Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review (PS5 Pro)

There are some games that almost feel like a black mark against your name in your gaming history when you realise you haven't played them. For me, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was always one of those games. Plenty of people always told me to play it, and I always wanted to, I just never got around to it.

Despite playing a lot of Assassin’s Creed titles over the years, somehow Black Flag completely passed me by. I’m not really sure why either. It was never a game I avoided, and I had always heard amazing things about it, but for whatever reason, I just never sat down and played it when it originally released. It was always sitting there in the background as one of those games I would eventually get around to, but something else would come along, another release would take priority, and before I knew it, years had passed.

That actually made jumping into Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced on the PS5 Pro a really interesting experience because, unlike a lot of players who will be returning to this game with years of nostalgia attached, I came into it completely fresh. I didn't have those memories of playing it back in 2013. I didn't have the rose-tinted glasses that come from remembering how revolutionary the game felt at launch. Instead, I was experiencing it for the first time as a modern player, comparing it against the Assassin’s Creed games that came after it and everything I’ve come to expect from the franchise.

And honestly, I think that gave me a pretty fair perspective.

The first thing that surprised me was how good the game looks visually. Now, is it the best-looking game I've played on the PS5 Pro? No. There are definitely games that push the hardware further and showcase what the console can really do, especially when it comes to lighting, textures and environmental detail. But that doesn’t mean Black Flag Resynced doesn't look good, because it absolutely does.

The Caribbean setting is still one of the strongest worlds Assassin’s Creed has ever created. The bright colours, tropical islands, busy towns and endless ocean give the game a completely different feeling compared to many of the other entries in the series. After spending so much time exploring cities and historical landmarks in previous Assassin’s Creed games, there is something genuinely refreshing about having the ocean become such a huge part of the experience.

Sailing between islands, watching storms move in across the horizon and approaching a new location from the water still creates some great moments. The ocean itself almost feels like another character in the game, and it is clear why so many people loved this setting when it originally released. It might not be the most technically impressive game available today, but it has something that is arguably just as important: atmosphere.

That same feeling carries over into the story, which was probably one of the biggest surprises for me. Going into Black Flag, I expected the pirate setting and ship combat to be the main focus, but I didn’t expect to become as invested in the characters as I did. Edward Kenway is easily one of the more interesting protagonists in the Assassin’s Creed series. What makes him work so well is that he isn't introduced as some perfect hero. He starts the game as someone who is selfish, ambitious and chasing personal success. He isn't fighting for a cause or trying to save the world. He is simply trying to get ahead.

Watching that change throughout the game is what makes his story so enjoyable. Seeing him slowly understand what actually matters and watching his priorities shift gives him a level of development that some Assassin’s Creed protagonists have been missing.

The supporting characters are also a major strength. There are characters you genuinely enjoy spending time with, characters you grow attached to and characters that you are supposed to dislike. That balance helps the world feel more believable because everyone feels like they have their own motivations rather than simply existing to move the player from one mission to the next.

Without having that nostalgia attached to it, I can honestly say Black Flag has one of the better stories I’ve experienced in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. It would easily sit within my top four Assassin’s Creed stories so far. It isn't perfect, but it has something that a lot of games struggle with: memorable characters that actually make you care about what happens.

Where Black Flag really stands out is in the way it blends traditional Assassin’s Creed gameplay with its pirate mechanics. At the time, this was a huge change for the series. The idea of stepping away from the cities and taking control of your own ship was something completely different, and it gave the game a unique identity.

Playing it today, I actually think that combination still works really well.

The balance between the story missions and the open-world exploration is mostly handled nicely. The game gives you enough structure to keep the story moving, but also gives you the freedom to disappear into the world, explore islands, find upgrades and build up your ship.

The only thing I found slightly frustrating was how restricted the early hours can feel. Modern open world games have trained players to expect freedom almost immediately, and there were times where I wanted to ignore the main story and just explore the world, but the game held certain elements back until you progressed further. Looking back, I actually understand why Ubisoft made that choice. The game needs time to introduce Edward, the world and the mechanics properly, and from a storytelling perspective it works. It just takes a little adjustment when coming from newer games where everything is available almost immediately.

Once the game opens up, though, that freedom becomes one of its biggest strengths. The naval combat is where I think my opinion probably differs from a lot of longtime fans. Now, before anyone thinks I disliked it, I didn't. The ship combat is genuinely good. Controlling your ship, attacking enemies, upgrading your equipment and exploring the ocean is still a lot of fun. However, I wasn't blown away by it in the same way many people were when the original game released.

The reason is simply because I have the benefit, or perhaps disadvantage, of playing this game after other Assassin’s Creed titles have already built upon those ideas. Games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey introduced similar naval combat mechanics, and Assassin’s Creed Rogue actually improved on many aspects of what Black Flag introduced. Because of that, the ship combat didn't feel revolutionary to me. It felt like a very good version of something I had already experienced.

And that isn't really Black Flag's fault, its more so mine for not playing it in 2013 when I was supposed to. If anything, it shows how influential the game was. When a game introduces a mechanic that other games copy and improve upon, eventually those improvements become the standard. The original creator doesn't always get the same impact years later because everyone else has already taken inspiration from it.

The same thing happens with some of the general Assassin’s Creed gameplay.

Like most games in the series, Black Flag does eventually start to show some repetition. You explore, complete missions, collect resources, upgrade your equipment and repeat the process. The mixture of land and sea gameplay definitely helps keep things interesting, but there are still moments where that familiar Assassin’s Creed formula starts to creep in.

It is something the franchise has always struggled with. Ubisoft has always been fantastic at creating incredible worlds, interesting historical settings and memorable characters, but sometimes the actual gameplay loop doesn't evolve quite as quickly or quite enough.

Thankfully, Black Flag's setting does a lot of heavy lifting. The pirate theme gives the game a personality that separates it from almost every other Assassin’s Creed title. Sailing across the ocean, managing your ship and discovering new locations gives it a completely different pace compared to the traditional Assassin’s Creed formula.

By the time I finished the game, I completely understood why so many people consider it one of the best Assassin’s Creed games ever made. At the same time, I also think going into it without nostalgia changed my opinion slightly. I don't think it is the greatest Assassin’s Creed game I have ever played. The hype surrounding it over the years almost sets an impossible standard, and without the memories of how impressive it was when it originally released, I don't think it quite reaches that legendary status for me.

But that doesn't mean it isn't an excellent game. It absolutely is. I enjoyed every minute I spent with it. The story is strong, Edward Kenway is a fantastic character, the world is beautiful, and the combination of land exploration and naval gameplay gives it a personality that very few games have managed to replicate.

For me, the biggest things holding it back were the slower opening hours, some of the familiar Assassin’s Creed repetition and the fact that some of the mechanics that were groundbreaking at release have since been improved by later games.

But judging it purely as a game in 2026, rather than as a nostalgic favourite, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is still a fantastic experience.

It might not have been the flawless masterpiece that years of praise made me expect, but it is absolutely one of the strongest entries in the franchise and a game I’m genuinely glad I finally played.

The lack of nostalgia probably means I won't rate it quite as highly as some longtime fans will, but I can completely understand why this game holds such a special place in people's memories.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a fantastic pirate adventure that still holds up incredibly well today. It may not have had the same impact on me as it did for players who experienced it originally, but it remains one of the most enjoyable and unique Assassin’s Creed games available.