Assassin’s Creed Black Flag: Resynced is a ‘faithful’ remake—not an RPG—with gameplay improvements and new features

It's been 13 years since Assassin's Creed: Black Flag launched, and I don't remember much about it. I do recall being wowed by the PS4's graphics at the time, and I also thought it was one of the better AC games. Many still hold that opinion, so the new remake launching later this year is one that many will be keeping their eyes on, myself included. Image via Ubisoft I got to see Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced in action during an early press briefing last week, and it looks pretty incredible. Ubisoft described it as a "faithful" remake that's also "built from the ground up" with the newest iteration of the Anvil engine, so it's not a one-to-one recreation, but it is visually striking in a way that's markedly improved from the original. Resynced is aiming to be mostly similar to the 2013 release, but with a number of quality-of-life updates like re-worked combat (precise parries and takedowns to be more fluid and action-oriented) and stealth (a dedicated crouch button), more natural-flowing movement when parkouring, and a much-needed revamp to the ever-present tailing and eavesdropping missions, enhancing them. In the original, failing those kinds of tasks meant instant desync and having to start over. But now, the targets will react to you, and players can adapt to the situation as opposed to restarting everything, which sounds great in comparison. One main concern among those who are hoping for the remake to remain true to itself is if it will contain RPG elements like recent Assassin's Creed games. The presentation confirmed that it will not, keeping the cinematic, action-adventure feel of the original. Main character Edward Kenway's Jackdaw ship also has gotten quite a few upgrades, including some brand new additions when it comes to officers: Lucy Baldwin, The Padre, and Deadman Smith, all of whom have their own narrative questlines where you can recruit them to your crew and earn gameplay enhancements for the Jackdaw. Smith, for example, unlocks a double-shot ability for the ship's broadside weapons. Image via Ubisoft That's not all. The Jackdaw can also gain its own resident pet to sit alongside you on your sea journeys, with the two options being a cat and a monkey. That sounds like it'll be the toughest choice of the game for me, personally, but I'm leaning towards the monkey because it's more ridiculous and fun...especially since it wears a cute little vest. Resynced sounds like it's got enough of a combination of faithful recreation and new iteration ("new narrative arcs" for characters like Blackbeard were also mentioned) to hopefully make the journey worth replaying. And after 13 years, it likely already is for a lot of players. For myself, it's been so long, and I remember so little that I'm excited to potentially dive back into what will feel like a new game. For longtime fans, the hopes are that it's the same classic AC game they remember, but with the right improvements to make it even better. And for new players, well, just enjoy the ride. Oh, and there's also a Collector's Edition featuring a pretty awesome statue of Edward if that's your sort of thing, regardless of whether you've played it before or not. Image via Ubisoft Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced is launching in just a few short months on July 9 at $59.99, so the wait won't be long now to return to Edward Kenway's newly-beautified high seas. The post Assassin’s Creed Black Flag: Resynced is a ‘faithful’ remake—not an RPG—with gameplay improvements and new features appeared first on Destructoid.

Apr 24, 2026 - 00:45

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag: Resynced is a ‘faithful’ remake—not an RPG—with gameplay improvements and new features

It's been 13 years since Assassin's Creed: Black Flag launched, and I don't remember much about it.

I do recall being wowed by the PS4's graphics at the time, and I also thought it was one of the better AC games. Many still hold that opinion, so the new remake launching later this year is one that many will be keeping their eyes on, myself included.

Image via Ubisoft I got to see Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced in action during an early press briefing last week, and it looks pretty incredible. Ubisoft described it as a "faithful" remake that's also "built from the ground up" with the newest iteration of the Anvil engine, so it's not a one-to-one recreation, but it is visually striking in a way that's markedly improved from the original.

Resynced is aiming to be mostly similar to the 2013 release, but with a number of quality-of-life updates like re-worked combat (precise parries and takedowns to be more fluid and action-oriented) and stealth (a dedicated crouch button), more natural-flowing movement when parkouring, and a much-needed revamp to the ever-present tailing and eavesdropping missions, enhancing them. In the original, failing those kinds of tasks meant instant desync and having to start over. But now, the targets will react to you, and players can adapt to the situation as opposed to restarting everything, which sounds great in comparison.

One main concern among those who are hoping for the remake to remain true to itself is if it will contain RPG elements like recent Assassin's Creed games. The presentation confirmed that it will not, keeping the cinematic, action-adventure feel of the original.

Main character Edward Kenway's Jackdaw ship also has gotten quite a few upgrades, including some brand new additions when it comes to officers: Lucy Baldwin, The Padre, and Deadman Smith, all of whom have their own narrative questlines where you can recruit them to your crew and earn gameplay enhancements for the Jackdaw. Smith, for example, unlocks a double-shot ability for the ship's broadside weapons.

Image via Ubisoft That's not all. The Jackdaw can also gain its own resident pet to sit alongside you on your sea journeys, with the two options being a cat and a monkey. That sounds like it'll be the toughest choice of the game for me, personally, but I'm leaning towards the monkey because it's more ridiculous and fun...especially since it wears a cute little vest.

Resynced sounds like it's got enough of a combination of faithful recreation and new iteration ("new narrative arcs" for characters like Blackbeard were also mentioned) to hopefully make the journey worth replaying. And after 13 years, it likely already is for a lot of players.

For myself, it's been so long, and I remember so little that I'm excited to potentially dive back into what will feel like a new game. For longtime fans, the hopes are that it's the same classic AC game they remember, but with the right improvements to make it even better. And for new players, well, just enjoy the ride. Oh, and there's also a Collector's Edition featuring a pretty awesome statue of Edward if that's your sort of thing, regardless of whether you've played it before or not.

Image via Ubisoft Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced is launching in just a few short months on July 9 at $59.99, so the wait won't be long now to return to Edward Kenway's newly-beautified high seas.

The post Assassin’s Creed Black Flag: Resynced is a ‘faithful’ remake—not an RPG—with gameplay improvements and new features appeared first on Destructoid.

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