Assassin’s Creed® IV Black Flag™

So far its really good , only bug i found was not being able to open kenway's fleet but you can easily fix it by reverting your version to 1.7 or downloading a mod to fix it. Beautiful environment, ship combat is extremely good, stealth feels amazing and parkour is good, combat is meh its just parry kill combo kill. If you're an achievement hunter i don't recommend , multiplayer achievements are garbage

for an old game it was one of my favorites besides 2 3 and many others this one deserves a remaster along with smoother controls

Perfectly accurate game and completely immersive experience. I've played multiple save files and it never gets old. 100% recommend.

Yuh, One of the best ac games, best pirate game oat till this day. sea shanties are goated, wouldnt mind a remake with updated graphics, I would hope for a free one just as an update but knowing ubisoft that wont happen. Wish I could crouch instead of having to bush camp for stealth. Also I should be able to dive underwater whenever I want, thatd be cool. Overall: 8/10.

so I have had this game sitting in my library for years and finally decided to play it.

what a game, it just hits you different.
story: making slow progress as you try and grind your way to a better life only for it to come crumbling back down but u carry on. [so recently I been feeling a little depressed and sad after a friend passed away and it made me realise that we are not here for long]. hitting rock bottom but life goes on. so when the game threw me that curve ball, I was not sure how to react. after enjoying the initial experience I was having fun, taking strongholds as i explored the map, even taking on the big 4 battleships as it got me hooked. but slowly the game takes away everything from you. probably just me but I loved/hated how it was done, made me not want to carry on playing. loosing people and having to move on. its the highs and lows of the sea. for a game it sure did make me feel .....

gameplay,
1, hated all the collectables I had to freaking hunt down, waste of time and there are too many ( i would say do it all after you get the diving bell so you can finish the story and not have to linger on after the story ends just to collect them all, even avoid as its no point but i would suggest to explore early on. even did the 4 battleships before moving to the next mission)
2,needed more story and interactions between characters, it felt a little rushed. i just wanted to see more interaction between different characters
3, Uplay
4, the freaking ui, so trash it just feels annoying.
5, a lot more but ill just keep this short

but just for the unique experience its given me. its going in my must play list. a life of a pirate is short but its full of booty. see you on the high seas.

This is one of my close favorites of the Assassin's Creed series, keeping true to the style of exploration and feel of gameplay of the earlier games, while adding an enormous sea to explore with an immaculate ship loop.

The characters are some of the relative best the series has to offer, aside from the Abstergo segments, which just remind me how much I hate Corporate America and immediately mention that one AC nobody cared about, but the plot is good. The only real complaint I have about the game is that the majority of upgrades beyond holsters are useless whereas they were not in Ezio's campaigns, despite being very similar. The old health and medicine would fit just fine in the Caribbean. The outfits also don't add up, Ezio's Wolf Armor is leagues above anything you can wear in Black Flag, the unlockables being more drippy than the most functional armors, like the Mayan Armor, which simply isn't necessary to get when you can instead dress like a redcoat.

Whereas with Ezio you were in awe on the ground and in the dark conspiratory chambers, with Kenway you will only feel that in the sea. Maybe that's actually the perfect illustration of how Kenway as a man felt commanding his vessel. The endgame ghost ships are peak tension your first time around.

The fleet minigame is also cool, a neat adaption of Ezio's brotherhoods, but I would love to be able to see the fleet ships like we could see our members as Ezio, if not upgrade them or even command them ourselves.

If Black Flag had a Port Royale level minigame instead of the fleets, that gave a fraction of it's profits to Kenway like Ezio could get in his campaigns, I could easily put a few hundred hours in the game.

Best AC game, purely because it's also the best pirate game. Unfortunately, I had to refund it because the game crashed and refused to go full screen, and nothing I've tried worked. If this game can somehow work for your device, I 100% recommend it, it's very fun.

This game doesnt launch anymore dont buy it. I also heard a lot of people saying support wont help them. I also got declined a refund because its been over two weeks which I would normally not have a problem with but this game doesnt even launch. So in the end I dont know if the game is good because it doesnt even work.

> Install game, Excited to re-play a classic
> Game installs Ubisoft connect without permission
> Deletes Ubisoft connect
> Game won't run without it
> Refund


Valve seriously needs remove third party launchers. I've already paid for the game on steam, I don't need nor want Ubisoft's adware on my pc.

OH and I just looked at my DLCS, if you don't connect to Uplay, you won't get the DLCs you paid for. Just don't buy this game.

Yargh me matey! Them swashbucklers made me favorite game require Ubisoft connect

its Black Flag a Nice game a Big sea Game i like the Ships and Sea i was liked Before

"I come for ye booty" as a certain pirate fox says in a certain franchise game yet the only thing i'm doing in this game is causing mass genocide to anyone that dares sail near my boat. Other then that, good game to kill people in a pirate-y way

Ubisoft, I'm having trouble with Assassin's Creed Black Flag. When I log in on different computers one at a time and launch the single-player game, my story progress is lost, and I'm forced to start a new game. My saved game should be preserving my progress why is this happening? Please help!

I literally can't even play the god damn game, not only do you need an Ubisoft account, but you also need an activation key to even verify that you have this 12 year old game. On top of all that, I can't even reset my Ubisoft account password, it says that it sends an email to change the password and it never comes. How tf does anyone justify playing an Ubisoft game? I don't think I've enjoyed a single one.

Fun game just allot of the tailing missions are annoying but the naval combat is fantastique plus those finnishers are good too!

It is not a game. It is the journey. The beautiful map and is very color full. The naval combat are perfect . And very big open world game .this game is emotionally connect for me I live as a pirate . and on kind request please remake this game UbiSoft.this type games no ome can give in gaming industry . maybe someone give better than this game but no one give this exact of type game. Thank you for the wonderful experience.

This game is one of the best games in the Assassin's Creed series. Personally, I rate it just behind AC2 as I am a huge fan of Ezio Auditore saga and how it was told. Ironically, this game is maybe the most "not AC flavor" game, but it does not matter as it is simply great. The open seas, pirates, ships, cannons and pillaging sets it apart from other AC games, but makes it top the AC franchise charts with it's own character and feel.

The world and gameplay are what this game is all about. On land this game is a standard variation of an AC formula, with some very small changes in comparison with the previous installment in the franchise. Mostly there is nothing new there. However, when you set sail in your ship it becomes a vastly different and completely new experience. You are traversing open waters with songs bursting on your deck, handling the storms, chaotic winds and tricky shallow straits, raining cannon fire on armadas of other ships and even island forts. You are pillaging and/or taking prisoners once you defeat the captains of the ships you board. The game has completely nailed the feeling of a pirate, with the gameplay to back it up.

The story is alright, but a bit lacking behind AC2 in my opinion. It is interesting at times, as you uncover what is going on in the old world of Assassins and Templars. Also, there is a change in the way the story works when you are not reliving memory sequences, some may like it, some may not. It was interesting enough as it has a good dose of mystery that drives it.

Characters are many and there is a plethora of really interesting ones, including Charles Vance, Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch and so on. If you are into this time period and these "historical" figures, you will be pleasantly surprised by what they have done with the characters and the twists they have put on them. Also, there is some really good voice acting by great actors that will better the experience tenfold.

As mentioned in the begining, the gameplay is king. Especially when it comes to the ship and while you are on it. On foot it's just a regular AC game with all it's flaws. What sometimes took it away from me are some features and good old Ubisoft bugs. I was not a huge fan of shark/whale hunting, nor deep diving (although it looked gorgeous). There are many features that just weren't working at the time of my playthrough, as well as bugs and crashes. The biggest pain was the uPlay app that would not "conenct to their severs" 8/10 and therefore create issues with many things in the game.

All in all, I would highly recommend this game to anyone that wants some Assassin's Creed, but especially to people who are fans of pirates and everything that comes with that territory. You will maybe be annoyed by the old game design sometimes, or by some features and some bugs, but you will certainly not be disappointed. Far from it.

Look this game is amazing and a classic. But i absolutely hate ubisoft for making me jump through hoops and loops and their game launcher forcing me to go online and stay online for a game that is 12 years old. It is the most frustrating thing and it absolutely does impact my experience with the game.
(edit) and after finally getting through the launcher game is more buggy than it was a decade ago, kenways fleet won't even load for me so i wont be able to 100% the game unless i download a mod that fixes it.

Definitely Great Game ofcourse there are some stupid stuff in this game that we don't need but Story and gameplay is great
Definitely Recommend 👍🏻

Best AC even today. I remember staying awake for a whole day to continue playing this game. Story is great, graphic isnt that bad in modern standards. Audio was actually good.
Naval combat is highk good, last good AC by ubisoft
Also the only game from ubisoft i recommend playing, except maybe splinter cell

davy jones must be having a field day with all the poor sailors i've sent to davy jones's locker

ending also made me cry like a little bitch

0/10 not enough hot sex with bartholomew roberts

A man's journey from poverty to prosperity, then to the betrayal of the family, and finally to the realization, rise again.
The story is intertwined with love and hate, humanity and animalism, savagery and tenderness.
This is the gentlest of the Assassin's Creed series, and it brings back a lot of memories.

👍 Pros:

Immersive Naval Exploration
Sailing the Caribbean aboard the Jackdaw offers a seamless and engaging experience. The naval combat is dynamic, with opportunities to upgrade your ship, engage in sea battles, and explore a vast open world.
Wikipedia

Rich Pirate Narrative
The story of Edward Kenway provides a compelling look into the life of a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy. His interactions with historical figures and personal growth add depth to the narrative.

Vibrant Open World
The game features a diverse and beautifully rendered environment, including bustling cities, dense jungles, and hidden coves. The attention to detail enhances the sense of immersion and adventure.

👎 Cons:

Repetitive Mission Structure
Some missions, particularly in the main storyline, can feel repetitive, often involving similar objectives like tailing or eavesdropping, which may diminish the overall excitement.

Underwhelming Modern-Day Segments
The present-day storyline lacks the intrigue and engagement found in the historical setting, potentially disrupting the immersive experience of the main narrative.
GamesRadar+

Simplistic Combat Mechanics
While functional, the combat system doesn't offer much depth, relying on basic attack and counter patterns that can become monotonous over time.

My Review of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

As a big fan of the Assassin’s Creed series, Black Flag felt very different to me — but in a good way. The game focuses a lot on naval exploration and ship battles, which was a new and exciting experience. At first, I found the ship combat a bit hard, but after some upgrades and practice, it became more fun and satisfying.

Edward Kenway is a strong and interesting main character, and I enjoyed his journey from a pirate to an Assassin. The open world is beautiful, full of islands, secrets, and treasure hunts. The story is also well-written and keeps you engaged until the end.

If you enjoy pirate adventures and Assassin’s Creed lore, this game is worth playing. Just be ready for some challenging sea battles in the beginning!

Rating: 8.5/10

why the hell do I need to use an app to play a game released before the app even existed. ubisoft, ea, rockstar ...etc every company that requires a useless application to play their games should all go bankrupt. just another hurtle in the way for no reason.

Dont waste your money on anything UBISOFT. They are not the same company who made this amazing game that doesnt even work anymore because UBISOFT makes you use the worthless APP they tether to it. UBISOFT is trash and deserve to fall into the ashes of forgotten.

The game itself seems brilliant however...

Ubisoft Connect is the deal breaker here. After jumping through several hoops just to create an account and log in, the game froze and failed to start.

To add insult to injury, it then required me to log in with my password again just to try another attempt. Apparently this is the case every time you want to launch the game.

Shame this aspect of it is a show-stopper for what seems like an otherwise promising Assassin's Creed title.

Ubisoft installer requires log in each time and refuses to connect half the time. I just want to play a single player game ffs

2 reasons for a negative review:
1. Ubisoft Connect. That piece of crap keeps asking me to re-log in every time I try to launch the game. Every. Time.
2. Kenway's fleet is bugged. Trying to access it just puts me in an infinite loading screen and you can't achieve 100% completion without interacting with it. Had to download a mod to fix it. This seems to have been an issue for years for many people and Ubisoft, of course, has not bothered fixing it.

I love the game, but having to type your password into Ubisoft's launcher every time you play is annoying.

Also, can't access Kenway's fleet.

Super fun game. One of the best AC games there is. Cant wait for the sequel if they make it

Love the game and its story, but yeah... fighting Ubisoft Connect is harder than anything inside the game. Top tier experience. Forced to log in just to play, constant failures, then getting suspended. Amazing job, Ubisoft. Truly next level.

This is easily one of my favorite Assassin’s Creed games. The freedom and beauty of the open ocean give it a sense of adventure unlike anything else in the series. Sailing, exploring, and sea combat all feel incredibly immersive and smooth. The mechanics are easy to pick up, and the gameplay just pulls you in.

Whether you're a longtime fan or totally new to Assassin’s Creed, this is a great entry point. It captures everything the series does well—and then adds pirates.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely.

Simple and fun stealth game. U need to time your attack and run away quickly when injured. The graphics also quite nice.

The game itself is great. Some of the assassin missions get eh but fall in line with the franchise. The biggest issue is how bad Ubisoft Connect is and that it needs to load for you to play, even though you got the game on Steam. That alone is minus 5/10 on a score. Single player game, can't play it when Ubisoft Connect crashes. Logic 404

Wan't to play but ubisoft's service is unavailable? TOO BAD! Enjoy being locked out of a single-player game.

Ubisoft's probably last best game, the next 2 were only 'good', not best

A fantastic game I was really hoping to play it again like in the good old days. Unfortunately, the moment I launch it, the game shuts down, and none of the advice online from people who faced the same issue has helped. It's a shame to see how low this company has fallen. Maybe it's some kind of marketing trick let’s make it as hard as possible for you to access the game so that out of sheer frustration, you'll end up spending $60 on a newer version of the same thing, which will probably be released soon anyway.

nostalgic. been playing this game since my elementary days. Buying it and playing it again in PC is a wholesome

I only give a negative review because somebody at Ubisoft decided to put multiplayer achievements. For me the game crashes when i try to go multiplayer. AND WHY IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER DO YOU NEED UBISOFT CONNECT WHEN YOU BUY A GAME ON STEAM!

Beside that this game is really nice and a better choice then AC Shadows :)

Would you like to 100% this game? It's fun, great classic Assassin's Creed game. Some consider it the best of the series. However, if you are trying to enjoy the game while 100%'ing this game, the answer is No. Unless the community is aware of a go around, a companion app got shut down a few years back. Yes I get it, users stopped playing it, and it was likely drawing on the bottom line. But not a workaround placed on the game (that I am aware of, given my search through google/etc)?! Nope. The game will remain unfinished.

Have a way to beat this game? Leave a comment, I'd love your input.

Does not load on Windows 11. Requires reinstalling microsoft visuals c++ and completing a series of google searches in order to start the game. Ubisoft connect requires password everytime the PC is restarted. Refunded this product and now I have a bad taste in my mouth which will prevent me from purchasing Ubisoft games.

Great game bought it years ago and absolutely loved it so when i saw that ubisoft added acheivements to the game i was instantly down to play through it again. However when i launched the game it crashed instantly on startup. took me about an hour of troubleshooting and eventualy googling the problem before i got it running. This shouldn't be the case for a game that they are still asking money for.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag isn’t just an Assassin’s Creed game — it’s a full-blown pirate simulator that accidentally remembered it’s part of a stealthy assassin franchise halfway through. And thank God for that, because sailing the Caribbean as Edward Kenway, a charming rogue with questionable morals and excellent hair, is one of the best things Ubisoft has ever done.

Instead of the typical "climb a tower, stab a guy, repeat" formula, Black Flag throws you into an open sea of opportunities. You command your own ship, the Jackdaw, and set off into the horizon to plunder, pillage, harpoon whales, raid forts, collect sea shanties, and occasionally do some actual assassin work. But let's be honest — the assassin part is just a bonus, because being a pirate is way too fun.

The ship combat is pure joy — blasting enemy galleons with broadsides, boarding them with style, stealing their rum (and dignity), then sailing off into a sunset like a true sea legend. There’s something genuinely satisfying about building up your fleet, customizing your ship, and becoming the most feared captain in the Caribbean.

Edward himself is a breath of fresh salty air. Unlike previous brooding assassin protagonists, he’s not exactly in it for the greater good — he’s in it for gold, rum, and reckless freedom, and somehow ends up becoming a better man by accident. The character development is surprisingly solid, with moments that hit harder than expected for a game about stabbing people on boats.

The world is massive and alive, from the bustling streets of Havana to hidden jungle ruins and deserted islands. Whether you're diving into shark-infested wrecks or climbing palm trees to sync viewpoints, there's always something to distract you. And yes, you’ll collect a stupid amount of useless trinkets, but you’ll love every second of it.

Even the modern-day segments — usually a drag in AC games — are tolerable here, with a weird-but-funny "Abstergo Entertainment" office tour that plays like a corporate fever dream.

In short:
Black Flag isn’t just a good Assassin’s Creed game — it’s a great pirate game, period. If you ever wanted to be a rum-fueled sea rogue with a heart buried somewhere under treasure maps and cannonballs, this is your chance.

10/10 sea shanties. Would abandon the Brotherhood for booty again. 🏴‍☠️

This game will not launch at all no matter what I do. Ive scoured the earth looking for a solution but it literally will not start no matter what. If anybody knows how to make it work pls let me know.

The best Assassin's Creed game there is out there! No other AC game can touch this (besides the trilogy which is in its own category). This has everything you look for in a video game. 10/10 just beware the ending, you'll bawl. Only bad part is Ubisofts Uplay crap that you have to use in order to start the game.

First AC game I've ever played and I'm having a good time of it but wow Ubisoft is awful.

I really hate the launcher requiring me to input my password over and over, and I hate that my cloud saves are held on their servers so I can't play on my laptop without an internet connection.
If they would get out of my way and this was a native steam experience I'd give it a 5/5 but right now it's a 3/5.

If this is the best game in the AS series, then this series is in deep, deep shіt.

First of all, I really liked everything related to the sea. The water looks stunning, the naval battles are great — taking down two HMS ships and boarding both of them is exactly the kind of pirate experience you expect, and that’s what kept me playing until the end. The world is well-crafted overall and the story is decent ( mostly ). BUT:

I hate tailing missions. It’s the dullest thing ever. Almost every mission is tailing. Tailing on foot, tailing in the city, tailing in the wilderness, tailing on ships. On ships, for fuсk’s sake. Ship stealth is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

Second - the modern-day missions. That shіt is just boring. Sure, they only take 5–10 minutes on average, but they feel like your girl just got up and left right before the good part. Not only does it kill immersion, but they also make you solve puzzles on top of that.

Other than that, the game’s pretty fun. It really gives you that pirate freedom. You can sink or board ships, hunt for treasure, explore shipwrecks, capture forts, hunt whales - a grind paradise, which I don't mind.

Solid 6/10

The hoops you need to go through just to log in take all the fun out of this game. I will never buy another game from this company.

Sailing the high and low seas, one tailing mission at a time.

I'm slowly going through the Assassin's Creed series, and at last I've arrived at a fan favourite. ACIII impressed me with its narrative, but its gameplay aspects left me wanting more.
I do remember enjoying the brief ship sections immensely, and here we have a game that goes full bore (and full mast) into exploring naval combat.

It's the best part of the game and it's not even close. Oftentimes the waters are rather relaxed. Sailing at full speed, with the wind, shanties arise amongst the men. There's a real sense of place in the lavish, verdant West Indies.
And then: a ship, over the horizon. A storm is conjured, winds howling. High waves buffet port and starboard. Rain pelts the deck. Music blares. The man o' war fires, its lines of cannons almost challenging the thunder and lightning crackling down on all.
It is safe to say that out of every AC game to this point, these encounters were the most immersive thing I've experienced.
There were many a close call, many a relieved sigh as I go to board the enemy ship and go through the process of easily cleansing it of its lives and goods.

And that's the issue. The rest of the game, including boarding, is very, very easy, yet still finds a way to be tedious. The story is odd, its plot broken up haphazardly.
Characters are introduced, then forgotten about for great lengths, to be brought back seemingly at random. Their motivations are confusing, some twists and turns are almost completely unearned.
The plot itself has you going all around the map, but it rarely feels justified. The story missions alone are quite boring; the amount of tailing missions in this game is incredibly lazy.
There are a multitude of gameplay elements that are barely touched if you don't bother to do any of the bloated side content. Tutorial messages persist even after the 200th time I've done the action it's telling me about.
It feels like a game with so many little parts developed by groups of people. Yes, most games are precisely that. But most games hide it better.

And yet, despite all that, despite all that, I still enjoyed my time in the West Indies. The game does have a heart. Its story hits you out of nowhere at times. A key scene in the middle, and one at the very end, really did show the potential it has.
I found that I did actually care for the people I'd met. Every janky encounter, every bit of casual, seemingly meaningless dialogue, built up a sense that they were moving and breathing and living throughout the same world as me. Only later in the story did I realise the connection our main character had to them.
I even enjoyed the modern day sections, something I didn't expect with how ACIII's plot ended up. It does feel anticlimactic, but finding all the secrets was a fun and rewarding experience. It felt much more connected to those initial games than I anticipated.
I just wish it wasn't put together in such a slapdash way. There's a brilliant game here that's screaming to get out of a good one.

The end of the Golden Age of piracy is a fascinating time. Civilization is arriving, with all its great benefits and all its great faults. Seeing how these people deal with their era of freedom being crushed is truly fascinating. I won't forget my time sailing around, devastating three ships in the late game that I would have individually struggled against initially.
I just wish the game was in the oven a little longer. I wish the other AC games were too, to be honest.
But, I was impressed for a game from 2013. The PS4 and Xbox One were on their way — the seventh generation of consoles was glorious, but everything has to come to an end someday. Best go out with style.