Today I delve into the rough seas and try to pluck the treasures and avoid the bloodthirsty sharks that is Assassins creed IV black flag, otherwise known as ‘Timey Wimey Piratey rhymy’ for those who have had a tad too much to drink. AC4 is Ubisofts’ latest expansion to its historical action adventure series’ with roots game play wise harking back to Prince of Persia. Released in the UK in November 2012 for PS3 and Xbox 360 it thrust players back into the animus into the life of Edward Kenway.
GRAND ASS CREED Video Coming in near future
Although mechanically and feature wise little has really changed from game to game the addition or rather rework of the sailing mechanic really makes this game stand out on its own and separates it from the realms of expansion that many including myself feared it to be. There is nothing quite like sailing around and owning the sea and during playtime I couldn’t help but feel and find similarities with another game franchise, that of the Grand theft auto series. In both games, you are free to roam around and cause mayhem and both rely heavily on a story narrative for direction whilst having fun and innovative game play options. However my play experience was somewhat marked when various minor and one somewhat major problem occurred during my play session. During one of the main campaign missions I managed to bypass a checkpoint which was meant to trigger an event, however by bypassing this due to arguably poor level design or oversight a cinematic didn’t activate which meant I had to essentially restart from scratch in order to continue. Also like previous titles enemy animations and ragdoll physics are always worth a laugh with one foe meeting his end with a face plant to a bench.
Assassins creed manages to make history a typically seen dull point and show its interest all be it in a pseudo real setting and for this alone makes for an interesting ride. What really sets this apart is its multiplayer or as my heart calls it “oh, god not again” mode. The rush and speed your heart beats at when trying to avoid and kill targets is a high caffeine can’t reach, it is better to pretend to be the AI than to go for the kill often and so far not a game mode I have come to experience or enjoy as much in other multiplayer online games.
In conclusion, AC4 is the much-needed stab in the back the franchise needed and is in my opinion the best in the series so far due to focus on story and naval combat. Yes, it has flaws but if you take the time, to play through it you will appreciate how funny and enjoyable some of them really are.
Personal Rating (Which means nought): 8/10
Written by and Moderated by Stephen Fisher 2014