Ubisoft today unveiled Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, which will feature “the largest and most diverse Assassin’s Creed world ever created”.
Free-run across ships and finish with the new ‘boarding assassination’
There’s been a bit of an information overload since the trailer was released, as Ubisoft has revealed several details about the game via a fact sheet and a Q&A with creative director Jean Guesdon, so we thought it best to present it all to you in simple, bullet-point form. So here it is.
- The new game will be set in the Caribbean and will feature a new protagonist – Edward Kenway, a pirate captain.
- Edward Kenway is the grandfather of Assassin’s Creed 3 protagonist Connor Kenway and father of Haytham Kenway.
- Aside from the hidden blade, Kenway can equip four flintlock pistols and dual cutlass swords, and chain their attacks together. Other weapons include a blowpipe with multiple effect darts and AC3’s rope dart.
- The game will be set in 1715, the so-called Golden Age of Piracy.
- Desmond will not feature in Assassin’s Creed 4.
Go underwater and loot wrecked ships
- 50 unique locations to explore, making this the largest and most diverse Assassin’s Creed game world yet.
- For the first time in the series, players can dive under the surface to loot underwater shipwrecks.
- New Horizon open-world system will be packed with sea and underwater activities, which represent a big part of the game.
- Horizon system dynamically creates side missions, such as a merchant ships to rob, whales to hunt, or pirates to rescue. Missions are created based on individual playing style.
- The game will be set in three main cities – Havana (Cuba), Nassau (The Bahamas), and Kingston (Jamaica).
- Other locations include wild jungles, opening up avenues for free-running across trees and hunting rare animals.
- Several lost ruins to explore for hidden ruins and hidden coves to discover.
Hunt whales
- Command your own ship – the Jackdaw. Plunder and pillage to equip your ship with more weaponry and equipment. Board and attack rival ships and recruit their sailors.
- Jackdaw can be upgraded by adding new weapons and attacks such as round shot (base weapons), heat shot (shotgun-like weapon), mines, mortar, swivel guns, chain shot, and ram.
- Global progression will rely on Jackdaw’s progression as a vessel, which allows Edward to access new territories and defeat stronger enemies.
- Overhauled ocean physics system for more intense, realistic and fun navigation.
- Naval combat features trajectory-based aiming system that requires knowledge of the distance and speed of the enemy.
- Gameplay will be a mix of naval (40%) and on-ground (60%) sections.
Free-run across the wild jungles and use various darts to hunt rare animals.
- There will be more emphasis on stealth by way of infiltrations, tails, and exploration of islands, with level design that encourages stealth.
- Players will encounter legendary pirates, such as Blackbeard, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, Calico Jack Rackham, and Bartholomew Roberts.
- The game will include co-operative and competitive multiplayer.
- The game is a collaborative production of several Ubisoft studios, with Ubisoft Montreal being the lead. Other studios include Ubisoft Singapore, Sofia and Québec for single player, and Ubisoft Annecy and Bucharest for multiplayer.
- The PS3 and PS4 versions will feature 60 minutes of exclusive bonus content, which can be downloaded from PSN after the game’s release.
- The game’s collector’s edition will be announced at the end of March, and will be available for India.
Chain sword and pistol kills together
- Set for release on 31st October for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U.
- The game will also release on PC, PS4 and other next-gen platforms, but no dates are announced for those.
- Aside from better graphics, next-gen console versions will feature better community and social features.
Check out the Assassin’s Creed 4 debut trailer below.
