They offer a lot of content, but there’s never any real hook to get it all done. This is something that a lot of open world games never get right.

Assassination contracts, Synchronization Points, Seashanty Collections, Treasures to be found, and Animus fragments to be discovered - there’s no shortage of things to keep you busy. This stuff doesn’t make the Assassin’s Creed 4 experience a bad one, by any means, it’s just gameplay that feels like it could be refined to make the Assassin’s Creed games even more immersing going forward. The penalty for breaking stealth is minimal, and right from the very beginning, Edward feels like the most powerful man in the city, without ever making any progression to that point. The free running systems still feel like they need some refinement to avoid some of the frequent missteps you can encounter. The combat encounters still don’t feel very challenging. Assassin’s Creed 4 is a familiar experience on solid ground. If anything, it’s some of the legacy mission structures and gameplay aspects that really hold this Assassin’s Creed game back. The sense of ownership and upgrade possibilities make exploring all of the sea-faring land-based content in the game a worthwhile experience in progressing your ship’s abilities.

Your ship, The Jackdaw, is your main method of transportation when hopping from island to island, and there’s plenty of trouble to get into, collectibles to find, and world to explore. Even though a large portion of the game is built around these mechanics, it feels better blended into what you’ve come to expect from an Assassin’s Creed game. These elements have been hit and miss, but naval combat and naval mechanics are a breath of fresh air for the series. Ubisoft has struggled over the years to implement new features into Assassin’s Creed.

Assassins creed 4 black flag theme