I'm rediscovering Assassin's Creed Black Flag in Resynced — here's what I love, and what I'd change | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
I'm rediscovering Assassin's Creed Black Flag in Resynced — here's what I love, and what I'd change
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is here, and it looks like this remake has been a massive success. Ubisoft says that it’s already sold more than two million copies, with players all around the world discovering (or rediscovering) its wonderful 1700s Caribbean setting and all the twists and turns of its engaging pirate story.
Our own Resynced review saw the game awarded four stars out of a possible five, praising its many modernized mechanics and just how faithfully it adapts the 2013 original. Although the main review was handled by our resident Assassin’s Creed expert, Managing Editor Rob Dwiar, I’ve spent the last few days pouring hours into the game and am having an excellent time so far.
I’m almost halfway through now, and there’s already so much to like about it, as you’ll see with some of the highlights below, but also one little thing that’s been bothering me.
You don’t need to have put Resynced side by side with the original Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag to appreciate just how much of an improvement the new visuals are. It’s no hyperbole to say that this is the best-looking emtry to date, edging out the already stunning Assassin's Creed Shadows thanks to its smaller but more detailed world.
The opening sequence has you parkouring your way through a lush tropical rainforest, showing off incredibly dense plants and little details like dangling vines that really help sell the setting. The gorgeous ray-traced lighting dances through the canopy superbly, light scattering down onto the little pools of water that are dotted throughout the jungle and reflecting off them realistically.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review: a robust and beautiful remake of one of the best — but not without flaws
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced will ‘bring the classic game back to life’ — here are 7 new things I’m looking forward to
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced perfectly captures the spirit of the original, but benefits from some much-needed upgrades
If you examine the layouts in detail, there have been loads of changes, but key elements from the original level layouts have been preserved smartly, like the fallen tree trunks that protagonist Edward Kenway darts across, so everything feels just right.
It’s the same story when you reach the city of Havana, which feels larger and more bustling than ever before. The streets are packed full of non-player characters (NPCs) wandering around, chatting to one another, moving crates, or standing around market stalls to give the impression of a lived-in world.
As for the open sea, I don’t think another game has nailed the waves quite this well. The water physics are phenomenal, with countless waves that stretch off into the horizon. The sea here looks far brighter than the original game ever did, but rather than taking away from the atmosphere, I appreciate how inviting it makes it all look. This is a world that’s just begging to be explored.
The visual overhaul extends to the game’s cutscenes. The wooden 2013 character models are no more, replaced with far higher fidelity versions that look much more convincing. Faces are no longer stiff and awkward-looking, either, thanks to enhanced motion capture, making it much easier to get stuck in and immerse yourself in the story.
Refined combat means swashbuckling feels better than ever
Going into Resynced, having seen a handful of trailers, I was quite worried that the combat would feel like that of Assassin's Creed Mirage: awkward, clunky, and a throwback to the systems of the older games in all the worst possible ways. Thankfully, when I actually got my hands on the game, it was immediately clear that my concerns were misplaced.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced revealed, keeps 'the original vision and story intact'
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced creative director says his top three favorite elements of the remake are the fight system, the new missions, and the new end game chapters — 'We have received a lot of positive reactions to the story'
In the wake of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced's announcement, now is as good a time as ever to revisit the entire series
The combat system here is like the simplicity of the original game’s mechanics merged with all the style and flair of the fights in Shadows. Enemies have decently sized health bars or shields now, which you can whittle down with sword strikes before hitting a perfect parry to trigger a stylish finisher. This isn’t your only option either, as abilities like the rope dart or kick let you quickly stagger tricky enemies without breaking your flow.
There’s a fantastic rhythm to all of it, and I’ve found that charging in with my swords drawn has quickly become my favorite way to tackle encounters. It certainly helps that the most frustrating instant-fail parts of missions have been entirely reworked as well, giving you more freedom than ever to experiment with Edward’s arsenal.
Rob lamented the loss of some of the modern-day content, but I’m in the exact opposite camp. I think taking it out was the right decision, as the diversions into the modern setting are some of my least favorite parts of older Assassin’s Creed games.
I’ve always found the series’ whole meta narrative incredibly tedious — filling what would otherwise be grand adventures with a barrage of pointless conversations between characters that I’m convinced nobody ever cared about. Can anyone earnestly say that Desmond Miles is the best Assassin’s Creed character? No, and he just takes up precious time that we could be spending with someone actually entertaining and charismatic like Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
The modern-day stuff was especially bad in the original Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, casting you as an unnamed game developer working for a company controlled by the evil Templar Order. Wandering around a plain office block reading files and chatting with a handful of annoying coworkers is indescribably dull — I enjoy games that let me escape from my daily life, not recreate it.
Yes, the segments do introduce a little bit of satire, riffing on some of the more ridiculous events of the alternate history plot, but otherwise you’re not really missing anything with their removal.
Like Shadows, there are still some elements of the overarching narrative here as well for those that really care: the intro makes it clear that the game takes place in a simulation, and there are plenty of documents that reference the modern Assassin vs Templar struggle (on top of new Animus Rift challenges that explore interesting ‘What if’ scenarios connected to Edward’s life).
Thankfully, that’s all optional, so it can be promptly ignored if, like me, you’d rather focus on the historical fantasy.
It’s clear that Resynced draws quite heavily on Shadows both technologically and mechanically (in addition to a healthy splash of Skull & Bones for the parts where you’re at sea). This, of course, isn’t a problem in and of itself, as Shadows is clearly an excellent foundation to build upon, but I do wish that the design of the menus and UI was more distinct.
There have been some tweaks for sure, like the position of different elements and the icons of map markers and so on, though to me lots of it still looks a little bit too similar - the loading screens are the scale, and the inventory menus are practically identical, for example, as are prompts when you’re being seen while in stealth. Both games even use the same fonts throughout.
It’s definitely not a big deal, but it all leaves Resynced looking more like a Shadows DLC than a remake of an older game at its most surface level. A more imaginative UI that drew more from the original Assassin’s Creed 4 and less from the most recent instalments would really help give Resynced more of a distinct identity.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is out now for PC, Play Station 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
➡️ Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles
- Best overall: Play Station 5 Slim
- Best budget: Xbox Series S
- Best handheld: Nintendo Switch 2
- Most powerful: Play Station 5 Pro
Dash is an experienced tech journalist who specializes in video games, electronic entertainment products, and the wider industry that surrounds them. He currently serves as the Gaming Editor at Tech Radar, leading our review, preview, feature, and news coverage of the latest and greatest releases.
Before joining the team, he was Contributing Writer at PLAY (formerly Official Play Station Magazine UK) and has written articles for many of the UK's other biggest gaming magazines including the likes of Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX.
Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 Google teases Pixel 11 with intriguing Pixel Glow feature and gold finish
2 Best business laptop deals 2026 — Top picks from HP, Asus, Dell, starting at $548
3KFC may be forced to shut some stores following cyberattack at key supplier
4 Mc Intosh’s new AV processor can handle 9.4.4 channels of Dolby Atmos and 7x 4K 120 Hz HDMI ports
5 The Duskbloods network test has finally revealed a few new details about From Software's upcoming Switch 2 game, including multiplayer matches with 'up to eight players'
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
