Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Reviews

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is ranked in the 95th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10
Dec 12, 2013

The Assassin's Creed series is teetering on the brink of saturation. Credit to Black Flag for escaping that fate thanks to its interesting and innovative mechanics. Naval exploration brings in several additional hours of gameplay, which along with its competent plot contribute to make Black Flag the best Assassin's Creed game since the second chapter of the series.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2013

The debut trailer for Assassin's Creed IV depicted a tipsy Blackbeard profiling the suave and stylish Edward Kenway. The famed pirate tells the stories of this elusive man and his hierarchy in the ranks of other pirates. He ends the trailer by saying, "If it's fortune and adventure you seek, then Captain Edward Kenway is your man," following Kenway's subtle dispatching of a guard before walking off with a woman, a smirk on his face. Edward was portrayed as a cool, collected man and Assassin's Creed IV an adventure heavily focused on pirate culture. As it turns out, that is not what it is.

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Dec 9, 2013

It feels odd and slightly insulting to be given the option to rate missions, as it implies that the designers still don't know what works or, worse, that they want to better pander to gamers.

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8 / 10
Nov 9, 2013

The sign of a fantastic open world can be found in its ability to effortlessly suck you into even the most insignificant of activities, and Black Flag excels on that front. Wii U owners looking for an expansive, value-packed adventure should surely set their sails for the Caribbean. There's plenty of gold for the taking.

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Nov 1, 2013

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag puts the franchise back on track with a gorgeous huge open world that's ripe for exploration. The innovative iPad or Android tablet companion app is a fun and informative extension to game play.

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5 / 5.0
Dec 23, 2013

I myself am not one profoundly familiar with Assassin's Creed, and this is the first title I've truly sat down with and completed. That said, I find Black Flag to be an excellent entry point for new fans of the series.

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Oct 29, 2013

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is a polished and all-encompassing experience, which pits players into the role of an eighteenth century pirate named Edward Kenway. While it doesn't blow its predecessors out of the water by presenting anything revolutionary, it provides fans with a fine-tuned and expanded take on its series' core foundations.

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Dec 4, 2013

If pirating and plundering with some stealth on the side sounds mouthwatering to you, chances are you want to get into this, no matter what you thought of Assassin's Creed III. We're more than glad to see the franchise continuing in the right direction. Consider us surprised that pirates didn't turn out to be the most cliche experience in the universe.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 4, 2013

There is no denying that this game is excellent. It will be even better on next generation platforms - AC IV simply outstrips the ability of current consoles. However, it is still a fantastic play and easily tops the list of best sandbox games you can get.

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Ray Carsillo
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2013

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag doesn't move the franchise forward as a whole—but it doesn't need to. Instead, this is probably the best pirate simulation in gaming history that successfully lays the groundwork for what's to come in the series.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 29, 2013

Assassin's Creed IV owns its corniness. It might lack self-awareness, but it has no shortage of confidence, and that's as exciting as getting your own boat and pirate hat.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 8, 2013

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is a damn good game that has little flaws attached to it, which is impressive for a launch title. Not all the visuals were completely next-gen, but Montreal really was thinking about how a next generation game should be and act when they were creating Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag. You can see it in so many elements of the game, but not all of the elements are quite there yet. If they can expand from this mold then the next Assassin's Creed should be a helluva title. 'If' being the word in that sentence.

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8 / 10
Dec 10, 2013

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Assassin's Creed IV may not feature additional content not found on other platforms, but the visual improvement alone makes the game a must-have. Both Sony platforms (PS3 & PS4) feature the only platform exclusive content, involving the heroine of the Vita game; Aveline. Although Black Flag is a beautiful game with an incredible wave and weather system, the PS4 version in particular is awe inspiring. Shortly after the game released on the PlayStation 4, Ubisoft was true to their word, updating the game to include native support for 1080p. The visuals are simply matched with clouds of smoke impairing your vision during heated ship battles as cannons fire, shallow waters are crystal clear and thunderstorms at sea are amazingly treacherous.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 29, 2013

In taking and refining the best bits of previous games, Ubisoft is admittedly treading water and, some would say, stagnating. The eavesdropping should really be, well, dropped but those moments of frustration and repetition are far outweighed by the lure of the sea. Not a flagship title for the series then, but one that will delight fans and newcomers alike.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013

The game looks absolutely beautiful, is jam packed with things to do, and as ever, the combat is a joy to fiddle with. But for next year? Ubisoft, it's called Assassin's Creed: make me feel like one.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2013

With a heavier focus on ship exploration and combat, a giant map to explore full of cities, settlements, ancient ruins as well as loads and loads of hidden collectibles to find, your time spent in the West Indies is going to be largely enjoyable.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
Unscored
Oct 29, 2013

If the series insists on keeping this modern day hook, this is the way to do – unobtrusive, quick and painless but with the capacity for exploration. Assassin's Creed III was sadly something of a disappointment, but Ubisoft Montreal must be commended for learning from its mistakes. The endless problems of easy combat and sticky, simple running may return but the rest is entertaining enough to make up for it. An energetic new protagonist, a focus on piracy and pillaging, excellent naval combat and a huge, beautiful open world make Black Flag an easy game to recommend, and a decent way to kick off the next generation.

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9 / 10
Jan 16, 2014

For people who just want to be a pirate, there really is nothing else for you out there, so indulge in the only real great pirate game on the market. That is until Ubisoft makes a full-on pirate spinoff from this mainline entry in Assassin's Creed – well I can hope.

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Game Debate
Felix Nova
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 3, 2013

But for now, let me finish by saying AC4 is worth your money. It's as beautiful and calming as it is challenging and rewarding. Ever since I was a child I have wanted to sail around the magnificent 18th century sun kissed Caribbean islands, with my own ship and crew, ready to plunder anything that sparkles. And now we all can in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.

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GameGrin
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Nov 6, 2013

Black Flag presents a game world that is wonderfully historic, yet incredibly fun. Being a pirate is one of those childhood fantasies I'd love to live and ACIV brings me one step closer. Probably as close as I'm going to get without the help of an actual animus.

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