Apparently, it is now established that Ubisoft is remaking Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and that the gameplay is “going to be shifted close to the RPG-style” from certain recent leaks and gossip. So yes, the pirate adventure-so enjoyed for its naval combat and the very basics of Assassin’s Creed-now might be getting the Odyssey/Valhalla treatment. And gamers… well… there’s some feeling going around.
Let me explain it for you. The original Black Flag came out in 2013, and it kind of, in a way, was the very last traditional Assassin’s Creed before the company leaned more heavily on RPG elements with Origins. It kept that counter-based combat system wherein if you timed your actions just right, you could dispose of entire groups of adversaries with just timing and skill-an elegant system, really, not just the old-time button-mashing and ability-spamming. Parkour was there. Stealth was there. Ship combat was absolutely brilliant. Now, this looks like that is going to change across the board for their newer titles.
The reaction of the players? All over the place, man. Some hype it up like Cody Reeves: “Can’t wait for it to come out see more of Edwards story.” And then you have others saying things like, “Im good with the original lol,” by A. 🍞. And that right there is the split.
The bigger debate trending within the replies concerns the combat systems. Some do what I call a defense for the old style, kit2142 arguing, “Better than ‘rpgs.’ Simply because no sponges,” with “sponges” referring to those damage-sponge creatures that take fifty hits to kill in the newer games. But then there was the poignant, “it was not good, let nostalgia go and accept it,” from MMDVG. Oof.
What’s truly fascinating is just how bitterly divided the AC community is on these topics. You’ve got factions of players arguing over which combat system was better; if the RPG elements ruin the experience; and whether or not the Assassin’s Creed parts of Black Flag were even good in the first place. StarvedSanity declared the exact opposite, stating bluntly: “It would’ve always been better if it were just a pirate game. All of the Assassins nonsense ruined it.”
And then there is the whole “modern-day segments” thing, a point brought up by James Donaldson: “All the comments saying ‘no one wanted the future stuff’ when that was the whole plot.” Fair enough; the modern-day stuff as a consideration had been a part of AC’s DNA until recently.
Now, a few fans are straddling the fence. “I mean I’ll try it only cuz after so many play-throughs of AC4 the idea of being ganged up by 7 enemies that only attack me one at a time so I’m just invincible does get a little tedious after a bit lol,” said Pat. So maybe the old system wasn’t perfect either.
The discussion then began drifting back into other AC games-too many, in fact-to debate whether Unity was the apex of AC (according to an answer being given in a good chunk of the comments) and whether Syndicate was any good. Such a long history with this franchise; everyone has their personal favorite era.
The crazy thing is that, according to filenotfound, it seems Ubisoft has disregarded all these comments for years: “I’ve heard the community complain about it for YEARS and Ubisoft just doesn’t give a fuck. It’s so bizarre.” And they are right. The community has been loud and clear about wanting a return to classic AC gameplay for years, but Ubisoft keeps moving forward with the RPG direction.
Like, Black Flag was standing on the line of old and new AC anyway. Some RPG just with ship upgrades and crafting, but slightly more like an Assassin’s Creed. So, pushing it farther into RPGs – are we even really going to Black Flag, or is this just an open-world RPG with an AC skin?
Some of these guys are suggesting they should just go with Unity combat at least if they want to change it—the one where it’s probably the best mix of flowery combat and challenge. So, who really knows what Ubi is thinking.
The clear bit is that it is going to be controversial no matter what they do; the fanbase is split on those who love the old games, those who like the new RPG style, and those who just want good pirate games. Trying to please all would be ungrateful. So, Ubisoft is definitely going to eat a huge plate of salt no matter what.
For me? They better keep the shanties. Those sea shanties were the best part of Black Flag, and if they touch those, we riot. But it will be interesting to see how this develops-the feedback is either listened to or just done on their own thing like usually. Either way, it’ll get people talking, which, I guess, is what they’re aiming for.
Because in the end, remaking the beloved classic will always present a risk of business: Change too much and you’ve alienated the original fanbase; change too little and what’s the point of remaking? That sweet spot is a hard one to find, especially when AC has changed so much in the last couple decades. We’ll just have to wait for what Ubisoft comes up with for this one
