Assassin’s Creed is a franchise that is near and dear to my heart. There were rumors floating around for a while about a Black Flag remake, but rumors often turn out to be false. Fortunately, this one turned out to be real, and we now have Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. When those first musical notes hit, a wave of nostalgia hit, and I was ready to sail the seas in the Caribbean once again.

This is not just a simple remaster. They have remade the game from the ground up, both adding some things and removing others from the original. The main protagonist is Edward Kenway, a pirate trying to strike it rich so he can return home to his wife and live like royalty. During the opening segment of the game, Edward comes across an Assassin. This kicks off a series of events that places Edward in the center of the centuries-old war between the Templars and the Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced takes place in the Caribbean. You will eventually get your own pirate ship so that you can sail the high seas with your crew and cause all manner of mischief. There is a lot to be done both on land and at sea, as well as underwater, where a vibrant world exists and has never looked better.

When I started my journey as Edward, I immediately noticed how fluid the controls felt, at least compared to the original. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced still has that open-world jank common in these games, but the overall control is much better. Ubisoft has incorporated some of the systems from the new Assassin’s Creed games to bring this classic up to modern standards.

Those who have gone through Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will notice all of this and more. A lot of the mission structure has been tweaked for Resynced. There are now multiple options to complete an objective. For example, in the original, if you got spotted in one of the missions where you had to tail your target, it was an instant fail. Now, if you get spotted, you won’t automatically fail the quest; you will just have to deal with the consequences. The development team over at Ubisoft flat-out replaced some of these missions as well with something that might be a bit more fun. These include investigations, as well as stealthier objectives that offer the player more variety than we had in the original. Leading up to the release of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, Ubisoft revealed how they adjusted some of the scripted events, collectibles, the parkour paths, and more. It is evident that a great deal of care went into remaking this game and potentially fixing the issues some might have had with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

Templar Hunts have returned and have been tweaked a bit to offer the challenge gamers expect today. Assassin Contracts are back, and they’ve updated them a bit to ensure they are more evenly distributed and the overall experience is a bit more balanced. As players progress in the game a bit, they will discover a hideout for Edward and his crew. There are a bunch of different buildings that you can upgrade as you go through the game to give the citizens of your island a better life, as well as collectibles to find throughout the world to decorate your manor. In fact, I believe there is an achievement or two tied to finding collectibles around the world and placing them in their correct locations in the manor.

Unfortunately, with all these changes, tweaks, and improvements, some content was also cut from the game. Primarily, the modern-day stuff from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is not in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. This is a massive disappointment for me as the modern-day story helped provide context for what was going on. I also fondly remember walking around the Abstergo office and reading emails and various materials on the computers. There were some items of interest there to read as they talked about ideas for future Assassin’s Creed games, some of which came to fruition, and we got to play over the years. I know the overall modern storyline took a big hit with what they did with Desmond, but I still would have wanted it in this game. I am hopeful the rumors of Ubisoft remaking the original Assassin’s Creed game are true; however, I hope they don’t remove the modern-day aspect from that as well.

Another change that fans will immediately notice is that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced does not feature the multiplayer mode from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Initially, I was against Ubisoft putting a multiplayer mode into Assassin’s Creed because I couldn’t see how it would work. They surprised me, though, and the multiplayer for the original Black Flag was both different and fun. It was a nice change of pace from the multiplayer that other games offered, and I thought there were some great ideas there. Some of the multiplayer achievements were really annoying, but the overall gameplay and the strategy involved could be a big hit today, in my opinion. It is a real shame we didn’t get the opportunity to see if that would be the case.

On to better news: there is some brand-new content in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced for fans to sink their teeth into. This remake introduces three new officers to the Jackdaw (your pirate ship), each offering benefits. Not only that, but it also comes with a new questline to complete to earn their services and hear their respective stories. There are other new side missions, such as the Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard quests. There is also a new twist to this story in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. I normally don’t spoil storyline moments in my reviews, and I won’t be starting here, but I think it is something fans will enjoy.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced also features new local events spread throughout the Caribbean. These might be new dialogue from NPCs, a relationship developing between two people, or trying to locate a key in a dangerous place. Another new feature that has been in some of the more recent Assassin’s Creed titles has found its way here in the form of different anomalies and events. For example, during my review, I had the chance to sink a corrupted convoy. There was another event called “Entity Erasure” where I was tasked with sinking one corrupted ship, and another where I had to purge the corrupt entity. By completing these projects, players will earn rewards, such as a cool new Assassin’s outfit for Edward to wear. Across the world, there will also be different “keys” to find. By doing this, players can unlock some special items, such as Connor’s Outfit from Assassin’s Creed III or Altair’s Swords. The damage these special items inflict isn’t as serious as some of the other weapons in the game, but they do offer some interesting perks, such as being able to perfect parry unstoppable attacks.

I haven’t talked much about the naval combat in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, but it is a really big part of the game as well. As you progress through the game, you will earn money and a variety of different supplies. You need to use these to upgrade your ship. You can upgrade the ship itself by giving it a stronger hull that can take more damage, cannons to inflict damage on the enemy, and more. You can also upgrade your storage so that the ship can hold more ammo, upgrade your harpooning equipment so you can go on successful hunts, and more. The state of the Jackdaw is very important as the game goes on and the enemies get tougher. Players will need to use everything available to them, whether that is pulling up alongside a ship and using its cannons, dropping explosive barrels behind the Jackdaw to deter the enemy from following, or launching mortar attacks to inflict significant damage. Forts return from the original game as well, and it can be a lot of fun to destroy their defenses and then storm the place to take it over. If the Jackdaw isn’t properly equipped or leveled up, though, your crew won’t last long, and you will be confronted with the game over screen.

Much like other games in the series, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced also has a ton of collectibles to find. There are chests to find, items simply labeled as “secrets”, Mayan Stelae to find, puzzles to solve, and more. As players progress in the game, a new item will appear that lets them dive deep into ocean shipwrecks and explore the surrounding area. Beware of the sharks, though, who are hungry and might see you as a delicious snack.

The world of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is huge (although not on the scale of the more recent titles such as Odyssey, Valhalla, and Shadows). This is one of those games where time flies out the window as you immerse yourself in your surroundings. One moment you are looking at the clock, and it is 12 pm, and then the next moment you are looking at the clock, and it is 5 pm. There is so much to do here it should keep fans busy for a while, especially if you are a completionist.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has so much to do that I’m sure I forgot to mention something. The shanties that were so popular in the original are back, and Ubisoft has introduced brand-new ones for players to find as well. There is also a brand new endgame chapter. It features eight additional missions, but that is all I will say so I don’t accidentally spoil anything. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced also looks incredible. The world is gorgeous whether you are running on land, sailing the open sea, or diving underwater in search of treasure. The iconic sounds from the franchise are here as well, from synchronizing viewpoints to the eagles flying around and more. It would be best to wear headphones when playing this game, if you can, so you can fully immerse yourself in the surroundings, including hearing your crew sing sea shanties. Players can also choose which sea shanties the crew sings in case there is one you don’t like.

If you are an Assassin’s Creed fan, I highly recommend this game. If you haven’t played one before, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a great game to jump into and explore this popular franchise that is almost 20 years old. The tale of Edward Kenway is a fascinating one that has ties to Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed Rogue, and Assassin’s Creed Unity. If you like open-world games in general, be sure not to miss out on an exciting pirate adventure.

Please Note: Ubisoft provided Shadow’s Gaming with a code for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced for the purposes of this review.