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Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag |OT| Not Based on a DisneyLand Ride
- Thread starter dangerbyrnes
- Start date
petethepanda
Member
I'm really enjoying the game, has me almost entirely on board again after ACIII just about destroyed the franchise, but it's disappointing that they still can't figure out how to have a remotely compelling story (2 was the last sign of that, though I guess Bro kept the modern day stuff interesting). I'm midway through and just saw
How can these last couple games take such big historical figures and do absolutely nothing interesting with them? It's astounding. They can't even do protagonists anymore, Kenway is certainly more charismatic and Likable than Connor but as a character he's just as much of a boring-ass blank slate. Did that one dude who was kicked out of Ubi really account for 100% of the story talent the series had?
Blackbeard's death and immediately had flashes of ACIII. They're even trying to sell it with big sad music over the rest of the sequence, which only makes it stand out even more that I have absolutely no investment in any of these people.
Feels like Liberation leftovers
Fahrenheit
Banned
Really liked Aveline, gonna have to watch a lets play of her DLC since I'm playing the PC version
Just watched the Freedom Cry trailer and listening to some of the soundtrack previews (which sound absolutely phenomenal) and I'm hyped now. Never bought AC DLC before but I absolutely will for Freedom Cry.
Speaking of soundtracks, this track in AC4 gets me hyped like no other when hijacking ships: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdqDRF_cnK4&list=PL3bgP3wfXlXoEEjG77aTT32H6FYUOCQ7_ So fucking good.
Speaking of soundtracks, this track in AC4 gets me hyped like no other when hijacking ships: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdqDRF_cnK4&list=PL3bgP3wfXlXoEEjG77aTT32H6FYUOCQ7_ So fucking good.
Oh, the DLC doesn't take place on the main ACIV map but has an ACIII (or Liberation I guess) city? Man, I should check it out. Was waiting until I finished the main game.
And yeah, I agree. First time looking forward to an AC DLC with Freedom Cry thanks to ACIV being such a, mostly, great job. I'm kind of bummed there's only going to be one DLC for it.
And yeah, the soundtrack is awesome. It's gotten me into Sea Shanties. Great stuff, and the main soundtrack is fantastic too. Standing on the edge of a jungle, staring out to sea as the sunset goes down and epic music is playing adds a lot. And the sea shanties add so much immersion to the sailing and make it really feel like Skyrim-esque rpg living. They did a fantastic job at world creating in this one.
I think if a game like this had come out when the main overall AC story was interesting and mysterious and this had stuff like the ACII Subject 16 puzzles, it'd probably be as good as ACII was. The problem is that the AC over-arching real world story is no longer particularly interesting so it's hard to make that gripping double narrative like Ezio had.
Did the Avellone mission. Kind of pointless. I mean it's extremely competent but it's basically a totally scripted stealth mission where the enemies line up right in your sights and you hit kill to assassinate them and move forward until the next guys show up right in front of you + scripted chase sequences.
Nothing in it was bad, and it's interesting in that while playing it I imagined the same mission playing as Ezio with Leonardo or one of his buddies as they search for a lost treasure and suddenly the same scripted everything would've been about 10x more compelling and an enjoyable 1 hour romp. Just goes to show how much AC needs a good narrative/characters or else all their running and stealth killing is just kind of boring on its own.
Anyhow, I was also thinking about all the OCD collection items in ACIV which is one of its few issues and I think it stems from the developers spending all this time crafting these 3-4 dozen unique locations and you spend like...15 mins in some of them so the collectibles are the way to get players to actually explore and get to know these areas the designers worked hard to make. Thinking about it, I would've rather have 10 locations that were really fleshed out and you spent at least a few hours in story-wise each and got to know then the "biggest map in an AC!" with all dozens of locations that are mainly tiny and same-y that we got. I remember AC:B and how well you really got to know every nook and cranny of Rome and how you really got to know Venice and Florence in ACII because you spent so much of the story in each of them.
In ACIV you have this big city of Havana, which is cool, and you spend like an hour and then you never see it again. The areas after that you spend even less time, with a single mission or optional mission at each usually. Like 15-30 mins total. I kind of hope ACV doesn't try to top ACIV with an even larger map if it's going to be as cut & paste and filled with collectibles because you never really get to know any of the areas. I'd like to see an AC like Brotherhood again with one or two great big areas that you unlock piece by piece that are very fleshed out and interesting. ACIII only had 3 areas but it didn't help that everywhere in Boston and NY looked the same and the Frontier was so empty so there was nothing to really get to know.
I dunno, just some thoughts. Almost done fully upgrading the Jackdaw and got 3/4th of the map cleared at this point. Probably will do the rest of the story until the final sequence and then do the final bottom left 1/4th of the map and all the Abstergo FPS stuff before I clear the plotline.
Nothing in it was bad, and it's interesting in that while playing it I imagined the same mission playing as Ezio with Leonardo or one of his buddies as they search for a lost treasure and suddenly the same scripted everything would've been about 10x more compelling and an enjoyable 1 hour romp. Just goes to show how much AC needs a good narrative/characters or else all their running and stealth killing is just kind of boring on its own.
Anyhow, I was also thinking about all the OCD collection items in ACIV which is one of its few issues and I think it stems from the developers spending all this time crafting these 3-4 dozen unique locations and you spend like...15 mins in some of them so the collectibles are the way to get players to actually explore and get to know these areas the designers worked hard to make. Thinking about it, I would've rather have 10 locations that were really fleshed out and you spent at least a few hours in story-wise each and got to know then the "biggest map in an AC!" with all dozens of locations that are mainly tiny and same-y that we got. I remember AC:B and how well you really got to know every nook and cranny of Rome and how you really got to know Venice and Florence in ACII because you spent so much of the story in each of them.
In ACIV you have this big city of Havana, which is cool, and you spend like an hour and then you never see it again. The areas after that you spend even less time, with a single mission or optional mission at each usually. Like 15-30 mins total. I kind of hope ACV doesn't try to top ACIV with an even larger map if it's going to be as cut & paste and filled with collectibles because you never really get to know any of the areas. I'd like to see an AC like Brotherhood again with one or two great big areas that you unlock piece by piece that are very fleshed out and interesting. ACIII only had 3 areas but it didn't help that everywhere in Boston and NY looked the same and the Frontier was so empty so there was nothing to really get to know.
I dunno, just some thoughts. Almost done fully upgrading the Jackdaw and got 3/4th of the map cleared at this point. Probably will do the rest of the story until the final sequence and then do the final bottom left 1/4th of the map and all the Abstergo FPS stuff before I clear the plotline.
Wait, only 1 DLC? Why are they flogging a season pass then?
There's Blackbeards Wrath too but that might be a multiplayer DLC pack.
iNvid02
Member
sort of pointless even if you played them all, its just there to reinforce the concept that abstergo entertainment is behind these animus experiences now. maybe to promote liberation hd which comes out next month too
Liferebooted
Banned
I think I might actually have to get the season pass for this one.
SJRB
Gold Member
That was actually the part I liked most, haha. I think the concept is amazing, it's just that Ubi's writing is about as subtle as a brick to the face.
I was so disappointed that it really didn't go anywhere, it just sort of "happens".
Also - why in gods name a skull instead of a Piece of Eden? To go for the more "exotic" feel I suppose? The pieces of Eden are a series trademark item since the very first game.
Doctor Ninja
Sphincter Speaker
I just finished the game. And despite my disdain for a lot of the series' mechanics, I am glad I gave this one the benefit of the doubt because Black Flag is probably my favorite of the series.
Naval gameplay has improved since AC3 with Upgrades and level of power. The hunt for upgrades and doing missions for them is quite satisfying. I love how money is now used for the ship so it gives motivation to actually try to make a fortune in contrast to previous games where money can be gained easily and get all the upgrades early on in the game. Sailing in AC4 is one of the most fun experiences I had with the series.
And I gotta say Edward is a surprisingly fine character when you compare him to Connor or even Altair.He is up their with Ezio in being a great character for the series and have enough unique quirks to make him stand out. And I dare to say that the ending where
is my favorite ending in the entire series and probably the only good one (AC2 had an okay one.)
Naval gameplay has improved since AC3 with Upgrades and level of power. The hunt for upgrades and doing missions for them is quite satisfying. I love how money is now used for the ship so it gives motivation to actually try to make a fortune in contrast to previous games where money can be gained easily and get all the upgrades early on in the game. Sailing in AC4 is one of the most fun experiences I had with the series.
And I gotta say Edward is a surprisingly fine character when you compare him to Connor or even Altair.He is up their with Ezio in being a great character for the series and have enough unique quirks to make him stand out. And I dare to say that the ending where
Edward gives flower to his daughter and we see her sailing with him during the credits
Ugh tried forever to get a gaming session in the Game Lab last night to no avail. I just want that out of the way so I get the Trophy and can then focus solely on Wolfpack for the final multiplayer trophies. Better improve today. I can imagine it being bare cos fuck me is the multiplayer UI dogshit - worse than EA games. Most people probably don't even know what Game Lab is, let alone how to navigate to a game start in it.
The skull is a Piece of Eden unless you mean the Apples? Which didn't factor in AC3 (Except for Desmond's thing) or Liberations either.
Did you read the Messages in the bottles? It's about
The previous Sage I believe and explains most stuff. I waited till I had all of them before I read them.
I also found most of the Present stuff you get from Hacking Interesting, but the Subject Zero stuff is just too long for me. And they don't let you read it while it plays, or else I might have bothered to skim through it. Though some of the hacking "games" were a little annoying...well mostly the frogger one.
I read some of the bottle messages and then gave up once most of them were filled with uninteresting nonsense.
I do agree with the hacking stuff though. Lot of interesting stuff in there. The frogger hack was all sorts of garbage.
Tal Shiar Agent
Member
The Observatory
First Civilization
Crystal skulls are established Pieces of Eden in AC Canon. They act as long-range communication devices allowing for instantaneous telepathy over massive distances. The Observatory used a modified Crystal Skull to telepathically spy on other people.
Neuromancer
Member
I just took down a legendary ship but never boarded it, is that normal or did I miss my window?
Normal, just sink it and loot the gold.
Neuromancer
Member
Ok thanks.
Travis Touchdown
Member
I'm still at 5% but it seems like it's going to be the best AC I've ever played.
Anyone else?
Anyone else?
SpoonyBard
Banned
Is it just me, or are the cities in the game a bit boring compared to the bigger cities in AC3, for example? I'm thinking Havana and Kingston mainly, I don't know know if there are other more interesting cities later in the game...
Yeah there is not as much going on in them. Despite that they look a billion times better than the cities in AC3 which were all the same and extremely dull. It was certainly nice to look around at least, heh.
I think Havana is really nice. Wish they fleshed out the districts in it more and had more story time there. Nassau is...uh, kind of fun I guess. Kingston I still haven't explored fully but it seems just kind of generic.
Then again I thought Boston and NY were totally generic in ACIII. Havana is probably about on par with Constantinople on a smaller scale. Last really good city we got was Rome in Brotherhood.
Then again I thought Boston and NY were totally generic in ACIII. Havana is probably about on par with Constantinople on a smaller scale. Last really good city we got was Rome in Brotherhood.
SJRB
Gold Member
I like how colorful the cities are, especially Havanna. I just hope we get a proper big city again the next time, these are so small. Especially Kingston and Nassau are way too small. However, the rooftop traversal is really well done, they've put a lot of thought in different routes to keep the flow going. Especially with the trees and stuff, I really enjoy running around.
I just don't understand why there have to be snipers everywhere. I mean, rooftop parkour is one of the fundamental principles of this game and they have these awesome routes, and then they fuck it all up by having eagle-eyed snipers all over the place that spot you before they even appear on the minimap. It's like getting pulled over in GTAV everytime you drive through a red light.
SpoonyBard
Banned
I must confess that AC3 is the first AC that I played, and while the cities were kind of generic (similar looking buildings block after block), I thought they had quite lot of interesting side stuff happening. With AC4 I feel like I'm just going through the motions with the side quest stuff... free some pirates, look for chests, do an assassination or two and repeat. The fun stuff is happening at the sea in this game.
SJRB
Gold Member
Yup. No more announcers yelling the latest news. No beggars, no kids, no random events. No more horses, no thugs trying to rob you, no mistrals singing songs [outside of the lifeless taverns].
Also a severe lack of ambient background "city" sounds. They may be small details, but when added up result in a pretty lifeless, soulless city.
I don't remember half that stuff happening in ACIII. Guess sometimes details are so small, you don't even notice them at times.
What do you mean by random events though? I thought they just had couriers to loot like ACIV cities do.
Definitely no horses here, but that sort of makes sense considering the lack of land and sea everywhere. Taverns are pretty much the same as the pubs in ACIII.
The MP looks pretty bland graphically even on the PS4, so I'd say no.
I experienced an odd glitch when I dived into the water to board a ship:
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=22BDD936361293FC!833
Nothing a reload couldn't solve, but pretty weird.
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=22BDD936361293FC!833
Nothing a reload couldn't solve, but pretty weird.
Wolfpack is so fucking frustrating. The amount of players out there with total disregard for the way you're supposed to play and essentially fucking it up for other players. Constantly hitting only sequence 13 or so in groups cos there is no understanding of how to truly progress and make the most out of the point system. By playing properly you not only improve your understanding of the mode but you're benefiting yourselves level-wise (exp upon completion is pretty huge) and helping others in that process.
Then I get in to a game with just one other player and boom, we finished the entire mode cos we both played to perfection pretty much.
You win some, you lose some.
Hacking in the modern part of the game allows you to read the entirety of that email. Some interesting hints - all of which I'd like to see be turned in to an Assassin's Creed game.
Then I get in to a game with just one other player and boom, we finished the entire mode cos we both played to perfection pretty much.
You win some, you lose some.
Hacking in the modern part of the game allows you to read the entirety of that email. Some interesting hints - all of which I'd like to see be turned in to an Assassin's Creed game.
-Deadpool-
Member
I've had this too once.
Just beat the game
I'd say it's easily the best next gen game so far(though I haven't played the X1 exclusive games yet). Loved the music in the game, and the graphics were ok when you're on foot, but on the sea they were breathtaking, really felt like I was sailing around the Caribbean.
The story was decent. Ubi really nailed the pirate experience though.
That ending was abrupt, totally didn't expect the game to end there
I'd say it's easily the best next gen game so far(though I haven't played the X1 exclusive games yet). Loved the music in the game, and the graphics were ok when you're on foot, but on the sea they were breathtaking, really felt like I was sailing around the Caribbean.
The story was decent. Ubi really nailed the pirate experience though.
fattymcfats
Neo Member
My boyfriend and I typically use the same PSN and Uplay account when we both play the same game. I'm about 40 hours into the game so far and he's starting to play now. He just unlocked Kenway's Fleet in his game and it's the same fleet from my save because we're both tied to the same PSN/Uplay account.
Does anyone know if there's a way to get around this? I think the Uplay account is tied to the PSN account so I'm not sure if he could create a new one and use that in his game or the mobile app.
Does anyone know if there's a way to get around this? I think the Uplay account is tied to the PSN account so I'm not sure if he could create a new one and use that in his game or the mobile app.
Better than Mario?
I think SM3DW, though really charming, is a bit overrated, so yes. I doubt I'll be putting in as much time into 3D World (already at world 8 after maybe 5 or so hours) as I did into this game.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Finished the main story with an overall 75% completion rate. The last few chapters kind of soured me on the gameplay. Lots of bugs and unforgiving fail state missions that just got on my nerves.
The vast majority of the story missions are comprised of tailing and eavesdropping and are annoying as shit. They just aren't fun at all. Having these rigid mission structures with plenty of fail states just does not suit the gameplay, in my opinion.
Right now, I remember myself enjoying ACIII more overall, but ACIV definitely has the better protagonist. Not even a contest, really. I just think the core story and missions were done better in ACIII (although they weren't particularly great, either). ACIV felt a lot more slapped together an incoherent, although some of the early parts were quite interesting. I like how they handled the modern day stuff this time, but damn it certainly didn't end how I expected. Maybe I need to go back and hack all of the computers to get more from the story, but I think I'm tired of that.
The basic pirating stuff was fun at first, but that gameplay loop got tiresome pretty quickly. I think they would have done well to dramatically reduce the number of ships in the ocean and make the encounters more challenging and rewarding. Each encounter played out way too similarly for them to occur that frequently. The hunter ships were pointless, and after a few upgrades to the Jackdaw (mortars, especially) you could just demolish anything that came in your path. Wasn't a fan of the menu based context-less fleet minigame much, either.
Overall, I had a good time with the game, and thought Edward was great, but I really hope they go back to the drawing board a little bit for the next game when it comes to the gameplay. The controls, especially, need to go back to where they were before ACIII or evolve in a different direction, because they are just awful right now. They're great at creating atmosphere and offering a very polished presentation with great sound and graphics, but I think the gameplay needs a shakeup big time.
The vast majority of the story missions are comprised of tailing and eavesdropping and are annoying as shit. They just aren't fun at all. Having these rigid mission structures with plenty of fail states just does not suit the gameplay, in my opinion.
Right now, I remember myself enjoying ACIII more overall, but ACIV definitely has the better protagonist. Not even a contest, really. I just think the core story and missions were done better in ACIII (although they weren't particularly great, either). ACIV felt a lot more slapped together an incoherent, although some of the early parts were quite interesting. I like how they handled the modern day stuff this time, but damn it certainly didn't end how I expected. Maybe I need to go back and hack all of the computers to get more from the story, but I think I'm tired of that.
The basic pirating stuff was fun at first, but that gameplay loop got tiresome pretty quickly. I think they would have done well to dramatically reduce the number of ships in the ocean and make the encounters more challenging and rewarding. Each encounter played out way too similarly for them to occur that frequently. The hunter ships were pointless, and after a few upgrades to the Jackdaw (mortars, especially) you could just demolish anything that came in your path. Wasn't a fan of the menu based context-less fleet minigame much, either.
Overall, I had a good time with the game, and thought Edward was great, but I really hope they go back to the drawing board a little bit for the next game when it comes to the gameplay. The controls, especially, need to go back to where they were before ACIII or evolve in a different direction, because they are just awful right now. They're great at creating atmosphere and offering a very polished presentation with great sound and graphics, but I think the gameplay needs a shakeup big time.
Grimm Fandango
Member
Is there a PC group I can join to benefit from the Uplay stuff?
"GrimmJob" is my account if anybody wants to add me.
"GrimmJob" is my account if anybody wants to add me.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
I just installed Revelations to confirm my dislike of the post-ACIII controls, and damn, it's like night and day. They feel great compared to the unreliable crap we have in ACIII and ACIV. No random jumping and clinging on to everything in the environment, because you actually have to press a button to initiate the jump. Combat feels a ton better, too.
They should really just revert back to this.
They should really just revert back to this.
Did anything happen after the credits? I watched it up to
, then the screen went black for more crediting goodness, so I went and watched something else.
Nah, the only way is with a brand new PSN account.
talking to your daughter on the ship
Nah, the only way is with a brand new PSN account.
I do agree that Ubisoft went out on a limb and made an entirely new engine with ACIII...which did almost nothing different (and didn't really look that much better) yet
-Controlled worse
&
-Performed WAY worse (especially on PC where the ACII series ran at 60-100fps no problem and ACIII struggled at 30-60 on good setups)
This is one of the few examples of game franchises building a new engine that basically...is worse than the previous engine. I'm guessing it'd be really embarassing for Ubisoft to acknowledge the engine they sank all that money and year of development into was a failure and to go back to the old engine. At best they'll keep updating the new engine each year until it feels and runs closer to the old engine.
It just appeared to the right of the main single player menu as soon as I booted the game up for the first time. I don't think it's in the store.