Set to wrong course

As assassins fan of the first hour, I thought it might not Assassins Creed (= AC) give me that could not inspire. The alternating periods of human history, the different heroes with the famous assassins blade that well-designed combination of game past and game present, and then this fascinating plot around the war against the Templars, extending over centuries spoke All me since the birth of Ubisoft's now the biggest games brand directly, I could barely keep up as much business like in my favorite open-world paradise.
Well Until Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag (= BF) came. I would not say that BF is abysmal and could absolutely no delight among the old AC-hare, but in my opinion has the durable Assassins epic with this part so far from its primary roots as never before. It certainly knows to entertain in his own way, it also offers the usual lush scope, but because of certain weaknesses in the gameplay, variety poverty and difficult anfreundbaren concept changes it does not hold as much amused as his predecessors.

Actually I had seen it coming when I was through with AC3 and Ubisoft announced that it still optional battles would receive a much larger weighting in the successor. Even as the queasy feeling that came over me in a difficult position BF with me will have. And so it happened. Unfortunately.

Let's get straight to the point: What exactly displeases to BF?
First of all, there is the story as a whole. This has now and then his (few) strong moments, yes, but it revolves around Edward Kenways very insatiable desire NEM generated by piracy prosperous life. Whose motivation was very unsatisfactory because the actual part around the Assassins and Templars plays second fiddle here. Edward works thanks to some ambivalent features as the protagonist, and yet he remains for much of the game a rather uninteresting character to which one finds difficult to access. With the old hero Altair, Ezio, Connor, alas, even with the (in my opinion wrongly maligned) Desmond I could identify much better than with this buccaneer, among other reasons because never properly explained in the game is why he of all Assassin skills as the eagle eye has even though he has to his first encounter with this very nothing to do with their credo. For other minor characters such as Blackbeard, Hornigold or James Kidd him steal the show smoothly. Something you know of a game that wants to be a AC, no.
So much for the historical part of the BF-action.
When Gegenwartsplot Ubisoft has really sleep verk ****. Should be satirically meant this allusion to himself, but for me is the narrative gimmick, as nameless nobody at Abstergo Entertainment (!) Snooping in the ancestral history Desmond Miles to a game (!!) for the Templars (!!!) to develop (!!!!), purely and simply meaningless, absurd and absolutely not with the previous games / events compatible. Voltage poorer and more boring never go. It lacks a worthy successor for Desmond, and I wonder why you did not come up with the idea to introduce a new Assassin's descendants. Desmond was subject no. 17, there was the farm where more Assassin disciples of now-time hid Why Ubisoft has not recognized there? In its current form, all that's what happens entirely outside the Animus at A *** over.

The missions? I like this country is still the best, only they have been shrunk in its diversity arg. I miss above all the challenging tasks away from the main action, something like the great Assassin Tombs, where much Gekraxel, pace and orientation were in demand. The creep mechanism has been significantly improved, which is particularly good to see if Kenway can make almost invisible in the dense undergrowth. Just a shame that it rarely use can be made.
On the water? A real eye-catcher when Edwards ship, the Jackdaw, riding on the waves, can withstand the vagaries of the sea and sailing into the sunset. The sea-battles are truly spectacular and massive, no question, but the constant-ships sinking or boarding always plays the same an endless loop according Groundhog Day. The first two or three fights to make perhaps more fun, but later it ödet rapidly. And unfortunately forces BF the players more or less likely to engage in this battle, whether one likes it or not, because for certain major issues, it is vital continually upgrade the Jackdaw to ever see later an herb against very heavy pots enemy flag and that is only possible with enough cash and material. Secure the necessary prey could also procure other means, the gigantic sea chart has enough sources, whether on the mainland or in the depths of the sea, but for the odd treasure I leave not yet the ship at one of the countless scan mini-islands or mountains with the diving bell the legacies of sunken wrecks. This is a similar repetitive gameplay that does not maintains the motivation game long. In the end it remains a leave themselves for which lesser evil one wants to decide.

Because of this whole retardant game components I am also largely only with the rapid processing of the story missions and the naval orders (the 1: 1 equivalent of the Brotherhood Gameplay from AC Brotherhood, only here instead allied Assassins Kenways conquered barges for use come) busy. The great discovery urge I felt otherwise in any other AC, was here simply do not exist.
Ubisoft should have this game baptized PiratesCreed or Assassins of the Carribean, the for a genuine AC are just too many sea battles and a few assassins missions there. During my more than 30 hours total playing time came with me getting this fixed imagination the French had teamed up with Sid Meier and created a actionlastigeres remake of his classic economic simulation Pirates, in which accidentally have lost some AC ingredients. Maybe that would have been better So to let the AC component out of here, I mean. ;)

After all disappointed BF not when it comes to the technical criteria and makes exactly in this field of far always been extremely handsome AC series proud. Visually and acoustically excellent, whereby the buccaneer-Atmo is quite well captured. The density and to detail the island / jungle scenery is stunning, the specular, foaming sea waves, the passing of storms, the visible rippling of the precipitate on the floors, the thick smoke calves when the guns are fired and your own ship cases in a single cloud Better saw an AC with the Anvil Next engine never made except maybe the new additions Unity and Rogue, which should definitely go drauflegen an ordinary shovel, because even I could make a picture of the two, but I'm with the AC-play anyway minimum 1 year back * g *. The only big bug of I noticed: The players in circles, well-known, almost legendary Ship glitch where to see the ocean a single hole in which at some point it out the Jackdaw zurückbeamt (inclusive floating team). A curious spectacle that is worth a laugh always. * G *
The dialogue-director has once again done an excellent job and hired a number of professional speakers from film and television, and the music and sound effects are in familiar blockbuster level. A renewed testimony that Ubisoft as so often and only is rightly regarded as a top address for outstanding work and sound localization.

Conclusion:
For changes and / or improvements, I am always open, only these should not distort original character of a so-known as popular game series of all recognition. Unfortunately, that's what happens in the case of BF. Kenways Adventure looks like an AC, it does sometimes also as a, but Ubisoft has cut here too many essential braids and games released that sets too much on its maritime focus - and its content makes a huge step back. As a kind of spin-off for real AC series I would have still been well received, but as I do a AC of the old school have expected I can give myself not entirely satisfied with BF.