Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review – A Stellar Remake

Among the many Assassin’s Creed instalments over the years that have laid a claim to the title of the series’ best game, there is arguably none that has a stronger claim than 2013’s Black Flag. Edward Kenway’s rip-roaring pirate adventure immediately won over hearts back in the day with its expansion of the classic Assassin’s Creed formula and, of course, its stellar naval combat and exploration gameplay.

Close to a decade and a half later, the developer is bringing the modern classic back with Black Flag Resynced– and unsurprisingly, it’s another successful voyage, and another great reminder of how good the classic Assassin’s Creed formula could be when it was at its best.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is, of course, not the most comprehensive remake you’ll see, but it does make some notable changes nonetheless. One of the more notable ones is on the narrative front, with the entire present day Abstergo storyline from the original being cut out from the remake, and the focus instead being completely and exclusively on Edward Kenway’s story this time around.

"Black Flag’s spectacular naval gameplay was what endeared it to the masses more than a decade ago, and it has aged incredibly."

Assassin’s Creed’s present-day storylines have always been divisive at best, and Black Flag’s in particular is definitely one of its weakest, so there will be many who will be relieved at its absence here. Resynced stitches its story together effectively, to the extent that at times it’s even easy to forget that the original even had present-day sections.

That story also remains as engaging as it was back in 2013. Black Flag’s Templars vs Assassins tale is one of the best stories the Assassin’s Creed franchise has told to date, thanks in large part to its pirate trappings, and none of that has lost its luster with Resynced. The cast of characters here is still is charming as ever, thanks to excellent performances and tight writing, with Edward in particular, of course, stealing the show. With some story changes and additions here and there, including new late-game scenes and slightly expanded arcs for some of the key players, Black Flag Resynced definitely does justice to the original’s story.

But of course, the real star of the show here isn’t the story. Black Flag’s spectacular naval gameplay was what endeared it to the masses more than a decade ago, and it has aged incredibly. Getting behind the Jackdaw’s wheel and taking to the seas is still exactly as riotously fun as it ever was, made even better now with a number of smart tweaks that allow the gameplay to shine through better than ever. Whether you’re grabbing a strong wind and sailing at breakneck speeds or blasting enemy ships into smithereens with all of the Jackdaw’s might, Black Flag Resynced’s naval gameplay never loses its charm.

The Jackdaw gains several new secondary-fire options that significantly broaden naval combat. Broadsides now get Heated Shots, a rapid-fire secondary attack, while Chain Shots gain Double Shot for a stronger forward assault. Naval exploration also remains consistently engaging, with plenty to do and see as you explore the Caribbean (with Resynced also adding some new locations and overhauling others to make them feel more alive and populated).

"Perfect Parries can lead into lethal chain takedowns, while Heavy Strikes act as wide-hitbox combo finishers for the Cutlass, and Pistol-sword."

The naval sections are also when Black Flag Resynced looks its best from a graphics standpoint. It’s difficult to think of many games that have better looking water than what’s on display here. Just like the original, Resynced has a knack for taking your breath away when you’re out on the high seas in particular. From dangerous storms and vicious waves to calm and peaceful horizons, the game keeps finding ways to flex its creative and technical muscles in the most impressive fashion.

Of course, given how good the original Black Flag still looks thirteen years on from its release, it’s easy to not realize just how much of a jump Resynced is from a visuals perspective- but it is decidedly a jump. There are some visual glitches here, like flickering shadows, clipped assets, and slow-loading textures, but by and large, the game looks excellent.

Beyond the naval gameplay, there’s still plenty to love here. The classic Assassin’s Creed formula could certainly get a little long in the tooth from time to time, but Black Flag was easily one of its peaks, and Resynced firmly reaffirms that notion. More than any other area of the gameplay, it’s probably the combat that has received the biggest facelift- and what a facelift it is.

In terms of how it flows, Resynced’s combat very much retains the moment to moment feel of the original, but with a much larger focus on parries, it feels much more tactile and satisfying. Some changes are not for the better – such as no longer being able to pick up fallen foes’ weapons – but by and large, combat tends to be a lot of fun.

But there is some good stuff. Perfect Parries can lead into lethal chain takedowns, while Heavy Strikes act as wide-hitbox combo finishers for the Cutlass, and Pistol-sword. Breaking an enemy’s defense can now open them to a fatal Hidden Blade Takedown, while Kicks and Sweeps let Edward slam foes into walls or knock them down for follow-up executions.

"Resynced takes the parkour mechanics of the original Black Flag and supercharges them with improvements introduced in Shadows."

Sneaking around during stealth sections also feels better than it did in the original. A number of small changes and additions come together here, from the ability to manually crouch whenever you want to taking cover, being able to use some new tools, eavesdrop on enemies to gain new tidbits of info, and more.

It is, of course, still easy as ever to cheese your way through stealth sections, but the game mostly makes up for that lack of challenge with just how fun it always is to stick to the shadows and quietly dispatch foes. Meanwhile, Resynced also wisely removes the vast majority of its insta-fail sections, which means you can organically move from stealth to combat and back, making for huge improvements in the flow of the gameplay.

Then, of course, there is the parkour- which is probably some of the best we’ve seen from Assassin’s Creed in a while. Resynced takes the parkour mechanics of the original Black Flag and supercharges them with improvements introduced in Shadows (with several of its own added on top), and the results are fantastic. Moving Edward through the world feels like a dream, thanks to fluid movements and fantastic animations, while the world itself also sports excellent design meant to encourage parkour consistently. Simply moving from point to point is a total joy in Black Flag Resynced.

Shadows’ Observe mechanic also finds its way into this remake. Though you can, of course, use Edward’s classic Eagle Vision whenever you want, you can also use the left trigger to observe the world and marks points of interest, loot, enemies, and more on your screen. Just like in Shadows, the Observe mechanic feels exploration feel much more organic than it would have been if you’d just been setting markers on your map- which, of course, is how it usually went in the original Black Flag.

"Besides the main missions, Resycned also features a healthy amount of new side quests along with activities based on Naval Officers and Templar Hunts."

I often found the game creating small emergent moments, such as overhearing two guards whose conversation pointed me toward a hidden item or revealed an extra detail about the quest at hand. Encounters like these made several missions feel more organic and reactive than they did in the original.

Besides the main missions, Resycned also features a healthy amount of new side quests along with activities based on Naval Officers and Templar Hunts. Lucy, the Padre, and Deadman make the Officer questlines genuinely worthwhile, eventually unlocking various new abilities. Those rewards noticeably broaden naval combat, so recruiting them feels tied to real progression rather than optional busywork.

The reworked Templar Hunts are just as satisfying, building across multi-step pursuits that ultimately earn the five keys needed to open the locked gate at Great Inagua. That clear payoff gives both quest types a strong sense of purpose and makes them some of the remake’s most rewarding side content.

From a progression perspective, the Jackdaw feels especially rewarding because its arsenal expands naturally through story milestones, upgrades, fort captures, and the above mentioned optional Officer questlines. Early tools like Round Shot, Chain Shot, Fire Barrels, and the Swivel Gun establish a strong foundation, while later unlocks steadily make naval battles more versatile.

"Both for fans of the original or for those looking to dive in for the first time, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is an easy game to recommend."

There is a satisfying sense of discovery in earning abilities such as Double Shot and Shrapnel by taking down specific forts rather than simply purchasing everything outright. It creates a progression loop that feels varied, rewarding, and far more engaging than a straightforward linear upgrade path.

It’s fair to say that the original Assassin’s Creed 4, thirteen years on from launch, has aged incredibly, to the point that many would argue that it is still far from actually needing a remake. But though Resynced might not be needed, it definitely justifies its existence thanks to how good of a game it is, plain and simple.

It’s not the most comprehensive remake you’ll ever play, but thanks to a number of smart changes and improvements – some small, others less so – it delivers a fantastic experience, once again establishing Black Flag as the king of the high seas. Both for fans of the original or for those looking to dive in for the first time, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is an easy game to recommend.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.