Ubisoft has released Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, a ground-up remake of the 2013 classic, now running on the Anvil Engine used in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The game scores 8/10 for its impressive diversity, gorgeous visuals, and thoughtful additions.
A remake that respects the original
Originally launched in the Xbox 360 era, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag follows Welsh pirate Edward Kenway from penniless drunk to Caribbean privateer. The remake retains the original's narrative while adding around six hours of extra story, including more scenes with fan-favorite Blackbeard and a coda for Stede Bonnet.
The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC for £49.99, with a release date of July 9, 2026. It is rated 18.
Gameplay improvements and variety
Combat has been overhauled with a new perfect parry system that stuns enemies, and Edward's rope dart appears earlier in the story, allowing players to drag foes or suspend them from ledges. Eagle vision now lets players tag enemies through walls and ceilings, easing stealth sections.
Naval battles have also been refreshed, with multiple upgrade levels for the Jackdaw and recruitable deck officers that unlock abilities like faster ramming and naval perfect parries. This makes ship-to-ship combat more dynamic than the original's mortar-spamming tactics.
The game offers a vast array of activities: treasure hunts from maps found in bottles, Mayan stele puzzles, harpooning sharks and whales, traversal challenges, and Nine Men's Morris. Players can commandeer sea forts, board Spanish galleons, and engage British convoys.
Visuals and polish
Caribbean sunsets, white sand beaches, and azure waves are rendered in glorious detail. Weather is more variable, with squalls forcing players to drop sails while avoiding waterspouts and rogue waves. The game is remarkably polished, with only one crash reported in the entire playthrough.
Sea shanties return as a beloved feature, with new songs to chase down across rooftops. The remake also improves menus and parkour with streamlined systems inspired by Assassin's Creed Shadows and Brotherhood.
Verdict
Black Flag Resynced combines refreshed combat, naval battles, and parkour with quality-of-life tweaks and fan-service extra content. While individual gameplay elements lack depth due to the sheer variety, the game avoids repetition fatigue longer than most Assassin's Creed titles. Underwater current sections remain frustrating, but overall it's a skillful remake that feels like a greatest hits collection, lasting well over a hundred hours.
