Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Guide: Resynced vs Original

Some games you remember for the story. Black Flag I remember for the islands.

White beaches, jungle ruins, a tiny cove with a treasure chest nobody told you about. The whole Caribbean felt like it was there to explore, not just to sail past. Honestly, nothing else in the series feels quite like it, even now. That’s why Black Flag sits at number four in my ranking of every Assassin’s Creed game, and why I’d call it probably the best pirate game ever made.

Now it’s back. Black Flag Resynced, a full remake, launched on July 9, 2026. I played the original. Resynced, however, is still next on my list. I haven’t started it yet, though. So for the remake, I’ll stick to what’s confirmed and what reviewers said.

This guide covers the story, the characters, the map, DLC, multiplayer, every platform, and whether the original or the remake is the one to play now.

What Is Assassin’s Creed Black Flag About?

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a pirate adventure set in the Caribbean in the early 1700s. You play Edward Kenway, a Welsh privateer turned pirate. The original first came out in late 2013.

Here’s the twist. Edward isn’t an Assassin when the story starts. He kills a rogue Assassin named Duncan Walpole, takes his robes, and pretends to be him for money. As a result, he gets tangled up in the war between the Assassins and the Templars.

So is the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag assassin really an Assassin? Not for most of the game. Instead, Edward is a pirate first. He cares about gold, freedom and his friends, and the Creed only starts to mean something to him late in the story.

That arc is exactly why he’s my favorite character in the game. Ezio is still my favorite Assassin overall, sure. But Edward has the best growth of any lead in the series. At first he’s selfish and chasing money. Eventually, he ends up paying for it. Honestly, that’s what makes him feel real.

The Observatory

The main plot follows a hunt for the Observatory, an ancient site that lets you see through anyone’s eyes anywhere in the world. The Templars want it, of course. So do the pirates, for very different reasons. Meanwhile, Edward spends most of the game chasing the Sage, a mysterious man who knows where it is.

Who Are the Main Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Characters?

Most Assassin’s Creed Black Flag characters are real pirates from history, which is a big part of the fun. Here are the AC4 characters you’ll spend the most time with:

Matt Ryan voices Edward. He’s also back for the remake.

Blackbeard in AC4

Blackbeard is the character most players remember after Edward. The Assassin’s Creed 4 Blackbeard is a big, loud, surprisingly warm mentor figure. Still, he’s a legend who already knows his time is running out.

The Blackbeard AC4 scenes are some of the best in the game. That’s why Resynced adding new Blackbeard quests is one of the remake’s smartest changes.

How Edward Connects to Connor

Edward’s son is Haytham Kenway, and his grandson is Connor from Assassin’s Creed III. Because of that family line, a lot of fans also look up the Connor Kenway voice actor. In fact, it’s Noah Watts.

Is Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag the Best Pirate Game?

For me, yes. Calling Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag the best pirate game of its era is easy. I’d put it over Sea of Thieves and Skull and Bones too.

Here’s why. Sea of Thieves is great with friends, but it has almost no story. Skull and Bones, on the other hand, has ships and nothing else. Black Flag, however, gives you both: a full open-world adventure on land, plus the best sailing Ubisoft has ever made.

First of all, the naval combat is the core of it. You fire broadsides, chain shot their masts, ram them, and then board and take the ship. It’s simple to learn. Even so, it never gets old.

But for me, the real reason is the world. The Caribbean in Black Flag is packed with islands, and you can actually stop at almost all of them. For example, you jump off the Jackdaw, swim to shore, climb a viewpoint and find something. Then sail to the next one.

Black Flag gaming at its best is exactly that: you, the Jackdaw and a horizon full of islands. That’s the feeling I want from a pirate game, and nothing has matched it since.

What Is the Gameplay Like in Black Flag?

The gameplay Assassin’s Creed Black Flag became famous for splitting into three parts: land, sea and underwater.

On land, it plays like classic Assassin’s Creed. You climb, sneak and assassinate targets. Then you fight with twin swords and pistols. You can also hunt animals and craft upgrades, much like AC3.

At sea, on the other hand, you command the Jackdaw. You upgrade the hull, cannons and mortars by plundering other ships. Forts guard each region, and taking one down opens up that part of the map.

Then there’s diving. Finally, you use a diving bell to explore shipwrecks, avoid sharks and grab treasure.

Legendary Ships

The toughest challenge in the game is the legendary ships. Basically, these are huge, heavily armed ships hidden in the corners of the map. I fought them, and trust me, fighting them early is a quick way to sink. So upgrade the Jackdaw fully first. They’re the real endgame test, and beating them feels great.

Assassin Black Flag Map: How Big Is It?

The map covers a big chunk of the Caribbean, built around three main cities: Havana, Nassau and Kingston. In addition, dozens of islands sit around those, along with coves, jungles, plantations and underwater wrecks.

It doesn’t feel as huge as Odyssey’s Greece, but it feels fuller. Almost every small island has something on it, like a treasure chest, an animal to hunt or a fragment.

Besides that, your hideout is Great Inagua, an island you take over and upgrade as you go.

Is the AC4 Black Flag Map Different in Resynced?

Not really. Overall, the layout is the same. However, Resynced adds a new weather system with storms, waterspouts and rogue waves. It also lets you dive anywhere in the open sea, not just at fixed spots. Kenway’s Fleet now unlocks region by region once you capture each fort.

What Is Black Flag Resynced?

Black Flag Resynced is a full remake of the 2013 game. It launched on July 9, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, at $59.99 for the Standard Edition.

In other words, it’s not a quick remaster. The whole game was rebuilt on Ubisoft’s newer Anvil engine, with ray-traced lighting and a new water system. Here’s what else changed:

• Combat. Fights now revolve around perfect parries, which break defenses and set up chain takedowns.
• Stealth. Edward can crouch anywhere, and getting spotted while tailing no longer fails the mission instantly.
• Naval. Three new officers join your crew, each with their own ship abilities.
• Story. About six hours of new content, including expanded Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet quests and a new endgame chapter. Title Update 1.0.8, which Ubisoft calls the final major content update, arrives on October 27 and adds New Game Plus with up to five tougher cycles, a new Escudos currency for exclusive outfits and items, and a punishing Nightmare difficulty where enemies hit 1.8 times harder and the parry window is shorter.
• Extras. Ten new shanties, a photo mode, and pets on the Jackdaw.

It also sold 2 million copies on day one. Not bad at all, especially for a 13-year-old story.

What Got Cut in Resynced?

This part matters, though. The modern-day Abstergo sections are gone, replaced by optional Animus Rifts that explore what-if moments. The multiplayer is gone too.

Freedom Cry, the Adéwalé expansion, isn’t included either. I skipped Freedom Cry back then, but plenty of fans call it the best part of the package, so this cut stings for a lot of people. Some reviewers also felt the new content clashes with the original’s classic mission style in places.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Review: Original vs Resynced

To begin with, the original Black Flag was a hit. It scored 88 on Metacritic, and most reviewers called it the best Assassin’s Creed in years.

Pick any review Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag received in 2013, and you’ll see the same praise. Everyone loved the sea, Edward and the freedom. The usual complaint was the tailing missions, which were slow and fail-heavy.

The PS4 version came out a few weeks after the PS3 one, as a launch title. Back then, an Assassin’s Creed Black Flag review PS4 owners read usually pointed out the sharper visuals and better water.

How Did Resynced Score?

Resynced landed at 84 on Metacritic. Slightly lower than the original, but still the series’ best reception in a long time.

One review called it a great remake of a game that probably didn’t need to be remade. That sums up the general mood. In general, reviewers loved the visuals, the ship combat and Edward himself. Similarly, the common complaints were easy combat, simple missions and the missing Freedom Cry.

My take on these assassins’ Black Flag review scores? They line up, after all. The original was a near-perfect game for its time, and the remake polishes it without changing what made it special.

Can You Play Black Flag on PS4, Xbox One and Xbox 360?

Yes, but only the original. Resynced is current-gen only, so there’s no remake on PS4 or Xbox One.

Here’s how the original lines up:

• PS4. Assassin’s Creed 4 PS4 was a launch title in November 2013. The Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag PS4 disc still runs on PS5 through backward compatibility.
• Xbox One. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag on Xbox One also launched in November 2013.
• Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 Black Flag version came out in October 2013.

So if you only have last-gen hardware, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag PS4 copies are still the easy pick, and they’re cheap now.

On Xbox, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Xbox One is the better old version. Meanwhile, the AC Black Flag Xbox 360 release looks rough by today’s standards. Of course, the Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Xbox 360 disc also costs almost nothing secondhand.

There’s also a Switch version in the Rebel Collection. I covered that, plus the PS3 release, in my guide to Assassin’s Creed on PSP, Vita and Switch.

What DLC Does Black Flag Have?

The biggest Assassin’s Creed Black Flag DLC is Freedom Cry. It’s a story expansion starring Adéwalé, set in Saint-Domingue about 15 years after the main game. It’s short, but fans and critics rate it as one of the strongest stories in the whole series. It later came out as a standalone game too.

In contrast, every other Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag DLC is much smaller. The other DLC for Black Flag includes:

• Aveline. A short story mission pack, exclusive to PlayStation.
• Blackbeard’s Wrath. Extra content built around multiplayer. You can still access the pack, but how much of it you can actually use depends on the servers on your platform.
• Illustrious Pirates. Bonus missions and treasure.
• Kraken Ship Pack. Cosmetic sails and ship designs.

Is the Gold Edition Worth It?

If you’re shopping for DLC for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, yes. The Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Gold DLC bundle includes the season pass, which covers Freedom Cry. Resynced skips Freedom Cry, so the original’s Gold Edition is the easy way to get the full story. None of the 2013 Black Flag Assassin’s Creed DLC carries over to the remake.

If you only pick up one piece of Assassin’s Creed IV DLC, make it Freedom Cry. It’s the one I want to try next. Otherwise, the rest is optional.

Does Black Flag Still Have Multiplayer?

Not really. The original 2013 game had online multiplayer, but matchmaking is now shut down or very limited, depending on your platform. Resynced doesn’t have multiplayer at all.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag multiplayer worked like the older games in the series. You and other players hunted each other in crowds, blending in and picking your target. There was also Wolfpack, a co-op mode where up to four players took down targets together.

Honestly, AC Black Flag multiplayer was never the main draw. Most people played it for a few hours and then moved on. Still, it was a fun change of pace from the story.

Sadly, you can’t count on finding Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag multiplayer matches anymore, even if you own the original. Plus, the remake dropped it completely, too. So Black Flag Assassin’s Creed multiplayer is mostly a memory now. Honestly, I don’t think many people will miss it.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Walkthrough Tips

I won’t write a full mission-by-mission guide here. But these are the tips I wish I’d known on my first run:

• Upgrade the Jackdaw first. Hull armor and broadsides matter more than anything on land.
• Take forts early. After that, each one reveals that region’s map.
• Hunt for crafting. Animal pelts unlock extra health and pouches.
• Grab the shanties. Chase the floating sheets of paper through towns. Your crew will thank you later.
• Skip legendary ships until late. They will sink you.
• Use the spyglass. Check what a ship carries before you attack it.

Follow those, and the game gets a lot smoother after the first few sequences.

Should You Play the Original or Resynced?

If you’ve never played Black Flag, go with Resynced. It looks far better, the combat is smoother, and tailing missions no longer drive you up the wall. Plus, Steam Deck Verified at launch means it should run fine on a mid-range gaming laptop like mine. That’s how I’m planning to play it, mostly to see those islands again with the new lighting and weather.

On the other hand, play the original if you want Freedom Cry or the modern-day story. Or if you just want it cheap.

Honestly, Black Flag Resynced is the best excuse in years to sail the Caribbean again. If you’re after a bigger RPG-style Assassin’s Creed after this, my Assassin’s Creed Odyssey guide covers the map, the mythical creatures and the quests worth your time.

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