With rumors swirling that Ubisoft is working on a remake ofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, gamers worldwide are already anticipating stepping back into the shoes of pirate protagonist Edward Kenway. Though lauded by fans as one of the best entries in the franchise, aremake ofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagcould still stand to take a few lessons from the games that followed on its heels. Taking what players loved aboutBlack Flagand incorporating some of the best parts of its sequels would let Ubisoft pay homage to a classic while still delivering an experience that feels fresh.
Remaking a beloved title likeAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagputs Ubisoft in a difficult position, forced to walk a tightrope between playing it safe by diving into nostalgia or potentially alienating fans by introducing new mechanics. But by carefully choosing the best features of its successors to add to aBlack Flagremake and integrating them in a way that feels natural, Ubisoft could create a game that is appealing to both fans of the 2013 original and new players.
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Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Deserves a Livelier World
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagwas widely praised for its expansive, realistic ocean filled with various ports of call, but the game could feel decidedly less lifelike once on dry land thanks to sparsely populated cities. Cities like Havana, which duringBlack Flag’s 18th-century setting was the third-largest city in the Americas, often felt like ghost towns. WhileBlack Flag’s three main cities wouldn’t need to be as densely populated asAssassin’s Creed Unity’s Paris, the addition of some extra NPCs to fill out the streets could help make the game world feel more lived-in.
Adding some population density to the world could also give players more to do inAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. The game’s central narrative makes for a thrilling tale, but there was little for players to do off the beaten path. Peppering the cities with NPCs offering side quests could create opportunities for new adventures and help to flesh out the world. Rather than following the lead of theside quests inAssassin’s Creed Odysseyand later entries by overwhelming players with busywork and fetch quests,Black Flag’s optional missions could be more focused and potentially tie into the main story.
Recent Assassin’s Creed Games Provide a Template for a More Fleshed-Out World
One feature that would fit well with anAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremake would be the addition of a Discovery Tour mode. First introduced inAssassin’s Creed Origins, the series’ Discovery Tours give players a chance to learn more about the real-world history of each game’s setting in a combat-free game mode. Even if Ubisoft chooses not to go all-in with a whole new mode for the remake, theHistory of Baghdad inAssassin’s Creed Miragecould serve as a template for a smaller, history-focused addition toBlack Flag.
Another feature from2017’sAssassin’s Creed Originsthat would pair well with anAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremake is the ability to scout out the map using an airborne assistant. Perching a parrot atop Edward Kenway’s shoulder throughout the game would probably be a little too on the nose, butBlack Flagcould still benefit from giving players a quick and easy way to get an overview of the game world. While this could create some minor continuity problems, Ubisoft could easily come up with an in-game justification for Kenway’s newfound avian ally.
Even witheleven newAssassin’s Creedgamesreportedly in the works at the moment, Ubisoft can’t afford to release a low-effort remake. As the high-profile failure of releases likeGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogyhave shown, nostalgia can only drive so many sales before negative word of mouth turns players away. But by taking some lessons from the series’ past while retaining what made the game a hit in the first place, a remake ofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagcould be one of the franchise’s best entries yet.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagis available natively on PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Wii U.
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