Out in July, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is more than just a remaster

It’s been rumoured for a long while, and now it’s just around the corner: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is launching on 9th July. It’s not just a remaster of 2013 game, either: it’s been totally rebuilt with the latest version of Ubisoft’s Anvil engine. It contains new content, new music, new dialogue and more – along with everything else that made Edward Kenway’s journey so compelling in the first place. Excited? You should be: as far as re-releases of games go, this is shaping up to be a good one.

Paul Fu, the creative director of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, has worked closely with the team behind the original game to ensure it remains faithful and wholly focused on Edward’s journey. His main goal has been to introduce a new level of immersion and realism, which has been achieved in a number of ways. It looks a damn sight nicer than the original, for one, with higher resolutions, better textures and overall greater visual fidelity, all thanks to the latest Anvil engine.

It’s also smoother, not just in terms of framerate, but in how Edward moves around the world. His movements are faster and more fluid, making traversal feel more natural. Parkour has been improved, with Edward being able to freely jump, and perform back ejects and side ejects when climbing up a building. You’ll have tighter control on his movements, making things much less likely to feel unwieldy.

That fluidity also plays a big part in combat. The entire combat system has been reworked, making it much more action oriented than it was previously. Your attacks are faster, and you’ll be able to pull off easier combos as well as chain up to four takedowns if you’re fighting against a large group. You’ll be able to make use of the environment in combat too, which should make for some more interesting, dynamic fights.

As was always the case in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, stealth is still important, and now you can crouch freely to approach targets quietly. Handy for taking down your adversaries without alerting a crowd and starting a large fight. You can if you want to, of course, and Black Flag is more ready than ever to welcome you into a fight. So much so that tailing and eavesdropping missions have been reworked so you no longer automatically desynchronise if you get caught. The game will simply react to your situation, allowing you to carry on – even if that means engaging in fisticuffs.

Another thing to expect is an enhanced world. This is still the same gorgeous reimagining of the Caribbean that you remember, but it looks better than ever – and it’s easier to get around, too. You’ll now enjoy seamless access to locations, and thanks to improvements like a dynamic weather system, it’ll feel more immersive than ever. For those who fondly remember underwater exploration as Edward, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s now more expansive, with more to see and do under the crystal blue surface of the water.

And speaking of water, naval combat aboard the Jackdaw, Edward’s ship, remains a key part of the experience. Ubisoft has spent a lot of time and energy in improving ship-to-ship combat, and making it so the Jackdaw is better equipped for fighting on the seas. It’s equipped with more firepower, and you’ll be able to upgrade your ship’s weapons in new ways thanks to alternate fire upgrades. There are new officers to meet and recruit, too, each with their own special abilities, all of whom can change your ship combat in ways that better suit your playstyle.

Brand new in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is the ability to have a pet on board your ship: you can have your very own cat or monkey companion! And surely all players will be pleased to know that shanties are still a major part of your naval experience. All the old songs that are probably inexplicably still in your head remain, and there are some new ones to enjoy, too.

Ubisoft hasn’t been clear about exactly how much new content is here, but there are fresh quests and storylines, as well as a new narrative arc centred around Blackbeard. New lines of dialogue has been added, along with new music, including a collaboration with Woodkid (who worked on the soundtrack of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach). There are also new moments set in the modern day that provide a deeper focus into Edward’s struggle.

One thing that Ubisoft was very clear on, though was that Black Flag Resynced was to be fully focused on Edward’s adventure in the Caribbean. It remains a solo adventure and a character-driven experience, and as a result, the developer has taken the decision to remove the multiplayer element from the game. There’ll also be none of the DLC content that previously released for Black Flag.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag always felt like the ultimate pirate fantasy, and Resynced doubles down on that, improving and expanding on what matters most. Simply a version of Black Flag that looked and played a bit better than the original would have been welcome, but knowing there’s new content, new story scenes and reworked mechanics makes this a very enticing prospect indeed.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced FAQs

When does Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced release?

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on 9th July on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Does Black Flag Resynced have new content?

Yes. There are new story scenes, new dialogue, new music tracks and more.

Does Black Flag Resynced still have modern day sequences?

Yes, there are still modern day sequences, with new content that focuses on Edward’s state of mind.

Has any content been removed from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced?

Black Flag Resynced doesn’t have any multiplayer content, and won’t have any of the DLC that released for the original Black Flag. The focus has been entirely on Edward’s journey from a single-player perspective.

Is there still ship combat in Black Flag Resynced?

Yes, naval combat is as big a part as ever in Black Flag Resynced. It’s been improved in numerous ways, including giving you more firepower aboard the Jackdaw, and new ways to upgrade your weapons. Oh, and you can have a pet cat or monkey too!