's Creed. I liked the AC series, but Black Flag SLAUGHTED it. I like the idea of being stealthy and stab stuff in the back and I HATE the idea of sailing half of the game! I mean srs, the action happens in Carraibe! I don't even want to go in a game shop because of this garbage!
  28. TheCoolester
    Oct 30, 2013
    9
    100 percent completion on AC1,2,Brotherhood, and Revelations. For some reason, AC3 just didn't resonate with me very well. It seemed rushed, had it's fair share of glitches, and was all over the place, if that makes any sense. It is the only AC game I've yet to finish. Don't get me wrong, I liked some aspects of AC3, the fluidity of the running, the environment was sweet, and the Naval100 percent completion on AC1,2,Brotherhood, and Revelations. For some reason, AC3 just didn't resonate with me very well. It seemed rushed, had it's fair share of glitches, and was all over the place, if that makes any sense. It is the only AC game I've yet to finish. Don't get me wrong, I liked some aspects of AC3, the fluidity of the running, the environment was sweet, and the Naval combat was a blast. Which is part of the reason I was intrigued by AC4. I can say, without question, from what I have been witness to thus far, that AC4 takes the best of AC3 and totally improves it. It also takes the worst of AC3 and scraps it, for the most part. They only real downside I have seen so far has been the "tail" missions. So tedious...but once you get past that, the game shines. The open world is absolutely fantastic. The characters are fun to listen to. I haven't really delved too deep yet, so I can't say a whole lot about the story. The controls are WAY better than AC3, in my opinion. I really don't understand the negative feedback some users have placed on this title. Some cry foul that it's not a traditional "Assassin" game. I disagree, I think the formula is still in place, they've just added new tangibles to it. It is evolving into what should be a spectacular next gen experience as well. Some day I may go back and grind through AC3, but for now, I am knee-deep in AC4, and couldn't be happier. Will update score if I encounter any negative glitchy moments ala AC3.… Expand
  29. DevilHound
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    I honestly thought they killed Assassins Creed with the infamous AC3 but IV is surprisingly good and sets a high standard for any future games.

    Visuals are beyond what could be expected by 8 year old consoles, and you will notice it. The water effects omfg. Gameplay wise its what we have been waiting for, especially with all the new items (weapons, Outfits, ship upgrades etc.) The    I honestly thought they killed Assassins Creed with the infamous AC3 but IV is surprisingly good and sets a high standard for any future games.

    Visuals are beyond what could be expected by 8 year old consoles, and you will notice it. The water effects omfg.
    Gameplay wise its what we have been waiting for, especially with all the new items (weapons, Outfits, ship upgrades etc.)
    The Jackdaw is the home the "homestead" never was, and you really grow to care for the ships well being which was quite surprising.

    I can't really describe how good i found this game to be.
    It improved on EVERYTHING from AC3 and added a free roam world with astounding visuals and epic naval gameplay.    … Expand
  30. Gfunk839
    Oct 30, 2013
    10
    Assassins creed IV is truly the best best game in the series. Improvements across the board make this game worth a purchase.

    The map is huge, 3 large cities plus a huge open world to sail through and pillage islands. Graphics are excellent, very best seen on the XBOX360. Animations are as great as any AC predecessor . Gameplay is great, with better stealth, fun free running and cool    Assassins creed IV is truly the best best game in the series. Improvements across the board make this game worth a purchase.

    The map is huge, 3 large cities plus a huge open world to sail through and pillage islands.

    Graphics are excellent, very best seen on the XBOX360. Animations are as great as any AC predecessor .
    Gameplay is great, with better stealth, fun free running and cool sailing gameplay. Nice and varied.

    The game lasts a very long time providing great value for your money.

    (any allegations calling this "glorified DLC are utterly ridiculous and unsubstantiated this is the biggesty game in the series and brings the best evolution since 1 to 2. Don't listen to the haters)    … Expand
  31. Mazmorrero47
    Jun 23, 2015
    8
    t took a while to grow on me, but overall, it's a great game, and an out of the box experience for Assassin's Creed from a storytelling standpoint. The Mayan ruins are among my favorite levels in any videogame.
  32. DamienP1324
    Oct 29, 2013
    8
    There is some SERIOUS astroturfing going on, or people are just making an account to just give this game and only this game a 10, which I doubt. However, whoever states this game sucks and the franchise is dying has not played the game. I was skeptic about Black Flag due to my disappointment with 3, and while 3 was the worst game in the series, I still enjoyed it at points. Black FlagThere is some SERIOUS astroturfing going on, or people are just making an account to just give this game and only this game a 10, which I doubt. However, whoever states this game sucks and the franchise is dying has not played the game. I was skeptic about Black Flag due to my disappointment with 3, and while 3 was the worst game in the series, I still enjoyed it at points. Black Flag takes the disappointments from 3 and enhances them, as well introducing a much better plot, better gameplay, and a better experience overall. Remember, a different company makes each Assassin's Creed game, it is impossible for the same team to create one every single year. Hard work goes into each one, and the minds behind each team are different, which proves sure that each game isn't %100 monetized yet, and there is just a bit of love for making the game good. If you were disappointed with how different 3 was, get Black Flag. If you aren't a fan, get it, or rent it. I recommend renting due to the fact that unless you're a huge fan of multiplayer, after you beat the single player and 100% it there isn't much to do. Play the game, then voice your opinion. I did, and my opinion is that ACIV is easily one of the best in the franchise.… Expand
  33. Prosthetics
    Nov 8, 2013
    4
    Dull at best.

    The story had great potential, but falls flat on its face near the end. I was so damn disappointed when you reach a climax and pinnacle moment in Edward's life, only to have the last few key events rushed in one chain mission. On top of that, little is revealed in the modern day story. No new revelations. The missions are dull with no real content. The side missions    Dull at best.

    The story had great potential, but falls flat on its face near the end. I was so damn disappointed when you reach a climax and pinnacle moment in Edward's life, only to have the last few key events rushed in one chain mission. On top of that, little is revealed in the modern day story. No new revelations. The missions are dull with no real content. The side missions are bland and boring.
    It is rather obvious that they went with a pirate theme due to the fact that some players liked the ship combat in AC3. They come to depend on it here. You have to spend hours doing the same stuff to build up your ship before you do missions, which is rewarding at first, but gets tedious and boring after awhile. Its a mechanic that was added to take up time, giving the illusion that the story is longer than it really is. The underwater areas are just a mechanic added to force the player to grind boring content to get the ultimate upgrades for your ship.

    You can tell that Ubisoft is starting to milk the franchise now, and it is giving off the stench of either them not giving a crap, or trying too hard with very little innovation/creativity.    … Expand
  34. BinaryRecoil
    Nov 22, 2013
    3
    To be fair, I started into playing this within a day of finishing up Skyrim. Realistically, anyone who's rating this experience based on it's visual prowess has lost their marbles. Yes, it looks gorgeous- Do I care? NO. The ONLY reason this game gets more than a zero is for how belligerently large the world is. Dis's & Then Likes.
    Dis's *The game was not finished upon manufacturing, and    To be fair, I started into playing this within a day of finishing up Skyrim. Realistically, anyone who's rating this experience based on it's visual prowess has lost their marbles. Yes, it looks gorgeous- Do I care? NO. The ONLY reason this game gets more than a zero is for how belligerently large the world is. Dis's & Then Likes.
    Dis's *The game was not finished upon manufacturing, and if you attempt to play through it without downloading updates, the campaign side quests aren't exactly capable of registering on the map. (for me specifically, I didn't know there was a "Templar Hunt" in a specific city until I downloaded the update)
    *I have completed the game and still have NO idea how to commit to "Whale/Shark Hunting"- so to accomplish the task of acquiring certain gear, I'm left with only the option to Grind ship kills for $$
    * Of the 4 Legendary Ship Encounters, with a fully upgraded JackDaw- One seemed impossible & I was so frustrated from seeing a ship 3 times larger than mine accelerating like a rocket was strapped to it, that I refused to finish the 2nd most difficult encounter.
    *I quit playing before finding the final upgrade, apparently there were quite a few more hidden treasure chests/maps than I had in my inventory after clearing the locations of all noted finds.
    *The Online Element: This puts a pistol to the head of this game and blows it's brains out. You Can NOT Rent this Game and fully experience it. AGAIN, it is required that you have a "Uplay Passport" that you get with a NEW Copy of the Game OR PURCHASE IT TO THE SIDE. This is In Your FACE, Profiteering, for a game that really only managed to change it's scale & pixel count for the next installment after AC3.
    *MOREOVER, Without the Uplay passport you will have several items for your ship (ascetic) that will sit and taunt you to purchase them for the duration of your playthrough (such as "Unlocked by Kenway's Fleet") that are impossible to ever have.
    *The Story line has effectively played out its entertainment value with the conclusion of Assassin's Creed 3.
    *Loss of objectivity for a consistent tie in from the digital "real world" to the digital "animus world".
    The one crazy guy isn't enough now that I'm in a new characters shoes that has NO Face Or Body Or Back Plot other than Conformity for Joining Abstergo so I can digitally WORK A JOB to play a game.
    *Plotline of the Pirates is extremely tragic and heart wrenching, burning out my "drive" to continue as this is only a game, not reality.
    *Just like previous installments, the game hinges on a "Wash, Rinse, Dry, Repeat" mode of play. This is unacceptable for a character that basically NEVER improves his position in his own world across over 1/ a Decade of time.
    *Constantly taunted with a Larger ship class plaguing the game, to end up stealing one during the main story- to NEVER be able to use it again.
    Likes:: It sticks to the genre of exposing the power hungry, shadow government functionality of the world around us, which will unlock the minds of a few children at most.
    *This has definitely been a serious Upgrade to the unsatisfying experience of Digitally owning a ship in AC3
    *The plotline of the Pirates is extremely interesting.
    *Blowing up ships and using a blow dart gun.
    *The Mayan (1st Civ.) Outfit
    *Hacking others consoles.
    ..... I can't even say I like the main characters because *spoiler Spoiler spoiler*, basically your main character stands alone.
    Will I ever pay to play multiplayer or complete this game? NO. In fact, seeing the constant profiteering & now knowing that Ubisoft cares more about manufacturing an unfinished product to later update (like so many lazy slobs have begun doing these days) has severely shaken my faith in the future of the gaming industry. The Will to create is there, but the people in charge are perfectly represented within this games plotline as Abstergo/ AGAINST The Right to Decide. Basically, this game is worth $10.00 USD & when the American dollar Crashes and is worth next to nothing- this game will still have a maximum value of $10.00 USD because it can NOT stand without crutches of:: internet connection for updates (+add personal cost), uplay specific authorization through Uplay "Passport" (+add personal cost), a foundation of constant players to fill the multiplayer world- which is a higher cost than anything else in the world. If you haven't noticed, most people in America that have jobs are now working two to three jobs just to break even at this point- The "Templars" crippled your ability to have a "Mature" audience/user base, leaving only the children who will say "Mommy please let me play that game that teaches me how to be an Assassin" further hurting your own sales in the long run because the USA is a Hub of brainwashed, zombie-like, morons that don't realize the legal definition of War is taking place in their nation against them or that Martial Law is already in place.    … Expand
  35. MrAwesome091
    Nov 5, 2013
    8
    Big Improvement from the last game. The game looks beautiful the Controls are sharp. and its just a game that will keep you occupied for hours on end.
  36. VoltaicWarPrey
    Nov 7, 2013
    8
    I like this game, it has its glitches sometimes, but other than that, its fantastic! Graphics are beautiful and the ship battles are great! but I wish there was ship battles on mutiplayer.
  37. Wolfmeister1010
    Nov 17, 2013
    10
    Amazing game! Best of the series by far! I love all the new features and additions.

    All that people have complained about from Ac3 has been fixed or improved. Can not even imagine how awesome the next gen versions are.
  38. K3nney
    Dec 28, 2013
    1
    I went through the effort of making an account so I could post how I feel about the new game, Im disappointed, ive played the AC games from the first up until now, and 3 was the drop off point, the games are getting worse, they changed the combat so instead of doing satisfying finishing moves, im just pushing the enemy around, the constant tail missions are boring and I hate them, this isI went through the effort of making an account so I could post how I feel about the new game, Im disappointed, ive played the AC games from the first up until now, and 3 was the drop off point, the games are getting worse, they changed the combat so instead of doing satisfying finishing moves, im just pushing the enemy around, the constant tail missions are boring and I hate them, this is not the future for the AC games, it shouldn't be, I loved Ezios story, and desmonds, now I just dont really want to complete the games, the only reason I did 3 was to see the ending of desmond, if your not into the story then this game might be for you, but if you loved the first few games, you will not be pleased by this… Expand
  39. AWSOME-O
    Feb 26, 2014
    4
    Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say this is the WORST game in the series, but I would easily say it is the most boring next to the last 3. I was never really a gigantic fan of the series, but it is like Call of Duty to me. I just ignore it every year, after year, after year of the same generic crap.

    I would say this is probably the funniest game so far, not from the dialog or anything    Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say this is the WORST game in the series, but I would easily say it is the most boring next to the last 3. I was never really a gigantic fan of the series, but it is like Call of Duty to me. I just ignore it every year, after year, after year of the same generic crap.

    I would say this is probably the funniest game so far, not from the dialog or anything even close to that, much more from the hilarious things that the AI does. From traders yelling with no audio at all to the civilians that just mumble down the street.

    The combat is very forgettable, and not exciting at all ever. I never once felt a moment of panic while doing it, if anything I felt it was probably the weakest point of the game.

    The ship combat is way, WAY overhyped. It is practically identical to that of Assasin's Creed 3 (Which was also very boring).

    The dialog is easily forgettable and isn't even accurate to the time period, the characters are the same, and the environment's would probably be the best part of the game to me. I won't deny that in SOME parts, the environments look pretty impressive and beautiful at times. Though not always.

    Ship customization is actually pretty cool to be honest, though it hardly brings the game above a mediocre score.

    All in all, if for whatever reason you are a huge Assassin's Creed fan, by all means you should get this game. But otherwise I can't see what audience it could claim, it is confusing, and extremely boring. This is probably the most dull game I have trudged through since Call of Duty Ghosts, but at least that was a short pain. This lasts hours and hours, just like every one of these.

    If I could choose between beating this game 5 times (Which I did with Gta 5, which I personally think is one of, if not the best games ever made) or being punched in the face by Mike Tyson, I'd take some Advil and choose Tyson.    … Expand
  40. CygnusX1Bk2
    Dec 17, 2013
    4
    This is not Assassin's Creed. It's a pirate sea game. Not fun. Infuriating. Dude isn't even an Assassin or a Templar. The fleet system is terrible. No way to complete. So convoluted. Please Ubi, make Assassins Creed games be assassins creed games.
  41. Yandaton
    Feb 1, 2014
    8
    The most successfully innovative AC game since AC2. The franchise was starting to get a bit stale but the massive improvement on the sailing from AC3 has brought all the fun back! Sailing on the high sea singing shanties before engaging a fleet of 10 ships is pure glee. Graphically more impressive; while running on the same engine as AC3, the lush greens and pale blues of the CaribbeanThe most successfully innovative AC game since AC2. The franchise was starting to get a bit stale but the massive improvement on the sailing from AC3 has brought all the fun back! Sailing on the high sea singing shanties before engaging a fleet of 10 ships is pure glee. Graphically more impressive; while running on the same engine as AC3, the lush greens and pale blues of the Caribbean stand out so much more. Running and climbing is faster and animations for them are smoother, the animal hunting has more of a purpose as a side activity and is much more rewarding to do and needless to say Edward and his pirate cove are much more enjoyable characters than in the previous games.

    Only issues are the fighting animations which clip more than ever before and the fighting itself remains far too easy. When boarding larger ships I noticed the frame rate would tank to abysmal levels but for a 360 game what do you expect? And the addition of ship combat undermines everything else in the game with the basic assassin work being a chore, such as tailing and conversation listening which quickly began to infuriate me. Overall a definite recommend.    … Expand
  42. timsim26
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    i major step in the right direction for the assassins creed franchise. finally a game that emphasizes exploration and discovery. The game really makes you feel as if you are a pirate searching for loot and that greater sense of freedom. the locations around the game are interesting and despite being fairly similar are all unique and have a great sense of the Caribbean about them. the worldi major step in the right direction for the assassins creed franchise. finally a game that emphasizes exploration and discovery. The game really makes you feel as if you are a pirate searching for loot and that greater sense of freedom. the locations around the game are interesting and despite being fairly similar are all unique and have a great sense of the Caribbean about them. the world is filled with life as the locations offer many missions and side quests and other interesting things to see and do. The story is lacking in terms of sheer narrative however there is a few memorable moments and edward is a hugely different main character compared to connor, Ezio and Altair. The pirate dynamic also makes it by far the most interesting game in the series as the ship to ship combat and underwater exploration just add to an already solid list of things to do in an AC game. to go along with fantastic combat, hunting, huge cities to explore, sea shanties and other fun moments of exploration this game is well worth picking up and sinking 30 hours into… Expand
  43. CoolDadTx
    Apr 22, 2014
    7
    Finally Ubisoft found their way back to what made AC fun - assassinations. BF still doesn't do as good a job as AC1 or AC2 but it is better than the last 2 entries. BF is a mixture of assassinations and sailing. BF wisely gets rid of (most) of the mass combat aspects that recent entries had and returns to the "hidden is better" formula. Each mission has 1 or 2 optional objectives thatFinally Ubisoft found their way back to what made AC fun - assassinations. BF still doesn't do as good a job as AC1 or AC2 but it is better than the last 2 entries. BF is a mixture of assassinations and sailing. BF wisely gets rid of (most) of the mass combat aspects that recent entries had and returns to the "hidden is better" formula. Each mission has 1 or 2 optional objectives that (mostly) fit the mission. Unlike some of the previous entries you don't have to be perfect to get 100% on this game.

    Unfortunately BF contains RTS stuff that has littered the series of late. It is scaled back but still there and mandatory even if you don't want it. The most glaring is Kenway's Fleet which is a borefest that extends for days (because of the moronic hours long missions). The "companion app" only works with a few devices so is mostly useless. Once I got the item I needed from KF I stopped playing it because it is useless, dull and slow.

    The story itself would be OK except for 1 very big plot hole, where did Kenway learn the assassin skills? Every game in the series has a mentor of some sort. BF just gives you the powers of an assassin and never even bothers to explain how. Suddenly you can kill like Ezio with no training whatsoever, go figure. The modern day parts are still lame and boring. Why Ubisoft continues to include it is beyond me. Does anybody actually care (or even follow) the crappy modern day end of times story line? I doubt it. Fortunately the sequences aren't too long so you can skip past them pretty quick. Kudos to the designers though for at least an interesting backstory for BF.

    Since you're a pirate sailing seems reasonable but it still isn't really enjoyable (better than AC3). Ships are hard to control, you see more rogue waves in the span of a single battle than has been recorded in all of modern history and every water funnel seems to aim straight for you. The underwater wrecks should have been a highlight but the implementation is horribly bad. You have to get air every so often and you are continually attacked by sharks (which give little warning) and other creatures (which give no warning). Rather than being fun they are an act of frustration marred with reality over entertainment. I dreaded each time I had to dive.

    Glitches are not as bad as AC3 but still present. At one point I started boarding a ship but my ship kept moving forward and began dragging the other ship. I was trying to kill a captain but I couldn't get to them because the boat was on its side and the captain was underwater. Combat is iffy as has been the norm since they tried to turn it into an FPS. Climbing continues to be iffy as well. Please explain why I would be high above the ground and suddenly decide to leap off into mid air where I'm going to die? Some rudimentary logic would be useful for climbing. There are times where you cannot climb even though you should be able to (you have to move down and then back up) and other times where you won't drop even though you should.

    Overall BF is better than recent entries and brings back some of the fun of the series but Ubisoft's attempts to cram RTS and boring side activities into the game in combination with the need to finish the modern thread that nobody cares about limits its potential.    … Expand
  44. ricothewise
    Nov 13, 2013
    8
    Being a pirate is the most fun I've had in this series since AC2. There is a huge world to explore, more importantly you want to explore it, impart to the great upgrade system both for Edward and and the ship. The wilderness and small Caribbean islands all feel real and alive with plenty of booty to discover and lots of animals to hunt, the hunting and upgrade system go hand in hand and isBeing a pirate is the most fun I've had in this series since AC2. There is a huge world to explore, more importantly you want to explore it, impart to the great upgrade system both for Edward and and the ship. The wilderness and small Caribbean islands all feel real and alive with plenty of booty to discover and lots of animals to hunt, the hunting and upgrade system go hand in hand and is clearly based off of farcry 3. Combat is much improved from AC3, its much easier to access your weapons on the fly and edwards animations are all great. But its the way the game makes you feel like a pirate that makes it so great, searching for sunken treasure, harping whales, and of course taking the fight to the seas on your ship,i never get board boarding enemy ships. The visuals on this game are the best in the series and there is an impressive attention to detail considering the games size. The things that held the game back for me were a few minor glitches, way to many missions that told you to follow this guy for 10 minutes, and of course being an AC game, a subpar story. The game has likeable characters but they are not given time to develop, partially because the story is to busy with ancient civilizations and apples of eden. i really like the idea of the templars and assassins but i wish they'd stop with this ancient mystical crap, it boating takes me out of the experience, and takes up valuable time that could be spent on giving us a story that isn't half bad. Bad story and missions aside, being a pirate is just to much fun not to get this game… Expand
  45. CharithaBVB
    Nov 3, 2013
    9
    Im not sure if I am the only one that was disappointed with Assassins Creed 3, that made me expect less from the fourth part, But let me tell you this game was just outstanding, from stellar voice acting to animations to combat to story telling. It just did it all perfectly and at a great pace. Ubisoft learnt a lot from their other games such as FarCry you can hunt, harpoon and all skinIm not sure if I am the only one that was disappointed with Assassins Creed 3, that made me expect less from the fourth part, But let me tell you this game was just outstanding, from stellar voice acting to animations to combat to story telling. It just did it all perfectly and at a great pace. Ubisoft learnt a lot from their other games such as FarCry you can hunt, harpoon and all skin animals to make armour, pouches etc.
    Edward Kenway was an amazing role and I just hope Ubisoft realises that and goes on to make a sequel with him. Buy this game its worth it.
    There are a few bugs I should warn you about, there will be times when enemies tend to get stuck in rocks or enemies will bounce off the ground after you double assassinate, but minor things that shouldn't affect your time on the many hours you will spend emerged in this beautiful world.    … Expand
  46. BatFat09
    Nov 21, 2013
    9
    This is probably the greatest Assassin's Creed game i have ever played, bugs aside. The team at Ubisoft has created a huge open world, packed full with things to do. I normally don't find myself wandering around an Assassin's Creed game, because eventually i get bored, but the strong focus on exploration, plus the added bonus of the Jackdaw, have kept me greatly entertained.
  47. JamesDeLuca
    Nov 14, 2013
    9
    Ahoy mates! Assassins Creed black flag is a visual stunning open world fill with high flying adventure. It is a complete joy to play from beginning to end. The game play is not frustrating or irritating but fun and intriguing. Another exciting edition to a fabulous franchise. I don't usual pay for DLC as I find it to be an obnoxious cash grab, but I will for AC 4! Buy your copy atAhoy mates! Assassins Creed black flag is a visual stunning open world fill with high flying adventure. It is a complete joy to play from beginning to end. The game play is not frustrating or irritating but fun and intriguing. Another exciting edition to a fabulous franchise. I don't usual pay for DLC as I find it to be an obnoxious cash grab, but I will for AC 4! Buy your copy at the local Wal-Mart!… Expand
  48. TSHyperion
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    I was disappointed by AC 3 and I haven't played AC2 or Brotherhood in a long time but for me, I think this is possiby the best entry in the franchise. The controls are fluid as ever, the graphics are fantastic and the gameplay is incredibly varied. Side missions in some Assassin's Creed games could be a real drag but in Black Flag it is very easy to change up the type of mission you areI was disappointed by AC 3 and I haven't played AC2 or Brotherhood in a long time but for me, I think this is possiby the best entry in the franchise. The controls are fluid as ever, the graphics are fantastic and the gameplay is incredibly varied. Side missions in some Assassin's Creed games could be a real drag but in Black Flag it is very easy to change up the type of mission you are doing.

    Some of the more tedious collectibles are actually worth getting such as the shanties as they pay off in game with more songs when you're sailing. The ship battles are great fun with the only draw back being that once you've raided/boarded enough ships, it does become tedious. Aside from that, they've simplified and improved the ship mechanics from AC3 and it really pays off. There are also the addition of 'Legendary Ships' if you really want a challenge that are hard enough to feel like an accomplishment but not so hard that it's frustrating if you have patience.

    The main story is quite varied. Depending on how you feel, there might be too many eavesdrop and follow quests but I never found myself bored. The optional mission constraints aren't unreasonable either.

    As far as characters go, Edward Kenway is probably my favourite assassin in the series so far. They put a slight twist on the normal way that the protagonist becomes an assassin but it actually makes Edward's assimilation in to the order much more naturalistic than some previous entries. He has the charm of Ezio but also has a fiery side to him. I've seen criticism for Edward saying that he lacks character development but I feel that by the end of the game you see a large difference not necessarily in his beliefs but in his maturity. In this sense he doesn't really develop but he certainly grows. The supporting cast is decent as well, with some nice voice acting from the other pirates (except for Kidd who irked me).

    The plot isn't fantastic but with the introduction of a new character and a new ancient technology, it could be interesting to see where they take it in future installments. The modern day aspect is different and sometimes it was a drag but some of the information you can find is quite interesting as well as an indication to some sort of future organisation if you can find all of a certain group of collectibles.

    The only negatives I have really is that I didn't enjoy the shipwreck side quests much fun. The underwater mechanics aren't ideal and the shark attacks make it quite tedious. I also felt that the last few missions seemed a little bit rushed. Could maybe have done with another couple of sequences.

    All in all, with plenty to do (assassin contracts, naval contracts, templar hunt, mayan stelae, treasure maps, ship upgrading, legendary ships, hunting, crafting, Kenway's fleet, etc), I think this is one of the best games I've played this year and one of the best in the series to date.    … Expand
  49. Matthops
    Dec 7, 2013
    9
    I love the game I played though it 2 times on my third time now a lore of things to explore and do the one thing is that he is not a assassin but that is forgettable the graphics are amazing and the story is great people saying it is a dlc of as3 Thay are a**holes
  50. edward22
    Jan 1, 2014
    10
    2nd best game of the decade.I loved the game as no other game till now has the given the whole pirate life adventure except this one it can be the 2nd best in the series after revelations
  51. miki759
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    I think this ACIV BF brings a great change to the AC series. The aspect of the open world with a ship is yet unseen with such scope and depth and the quality of the game is undeniable. The attention to details, the evolving gameplay whilst keeping some of the core mechanics of the older AC make it one of the best iterations of the series.
    The AC series clearly needed a change, and Black    I think this ACIV BF brings a great change to the AC series. The aspect of the open world with a ship is yet unseen with such scope and depth and the quality of the game is undeniable. The attention to details, the evolving gameplay whilst keeping some of the core mechanics of the older AC make it one of the best iterations of the series.
    The AC series clearly needed a change, and Black Flag will probably fulfill its mission with a lot of success, with all due respect to players who prefer the typical Assassin's Creed games.

    Edit: I find surprising that none of the people who have rated the game negatively left a review...
    I think that says a lot on what kind of users rate the games (probably haven't even played it) =.=
    Haters... Haters everywhere...    … Expand
  52. AnotherGamerFRA
    Oct 30, 2013
    10
    Don't get we wrong. This game is not perfect, it has quite some flaws, most notably the story. The story is quite good though, but it's just not quite the sensation the original 2 gave you. Ubisoft has done a great job redesigning the AC series after the last disaster (seriously, AC3). This new installment brings you a lot of freedom and fun, which the 3rd one failed to do, whileDon't get we wrong. This game is not perfect, it has quite some flaws, most notably the story. The story is quite good though, but it's just not quite the sensation the original 2 gave you. Ubisoft has done a great job redesigning the AC series after the last disaster (seriously, AC3). This new installment brings you a lot of freedom and fun, which the 3rd one failed to do, while remaining an unique campaign. Revolutionary? Nope. Appealing, fun and time-worthy? Yes. If you are into sandbox games, you should definitely check this one out. The game deserves a 9, but i will give it a 10 to balance out the haters.… Expand
  53. Mattyice
    Oct 30, 2013
    7
    Assassin's Creed IV definitely has disappointed me. I was expecting a much better game than what I got.
    I primarily play AC for the story, and this story was definitely the worst the series has to offer. It's boring to go through repetitive and terribly annoying "follow the enemy and hear what he says" missions that AC IV has to offer. The story is also too jubilant and is not engaging at    Assassin's Creed IV definitely has disappointed me. I was expecting a much better game than what I got.
    I primarily play AC for the story, and this story was definitely the worst the series has to offer. It's boring to go through repetitive and terribly annoying "follow the enemy and hear what he says" missions that AC IV has to offer. The story is also too jubilant and is not engaging at all. Edward's story gave me no reason to keep playing in order to achieve a deep and vengeful goal, like AC II, AC Brotherhood, and AC III did. The only motive of Edward is money, which doesn't appeal to me.The last con of mine is the fact that the game was based around naval combat, which I thought was the worst aspect of AC III. These missions were, in my opinion, tedious, boring and did not excite me at all.
    However, while the story and missions are subpar, the gameplay and visuals are some of the best of the franchise. The gameplay has been polished and works well, and the visuals improve on the visual improvements made by AC III. Also, the multiplayer has been improved a bit as well.
    While the open world of the Caribbean is huge, it is a bit dull and uninteresting. Most of the islands you discover are just woodlands, and the cities, unlike Florence and Venice from AC II, Rome from Brotherhood, Istanbul from Revelations, and even New York and Boston from AC III, are uninteresting and not worth exploring.
    While this game certainly has the best gameplay, visuals, and multiplayer the franchise has ever offered, the rest of the aspects of the game did not appeal to me.
    Overall, I would say: "Buy at your own risk." If you loved AC III and it's open world, then you should buy this game, but if you are more into the story and the beautiful, diverse cities that AC II, Brotherhood, and Revelations has to offer, then this game is not for you.    … Expand
  54. Link
    Dec 25, 2013
    0
    I have all Assassin's Creed games, and I feel like everything went really wrong after 3. AC III is the worst, yes, but this one isn't much better. Don't get me wrong, I like pirates and I think this is a really nice pirate action game or something, but this doesn't feel a bit of ASSASSIN'S CREED game. Characters are not so interesting as they were in Ac2 brotherhood games. Assassin goingI have all Assassin's Creed games, and I feel like everything went really wrong after 3. AC III is the worst, yes, but this one isn't much better. Don't get me wrong, I like pirates and I think this is a really nice pirate action game or something, but this doesn't feel a bit of ASSASSIN'S CREED game. Characters are not so interesting as they were in Ac2 brotherhood games. Assassin going to the mission with a ship with cannons singing feels so stealthy...... right... Battles are easy, you can just go in and take out everyone no need of planning anything.. Just go in and take them down.. I would like this as a pirate-action-game but as a assassin's creed, this feels wrong, so wrong.… Expand
  55. CameoCream
    Nov 7, 2013
    10
    Very enjoyable game. There were few dull missions compared to previous Assassins Creed's and I genuinely enjoyed the whole story and the new game-play elements. What really sets the standard is the new ship combat, it creates a whole new play-style which is enjoyable and there is never a dull fight! I personally think that this is one of the best Assassins Creeds in the series which holdsVery enjoyable game. There were few dull missions compared to previous Assassins Creed's and I genuinely enjoyed the whole story and the new game-play elements. What really sets the standard is the new ship combat, it creates a whole new play-style which is enjoyable and there is never a dull fight! I personally think that this is one of the best Assassins Creeds in the series which holds it's own with ACII and ACB.… Expand
  56. putowtin
    Nov 4, 2013
    10
    Taking us back to the heart-thumping excitement of the Ezio trilogy, Black Flag gives us the Assassin’s Creed experience that the third entry in the series managed to avoid. It’s a rip roaring, shanty singing, whale of a time. Easily my game of the year!
  57. paddystudmuffin
    Oct 30, 2013
    8
    Yeah good game but definitely not perfect in my opinion. I've always enjoyed ac games but there's always something missing...a bloody crouch button! It's one of the weirdest game designs to never include it in a so called stealth game. So it means you can never ever sneak when so many occassions call for it. ubisoft are missing a trick here because to have the option to go in quiet andYeah good game but definitely not perfect in my opinion. I've always enjoyed ac games but there's always something missing...a bloody crouch button! It's one of the weirdest game designs to never include it in a so called stealth game. So it means you can never ever sneak when so many occassions call for it. ubisoft are missing a trick here because to have the option to go in quiet and unseen would improve this otherwise great game dramitically. That why for me ac has never been a stealth game. So I find it really annoying when your asked to sneak into a fort when you can't do anything but walk in! Standing on a rooftop gets noticed ALL the time whereas crouching and having the ability to sneak/ ghost wouldn't!!! I still love the ac games but this is a massive flaw in an assassin game! It's such a shame cos with that inprovement it would be one of the best game series ever.But yeah for me this games an eight.… Expand
  58. Fried
    Apr 13, 2014
    0
    Complete and utter **** The story sucks, multiplayer is no different from ''Cawadoody'' or whatever the **** the only good thing to do is piss around. Worse than that, for this game it pivots entirely on naval free roam and pretending like you're some kind of Blackbeard wannabe. But that gets boring really fast, too; after you beat the legendary ships (which provide ZERO tacticalComplete and utter **** The story sucks, multiplayer is no different from ''Cawadoody'' or whatever the **** the only good thing to do is piss around. Worse than that, for this game it pivots entirely on naval free roam and pretending like you're some kind of Blackbeard wannabe. But that gets boring really fast, too; after you beat the legendary ships (which provide ZERO tactical challenge), you learn a ram attack that pretty much turns you into Jesus. When the Man o' War ships start going down faster than your mother on a Saturday night and you easily gain massive profits on a regular basis, upgrading your ship to 100%, that's when you need to think about snapping your disk. No, seriously.

    Plotline? Utter nonsense. Some linear **** regarding pirates partaking in their usual antics, before getting hanged and then what's left of the Assassins **** and whining about how Edward is so much better than all of them put together. Incidentally, they still haven't adjusted this game to reality, so whilst every NPC in-game is a total **** the man character is still supernaturally overpowered by comparison.

    Even small features such as combat- which really gave a bonus to all the other games in the franchise, except Revelations, of course- are completely massacred in this pile of poo. Why the **** did they even bring back the multiple- counter- option feature if every enemy it works on can be counter-killed? The only other one you'd ever need to use is the ''disarm'' feature if you need to take some guy's rifle off him so you can shoot when you're out of ammo, but otherwise pointless. We've also apparently gone back to relying heavily on kicking someone in the balls like a coward, since in this game ''Officer'' class enemies can't be defeated in melee combat without doing so.

    In conclusion, this is the worst game I have ever played in my entire life and if you disagree you're wrong, sorry. Now I'm off to pwn some noobs in Modern Warfare 3.    … Expand
  59. JackBounce
    Nov 13, 2013
    3
    AC3 was a bad game but this is so much worse. I've enjoyed this series a lot but unfortunately it has been downhill since AC2, which still is the best one in the series. AC2 spinoffs with annoying Ezio character were just following EA template for yearly sporting games: minor changes with full price.

    The latest yearly edition of the AC series is primarily Ubisoft's Pirates! and all the    AC3 was a bad game but this is so much worse. I've enjoyed this series a lot but unfortunately it has been downhill since AC2, which still is the best one in the series. AC2 spinoffs with annoying Ezio character were just following EA template for yearly sporting games: minor changes with full price.

    The latest yearly edition of the AC series is primarily Ubisoft's Pirates! and all the good things of the AC series have been lost. All the fascinating secret society i.e. assassin/templar fights, great puzzles, all the great Lara Croft like tombs and especially the scifi-side: modern day main story is all gone. AC has always been a series about modern day and the past is just used to reveal information. Now it's all gone and what happens today is irrelevant and uninteresting. Thank you for ruining it for us!

    The open world approach doesn't fit here at all, as AC game should be a tight, strict story that drives you forward. Now the story is a side product, as you will spend most of the time just sailing around the sea. Which gets boring after two hours. Luckily you can do a fast trip to visited sites, which helps a lot.

    As a AC game this is 3 out of 10, as a pirate game maybe 7/10. The pirating works nice but gets very repetitive. I spent 30 hours for this and still have at least 20 to go for 100%. Too much the same, not worth your time.The length of the previous games was good, now it just is too much. I will not play it to the 100%, that is for sure.

    The controls suck again (I thought AC3 was better, what happened???) so much that it is practically impossible to run in a city or on a ship without the game doing something else than you wanted to do. You often start climbing ladders or drop down from a rooftop when you are running away from guards which is really annoying.

    There is however one great thing and this is the Second Screen feature of the game. We've already seen slow and cumbersome SmartGlass in action but this is a real, native iOS/Android app and it works perfectly. You can even continue playing without the console game, great job UbiSoft! I really hope we will see more of these in the future.    … Expand
  60. ugjackal
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    By far the most engaging and well thought out gameplay since the iconic original in the series. The seamless world integration and awe inspiring naval battles only make you want to play more. Excellent game, well done Ubisoft.
  61. MeAD
    Nov 4, 2013
    2
    To those of you giving this game a 10, I'm guessing you're those people giving every call of duty installment a 10 as well. Honestly, what the hell. Zero character development (your dude just makes Ezio-esque one-liners and is somehow super-badass from the beginning, killing an assassin with no effort) story falls totally flat, and textures haven't even improved since AC2. Blood spraysTo those of you giving this game a 10, I'm guessing you're those people giving every call of duty installment a 10 as well. Honestly, what the hell. Zero character development (your dude just makes Ezio-esque one-liners and is somehow super-badass from the beginning, killing an assassin with no effort) story falls totally flat, and textures haven't even improved since AC2. Blood sprays still look awful, and visual bugs are rampant. No kidding; I understand there's more stuff in the open world, but little of that is interesting and it's mostly just more grinding crap to do. It's fun as a hack-and-slash game, but the stealth mechanics are lackluster considering it's supposed to be based on assassins. Not nearly as much historical alternate-timeline appeal as the other games. I basically agree with every other low review, that Ubisoft is now just cashing in on a yearly installment. Don't buy until sale, you're not missing out on anything except some brainless chain-killing. Why not just play the Arkham series, it's the same goddamn thing with a more interesting backdrop. Even if you sincerely enjoy the gameplay and don't care about story, a 10/10? You've got to be joking.… Expand
  62. nookyzooky
    Nov 1, 2013
    9
    the only problem I have with this game, is in the multiplayer. its the whispers that appear when your pursier gets close to you. it instantly gives you away, even when blended in the crowd, making high value kills near impossible. if it were not for the whispers, I would have given this a 10/10.
  63. blueheaven923
    Oct 31, 2013
    10
    Incredible Characters along with a solid entertaining main storyline. After Conner, Edward finally brings Assassin's creed back to life. Great Job Ubisoft!!!
  64. soccer1414
    Nov 15, 2013
    10
    I thought it is an outstanding game. the graphics are good, the story is outstanding and I enjoy playing it. I think its totally the best Assassins creed that's come out.
  65. TheSaminator
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    An overall truly great game. AC3 I thought was the worst in the series with a horrible main character but they definitely corrected that in AC4 with a more realistic likable character. The gameplay is definitely different than other AC games, with the main focus on the high seas. However, it is beautifully done and has a huge diverse open world that you can spend hour upon hour exploring.An overall truly great game. AC3 I thought was the worst in the series with a horrible main character but they definitely corrected that in AC4 with a more realistic likable character. The gameplay is definitely different than other AC games, with the main focus on the high seas. However, it is beautifully done and has a huge diverse open world that you can spend hour upon hour exploring. The only downside to this game at all is the story line is somewhat weaker than the rest of the series but it does continue from AC3 and makes up for it with all the extra gameplay you can do. Overall a 10/10 for me with one of the most enjoyable AC games so far for me.… Expand
  66. eldiabs
    Nov 1, 2013
    4
    Created an account to review this game. Will start with the good. It's a VERY pretty game... especially the water. And since you'll be looking at the water most of the time, it's a good thing they got that right.

    Now onto the other stuff. I really wanted to like this game. Perhaps I'll go back and try it again in a few days. It became extremely repetitive after about 15 hours. The story    Created an account to review this game. Will start with the good. It's a VERY pretty game... especially the water. And since you'll be looking at the water most of the time, it's a good thing they got that right.

    Now onto the other stuff. I really wanted to like this game. Perhaps I'll go back and try it again in a few days. It became extremely repetitive after about 15 hours. The story was predictable and somewhat pointless, other than to drive you across the huge map of mostly empty islands (unless you want to stop to grab a worthless chest). The environments are more or less the same everywhere you go. You have to either fast travel or sail huge distances to work through the main story line, with a lot of water and repetitive BS in the middle. The cities feel empty and disjointed compared to AC3. The combat has been simplified (repetitive kill animations, ho!), and the AI is borderline retarded. Even the ship fights are fairly easy once you get a wee bit of armor and cannon upgrade. You can take on a fleet of frigates at the same time while sustaining very little damage after about halfway upgrading your ship. About to die, no worries, just board a defeated enemy ship and all the enemies call time out. Feels more like you're a god of the sea than an actual pirate. The choice of weapons has been reduced drastically. No more daggers or blunt weapons. You can't even pick up the daggers from fallen enemies. I actually really enjoyed the environments and seasons in AC3. There will be none of that in the Caribbean, but you'll see plenty of lush green trees, sand, rogue waves, waterspouts, and pretty sunsets. The hunting has been given a back seat compared to AC3, unless of course you like sailing to a different island to hunt for different animals. And you'll either fast travel everywhere, or spend a vast majority of your game time collecting lost sailors and barrels or rum on the open seas (didn't know the open seas were so full of flotsam), or encountering a constant respawn of enemy ships. I could go on, but this should get the point across.

    I can't recommend buying this game unless you want a ship simulator. If it was titled, Charming God Pirate of the Caribbean, I'd give it a 9, but it's supposed to be an Assassins Creed game, which it really isn't.    … Expand
  67. LouCypher666
    Nov 17, 2013
    2
    I played AC2/ACR/AC3 in the past. Generally AC4 is just refreshed AC3 game imho woth moniro changes in game code except extended gameplay on the sea there is nothing new from AC2 through ACR, AC3. All the same type off tasks/challanges, all the same game mechanics and the same ridiculous fight with enemies when you use swords etc (most of them satys behind your back instead kill you withI played AC2/ACR/AC3 in the past. Generally AC4 is just refreshed AC3 game imho woth moniro changes in game code except extended gameplay on the sea there is nothing new from AC2 through ACR, AC3. All the same type off tasks/challanges, all the same game mechanics and the same ridiculous fight with enemies when you use swords etc (most of them satys behind your back instead kill you with one move...). I dropped singleplayer just after 30 minutes of gameplay. Multiplayer after some changes right now is more random in terms of results you can achieve, completly broken abstergo ladder makes this competition absurd. In game contracting/respawning algorhytm seems to be not changed from ACIV and is now very weak when gameplay became more dynamic you lose 2-3 sometimes more contracts before you even cpuld see who your contract was... respawning seems to be fully random and sometimes you respawn all the time in the same position... AC3 MP was good change vs ACR. But AV4 vs old MPs is much weaker. What I did not like beside the gameplay in MP is fact that UBISOFT proposed all extra ouftis just from the beginning to buy to everyone just for bunch of from the beginning. So it is not real gameplay achievement anymore.

    As a summary lack of innovation in singleplayer, lack of vision in multiplayer. From such company like UBISoft I expect more then this. Specially for money I pay for such a game....    … Expand
  68. Pablocortesi
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    Totally hilarious game, with lots to do, great essence, mixing the best of the previous installments, with a small point against, the difficulty is very low, but playing and discovering the great map, it becomes secondary. totally recommended.
  69. FRYMANATION
    Oct 31, 2013
    8
    Although admittedly buggy in the opening, and not impressed with opening sequence, it is worth the time to keep playing. The game is deep, looks good, and is fun all around in what feels like the first true step forward in an AC game in a long time. The series is in obvious need of next gen hardware, but I will have no problems enjoying my time until then playing AC IV Black Flag on theAlthough admittedly buggy in the opening, and not impressed with opening sequence, it is worth the time to keep playing. The game is deep, looks good, and is fun all around in what feels like the first true step forward in an AC game in a long time. The series is in obvious need of next gen hardware, but I will have no problems enjoying my time until then playing AC IV Black Flag on the 360 for many many hours. The first game since GTA V that was actually worth changing the disc in my tray.… Expand
  70. Sigmund98
    Dec 5, 2013
    10
    Ac 4 is probably the best ac game in the series. A truly epic open world, bursting with things to do. While the story might be a little bit deferent from the previous installments, it's still enjoyable. The graphics are amazing, kinda like an enhanced version of Far Cry 3. The stealth segments have been greatly improved from ac 3. A must own for any pirate fan
  71. Nasher
    Nov 16, 2013
    8
    A HUGE improvement over the previous game. But maybe not quite as good as Brotherhood, which was the best of the series. IV setting is very different, as is the main character's story os don't expect traditional Assassin's Creed stuff so much.

    The setting is good, the characters are interesting and the combat system is as good as it always was. If you avoided AC3 but enjoyed the earlier    A HUGE improvement over the previous game. But maybe not quite as good as Brotherhood, which was the best of the series. IV setting is very different, as is the main character's story os don't expect traditional Assassin's Creed stuff so much.

    The setting is good, the characters are interesting and the combat system is as good as it always was. If you avoided AC3 but enjoyed the earlier games then get this one.    … Expand
  72. KrazyCrayon
    Jan 15, 2014
    1
    This is the worst AC ever made. The story is crap, the multiplayer is sorta crap and the difficulty scales from easy as hell one mission, the next it is hard and impossible the next. The difficulty takes the fun out of the game as a whole. The story in itself is boring and hard to follow period. Honestly gonna just trade it in tomorrow
  73. Jackpp1997
    Dec 21, 2013
    9
    Best game since the Last of Us.

    Graphics are good, combat well designed giving you different options for you to do things, voice acting is great and characters like able and the world is more open than ever before and with the freedom you have to explore it makes Assassins creed 4 my 2nd favorite game this year.
  74. CrashJones
    Nov 6, 2013
    9
    The 1st AC I played was III. About 4 months ago. I stopped playing before opening up anything major due to weird control issues. I got II about a month and a half ago, hearing it was the best one, and wanting to get to know the story before Black Flag came out. I burned through ACII & Brotherhood. I loved them both. Revelations is a beautiful game. The tower defense game people complainThe 1st AC I played was III. About 4 months ago. I stopped playing before opening up anything major due to weird control issues. I got II about a month and a half ago, hearing it was the best one, and wanting to get to know the story before Black Flag came out. I burned through ACII & Brotherhood. I loved them both. Revelations is a beautiful game. The tower defense game people complain about can be avoided by visiting the heralds. I was going to finish Revelations before picking up black flag, but could not resist.
    Black Flag is a Pirate game first and foremost. A GREAT pirate game. Since November 1st I have hardly stopped(November 9th today...wow... 8 days, gone, just like that). I am at 52% completed and the game awesome.
    I took a break from it yesterday and put Revelations back on and enjoyed a great 1 hour session playing the older Ezio. During that session I got to compare straight up(I also collected the 3rd disc and got to play Altair, seeing what happened to his youngest son and wife.. Revelations rocks as well...making the "Ezio Trilogy" the best Assassin "game".
    BUT!!!
    If you want Pirates!?!

    AC4:Black Flag IS the game for you!    … Expand
  75. igotproblems
    Nov 11, 2013
    9
    Shiver me timber, batten down the hatches and full sail ahead... Assassins Creed delivers..Epic open sea battles (head down south fer sum good plunderin') rich environments, engaging characters, tonnes of collectibles and interesting back story (who needs Desmond?) UbiSoft continues to deliver, above and beyond once more..What do you do with a drunken sailor...? u'll soon know.
  76. Refolox
    Mar 24, 2014
    8
    Black Flag is full of stuff to do. Plunder ships, take forts, hunt animals, dive wrecks, find buried treasure, and assassinate those bad bad Templars. The single-player is fun, but can get repetitive. Don't even bother with the multiplayer. They missed so much co-op potential, going for a boring bizarre hunt and kill mode instead of an actual story.
    Singleplayer: 8/10
    Multiplayer: 3/10
  77. pixarghettolamp
    Jan 4, 2014
    7
    My first AC game and a good purchase. The only reason I am writing this review is because I was so disappointed with one thing in this game.... the first person stages. Everyone once in a while you have to do these Tedious tasks in an office which completely throws off the theme and takes forever! You are forced to ride elevators talk to managers and what not and hack computers (StupidMy first AC game and a good purchase. The only reason I am writing this review is because I was so disappointed with one thing in this game.... the first person stages. Everyone once in a while you have to do these Tedious tasks in an office which completely throws off the theme and takes forever! You are forced to ride elevators talk to managers and what not and hack computers (Stupid boring easy puzzle). Anyways I wish you could skip that I didn't even want to play the campaign because of the risk of being thrown into another stupid ass stage.… Expand
  78. BlackAkatosh
    Nov 1, 2013
    9
    Gamers who played ACIII and loved ship missions, will love this game, as it is the core of Black Flag, as it were expected. Assassin's creed fans, who like true assassins, will be a bit disappointed at first, but Edward grows in you.
    About the game engine: Graphics are very good, the massive world looks amazing, and the water is the most beautiful I ever seen. The gameplay is stable, with    Gamers who played ACIII and loved ship missions, will love this game, as it is the core of Black Flag, as it were expected. Assassin's creed fans, who like true assassins, will be a bit disappointed at first, but Edward grows in you.
    About the game engine: Graphics are very good, the massive world looks amazing, and the water is the most beautiful I ever seen. The gameplay is stable, with a few minor bugs from time to time, and the amount of different stuff that the player is able to do is what keeps you tied to the game, and never bored. The combat system is as good as any previous entries, with very intuitive moves, and maneuvering the boat is easier than the ACIII.
    The only major down point is the AI. Simply put: enemies are bumb, blind, and suicidal.

    Overall, it gets an 8 or 9 out of 10. Who gives less, is either a player who don't like the sea, or a hater. Who gives it a 10 is a player that doesn't get a game for 5 years, or a fanboy.    … Expand
  79. JustBenjy7
    Nov 2, 2013
    10
    To put it briefly, I consider Black Flag to be the best Assassin's Creed game, yet. An intriguing story, which I am in the middle of, brilliant naval combat and exploration, a huge, open world, improved combat and crafting systems, streamlining (in a good way) of some features, bringing more obvious humour back into the series... this game takes some of the best elements of the previousTo put it briefly, I consider Black Flag to be the best Assassin's Creed game, yet. An intriguing story, which I am in the middle of, brilliant naval combat and exploration, a huge, open world, improved combat and crafting systems, streamlining (in a good way) of some features, bringing more obvious humour back into the series... this game takes some of the best elements of the previous games, and builds on them. The biggest complaint I have is that some of the outfits don't have loops for the pistols or the blowpipe... and I think I can live with that.

    Just brilliant... and For my taste is games, Black Flag is a serious competitor to Grand Theft Auto V.    … Expand
  80. netcoder
    Nov 3, 2013
    3
    So clearly Ubisoft has put "Assassin's Creed" in the title to make it sell, because like AC3, it's not really an AC game. It's a pirate game, and a pretty boring one at that.

    After the disappointment of AC3 I promised to myself I'd never buy another AC game. I'm glad I did: I rented this one, mainly because I was curious. I still feel cheated of my $5. It's a 3 days rental, and returned    So clearly Ubisoft has put "Assassin's Creed" in the title to make it sell, because like AC3, it's not really an AC game. It's a pirate game, and a pretty boring one at that.

    After the disappointment of AC3 I promised to myself I'd never buy another AC game. I'm glad I did: I rented this one, mainly because I was curious. I still feel cheated of my $5. It's a 3 days rental, and returned it after 3 hours. It's unbelievably a big bore of a game.

    I feel all major developers (you too Rockstar) really aim their game at retards now or something. There is no sense of reward in the supposedly AAA games that comes out lately. I can get an upgraded pistol holster? That's great, but I didn't need it because the game wasn't difficult with the low grade holster anyway. What would I waste hours of my life hunting virtual ocelots to upgrade gear I don't need in the first place?

    Nowadays, either it's too easy, or it's just frustrating because of glitches and bad game design. I'm not spending any more money with you Ubisoft. I'll be encouraging the indie and small time developers that make low budget, cheap to buy, yet actually fun games instead.    … Expand
  81. Thug1992
    Oct 29, 2013
    4
    One of the worst entry in the series.. many pointless things to do and a cheap story. AC was all about the story and now it's a complete mess. I hope in a better future for the series.. but i lost faith.
  82. kirkkaboom
    Mar 15, 2014
    0
    Repetitive as hell, terrible controls, boring story. I have honestly not played such a terrible game since the first Assassin's Creed. Will not be trying any games from this franchise again, 2 disasters is enough.
  83. ammarlord1991
    Nov 8, 2013
    5
    what a stupid repetitive game!!! I think when you play GTA V all other games become so silly.
    stupid missions,stupid characters, very huge map for nothing but repeating the same again and again.
  84. ForTheGames
    Nov 25, 2013
    9
    The last two Assassins's Creed games felt repetitive, and just like it's predecessors. Combat is generally the same, but the gun play is surprisingly refreshing. The levels and town are great, and they kept the hunting from Far Cry 3, I mean AC3. If you want to be a pirate and sail the seas, this is the game for you.
  85. NeedForsleep
    Nov 21, 2013
    9
    Based on my opinion the new "Assassins Creed Game" is awesome! lets start off the story is Good Edward Kenway is now officially my favorite assassin the combat is ok Naval missions are so extraordinary when you battle a ship and board it and take supplies or sent it to you're fleet you will want to keep battling ships again and again. Multiplayer is Ok it feels like the same OleBased on my opinion the new "Assassins Creed Game" is awesome! lets start off the story is Good Edward Kenway is now officially my favorite assassin the combat is ok Naval missions are so extraordinary when you battle a ship and board it and take supplies or sent it to you're fleet you will want to keep battling ships again and again. Multiplayer is Ok it feels like the same Ole multiplayer from the 3 previous assassins creed games.But what it boils down to is a great game with a few glitches here and there but definitely worth the 60$ you payed for it!… Expand
  86. LiquidFrostbite
    Nov 9, 2013
    9
    Easily the best game in the Assassin's Creed franchise. After the low that was Assassin's Creed 3, I think most fans can agree that we were worried about the next AC being a disappointment, as well.

    Connor was probably the most disliked AC character to date, with his monotone, mediocre voice-acting and overall dull "must do right" character. Edward Kenway, on the other hand, brings a    Easily the best game in the Assassin's Creed franchise. After the low that was Assassin's Creed 3, I think most fans can agree that we were worried about the next AC being a disappointment, as well.

    Connor was probably the most disliked AC character to date, with his monotone, mediocre voice-acting and overall dull "must do right" character.

    Edward Kenway, on the other hand, brings a much lighter tone to the franchise, akin to Jack Sparrow.

    The story is great. The combat, crafting, free-running and everything else has all been revamped. I bought this game the day it came out and it has quickly become my favorite Assassin's Creed.

    Can't wait for the PC release, already have it pre-ordered.    … Expand
  87. jackdaw
    Nov 10, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. black flag is gorgeous and naval combat is much improved. you have much more oufit options and the outfits are better than ever. that being said its about all this game has going for it. now for the bad parts. they got rid of daggers axes and heavy weapons. there are no longer any double barrel weapons or a bow. they dont give you the ropedart until the last 2 or 3 missions making it pretty much useless. before the game was released ubisoft claimed it boasted a 20 hour campaign and 60 hours of other content. not even close. the campaign took me about ten hours and almost every single mission was tailing and eavesdropping on people who for no reason feel the need to stop and look around every ten feet. the main missions that didnt have me repetitively tailing on land it was tailing ships and 'sneak sailing' thats right sneak sailing witch just means instead of yelling orders edward whispers them to his crew. the side missions took me about thirty hours to finish all of them. thats including the obvious filler that is collectibles chasing sea shanties opening chests collecting the hundreds of animus fragments. the story was extremely weak. the assassins hate edward until the very end of the game and for good reason edward is selfish greedy and often times dimwitted. james kidd is actually mary read which is painfully obvious from the second you meet her. it really makes edward look stupid as he continues call her james until she 'reveals' she is a woman. even though her voice actor often slips up and talks like a woman prior to us knowing who she is.the story is so predictable they actually thought it would be ok to name the achievement for beating the game 'saw that one coming' almost every single supporting character dies or betrays you. edward doesnt seem to care whenever he is betrayed. at one point your friend and quarter master ?adeu? steals your ship and leaves you for dead with roberts. and then adeu just shows up and gives the jackdaw back and edward couldnt care less that he was betrayed and left for dead though. and thats followed by a scene where edward hallucinates his dead friends and stabs a couple assassins. the scene is never really explained. it seems they got tired of people complaining about desmond so rather than writing an interesting character they just made you a first person mute with no personal story just left to watch things happen and stare blankly at characters as they ask you questions that you cant answer. i will say the modern day sage twist was good though. and for the worst part of it all they already had a trailer released for dlc before the game even came out as well as the option for a season pass. and the season pass doesnt include any of the time saver packs. there are like six or so packs that you have to purchase seperately. the jackdaw thankfully has tons of upgrades which require massive amounts of materials which leads to the most repetitive part of the game aside from tail missions. ship boarding. to fully upgrade the jackdaw you will need to battle and board hundreds of ships over and over and over. for something you will spend so much time doing it seems to have the most problems. if you miss the rope swing over to the ship you will have to climb the side of the ship to board but the enemies will see you and proceed to magically swing their swords through the side of the ship and knock you down. once you board the ship you will be prompted to kill the captain and about twenty crew members as well as blowing up powder reserves which inevitably blows up some of your own crew. your own crew will even shoot or stab you multiple times if your between him and an enemy. though it does no damage it does leave you vulnerable for enemy attacks and even interrupts combos. sometimes the combat controls are just completely unresponsive and refuse to do as you say. which would be a lot worse if the combat wasnt so simple to begin with. counter combo combo counter combo and so on. hunting is still required to craft upgrades but they took away your bait and snares so its either shoot the animals or do a boring qte to kill them. all in all a very dissapointing game the only reason i put so much time into the game is because im a completionist and already bought the game.… Expand
  88. Skjtir
    Nov 11, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pirates. Assassins. Pirates. While still plagued by horribly tedious eavesdrop missions, this is the most fun I have had playing Assassins Creed since AC2. It feels like a different game but it contributes to the assassin/templar story and is just plain enjoyable to play. Buy this game and you will not be sorry.… Expand
  89. etb444
    Dec 26, 2013
    10
    This is everything you want out of an Assassin's Creed game. The visuals are stunning plus the gameplay is flawless. From exploring the high Caribbean seas to hunting the many islands for treasure. The depth of the game is almost unmatched and the freedom of being able to just go on your ship and plunder anything that flies by is one of the things you will love the most about this game.This is everything you want out of an Assassin's Creed game. The visuals are stunning plus the gameplay is flawless. From exploring the high Caribbean seas to hunting the many islands for treasure. The depth of the game is almost unmatched and the freedom of being able to just go on your ship and plunder anything that flies by is one of the things you will love the most about this game. Not to mention constantly taking down waves of Spanish soldiers one by one in Havana. Truly the best game in the series and one of the greatest of the year.… Expand
  90. hatethisnamesod
    Nov 3, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the first great Assassin's Creed game since 2009. It doesn't try to limit what way we want to do missions like 3 did. Instead we have options. Want to run straight into battle? Go a head. Want to sneak in and silently take out your enemies? Go a head.

    The game is also a beautiful one. The water is some of the best ever made in a game, the islands are brimming with detail. The animation is top notch and the game runs smoothly.

    The story is unlike the previous Assassin's Creeds. This is about Edward Kenway. Through flashbacks you learn about how his wife left him and what kind of person he is. He is a man who cares about money, not about justice like previous characters. When he kills an assassin, his first thought is to steal all his clothes and take his identity.

    The ships..... are just awesome.

    Now the faults. Multiplayer is too similar to 3. There are the occasional glitches. Some missions a dull.

    Still this is one the best games of 2013 and the best Assassin's game after 2.    … Expand
  91. Sillver
    Oct 31, 2013
    10
    A good game,the new naval warfare is great and a lot of fun.I also liked the new crafting system,and assassination contracts are back.This is the game to put the series back on track.
  92. ishtar
    Nov 24, 2013
    0
    This is possibly the worst Ubisoft major title ever. They've ruined the controls, made most mandatory missions dumb "tail/follow the person" missions with little interactions, and added very little since the previous version.
  93. AlderHalo
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    I had lost hope after revelations and AC3 but I was pleasantly surprised to see Black Flag inject new life into the franchise. Exploring locations, collecting loot and crafting pouches, belts and outfits are some of the most addictive things.
    You'll love plundering and killing as Edward Kenway for a good 30-40 hours.
  94. LooseCannonCop
    Nov 4, 2013
    7
    A nice refresher game from the failure of AC3, AC4 gives us a great story tied in with an impressive open world environment combined with a ton of activities spread along the Caribbean. The story is a lot stronger than that of AC3 and possibly AC1, however the story suffers from plot twists that were really not surprising and too much one-dimensional character development for Edward. IA nice refresher game from the failure of AC3, AC4 gives us a great story tied in with an impressive open world environment combined with a ton of activities spread along the Caribbean. The story is a lot stronger than that of AC3 and possibly AC1, however the story suffers from plot twists that were really not surprising and too much one-dimensional character development for Edward. I found Edward's quartermaster and Kidd to have better character development than the main character himself, but it isnt anywhere near Connor "One-Dimensional Character" Kenway bad.

    The setting of the game is what bothers me the most. The Age of Pirates is a great time for this game, but it gets really gimmicky as the story progresses. The setting seems like a ploy to take the two best mechanics from AC3 (free running in forests and naval) and then shoving it down our throats. Naval goes from being a fun and niche mechanic from AC3 to a major storybound mechanic in AC4, to the point where it seems more of an inconvenience and a hassle then actually fun and innovating. The lack of rather climbable cities kind of makes me sad, but expected due to the time period and area.

    The idea of the main character being a pirate just seems gimmicky to me overall. Mostly because "pirate-ninja lolz", but it just seems as a plot device for this entire game to sound decent.

    Another notable issue is enemy AI. It tends to range from "The March of the Deaf" to "Superman X-ray Vision". In some stealth portions of the game, you can sprint behind enemies and they wont become alerted. As in others, enemies will tend to spot you in hidden areas (hay, tall grass) without even being detected or checking it.

    Overall, this game has its issues but it has its strengths. Its story is nice and a great breath of fresh air from AC3. The environment is beautiful and vivid, with plenty of new adventures and activities to take part in. The game however makes naval seem less interesting and parkour in the city almost non-existent. Tied in with a rather uninteresting, one-dimensional character the game suffers a bit from what killed AC3, but its amount of activities and the beautiful environments make up for this....making it a rather fun game.    … Expand
  95. PlayaPozition
    Apr 18, 2015
    8
    Ok so before i jumped off the roof i loaded this up on my blue Xbox 360 [with custom plexiglass case and LED's] So this game is way better than AC:3 is a lot of ways and also a lot bigger [but nowhere near as big as my penis, please don't hate] . Also my girlfriend said she liked to have even more sex while i played this game because she liked the idea of me being a pirate? I eat moreOk so before i jumped off the roof i loaded this up on my blue Xbox 360 [with custom plexiglass case and LED's] So this game is way better than AC:3 is a lot of ways and also a lot bigger [but nowhere near as big as my penis, please don't hate] . Also my girlfriend said she liked to have even more sex while i played this game because she liked the idea of me being a pirate? I eat more tacos while playing this. Also i saved that hoodrat from the castle. P.S. Pwn the sharks my girlfriend loves me. Gotta go =)… Expand
  96. JohnWitten
    Nov 13, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Concept: Live a pirate's life one big raid at a time, and forget all about the main story- instead, opt for a plethora of side content and leisurely paced treasure hunts to engross players.

    Graphics: Somewhat unstable framerate changes and drops occur from time to time, but the vistas and open seas look and react beautifully.

    Sound: From the realistic ballistics and sheathing of swords to the sounds in the background and melodic sea shanties, all is fair on the high seas in terms of sound.

    Playability: There are still a few issues with naval controls and encounters, but by the by everything has largely been improved or at least stayed relatively the same.

    Entertainment: The side content is impressive in amount and fun to troll through, but having to go through the ropes with your core encounters is often boring and out of sync with the rest of your misadventures.

    Replay Value: High.

    Overall Score: 8.0    … Expand
  97. Starkiller94
    Jan 10, 2014
    5
    Here we are, another year, another Assassin's Creed installment. To be honest, this game is medicore at best. After the Assassin's Creed 3 flop, it seems the games are starting to take a step in the wrong direction. Mixing pirates and assassins in my opinion is really ridiculous... I mean, sailing the seas and taking out infinite waves of enemy ships starts to become very tiresome after aHere we are, another year, another Assassin's Creed installment. To be honest, this game is medicore at best. After the Assassin's Creed 3 flop, it seems the games are starting to take a step in the wrong direction. Mixing pirates and assassins in my opinion is really ridiculous... I mean, sailing the seas and taking out infinite waves of enemy ships starts to become very tiresome after a while. While Assassin's Creed 3's naval combat was fun, it's really nothing to boast about. It was cool because you got to sail to different islands and stuff, but the combat was really buggy and felt very unrealistic. Seriously, this is Assassin's Creed, not Pirates of the Assassin's Creed... Come on Ubisoft... I'll be saving my money as my friend let me borrow this to test it. Also, I don't know why people are giving it so much rep for the graphics. It looks exactly like AC3 at least on the Xbox 360 version. I don't know how someone could give this game a 10. No game in history deserves a perfect score in my opinion, because games are never perfect. But mindless Ubisoft drones were quick to gobble this up and crap out 9s and 10s.

    If you must play this game, just wait. It will be appearing in the game store bargin bin pretty soon.    … Expand
  98. willhojm
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    I played the game for only a few hours and I found that it was the most intriguing and appealing game in the franchise to date. The sea combat system is really well made. Can't wait for the Xbox One to come out so I can get the game for that.
  99. NateAvocadoGame
    Oct 31, 2013
    8
    Ubisoft years ago have been at it's peak releasing great...nay, outstanding games such as my favorite Assassin's Creed II. Outside of the walls of the Ubisoft building they praise on how well their game are going to be and how well they are, but I secretly think inside of the walls they are collapsing. I'm not saying Ubisoft is a bad company and that they are going balls-up like companiesUbisoft years ago have been at it's peak releasing great...nay, outstanding games such as my favorite Assassin's Creed II. Outside of the walls of the Ubisoft building they praise on how well their game are going to be and how well they are, but I secretly think inside of the walls they are collapsing. I'm not saying Ubisoft is a bad company and that they are going balls-up like companies such as THQ did in 2011, no I'm saying that recently they have been making some calls. Some examples are the push backs of some anticipated games like watch dogs and (sadly) south park the stick of truth. Plus, there quarterly financial bulls*** they have said is taking a terrible toll. Like I said, their not a bad company just making some bad call on the games that could make them a little dough. I don't want to see them go under I love their games, but the more they turn Assassin's Creed into a yearly release like CoD the more it's the same old and same old. Assassin's Creed IV was the story changer in the series that should be over now, not saying it was the worst (Assassin's Creed 1 in my book in the worst, good but not the best of them all) but still could have been better. The story note a big changer, but not the best in the story-line (the games went historically future, future, future, and then past? Why?). I will admit the huge open world was great, loved the huge naval-pirating features that really added to what the game was to be about. The addition of Blackbeard is also a nice touch, and some twists (while foreseeable) were still nice. The music and shanties were great. The story outside the animus added that Desmond feel but still felt empty without him, but the secrets that the game answers while at the same time asks added that feel that makes it Assassin's Creed. Assassin's Creed IV:Black Flag: +Huge Open World. +Naval and Pirating adds a great feel. +Music fits in with game. +THE SECRETS...WHAT DO THEY MEAN? -No Desmond Miles. -More of the same old, same old with yearly releases. -No end in sight, lets try to put some IPs to rest (at least for a few years).… Expand
  100. BurdIzTheWurd
    Nov 15, 2013
    7
    A great effort by Ubisoft to follow up to AC3, which, in my opinion, paled in comparison to previous entries. However, Black Flag's character models are ugly, to the point where the main character looks inhuman. I feel that AC2 still remains the best entry in the series. However, this game gets a decent score because the all-out ship battles are fun, and the controls are intuitive. WhatA great effort by Ubisoft to follow up to AC3, which, in my opinion, paled in comparison to previous entries. However, Black Flag's character models are ugly, to the point where the main character looks inhuman. I feel that AC2 still remains the best entry in the series. However, this game gets a decent score because the all-out ship battles are fun, and the controls are intuitive. What probably impressed me the most was the broad variety of things to do while playing and the near-complete lack of loading screens. I also felt that the voice actors in this game are more "time appropriate" if that makes sense. Overall, a decent game from beginning to end.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2013
9
#9 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
12
#12 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    92
    The sun, the waves, the smell of salt in the air. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag offers an amazing pirate adventure experience. [Nov 2013]
  2. Level7.nu
    Jan 3, 2014
    80
    Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a game that feels locked between two worlds. Not only between to generations of consoles but between a run of the mill AC-game and an astonishing pirate game. It’s not only a well needed spark to the series as much it’s a redefining of it. Everything that is use is great and everything old feels like it should be thrown overboard. Try it regardless of your thoughts about earlier Assassin’s Creed games.
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  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Dec 7, 2013
    80
    Black Flag tightens enough screws and adds enough cool new stuff to make it the best in ages. [Issue#105, p.79]
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