‘Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’ Game Review: An Upgraded Classic Adventure
After years of focusing on the heritage of Altair, Ezio, and Connor, which Desmond had to bear on his shoulders, with Edward Kenway, the story went in a different direction in both Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Black Flag. Edward was never an Assassin, nor did he have any connections to the Order. His decision to join them and take up the creed was a mistake caused by his own decisions as a pirate.
Rather than remaking Black Flag from scratch and creating something entirely new, the developers chose to upgrade and refresh what was already established. What became immediately apparent is how timeless the original game was. Even after countless open-world games have attempted to replicate its formula, Black Flag Resynced still has a feeling of adventure that the original version had. Some people would even say that it is much better than the original version.
Before we dive into the more detailed aspects of the game, it’s worth noting that I played the PC version. And in my opinion, as a longtime fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, the remake succeeds because it recognizes and honors the reasons why the original game became so popular among the fans.
[Warning: Light spoilers from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced are below!]
The story of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Matt Ryan as Edward Kenway remains one of the most important protagonists in the Assassin’s Creed universe. Unlike many Assassins, Edward does not begin his adventure motivated by ideals, revenge, or destiny. He is driven by greed, money, ambition, and the promise of wealth. His transformation from a man without any ideals into a person willing to fight for something larger than himself and preserve history remains one of the series’ most satisfying character arcs.
That story has lost none of its emotional power, and its overall meaning has stayed the same from beginning to end. But many more interesting facts, stories, quests, characters, and Easter eggs have been added to make it a richer and more detailed experience. In fact, Black Flag Resynced, in terms of story and creating the world, is much improved as soon as you start comparing the first missions with the original version.
Regarding Edward’s overall journey from a greedy Welsh pirate into a leader of the British Brotherhood of Assassins, Ubisoft has also expanded his storyline with new narrative content. Side quests give some characters more screen time and interactions with Edward, making his journey even more meaningful and emotional. It’s almost like this additional screen time and idea of strengthening relationships was meant to be cut from the original game just to add it here.
The world itself continues to serve as a source for narrative and world-building. Exploration feels without bounds. Every port still tells its own tale of history. Whether it’s about exploring colonial politics, imperial conflict, pirate stories, or the ambitions of the legendary Blackbeard.
As the game is historically set in the Golden Age of Piracy, those themes are still important to the story. The game, characters, story, and events are made to be as historically accurate as possible, and then the story of the Assassins is written to suit it, not the other way around.
Not everything is as accurate as one would imagine, but without it, the conflict between the Assassins and Templars wouldn’t be what it is. But much like in the original, the Assassin mythology plays a larger role throughout the campaign, and their goal to reach the observatory is still the main objective here.
When we look at other story missions, they have been redesigned. Missions about tailing enemies or those that required stealth have been remade and expanded with modern mechanics so they don’t feel that repetitive anymore.
As for the modern-day storyline, it has been completely removed to avoid losing the immersion. There is no more leaving Animus for an unnecessary walk from one office to another. The story is now completely focused on Edward, his journey, and some unique, unnatural events he will face to achieve his goal.
Comparing gameplay to the original version of the game
The biggest visible improvement in Black Flag Resynced is that it feels exactly how many people remember it, but with refreshed mechanics so it doesn’t feel clunky or out of date. The nostalgic feeling of sailing the seas, running through the jungle, and exploring ports is still here but feels more realistic thanks to new graphics and refreshed movement mechanics.
When it comes to visuals, the difference is easily noticeable. This remake was built entirely in the latest version of the Anvil, aka Ubisoft’s newest engine. The Caribbean looks brighter, and more alive thanks to a bigger density of population, and it is smoother thanks to performance optimization.
Weather has been completely overhauled, as have the storms, water mechanics, and nature around us. They act more naturally and unpredictablely, not like in the original Black Flag. The technology back then wouldn’t allow for such extensive processes.
Character models have been upgraded graphically. They try to act a lot of the time differently to avoid repeating the 1:1 reconstruction of original models.
When it comes to combat features, they’ve been modernized. Sword fights now require more timing instead of constantly spamming the attack button. The fights focus more on your defensive play and parrying rather than relying almost entirely on counterkills and chaotic scenarios. Naval gameplay, however, remains almost the same and gives the same experience as in 2013.
Back then, the naval exploration became one of gaming’s defining mechanics, and it was one of those that didn’t have to go through a major refresh to work again. Exploration has also benefited from those upgrades. Fast travel is smoother, the map is cleaner, and expanded collectibles have made this game feel more like a definitive version rather than a paid DLC.
Final thoughts on Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is proof that Ubisoft can still make good games. Even though it is just a remake of already existing assets and stories, it’s clear that the willingness to deliver something good is half of the success.
Ubisoft did not attempt to change Edward Kenway’s entire adventure or reshape it to fit the current trends in gaming. Instead, they identified what made Black Flag extraordinary in the first place and carefully worked the elements and pieces to make it work.
Edward Kenway remains one of Ubisoft’s most important protagonists, as he is the first in the Kenway line of Assassins. The expanded content and refreshed gameplay make this game feel like the upgraded version of an already outstanding game to fit the standards and expectations of casual gamers.
Even after thirteen years, few open-world adventures capture the same sense of freedom that comes from raising the sails, hearing the crew sing sea shanties, and disappearing over the horizon searching for another adventure.
Most importantly, Black Flag Resynced reminds Assassin’s Creed fans why the original became such an iconic classic in the first place. It was never just about Assassins, Templars, or even Pirates. It was about fulfilling impossible dreams, discovering unexpected purpose, chasing every desire, and realizing that true freedom often comes at a painful cost.
Even after all those years, the reflections on the iconic Creed of Assassins are justified: “Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.”
And as Edward Kenway himself has said, all of it is very interesting, because when you think about it, “If nothing is true, then why believe anything? And if everything is permitted, then why not chase every desire?”
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X & PC.
Also check out: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Game Review: Explores Feudal Japan
