Things About Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced You Probably Missed

The first remake in the Assassin's Creed series, Black Flag Resynced, immediately got fans excited. It seems that Ubisoft has approached the project in the best way possible, keeping the essentials intact while expanding on the adventure and addressing minor issues from the original. From all-new next-gen graphics built on the latest Anvil Engine for an immersive journey across the Caribbean, plus new story content featuring crewmates with personal story arcs, to reworked combat, improved parkour and stealth, and plenty of upgrades to sailing and naval combat, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced looks like a perfect open-world action-adventure — one that breaks the mold of the recent RPG-style Assassin’s Creed games, almost akin to AC Mirage.

Following the official reveal highlighting all the major features coming to the remake, Ubisoft has also been sharing smaller updates focusing on minor yet important details for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced that fans of the game might easily miss. The devs said they’ll continue to share new information about Black Flag Resynced in the coming weeks, so there’s still plenty to learn before launch. Let’s take a look at the officially confirmed details for the game revealed so far that weren’t properly explained during the Resynced reveal showcase.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is Not an RPG

Pure Action-Adventure with No Progression Roadblocks

Many fans were relieved to learn that the AC Black Flag remake won’t add RPG mechanics from the later mainline era that started with AC Origins. What this means is that Black Flag Resynced remains a pure action-adventure game, where progression is simple and straightforward, and players won’t face any roadblocks or high-level regions no matter their playstyle.

To make it clearer, let’s break down how the upcoming remake differs from the latest game in the series, Assassin's Creed Shadows. In Resynced, there is no leveling for Edward Kenway or his enemies, meaning every assassination with the hidden blade is lethal and enemies won’t be "damage sponges" in open combat. This allows players to finish most opponents almost instantly. Progression isn’t tied to finding better gear to increase damage or defense, although players will gradually unlock their primary arsenal and some tools, as well as gather resources for basic gear and ship upgrades. Naturally, AC Black Flag Resynced is also a fairly linear game with a clear mission structure and focused narrative, with no dialogue options impacting the story.

Reworked Tailing Sections

One of the Biggest Gameplay Problems of the Original — Solved

The original Assassin's Creed Black Flag is definitely among the best open-world action-adventure games, yet it doesn’t mean it is perfect. In fact, tailing sections are still one of the biggest issues of the original game, marring the excitement for many players due to their unforgiving nature. There are plenty of episodes in Black Flag where players need to follow an NPC to learn new intel, and such missions are very easy to fail, instantly resulting in desynchronization and a section restart.

Fortunately, Ubisoft is well aware of how little fun such outdated mission design offers and has completely reworked the tailing episodes for Black Flag Resynced. Not only is the process of following an NPC more dynamic and forgiving now, but even if players fail their objectives and get spotted, the game continues, offering alternate ways to deal with the enemies and complete the mission. Hopefully, the variety in tailing missions is also greater in the remake, so they don’t feel too repetitive over time.

Added Pets and New Enemy Types

An Easy Way to Make Any Game Better

Everyone loves pets, so adding some cute animals is an easy way to make any game better. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced recognizes that as well, adding pets to the adventure that players can get, tame, and then keep on their ship, the Jackdaw. In the remake, several different pets are available for Edward to collect, including cats and even monkeys (hopefully, parrots on the menu too), adding that vital pirate edge to the adventure.

The devs have also revealed that new enemy types have been added to the game for better variety, including the new Demolitionist archetype. These additions require players to switch their tactics in combat depending on how many different enemies they face and to utilize all of their tricks and arsenal, such as quick-fire rope dart and pistol moves. Ten new shanties are also coming in addition to the fan-favorite sea songs from the original, adding more flavor to sea travel.

Fan Concerns Addressed

No Need to Worry About the Lack of Blood or Too Flashy Parries

The reveal showcase for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced was a big success, quickly winning players over with how gorgeous and exciting the game looks. Yet some small moments drew the attention of long-term fans. The first was the complete absence of any blood and gore in combat, which doesn’t fit the game’s overall visceral combat flow. Ubisoft quickly reacted to the concern, confirming that there is plenty of blood and gore in the game’s combat (most likely with a toggle option). The violence was simply toned down for the showcase.

Another issue was the very bright and unnatural, effect-heavy weapon flashes during parries. Some players dreaded seeing them in combat, given how often they rely on parrying to quickly finish off enemies. Seeing video game-y flashes every couple of seconds during combat can indeed be an issue, but once again, Ubisoft has already confirmed that this effect will be severely toned down (or maybe even with an option to disable it entirely) in the final game.

Photo Mode Is Confirmed

Photo Mode Seemingly Will Be Available in Resynced at Launch

With such gorgeous graphics showcased, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced might be one of the best-looking titles of the year and in the long-running series. It would be a shame if there were no photo mode in the remake. Luckily, the feature is briefly listed on the game’s official website, although no details have been revealed just yet.

Given the photo mode mentioned, however, the feature will probably be available in Resynced at launch rather than as a separate post-launch update. This means visual photographers can enjoy the all-new visuals, character models, and dynamic weather of the Caribbean in all its splendor from day one.

Modern-Day Abstergo Sections Removed

Resynced is Edward Kenway’s Story, and Features No Other Playable Characters

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has a clear single-player focus on Edward Kenway’s story, and as such, the devs decided to abandon the slow-paced modern-day Abstergo sections, where players have little to do other than gather additional lore with hints for the overarching Assassin's Creed narrative. For better or worse, these immersion-breaking moments are now a thing of the past, as Black Flag Resynced fully embraces its adventurous, character-driven side without any distractions. The team hinted that some modern-day connections will remain in the remake (new in-Animus moments focused on Edward’s internal struggles), maybe in the form of AC Shadows’ rifts? Who knows.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the remake won’t feature multiplayer or DLC with other playable characters, such as Freedom Cry with playable Adewale. Some fans might find that disappointing, but at least it has a clear design decision behind it: centering the entire game on Edward’s story. As such, the devs decided to remove anything that doesn’t directly involve the protagonist.

Original Black Flag Won’t Be Delisted

No Need to Rush and Buy the Game Before Resynced Launches

Fortunately, players who want to replay Freedom Cry or the original Black Flag will be able to do so and won’t need to rush to buy it before July 9. Ubisoft has learned the lesson from numerous unsuccessful attempts by other developers who launched remakes and then delisted the original games, facing constant (and justified) backlash from fans. As such, the company has confirmed that the original game and its DLC won’t be delisted from the storefronts and will remain available for players across all platforms to buy and play anytime. This is the way.