PAX East 2013: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Yo Ho Ho!

I was ushered into a small theatre this morning, complete with four grim looking bouncers (yes really), to take a brief look at Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and walked away incredibly impressed. Ubisoft catches a lot flack for releasing Assassin’s creed (almost) annually, but I’m happy to say Assassin’s Creed IV appears to be something entirely new and innovative.

Set in the early 1800s during the age of piracy, Assassin’s Creed IV will tell the story of Edward Kenway, grandfather of AC III’s stoic (IE: kinda boring) protagonist Connor. Interestingly enough there was no mention of the Animus, Desmond, Abstergo, or any of that “future stuff.” Yay!  Fans of history will no doubt be pleased to hear that Kenway will cross paths with some of history’s most notorious pirates, including Blackbeard himself.

AC:IV will be an open world experience that revolves entirely around exploration and adventure. Players that have always wanted to sail around in search of booty marked with an “X” may finally have a title coming their way that fulfills that niche dream. From the pre-alpha footage we were shown, the game is already looking incredible, with beautiful vistas and wide open waters. Kenway’s ship, the Jackdaw, will serve as an important character in the title, and will be upgradeable throughout the campaign.Unlike AC III’s ship combat, where boarding an enemy vessel was a scripted event, ALL enemy ships can now be boarded.  Time to buckle some swashes!

This Sunday we’ll be chatting with Ubisoft about AC: IV and will have some more info coming your way.