Previews:
Polygon
http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/4/4043...black-flag-ac4Quote:
Judging from the hour-long presentation of slides, trailers and gameplay we were shown in New York City last week, Black Flag looks like a spin-off game. It's an open-world pirate simulator, a marked departure from the more narratively linear Assassin's Creed games that came before it. |
Eurogamer
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ok-you-back-inQuote:
Black Flag appears to be a hybrid of the series' more charismatic early-Ezio era set within a truly open world of land and sea, on a scale reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. |
Destructoid
http://www.destructoid.com/assassin-...d-247659.phtmlQuote:
So far, it's sounding like Ubisoft is working on improving the formula and I'm definitely interested with IV, especially if the seamless and emergent nature they're striving for at least matches what Far Cry 3 pulled off. |
Kotaku
http://kotaku.com/5988249/be-excited...d-be-skepticalQuote:
One hopes Black Flag can meet the hype, but this far out you never know. Could be great. Could be a mess. (Could write that line for any preview.) But at least Ubisoft's developer armies spend a couple of years on each of these Assassin's Creed games. At least they never skimp on content. At least they typically go somewhere new and succeed or struggle spectacularly.
Pirates? It's an odd fit for this series.
An open-word naval adventure done by the kind of international mega-team that makes Assassin's Creed games? Sure. That's exciting enough. |
Strategyinformer
http://www.strategyinformer.com/ps3/.../previews.htmlQuote:
Exploration, an open world and a wider variety of tasks and freedom in which to engage in those tasks are all key to Ubisoft here – and in concept, it’s all pretty damn exciting. Freedom is ‘Wind Waker’s’ greatest asset, and I wiled away many hours on ‘Pirates!’ trading spices and robbing merchants – so combining the two with the quality Assassin’s Creed action excites me immensely.
There’s only so much you can glean about a game like this without going hands-on – and so though seeing the concepts behind Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has helped to rekindle the flame where the third entry dulled it, I’ll withhold full judgement until I actually get to play it. For now, though? This is certainly one to watch. |
IGN
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/...-iv-black-flagQuote:
Assassin’s Creed has long had grand ambitions, but those same narrative and game design risks have sometimes proven the series’ greatest weakness. Those bold desires, combined with the speed at which AC iterations are released, has resulted in a variety of flaws that have remained for years. But now, as this sixth installment begins to make the transition between the existing generation (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PC) and the next (so far PlayStation 4 is confirmed), Ubisoft’s designs seem to be getting a new lease on life – a new freedom to think bigger than ever.
Black Flag, if Ubisoft’s intentions come to life, seems poised to address some of those problems. The team seems genuinely interested in not only providing a new, naval-based, open world experience, but finding a better lead character, and fixing some of the faulty missions and gameplay systems from the past. There is plenty more to learn about the game, and plenty to play, but if nothing else, it’s genuinely exciting to see Assassin’s Creed head in this direction. |
-only short gameplay was shown
-new team
-development began in the summer of 2011
-written by the scriptwriter of Revelations
-no campaign co-op
-player will be an employee of Abstergo Entertainment, a subsidiary of Abstergo Industries
-no Desmond, but other characters will return
-something similar to the brotherhood of assassins will be back
-setting includes Cuba, Bahamas, Nassau and south Florida
-game includes jungles, temples, Mayan ruins, underwater ship wrecks and more
-a lot of work is put in improving stealth
-ocean combat and exploration center of the game
-Player can use a spyclass to spot ships with an overlay explaining weapons, treasure etc
-swimming and underwater combat is in
-hunting whales is possible
-no carefully crafted subtext or political intrigue
-Templars will be back
-enemy will be a collective of rival pirates
-certain islands will be difficult to access at the beginning of the game
-more tall buildings than in AC3
- Kenway is a member of the assassins, but holds most allegence to himself. - He's fighting a band of rival pirates. - Giving "the HBO treatment" to pirates. - No Desmond Miles. You control an employee of Abstergo Entertainment, a subsidary of Aspergo. They're researching the life of Edward Kenway to make...a video game. - Big focus on Kenway's ship. Can upgrade/customise. - Spyglass to spot ships and distant islands. - Open world ship exploration. Metroidvania style world design that requires ship upgrades to better access certain areas. - Calling it "true open world" and "systemic gameplay". Don't want players to be burdened with loading screens and an abundance of cutscenes as they explore the world. - Blackbeard, Charles Vane, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Ben Hornigold make an appearance. - Bartholomew Roberts' assualt on 42 Portuguese ships, and the Spanish Armada wreck, to be shown. - Open ended assassinations to return. - Random events in the game world. Example: accidentally stumbling upon an giant enemy ship, then luring that ship into a tropical storm. Boarding the weakened ship to conquer. - Underwater swimming confirmed. - Whale hunting - Cuba, Nassau, tip of Florida, and The Bahamas. Jungles, temples, villaiges, Mayan ruins, underwater shipwrecks, etc. |