After Ubisoft announced a slew ofAssassin’s Creedprojects last year, rumors have been circulating that it is also working on an unannouncedAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremake.Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagis one of the most popular games in the franchise, and it makes sense that the studio would want to capitalize on that success. While it will likely pay off, it also feels like Ubisoft missed a golden opportunity with theBlack Flagconcept.
Instead of remakingAssassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag, Ubisoft should have focused on creatingthe next chapter in the Kenway family’s story. As of now, Ezio is the only one who has headlined multiple mainline entries, but Edward Kenway could have been the perfect replacement. His swashbuckling adventures could have continued for an entire trilogy, and it may have ultimately been a larger hit than the iconic Ezio trilogy.
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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag 2 Was an Easy Win
After the end of the Ezio trilogy, it felt like Ubisoft did not really know how to carry on the franchise.Assassin’s Creed 3was a decent end to the Desmond Miles' story, but Connor’s personality did not compare tothe charisma of Ezio. The locale was blander, the story was not as strong, and everything about it just felt off. While it was massively successful, fans were yearning for something different, and that is whereAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagcame in.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagtook the franchise to the high seas for a brand-new pirate adventure. While it kept much of the core combat of the previous games, Ubisoft completely changed the core gameplay loop with the introduction of naval combat. Players spend more time sailing through the ocean than they did doing classic Assassin shenanigans on land, andEdward Kenway was one of the most charismatic protagonistsin the franchise. Fans instantly fell in love with the new formula, but for some reason, Ubisoft chose to abandon the premise.
Not only didAssassin’s Creed Unitytake the series in a new direction with the introduction of co-op, but it also left the entire Kenway family behind.Assassin’s Creed Roguewould replicateBlack Flag’s formula and the Kenways would bementioned inAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, but neither title compared to the fantastic adventures ofBlack Flag. Instead of exploring what fans loved, Ubisoft tried to reinvent the franchise even more with varying success.
It seems like Ubisoft is finally returning to the franchise’s roots withAssassin’s Creed Mirageandthe rumoredAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremake.Assassin’s Creed Miragelooks like everything fans have been yearning for, but theBlack Flagremake seems like a strange choice. The game came out 10 years ago and still holds up incredibly well, and a new Edward Kenway adventure could be a lot more fun. It feels way too early to remake the game, especially when the Kenway family still has so many stories waiting to be told.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, theAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremake feels like a very safe bet for Ubisoft, and that is partially what makes it unneeded. The studio knows it will be a success, which is likely why it would rather revisit this popular game than take another risk with the IP. Fans will likely flock to it, but even more fans may havejumped on a secondBlack Flaginstead. Telling new stories with these characters is usually more interesting than re-exploring the same stories again; especially when the game is barely showing its age in 2023.
Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag Remakeis rumored to be in development.
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