Platforms: PC, 360, PS3, WiiU, Xbox One, PS4
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, and practically every other ubisoft studio.
Publisher: Ubisoft
Ratings: ESRB M, PEGI 18+, MA15+
NA Release Dates: October 29 for 360/WiiU/Ps3, November 12 for PS4, November 19 for PC/Xbox One
EU Release Dates: October 29 for 360/Ps3, November 22 for WiiU/PC/Xbox One/PS4
AU Release Dates: October 29 for 360/Ps3, November 21 for WiiU/PC/Xbox One/PS4
Minimum PC Requirements:
Next Gen FeaturesOS: Win Vista SP 64bit, or Win 7 SP1 64bit, or Win 8 64bit
CPU: Intel Core2Quad Q8400@2.6 GHz / AMD Athlon II X4 620@2.6 GHz
RAM: 2GB System Memory
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 / AMD Radeon HD 4870
GPU RAM: 512MB VRAM with Shader Model 4.0 or higher
DX: DirectX June 2010 Redistributable
HD: 30 GB
AUDIO: DirectX Compatible Soundcard with latest drivers
NVidia Tech Demo
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Despite the name is actually the Sixth main-line installment in the series. For the first
time in Assassin’s Creed, this new installment will actually go backwards in time from the previous installment. This
game focuses on the early 18th century Caribbean, during the golden age of pirates. The player will step into the shoes
of a young Edward Kenway, during his journey to become a legendary pirate. Edward Kenway is the father of Haytham
Kenway, and Grandfather to Connor Kenway, the protagonist of Assassin’s Creed 3.
In Assassin’s Creed 4 you will be let loose upon the open world of the Caribbean Sea with your ship called The Jackdaw.
You will be able to travel to the games more than 50 locations, including the 3 major cities of Havana, Nassau, and Kingston.
You will also meet a large cast of characters, consisting of many legendary pirates like Blackbeard, Benjamin Hornigold,
Anne Bonny, Charles Vane, and Calico Jack.
As always with Assassin’s Creed there will still be the usual background story. The war between the assassins and the
Templars is still a part of Black Flag, and as such will not be the pure pirate adventure game that many might have liked.
The game is still Assassin’s Creed by and large, but with additions like ship combat, hunting, underwater exploration,
and perhaps a little "Next Generation" graphics (*only for next gen editions and PC) perhaps Ubisoft can earn back some
fans disenfranchised by Assassin’s Creed 3.
Regular on foot gameplay looks near Identical to Assassin’s Creed 3, you can free run along rooftops, trees, boats, etc. just
like AC3. Fighting looks pretty much the same, only difference being the removal of the tomahawk, and the addition of dual
swords for Edward. Boat gameplay from AC3 has obviously been brought into Black Flag, but there have been some changes.
You can now board any ship in the game; there is a spyglass that you can use to determine what supplies an enemy ship is
carrying. Cannons now feature an arcing line that allows you to adjust for wave height when firing cannons, and swivel cannons
are easier to lock on to targets. A few new weapon types were added to ships, and the Jackdaw can be customized and
upgraded, giving you greater firepower, or defenses.
There is a new addition of underwater exploration, which allows you to dive under the waves in certain areas. Edward can use
a device known as a diving bell to create a pocket of air, allowing him to stay underwater for extended periods of time. The player
must use stealth and evasion underwater to avoid sharks, which behave similarly to guards and will become alerted to you if
you don’t stay hidden. Underwater areas may also give players access to some secret areas similar to the mini “dungeons” that
were started in AC2, you will not have access to your weapons in these areas, forcing you to rely on stealth.
Ubisoft has stated that they put some effort into improving the stealth In Assassin’s Creed 4, which has often been left to the
wayside since the first game. The game takes a few things from a recent Ubisoft release Far Cry 3, such as hunting animals to
directly create upgrades for your character, or climbing puzzle towers like the radio towers. Perhaps using some knowledge learned
from Far Cry, Ubisoft may have improved the stealth in AC4; unfortunately this still remains to be seen.
As with the other Assassin’s Creed games, AC4 will still have some gameplay during the present day. You will no longer play as
Desmond Miles; instead you will play as an employee of Abstergo Entertainment, a branch of Abstergo letting everyday people
experience memories through the animus. Apparently the majority of the present day content is entirely optional, but there will be
approximately 5 hours of present day content should you wish to participate.
Sorry, No Naval Battles
Multiplayer returns for Assassin’s creed 4: Black Flag, and appears to be largely unchanged from AC3. The major additions are an
entirely new set of characters, a few new modes such as Pistoleer mode (only pistols), and frantic mode (Wanted, but everything’s
worth the same amount of points), and a new feature called the Game Lab. Game Lab is entirely similar to custom game options
in games such as Halo and Call of Duty, and apparently Ubisoft will introduce new modes made by the community and the developers
regularly.
Screenshots:
Videos:
Premiere Trailer
Pirate Assassin
Gameplay Reveal
Golden Age of Pirates
Under the Black Flag
Black Flag Diaries
E3 Cinematic Trailer
E3 Horizon Trailer
E3 Gameplay Demo
Pirate Gameplay Walkthrough
Caribbean Open World
Stealth Gameplay Walkthrough
Gamescom Trailer
Locations and Activities
Multiplayer Trailer
Infamous Pirates
Pirate Heist
Freedom Cry DLC Trailer
Story Trailer
Launch Trailer
Polygon - 7.5
Gamespot - 9
IGN - 8.5
Eurogamer - 9
Kotaku - YES
Joystiq - 4/5
Arstechnica
Gametrailers - 9.2
Gamesradar - 4.5/5
Videogamer - 7
Gameinformer - 8.25
Rev3 Games - 4/5
Yo Ho, a Pirates Life for Me