New Jackdaw Navigation Tools Streamline Sailing

In the original Black Flag, naval traversal was an active mechanic where you’d steer the ship across the Caribbean’s open waters while relying on the map for navigation. As Black Flag Resynced introduces seamless transitions between ocean and harbour, so too a couple of new navigation tools remove Jackdaw friction further: the Pathfinder highlights optimal routes across the ocean, while Follow Sea acts as an autopilot system. Together, they’ll allow you to soak in the experience of hightailing it across the seas, keeping extra think-work optional.

New Sea Shanties Are Tied to Activities

Sea Shanties in the original game were largely collectible flavour, scattered across the world, adding to your crew’s repertoire once found. In Resynced, ten newly produced Sea Shanties not only imbue your crew’s personality further, but tie directly to quests and activities. This greater context makes their acquisition feel more meaningful, while subtle UI changes make selecting your favourite shanty a breeze.

A Cleaner, More Contextual HUD

Simpler inputs to trigger Sea Shanties are just the tip of the iceberg: Black Flag Resynced has reworked the interface into a clear, more contextual system, moving away from the original’s functional yet cluttered layout. Now, fully customisable with multiple presets, you’re able to tailor how much information is displayed on screen, grouping settings for minimal display yet maximum immersion, to overloaded clarity with clear guidance and feedback.

Expanded VFX and UI Control

And, underlining your ability to find the ideal balance between gameplay clarity and cinematic immersion is Resynced’s deeper VFX and UI customisation options. Whereas the original offered limited control over presentation, now you can tweak the appearance of visual effects like blood, or go granular with a slate of toggleable interface elements, from widgets, meters, ammo counters, and reticles, to general info, hints, and more.

Combat Readability is Fully Customisable

Combat readability can be tailored to your preferences in Resynced too, adding to the original’s visual prompts and UI indicators with animation-based tells. So, while enemy health and defence bars are visible when using Resynced’s default HUD, these can be disabled to shift your focus toward timing, spacing, and animations, with the latter hurling your enemy’s hat or headpiece off their head once their defensive capability is broken. Even health and defence bars were optional in Black Flag – the original didn’t make it as feasible to fight on observation and instinct alone.

New Enemy Behaviours Encourage Adaption

Where enemy encounters often grew predictable in Black Flag, Resynced is introducing all-new enemy archetypes and defensive behaviours that will react to repeated tactics. If you spam parries, for instance, enemies will begin striking with unblockable attacks, so you’ll need to consistently adapt and vary your approach, mixing attacking and defensive manoeuvres with weapons and combos to confuse enemies.

Group Combat Is More Layered

And, continuing with Resynced’s new, advanced enemy archetypes, multi-enemy encounters are now more layered as a result of different enemy roles. While fights in the original Black Flag often boiled down to managing groups efficiently, in Resynced you’ll need to place extra priority on harder-to-down targets, such as the new Demolitionist, as these archetypes possess firmer defence and a more punishing, often unblockable, attack when compared to regular soldiers.

Observe Brings Cinematic Recon

Exploration in the original Black Flag relied on Edward’s Eagle Vision for environmental awareness. Resynced, instead, borrows from Assassin’s Creed Shadows by introducing the Observe feature, a more finely tuned tool which allows you to scan Edward’s surroundings for clues and objectives alongside tagging guards and other targets. Furthermore, Observe tightens the camera into Edward’s line of sight, bringing a more cinematic, immersive framing as you survey the landscape for minute detail.

Fort Infiltration Uses a Morale System

In Black Flag, conquering forts typically meant eliminating enough enemies to trigger a surrender. In Resynced, this scenario is replaced with a dynamic morale system, requiring you to destabilise a fort’s defenses enough to lower their resolve enough to draw their commander out for a final confrontation. The end result is the same, you’ll claim the fort as your own, but the process of killing its commander makes each stronghold in your collection feel more earned.

Boarding Brings More Risk Versus Reward

Whilst bringing more control and precision over the act of getting your boots onto enemy decks, Resynced also eschews the original Black Flag’s largely straightforward boarding process by introducing deeper risk versus reward scenarios. Now, enemy crew numbers and aggression varies between vessels, while more lucrative rewards are found in the new Captain’s Lockbox, located exclusively aboard larger ships like Frigates and Man O’ Wars. Opting to pillage the Captain’s private stash forgoes the option to repair your ship or lower your wanted level, and you’ll also want to consider the knock-on effect on your own crew numbers and future opportunities too.

Some Ship Management Has Moved On Shore

Originally, many ship-related functions were handled directly from the Jackdaw’s Captain’s Cabin. However, in Resynced, many of these systems have moved on shore to the Harbourmasters. Purchasing upgrades, restocking weapons, and trading cargo must now be handled in port, shifting your resource management decisions toward something more strategic.

Harbours Take On Greater Gameplay Significance

And, with more systems now tied to them, harbours in Black Flag Resynced are no longer simple stop-off points. Their increased importance changes how you plan voyages, influencing how often you return to port, and how to structure the pace of your naval expeditions.

Exploration Is More Guided Than Ever Before

While the original Black Flag encouraged a more organic approach to discovery, often leaving you to stumble upon points of interest, Resynced leans into a more guided exploration structure. The thinking behind this, presumably,is to increase your efficiency if you so choose – through Observe and the enhanced UI tools outlined in this feature, you should be more easily able to identify objectives and opportunities. Although, as we’ve already pointed out, the UI can be customised to loosen Resynced’s more structured approach if you desire.

Systems Feel More Interconnected

Resynced’s suite of expanded systems interlock more tightly than Black Flag, where its mechanics often felt like they operated independently. These expansions, encompassing morale-based encounters to adaptive enemies and customisable HUDs, are interwoven to present a more cohesive gameplay loop.

Immersion Is In Your Control

Ultimately, where Assassin’s Creed 4: Blag Flag brought a fixed balance between cinematic presentation and gameplay clarity, Black Flag Resynced gives you that control instead. Through all the various customisation options and systemic changes highlighted throughout this feature, there is one key takeaway: in Resynced, you can shape your own experience. Be it in true, uninterrupted immersion, or a guided adventure, the remake gives you the tools to choose your degree of realism, readability, and cinematic flair.

There are three modes to choose from: Performance, Fidelity and Balanced (which requires a display that supports 120/240 Hz). Performance delivers 60 frames per second with Standard ray tracing, which encompasses global illumination for diffuse lighting. Fidelity and Balanced have Extensive ray tracing that includes reflective surfaces. However, the former runs at 30 FPS while the latter offers 40 FPS. All three modes output at an upscaled 2160p resolution.

So what makes PS5 Pro so special? While offering the same modes and frame rates as the base PS5, Extended ray tracing is on across the board. Upscaled 2160p is also enabled throughout, courtesy of the upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. You can also expect improved hair with individual strands rendered and reacting realistically.

It does vary, though – for instance, Edward has it in all modes during gameplay, but Fidelity mode will bestow the same to nearby NPCs. At least every mode displays strand-based hair for all characters in the cinematics, so even those who prefer a higher frame rate can bask in the detail.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is available on July 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Ubisoft hasn’t explicitly stated whether the PS5 frame rates and resolutions apply to Xbox Series X, but you can likely expect the same. Xbox Series S is anyone’s guess, though, so stay tuned for more details.

For instance, the entire population of the city exhibits dynamic behavior and “micro events” that contribute to the sense of life (and apply to animals as well). The layouts and overall architecture mirror the original, but the added detail is aided by a greater degree of authenticity. When night falls, you’ll see windows lit up by the people inside, as activity on the streets gradually dies down.

Of course, dynamic weather also plays a part, drastically changing the number of NPCs outside and visibility. It’s also interesting how different kinds of rainfall can be observed, with heavy winds adding even more variety to the mix. All this is only a teaser of what Havana has to offer, especially when it comes to social stealth, pick-pocketing, parkour and assassination contracts.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our feature for all the latest details, or head here to learn more about all the studios that have allegedly worked on the remake.

But there are so many other little touches that have gone under the radar, and we think they’re equally important to the experience given how they could change things up from the game we remember from back in the day. We’re here to tell you all about them, so let’s get started.

1. Reworked Playas

Remember those little islands and beaches that you could stop by in the original game? Well, they’re called playas in Spanish, and we remember them as red herrings in the original experience, being nothing more than ways to get off your ship and explore them only to find that all they had to offer was the view.

Well, they’re going to be a source of new rewards and unique encounters, giving you more reasons to stop by at every bit of land you see. It’s a nice touch that makes each piece of land have more purpose, and it’s sure to add a bit of nuance to exploring the world with the Jackdaw.

2. Brand New Lines From Matt Ryan

If you’re like us, you’ve probably played Black Flag more than once and loved every second of it. However, the side effect of that is that you probably know each of Edward’s lines before he even gets to say them thanks to what a memorable character he is.

But Matt Ryan has since told the lot of us that he’s recorded new lines for Edward this time around. He’s the original voice actor for our favorite video game pirate, and his return is a fine addition from a production perspective, and a great way to add authenticity to the remake.

3. The Shanties Are Not The Only New Music

We’ve talked a lot about how we’re looking forward to breaking into a song with our crew as we patrol the seas looking for our next mark. But we’re equally excited to hear the new track from Woodkid, a reimagining of “Leave her Johnny, Leave Her” that’s bringing his signature style to the popular song.

It’s supposed to mark Edward’s return, and is quite a good choice considering the pirate-turned-Assassin’s complicated personal life.

4. The Main Campaign Is Playable Offline After a One-Time Connection

You’re going to have to be online to download or install Resynced, but the entire campaign can be played offline if you so choose once the initial setup is out of the way. That’s very welcome for those of us who prefer to play offline, or people whose consoles or PCs might be placed where the internet is spotty, which could lead to frequent interruptions if things don’t go according to plan.

Well, that’s not the case with this one, and you can sail, pillage, plunder, and of course, indulge Edward’s kind-hearted noble side as much as you’d like.

5. Achievements Are Completionist-Friendly

We’re pretty stoked to score that Platinum on Resynced, and the good news is that none of the achievements (or Trophies, if you’re working with PlayStation’s terminology) are missable. Moreover, they’re not tied to the game’s difficulty and of course, are entirely obtainable offline. It’s good news for all you pirates who want to leave no corner of the Caribbean unexplored and is excellent from a quality-of-life perspective as well.

6. Special Goodies On The Collector’s Edition

Although the Collector’s Edition of Resynced is sold out at the time of writing, it’s worth looking out for since it comes with a very accurate figurine of Edward, a steelbook with exclusive artwork, a cloth map of the game’s world, sheet music for its Shanties in case you want to try them out on your instrument of choice, a metal insignia for you to wear if Assassin pride is your thing, and a leather logbook that’s been designed to resemble the one Edward uses to keep track of his travels.

That’s quite a bit of loot for a pirate, and we’d love to have that brooch to wear while we’re out and about to show any Templars out there that we’re not to be trifled with.

7. Movement Has More Momentum-Preserving Details

A new Parkour system is great and all, but it wouldn’t have been as cool if it wasn’t backed up by animations and speed boosts that allow you to sustain your forward momentum when chasing down a target or one of those runaway song sheets for new Shanties. Edward recovers faster from a drop, for starters, while he also gets a small burst of speed when he mantles after a wall run. Landing rolls are also a part of the deal, allowing you to smoothly transition from a jump into a quick jaunt.

These are all changes that could help the new traversal mechanics land well, and also make the moment-to-moment gameplay feel more fluid as a result.

8. Disable Advanced Parkour

Change is always a good thing unless it’s in a video game whose controls you’ve committed to muscle memory. If the new Parkour system keeps throwing you off, you’re probably going to be happy to know that you can disable it altogether, keeping the original game’s animations and movement to let you enjoy a more familiar experience.

That’s not really a downgrade either, as that one was quite adept at making Edward feel more agile than anyone else in the Caribbean, and in line with what we knew the Assassins were capable of back when Black Flag first hit the shelves.

9. Climbable Flora In Jungles

We already know that cities get ziplines to help make getting around them easier, and we’ve previously commented on what a welcome addition that is. But a lot of Edward’s time on land is spent in dense jungles as he hunts down either treasures or Templars when he isn’t deftly piloting the Jackdaw across the open seas.

Well, there’s going to be flora that helps make those forays into the wilderness a whole lot smoother, allowing you to keep the same momentum you’d have in a more urban setting even when you’re far away from civilization. Wow, they really thought of everything with this one, didn’t they?

10. Observe Does Not Replace Eagle Vision

If you were worried that the new Observe mechanic is going to either replace Edward’s Eagle Vision or make it redundant, we’re happy to tell you that it isn’t the case. You’re still going to be able to sense your enemies’ presence when you’re hidden away in a haystack or around a corner, tagging them through walls.

The Observe mechanic is here to assist you with identifying important points of interest or people, and is designed to function alongside Eagle Vision to ensure that nothing slips past one of the Brotherhood’s most prolific and cunning Assassins.

11. Edward’s Classic Tools Still Have Specific Uses

We really liked Edward’s versatility when he was trying to infiltrate enemy strongholds, and nothing’s changed on that front. He’s still got his Smoke Bombs, which you can drop to get some free assassinations when the numbers aren’t on your side, or to make a quick getaway when you think that thinning the herd from stealth is a better strategy.

Additionally, Sleep and Berserk darts are also a part of your toolkit, letting you manipulate enemy patrols or take out a lone guard who’s between you and your objective. We’ve been fans of the blowpipe for years now, and we’re glad to see them returning in all their glory in the remake. Oh, and Edward can toggle his hood on and off depending on the situation, a detail that we really liked in Valhalla and one that’s very welcome in Resynced.

12. An Expensive Option For A Quick Escape

Aside from Smoke Bombs obscuring your escape, another way to gain some distance from pursuing foes is to throw money on the ground. However, you might want to use that only as a last resort since you drop 10 Reales every time you do so, which might seem like a small amount but quickly adds up if that’s your preferred method of causing mayhem to hide your escape route.

It also comes with a bit of a cooldown, so it isn’t the safest way to make your enemies lose sight of you in a crowd but it’s certainly handy to have in a pinch.

13. Walls, Grounded Enemies, And Weapon-Specific Heavy Attacks Matter More

Walls can become deadly killing surfaces if you manage to get one of your foes pinned down, giving you an opportunity for a brutal finisher. The same applies to enemies who you manage to knock off their feet with the new sweep kick, or ones who happen to be near an explosion you cause. Aside from that, heavy attacks come with different animations and hit boxes based on your weapon of choice. Rapiers, for instance, come with piercing stabs, while cutlasses come with a sweeping slash capable of hitting multiple enemies and pistol-swords fire off two shots that you can use to target two different enemies with.

Speaking of shots, Edward’s pistols can be deadly once you’re progressed enough, allowing you to show off your Gun Kata skills with style and deadly precision.

14. Soldiers Coordinate Attacks

The enemy AI in the original Black Flag might have been a tad dull in comparison to what’s on offer in Resynced. The remake could have you fighting to fend off multiple enemies as they now attack together instead of hanging back to watch you skewer their fellow comrades. Look out for moments like these, as you’re going to have to parry consecutive attacks before launching a counterattack that lets you regain the advantage in a fight.

15. The PC Version Uses Denuvo

On PC, Resynced uses Denuvo Anti-tamper and requires an official account. The Steam version also lists a five-machine-per-day activation limit, though the main campaign can still be played offline after the initial setup, and you’re probably not even going to remember that it’s running in the background.

And there you have it, lads. There’s a lot to like about Resynced outside of all the flagship features that are being pushed as highlights of the new experience that the developer is offering us this time around. We’re excited to steer the Jackdaw into all kinds of trouble, and even more so when we think about how many of you fellow pirate-Assassins are embarking on the journey with us.

We’re eager to chase storms, take on forts, transform our ship from a modest brig into the scourge of the high seas, discover new islands and the treasures they hold, board ships, and generally lose ourselves in a gameplay loop that brought the best of what the Caribbean had to offer. Resynced is more than a normal remake. It’s an opportunity to bring a fresh new take on one of the most naturally exploreable worlds that the franchise has given us, with a new engine, dynamic weather, new content, and more to spice up the experience.

It’s a chance to remind people about what made Assassin’s Creed so popular in the first place. Let’s examine why.

The Allure of The Sea

One of Black Flag’s best features was its ability to simulate life on the high seas as a crew of folks who treated the law as a set of guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. You were encouraged to make your mark on the places you visited, and the story just happened to unfold along the way. Saw a ship that was carrying some much-needed resources for your own vessel’s next upgrade on the horizon? Or a fort guarding a route to a hidden cove or jungle path that you really wanted to explore? Well, it was time to take up battle positions and let your cannons loose!

Perhaps there was a whale that you were really interested in hunting, or a storm that you could either try to avoid or sail right through like the reckless pirate you were encouraged to be. Edward was a focal point for all of this and more; his own nature blended seamlessly with the gameplay loop to make the whole adventure feel like it was a world that you were meant to engage with.

The detours you took along the path to becoming one of the Assassin Brotherhood’s finest warriors were a part of the journey, not a distraction from your goals. And that lent Black Flag a kind of beauty that we worried the franchise had left behind. It’s also why we think Resynced brings more than upgraded graphics to the table. It’s also bringing better open-world streaming, improved sailing, better weather systems, and more environmental detail while removing the friction between land and sea that was an unfortunate side effect of hardware limitations when the original game hit the shelves. There’s also the fact that enemy ships now have factional alliances and feuds, which could be a new layer that immediately makes sailing the seas more treacherous for everybody involved, as opposed to the Jackdaw drawing the fire of every other ship in the vicinity.

The absence of that friction is what we’re most excited about, as the Caribbean isn’t just going to look sharper, but feel more alive and responsive as a result. We’re expecting that setting sail could lead to more chaos on turbulent waters, and we’re all for it. The reduction in interruptions is going to make an already immersive world feel more convincing as a result.

The Pirate Versus The Viking

It’s a good time to compare Resynced to Valhalla, another Assassin’s Creed title that featured a protagonist who wasn’t really an Assassin, and who also viewed the laws of the land as ones that could be twisted to serve nobler purposes. Eivor’s romp through England was a ginormous undertaking, coming with tons of ambition as the first title in the franchise to make use of current-gen systems, and finding success in the effort.

It brought conflicts to the table, alongside having to navigate fragile alliances that rooted Eivor in the political landscape of England just as much as the Order of the Ancients. The game was framed around its advanced RPG mechanics, but that came with a pitfall: progression felt tied to exploration. You visited a new region, made a few friends, collected some gear, and resolved things before moving on to another one.

In perfect contrast, Black Flag and Resynced, by extension, are less tied to conquering new regions and more about chasing a horizon that always has something new to offer. You’re going to have to beef up to take on dangerous threats, yes, but it’s also entirely possible to have a jolly good time just soaking in the atmosphere and the sense of discovery that abhors a more checklist-based approach.

Where Valhalla was framed around visiting new places because an icon indicated there was something that was clearly demarcated by its color, Resynced brings back an approach that continues to be fresh even among modern games that are obsessed with scale, leveraging multiple systems, and the sheer volume of content they offer. That’s not to say that these things aren’t a part of Edward’s journey, but they’re spread out so well, and arranged in a way that makes engaging with them feel more natural.

It’s more about chasing something that caught your eye, and using the world map as a way to reach new discoveries instead of that very map telling you where to go and what you can expect to find there. There’s an air of mystery that pervades the Caribbean, and it was absent in England thanks to an approach that was enjoyable, but certainly not as immersive.

The best example of this is the new dynamic weather system. The sea in Black Flag wasn’t just an empty space you had to navigate between missions, acting as a sort of connecting thread between the story and exploration. Resynced has the opportunity to make it come alive with water cycles, lightning, waterspouts, and hazards to present a modernized ocean experience. We’ve already seen how the Anvil Engine made the weather a crucial part of the experience in Shadows. We’ve all dived into ice from viewpoints during our time in Japan, after all. In our case, it was on purpose just to see if the developer had been paying attention.

But modernization does come with risks.

A Balance Between Risks And Rewards

We’re being cautious about how better stealth, less frustrating mission designs, improved sailing and navigation, and quality-of-life improvements could change Black Flag in ways that take away something from the original experience by making things too easy. It’s a matter of the added convenience weakening the adventure.

However, when you consider how these features all work to present a world that’s free of stealth-focused course corrections, elements that strayed pretty close to live-service territory, a general air of franchise fatigue, and massive RPG worlds, Resynced is an opportunity for a return to what worked before all of the above came into play. It’s a chance to show players who might not have engaged with the franchise before Origins how things were done back in the day, and the way in which the franchise had been a pillar for the developer’s success.

Its modernization doesn’t take away from the simplicity of having a pirate aboard his ship, and a world that has a sea full of troubles that calls to you, making you go off course in ways that feel organic and natural, instead of forced. It could turn out to be the Assassin’s Creed game we’ve been wanting for a while, and one that we deserve for sticking with the franchise through thick and thin, building on the forward momentum that Naoe and Yasuke set up for it. That Black Tides’ mission could be a bridge that lets us get back to being Assassins first, and RPG characters second.

It isn’t merely nostalgia for an era of gaming that many believed was now lost to Davy Jones’s locker. It’s the possibility of getting to play (or replay) an Assassin’s Creed game that made exploring the world feel like a natural extension of its protagonist’s rise to infamy, and his eventual transformation into a man who looked beyond his own interests.

Like Edward, who went in search of fame and fortune only to find a higher calling, Resynced could be a game that builds on its own fame to become something more, and in the process be a signal fire for the future of Assassin’s Creed. It could become a beacon for future titles, being a template for what makes a title built around ancient civilizations and a never-ending war feel like it’s still fun to play, and actually enjoyable to engage with.

Well, with only weeks to go before we get to find out, we’re going to be on our decks and at the wheel of our ships, just waiting for the winds to hit our sails before we embark on an adventure that’s both nostalgically appealing and mechanically fascinating. And of course, you can bet we’re going to sing along to those shanties at the top of our voices when we do.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson claims to have heard that 15 different Ubisoft studios worked on the title. Ubisoft Singapore is leading development (obviously), but Barcelona, Belgrade, Bordeaux, Bucharest, Chengdu, Da Nang, India, Montpellier, Philippines, Kyiv, Montreal, Shanghai, Sofia and Quebec are also apparently involved.

All in all, it’s the same number of studios that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and pretty much par for the course when it comes to major Ubisoft titles. However, it’s worth noting that recent restructuring has resulted in Belgrade shutting down and Barcelona facing layoffs.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, having recently gone gold. Check out our feature for all the latest details or head here to listen to Woodkid’s newest theme for the remake. You can also check out our thoughts on the naval combat, which has seen some major revamps and improvements over the original.

But I’m older and wiser now, and it’s the noble Assassin that calls to me as I eagerly wait to treat myself to Black Flag Resynced as an early birthday treat. What is it about this one that has me so eager to revisit a game I’ve played to completion about four or five times? Well, I’m happy to regale you with all of the stuff I’m just itching to get to when I finally get to step back onto The Jackdaw’s deck. Let’s go!

1. See the New Visuals In Action

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first, shall we? The Caribbean was already a very pretty place to be sailing your ship around, but the visual upgrades that I’ve seen so far could make it stand tall among some of the best-looking titles on offer today. I’m almost certain I’m going to whip out my spyglass to admire the view more often than not, and perhaps even let my ship float upon the open waters and just take it all in. Those viewpoints are just calling to me, and I can’t wait to get to climbing.

2. Meet My Favorite Pirates Once Again

Why fly a Black Flag when you can sport a black beard? I’m dreading losing Blackbeard as an ally, but the chance to meet the man again feels like I’m waiting to see an old friend. Mary Reid, Anne Bonny, and the rest of the game’s memorable cast are a huge draw, too. But I’m also quite eager to meet the Jackdaw’s new trio of officers, and test out how they make my time with the Jackdaw feel different. A blend of fresh faces and familiar ones in familiar territory is as good a reason as any to revisit a personal favorite, after all.

3. The New Story Content

Black Flag was already a great story, and getting to see a little more of it is a very welcome part of the experience on offer in Resynced. I can’t wait to see how the game presents a new perspective on Edward’s motivations, and perhaps give us more insight into his troubled relationship with Caroline. I don’t dare to hope that we’re getting to see a little more of Haytham’s early days, too, but I guess I’m going to have to wait and see if Resynced scratches that particular itch.

4. Explore

This isn’t a new feature, but there was something about just getting on The Jackdaw and sailing off in search of whatever adventures came my way. It’s how I discovered so many new things in the original game, and enough time has passed to make that once-familiar territory feel new again. It’s going to be a joy to experience that sense of wonder and awe again, and the game’s makeover is probably going to make it even better this time around.

5. Experience The New Weather System

The dynamic weather system worked wonders for the experience on offer in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and I can’t wait to see what Resynced does with it, both on land and at sea. The original title did pretty well to present the seas as a treacherous place where you had to stay on your toes and respond to changing conditions, although my time ashore didn’t have too many variations to account for. I’m eager to see how things have changed thanks to the new engine, and if the tropical weather comes with challenges that I must now account for.

6. Check Out The Jackdaw’s New Weapons

This is something I’ve been waiting for ever since I knew Edward’s versatile brig was getting a bit more firepower for us to exploit added to its arsenal. I’m especially curious about the Bow Chasers and Heated Shots, although I suspect those new officers are going to be the ones who bring those abilities to the table. Well, tracking them down and helping out is definitely high on my list of priorities considering the prize.

7. Listen To The New Shanties

Listening to my crew sing as I travelled from place to place is certainly among the many reasons why Black Flag ranks very high on my list of favorites from the franchise. The new menu is welcome and all, but I’m interested to see what new Shanties I can find for my crew to keep them entertained on those long voyages at sea. Any good Captain knows that keeping up the morale of your men is very important, and Edward is no different. The lads are going to be singing quite a lot this time around. And I get to have a pet on board, too, which is definitely nice!

8. Fight The Legendary Ships

Those four Legendary Ships might have every other vessel on the seas giving them a wide berth, but they’re going down as soon as I can get enough upgrades and the new weapons on the Jackdaw. They were a highlight of the original experience, and I’m almost certain nothing has changed other than the fact that I now have more options at my disposal when I decide to take them down. I’m still a little apprehensive about the ones that come as a duo, I must admit. That was a nasty fight.

9. Try Out The New Stealth Systems

The Observe mechanic, social stealth, the ability to crouch at any time, using the cover of darkness to infiltrate places more easily, and a few more additions are all welcome. It’s going to be fun to try out the new and improved stealth system, and I’m probably going to try combining it with the new Parkour mechanics to see just how far I can push Edward’s ability to wipe out groups of enemies unseen. It’s great that we’re getting access to the Rope Dart a lot earlier than in the original version, as that was a major part of my strategy for dealing with things on the down low.

10. Try Some Eavesdropping And Tailing

I can’t tell you how much I welcome this change. I found any missions that required me to follow people unseen quite annoying in Black Flag, and I’m glad Resynced is changing things and removing the possibility of some very embarrassing failures. I’m quite curious to see how my targets react if I’m spotted, and I’m hoping there’s a bit of funny dialogue there for me to chuckle at as I try to get back out of sight.

11. Experience The New Mission and Level Designs

I’m quite happy with what I’ve seen of the new approach to missions that gives you different ways to achieve an objective. It’s an interesting switch-up that could help ease the boredom of playing the same stuff again, which is important considering Black Flag was my go-to game to replay back in the day until Odyssey came along. I’m hoping that the developer has taken enough liberties with how things used to be to make the experience feel fresh this time around.

12. Get Caught In A Storm

An extension of the new weather system is the fact that storms are now going to make keeping the Jackdaw in control a tad more difficult, a facet that was in the original game but one that I expect is going to be tweaked to keep things more immersive. I can’t wait to get to that one mission that has us fighting off a few ships in the middle of one, which could be quite different this time around, thanks to the introduction of factions that have their own alliances and grudges.

13. Master The New Parkour System

Edward was already a nimble one to begin with, and the ability to use side and back ejects coupled with new ziplines being added to every region is probably going to make getting around look and feel different and more stylish in Resynced. I’m itching to get started with it, and to wrap my head around the expanded options you’re given when you’re free-running, and to see how they impact pursuits as well as stealth when I dive into the game.

14. Play Around With The New Combat System

I’ve saved the best for last (sort of), and the new combat definitely feels like it’s going to be challenging to get used to, but evidently rewarding to master. While I’ll miss the old combat system where Edward could tear through enemy ranks like a whirlwind of slashes and stabs, a more methodical approach is always welcome, and probably more aligned with the direction the franchise has taken since the original game was released. This one looks quite engaging, and it’s probably the first thing I’m going to see when I get to playing Resynced.

15. Find New Gear And Unlock The Shadows-Related Stuff

I’m going to hold off on spoiling it for you, but the Black Tides mission really connects quite well to Resynced, while also bringing in a very cool nod to another one of the recent additions to the franchise. There’s also cool gear to unlock across both games thanks to the My Animus end of things, and I can’t wait to see what Edward’s Japan-themed gear is going to look like, and what it might bring to his already expansive skill set. Hell, I’d still rock it even if it’s merely cosmetic.

And that’s about it for this one. Resynced could potentially be the one pirate-themed game to rule them all, and having an Assassin’s Creed story that we already know and love is definitely welcome too!

Making Black Flag Resynced’s timing feel even more essential, however, is that the industry hasn’t fully satisfied the pirate fantasy popularised in the Jackdaw’s wake. And, with the developer searching for a renewed sense of direction – with both Assassin’s Creed and as a multi-national company – this remake carries significant weight. For them, it isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about proving to players that they understand why one of the series’ most revered entries still has relevance. And, so far, as pre-order sales are mounting, it seems like players are starting to resonate again with what the developer is offering.

When Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag launched in 2013, it refined the Assassin’s Creed formula by shifting focus toward the fantasy of piracy while still anchoring the series’ core identity. It balanced high-tailing, open seas exploration and discovery with urban, line-of-sight parkour and stealth, feeling both expansive yet grounded. Crucially, you weren’t signposted by systems or narrow progression paths. You were set loose across the Caribbean, free to chase naval battles, treasure, and story at your own pace. In many ways, Black Flag was Assassin’s Creed at its most accessible, its most confident, and arguably its most culturally resonant.

What followed, however, wasn’t always a meaningful evolution for the series. Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate adhered closely to the established formula, but were beset by technical issues and growing sense of repetition, signalling series fatigue had set in.

"Assassin’s Creed Origins was the developer’s response, a reinvention toward full-scale RPG design"

Assassin’s Creed Origins was the developer’s response, a reinvention toward full-scale RPG design, with Odyssey and Valhalla following suit. These games were commercially dominant, sure, but they shifted the series away from the immediacy that Black Flag did well to maintain. See, the act of being an assassin became increasingly more of a dormant layer within a more demanding structure, and it took until 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage before the developer scaled back to stealth.

Then came Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a title that openly straddles the series’ two conflicting identities. To be clear, the franchise hasn’t failed so much as splintered, splitting between blockbuster RPG’ing and the focused, character-driven drama of its roots.

Seen through thirteen years of retrospect, Black Flag stands as both a high point and as arguably the last time the series nailed freedom and focus alike.

Tack onto this the enduring appeal of pirate fiction, and how the genre has proven surprisingly difficult for other games to realise. Sea of Thieves has found long-term success, but has leaned into multiplayer chaos and emergent storytelling, leaving a narrative-driven structure back at port. And despite years of development, Skull and Bones arrived as a systems-driven, live-service experience, with a mobile-style grind that fails to capitalise on pirating’s romanticism. Even more experimental takes, like last year’s Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, show that pirate themes still have appeal, although that Yakuza spin-off stopped short of fully embracing them.

Truthfully, Windrose – launched recently into early access – appears the closest to realising Black Flag’s blend of authored narrative, player-driven freedom, and cinematic spectacle, with sea shantiness and open sea sailing of its own. Windrose, unlike those other pirate games, knows how it should feel to be the scourge of the seven seas.

The game still has a few updates ahead before it becomes the real pirating deal, and this is where Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is poised to swoop in and plunder an audience hungry for a fully-fledged pirate adventure.

The developer has confirmed that the remake will retain the original’s focus, bypassing the overwhelmingly dense RPG-like systems of Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. And what’s more, the original’s drawbacks are being addressed, namely the tedious “tailing” missions, with stealth mechanics and pirate lore both being expanded. And, with next-gen ocean-rendering technology, the Caribbean has never looked more authentic, aside from, you know, actually being there in real life.

There is, however, an underlying apprehension. The remake’s association with the developer introduces unavoidable scrutiny, shaped by the troubled development of Skull and Bones. Years of delays, shifting directions, and a lukewarm reception on release has cast a shadow on Black Flag Resynced. Given the same studio is at the helm, there are questions of execution and of trust. For players and the developer alike, Black Flag Resynced isn’t just an opportunity to revisit a classic, but it’s a test of whether the studio behind it can deliver a polished experience at a level fans and newcomers of the original game deserve.

"Black Flag Resynced, then, represents an opportunity for revalidation, for the developer, sure, but for the company themselves on an institutional level."

By and large, Black Flag Resynced’s player base know what they want from a remake, and are perhaps encouraged by the iteration shown, but it is possible that few will be fully committed until the remake’s promises are realised on launch.

Black Flag Resynced, then, represents an opportunity for revalidation, for the developer, sure, but for the company themselves on an institutional level. A smooth, well-received launch won’t just restore confidence in an ailing team, but could re-establish the developer’s place across the industry. See, as corporate and financial pressures have intensified, the developer has undergone numerous restructuring efforts, including studio closures and mass layoffs as part of a wider reassessment of its production pipeline. At this juncture, it feels like the developer couldn’t do anything but remake Black Flag – it’s a comparatively low-risk release with potential to reap substantial returns, both financially and in reputation.

Furthermore, Black Flag Resynced is the first title to emerge from the company’s newly unified structure, where consolidating all of its flagship franchises under one banner should bring tighter creative oversight and streamlined focus moving forward. Again, pre-order figures point to Black Flag Resynced delivering a home run, and it’s that potential success the developer are banking on to demonstrate that structural changes are enough to address creative challenges.

Still, Black Flag Resynced likely won’t be measured purely on technical upgrades, nor performance or nostalgic appeal. No, the remake has potential to reconnect with something more fundamental: the sense of identity Assassin’s Creed has been wrangling with in the years since the original Black Flag. Also, it could present the most fully-realised pirate fantasy yet, the blueprint laid out by the original that the industry has yet to truly replicate.

If it falls short, however, the implications will be hard to ignore. At worst, it would reinforce the notion that the series’ past successes are firmly in the rearview mirror, growing more distant as time goes by. The developer has burned a lot of goodwill to get to this stage, so even revisiting the enduring legacy of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag might not be enough to steady the ship longterm. However, if there’s one title in the company’s canon that can restore former glory, it’s Black Flag. Now, all we can do is wait for July 9th, but if pre-order hype is any indication, the remake looks set to end the year as one of the biggest releases.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is going to be a remake of the beloved Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, which originally came out in 2013 on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii U. The title follows the exploits of Edward Kenway – a pirate who stumbles into the world of Assassins and Templars. Its primary setting is the Golden Age of Piracy, and the story features appearances by many historical characters, including Edward “Blackbeard” Teach.

The remake is slated to bring in a host of improvements to the visuals and gameplay of Black Flag, since it has been developed using Ubisoft’s more modern in-house game engine. In an interview last month, design director Julian Koch said that Black Flag Resynced is “definitely a remake”, and that it is “a love letter to the original”.

As for the kinds of gameplay elements that are being improved, Koch confirmed that, among other things, parkour has been a major target. This decision also led to the team having to deal with cascading systems. In the case of parkour, the studio also had to fix up the game’s collision systems. The addition of the ability to crouch also introduced new challenges, since the original Black Flag wasn’t designed around the protagonist being able to crouch.

“For the barrel, the metrics need to change because of the crouch, the new level of detail we’re adding,” he explained. “The parkour needs to follow; we’re redoing the collision as well. The base of the gameplay is the same, all of the design, but we have more tools to play with. But it needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.”

Creative director Paul Fu has noted that, despite these changes, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is “definitely an old-school, classic Assassin’s Creed.”

“Most of it doesn’t change. We simply added onto it. We asked ourselves questions like ‘Should there be a dialogue choice?’ The obvious answer would be no. ‘Should it be an RPG?’ No. So we kept it as an action-adventure game.”

When the team came up with a new idea that it could add to the game, it looked to original creative director on Black Flag, Jean Guesdon, for guidance. Guesdon currently works as the Head of Content for the franchise at Vantage Studios.

“That was a guiding light for us throughout the entire project, especially during the conception phases,” explained Fu. “We had to create guidelines for every single department, whether it was level design or art direction; every single department had guidelines on how to keep the game authentic and sincere to its spirit.”

Among the biggest changes coming to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced when compared to the original Black Flag is the removal of all the modern-day segments.

https://bsky.app/profile/assassinscreed.ubisoft.com/post/3moionjaqfi26

“We acknowledge some story elements from the main game that the community didn’t resonate with as much as we hoped, so we’re taking those elements and that feedback and trying to put them to good use and address them in this final chapter,” wrote Lemay-Comtois. “I hope the community is satisfied with where we leave our two protagonists – and hopefully get even more excited for Black Flag Resynced in the process.”

To deal with this, the story will have more Templar involvement as well, with Yasuke and Naoe taking on a duo known as the Black Cross. Lemay-Comtois has noted that community feedback like, “give us more Templar stuff” or “give us more reasons to craft equipment builds” guided the update’s direction.

“Black Tides, which is our final story mission for Naoe and Yasuke, is how we kick that door wide open and add more Templar-focused story content to wrap things up,” he wrote. “If you are craving Templar content and deep lore connections, you won’t want to skip this one.”

Lemay-Comtois also called the challenge of creating a satisfying ending for Assassin’s Creed Shadows while also getting the franchise ready for its next entry “a fun problem to solve.” Interestingly, he also mentioned Black Flag protagonist Edward Kenway, whose presence in the update was teased by Ubisoft earlier this month.

“There are connections to other entries in the franchise, and bringing all of that together and adding those little cryptic nods to past and future was really challenging, but fun to work on,” he explained. “Like connecting Edward’s story, for example; he lived in a different time period, so we can’t just have him show up in Shadows as it wouldn’t make sense. We had to find a way to create that link that fits into both worlds. It was also an interesting challenge to bring the threads from Shadows’ story and post-game content together while also trying to meet player feedback on everything we’ve released so far.”

The Black Tides update for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is also going to bring in a new endgame activity – Domains. Lemay-Comtois has described it as “a new Animus-bending activity that remixes some parts of Shadows and puts them into a very different, more fantastical context.” Its difficulty has seemingly been tuned to give players a “final exam” for the skills they have honed during their time with Shadows.

The game mode will feature five maps with unique modifiers. While objectives themselves will remain simple, the modifiers will make matters more complex, giving players more obstacles to deal with as they go up in difficulty. Players will also have access to Animus Exploits to deal with them.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.