Overall, nothing has changed in the actual game mechanics and the strengths of the series. Still beating, beating, and now increasingly shooting mows one pile to pile of opponents down without ever really feel a difficulty. The same applies to the climbing locations that are anything but reckless, even if the game tries to convey this to the one or other "fast Crashed animation". The game takes a still strong in many situations at hand. Interesting and exciting it is, however, to explore the eternal expanse of the Caribbean Sea, which is filled in every corner with tasks and places that you can do and discover. This is where the game of his graphically glorious page: Whether you dishonored enemy ships (which they will spend a lot of time) or on tropical islands wild animals hunt, the vegetation and the lake is just kneel only to then. Better to have trees, beaches, storms and other things can not animate / make. Just a pity that many islands are just a facade and those which can be explored, often only a tube marked out (cf.. "Call of Duty").
Not to despise are the three major cities: Nassau, Havana and Kingston. They are all beautifully designed and unique. In them nature merges (trees, shrubs) with civilization (houses), thus repeatedly open up great ways to climb or crawl, facilitate the players so some tasks.
The great design of the vegetation and civilization may occasionally comforted over the fact that the side quests wane after a short time in yawning boredom. However, there is nothing you could as a privateer and / or Assassin not do, including hunting, harpooning, murderers and assassins jobs, solve small puzzles, diving under water and so on. The plethora of side missions could not be greater! By always the same animations, partly tube-level and just too simple jobs, a majority of the side quests but feel at only as work. In addition, all cities with a seemingly endless plethora of things like treasure chests, letters, viewpoints, etc. "pumped", so it could not be more obvious as "Ubisoft" the feeling of a lot of content and variety will produce while playing. To put it bluntly, this is only a colorful façade, behind which there is nothing more ...
Fortunately / unfortunately (depending on how you look at it himself / perceives) there is to continually gather motivation for players to hunt and to make money, because as upgrades for your ship, which can buy "Jackdaw", which offer more power and protection in the sea battle. In addition, they can make (sailing, figurehead, etc.) a little. The same is with your own equipment (weapons and jacket) is possible, but this is less necessary since the fighting on land are much lighter than the water.
However, the greatest motivation in the game is the main plot, which shines on the one hand, with its exciting and varied missions and on the other with their use rich history around the privateer Edward Kenway (whose transition from pirate but goes way too fast a master assassin). Especially the cut scenes are characterized by realistic character animation and drawing. Of course again an external story that "Abstergo" This time all the focus is (not too bad either ...). The biggest fun as the missions of the main sequence given me, in which you can experience great sea battles, chases and all sorts of pirate curiosities ...
The "Assassin's Creed series" runs and runs and runs without end and rightly too perfect! The success factors of the mainstream games particularly strong showing luckily also in "Black Flag" and in the face of great landscaped Caribbean time. Yet it would be no mistake when "Ubisoft" would put more into stuff when designing the side orders. (A new opportunity offers itself this time before the standard "A year cycle" with "Liberation".) "Assassin's Creed: Black Flag" has it so not only managed to inspire me over long distances and to motivate, but also my enthusiasm for the hit series again to awaken!
