Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a multiplatform computer game in the adventure action genre, developed by Ubisoft Montreal with the help of other Ubisoft subsidiaries (Ukraine, Quebec, Montpellier, etc.). It was released on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC, as well as on eighth-generation consoles: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the sixth game in the Assassin’s Creed series. The events of Black Flag take place 45 years before the main events described in the third installment.
The main character of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a young pirate, Edward Kenway – the father of Haytham Kenway and the grandfather of Connor from Assassin’s Creed III. Unlike his grandson, Edward does not have an exaggerated sense of justice, but he is not cold and calculating like his son – Haytham. He has a rather heavy character, can flare up over anything, does not know the word "responsibility," but is brave and reckless in battle. He balances on a fine line between good and evil. A completely contradictory personality. Like any pirate, he loves to drink heavily. He was previously a privateer – essentially engaging in legalized piracy – but when the infamous Utrecht Peace Treaty (1713) came into effect, he became a full-fledged "sea highway robber." Like Connor from Assassin’s Creed III, Edward initially has no idea that a serious confrontation is unfolding between the Templars and Assassins.
It’s no secret that Desmond Miles died in Assassin’s Creed III, but a sacred place is never empty – in Black Flag, a representative of the "Abstergo" corporation firmly took the Animus chair to continue studying the genetic memory of the hero. How this is even possible becomes clear only after some time. So, the Golden Age of Piracy, 1715. The setting: the West Indies, including the Caribbean and Bahamian regions, as well as the adjacent waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. A huge, wonderful, and dangerous world, and also open. Yes, in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, there are no loading locations, which evokes certain associations with the Far Cry 3 series.
Although Black Flag is a game about pirates (and, of course, about Assassins and Templars), the developers decided not to focus all attention solely on the seas and naval battles, although this is, of course, the most important part of Black Flag. Edward can visit port cities like Nassau or Havana, wander through small villages and settlements, explore the ruins of long-gone Indian civilizations, climb mountains, explore caves hidden under the jungle canopy – in general, the hero has to move on foot quite a bit. However, like sailing the seas aboard his own ship "Jackdaw," singing indecent songs and drinking good rum. But what can he do on land, besides aimlessly wandering around? There are many things to do: getting drunk, fighting (with two sabers and many pistols, Edward finds this easy), searching for treasures, completing some side quests, running around on rooftops, climbing to the highest point (there are significantly more of them than in Assassin's Creed III) in the area or city, capturing a fort in stealth mode or performing this operation with pomp and fanfare. You can disturb the peace of opponents hiding behind the walls of bastions even from the ship. And in general, thanks to ships, you can now do much more.
The "naval mechanics" have acquired many additional "goodies." Want to hunt whales? Sure. Want to go ashore? No problem. Lowering a boat into the water and sailing to the destination? Easy. Eager to explore the coastal bottom for treasures? Simplicity itself, all you need is to drop a diving bell into the ocean depths. Don’t like the crew? Throw them all to hell and recruit new ones. Just bored? No problem – step away from the helm, climb the mast, and look through the spyglass - perhaps you’ll spot some ship on the horizon, or even an entire convoy. We are pirates, after all, and pirates love to conduct daring attacks: with cannon fire, boarding, and subsequent looting of everything and everyone. The variety of naval battles has become much greater compared to Assassin’s Creed III – for example, now we can control where we shoot, how far, and at what height the cannonball should fly. In addition, we are allowed to man the guns ourselves, which was never possible in the third part of Assassin’s Creed.