Game rating: Assassin's Creed IV - Black Flag

[PZ]

Game title
Assassin's Creed IV - Black Flag

Category	Rating	Comments
Story line	5	It is not too bad, but not better than AC3.  In fact, if you played AC3, then many aspects of that game is evidenced in this new iteration.  I finished the game last night, and the only way I knew was that the credits started rolling.  Quite anticlimactic in my opinion.  In most of the other games, you knew the end was nearing because of the developing story line.  In ACIV, you progress through each main mission, and finally they just end.
Graphics	8	I'm still on the PS3 so there is little improvement over prior games in the series.  That's not to say that they are bad; quite the contrast.  The graphics are really nice, and if the YouTube videos demonstrating the game on the PS4 are any indication, the game will be beautiful.
Sound	7	Nothing beats Ezio's voice (or the voices of the other characters).  Since AC3, the voice acting has been mediocre - not inspiring.  I remember the fury that was always evident in Cesare's voice - nothing like that since.  I do like the shanty music that your crew sings while on the open ocean.  While a bit monotonous until you find enough music sheets for variety - the songs are entertaining and catchy
Game play	8	This is probably the best part.  Fighting has again improved, and movement across the landscape is also much smoother overall, and much more naturally feeling.  I have a habit of bitterly complaining that on the console my movements feel like they are being made through molasses - not so in this game.  I like the sea battles, and the fort liberations - however, until you get some hefty upgrades for your ship, they can be nearly impossible.  Side missions are not too bad, and I like the new one utilizing the diving bell.  From those, you either travel to underground caverns killing foes along the way to your treasure, or swim through water-filled caverns stopping for air at various stations.  So far, I have not done any hunting for sea animals - might be fun, but likely not.  The assassination contracts are similar to prior games, so there is not much to say.
Replay value	5	I think I'll probably replay the game again, but not to the extent I have others such as FC2, JC2, and the Ezio AC series.  I tend to become bored with the games more these days unless they really hold my attention.  However, I've already forgotten the beginning of the game, so I'll likely start another one just to refresh my memory.

Final thoughts
Overall I would purchase the game again simply because it has entertained me the $59 worth (my wife has me going to see Mannheim Steamroller which is costing me more than that).

[Art Blade]

sounds like a solid game but not as inspiring as the first two. Nice review PZ :)

[PZ]

Thanks, AB - when I first started I was hoping for so much more because of how the game began.  A bit of a let-down at the finish.  However, the up-side is that I just checked my completion percentage, and according to the game, I am only at 49% complete even though all the main missions are played through.  There must be many side missions - more so that main missions  :-()

[Art Blade]

heh heh heh, "good" games these days indeed have a lot more to offer than "just" the main missions.  :-X

[PZ]

Well, I have to report that the side missions are not as exciting as the main missions in a pure run-and-gun sense, but they are very satisfying in an open world sense.  Some of the side missions involve finding someone with a key to a warehouse full of salable items - lots of foes, and all are on alert.  Usually there are one to many alarm bells that are wise to deactivate.  These are fun because you can approach any way you like

[mandru]

I loved AC2, ACR and for the most part AC3 but to be completely honest I didn't finish half of the ship based missions in AC3 because I just didn't like them.  The ship missions I did complete (mandatory to move the storyline ahead) I did while holding my nose.   Add that to my fierce animosity towards pirates and you've got a game about a pirate that I've not even looked at.

The U. S.'s first war after winning our independence was where we went after the pirates of the Gold Coast who were decimating our ships (decimate actually means destroying 1 in 10) that were attempting commerce with Europe.  Instead of wiping them out the way we should have we ended up signing a damn treaty and paying a bloody tribute to keep our ships mostly unmolested.  Those pirates and their spin-offs still thrive today.

Only now international law has been twisted around so much by a whole new age variety of pirate in favor of the age old parasites that the ships they prey on are not allowed to even arm up and defend themselves against scumbags who barely have access to technology above the level of outboard motors.  :D

I know some people find anything piratical as having an implied sense of romanticism so rather than skew the poll for what may actually be a well designed game I'm going to refrain from giving it a rating.

(Yeah, yeah.  ::)  I caught the irony of that last comment as I was ready to hit post.  Instead of a rating I gave Black Flag a ranting.  :-[  )

[PZ]

...  I caught the irony of that last comment as I was ready to hit post.  Instead of a rating I gave Black Flag a ranting.  :-[  )

:-X

I felt and did the same with the ship-based missions in AC3 - couldn't stand them because controlling the ship was so wonky.

[Art Blade]

I liked AC1. I liked AC2 a lot. But I completely lost my appetite when they started to announce AC3 and its multiplayer-based story blah blah blah plus I thought they're not going to top AC2. After all I've read and watched, I still stand by my decision not to go beyond AC2.

[mandru]

Art it was one of your screenshots of Ezio balanced atop a tall spire that finally broke me down on giving AC2 a try.  ;D   :-X

[Art Blade]

Oh! Nice  :) ^-^ :)

[fragger]

Nice review PZ :-X :) I gave AC2 a shot a year or two ago but it was shortly after I began it that my old HDD kicked the bucket and I ended up essentially replacing my whole rig. I haven't ever gotten around to giving AC2 another go. I should do, I liked what little I did play of it.

After reading about AC3 on this esteemed forum when it came out, like Art I don't think I'd be inclined to try anything after #2.

I know some people find anything piratical as having an implied sense of romanticism...

I bet those people wouldn't find anything terribly romantic about being monstered by a bunch of modern-day Somali pirates. In fact I don't know how anyone gets "romantic" from a bunch of filthy, bloody, psychopathic cut-throats who you'd probably smell before you see. Those people must have watched too many Errol Flynn movies or listened to too many Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Oh yeah, they were a swashbuckling bunch of lovable larrikins, those pirates... ::)

I'm not sure, but I think the pirates in FC3 are supposed to be Somalians, going by the way they sound and the fact that they're all black guys. Dunno what they're doing in the Indo-Pacific area ????

[PZ]

Thanks fragger; you should fire up AC2 again - in fact any of the Ezio games are worth playing.  However, AC2 was definitely my favorite, and I have fired it up many times over the past few years.