Remaster, remake, rerelease: gamers know the terms, but what do we expect from them—updated graphics and better quality, of course. AC Black Flag Resynced delivers that and much more. Ubisoft gives the community what it asked for in the AC franchise: a return to the seas. Few games stand the test of time, yet 2013’s Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remains a staple in gaming and is still regarded as the best in the AC series.

Taking control of Edward Kenway, an 18th-century privateer whose eyes are filled with greed and ambition, he finds himself in the pirate world, sailing the seas in the hunt for the ever-needed treasure. While life is harsh in the Caribbean, Edward finds himself smack dab in the middle of the ongoing war between the Assassins, who fight to protect free will and peace, and the Templars, who, with fear, oppression, and manipulation, seek to control humanity.

All while dealing with the political/social conflicts of this time. Alongside his swashbuckling adventures, Edward crosses paths with legendary historic characters such as Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, James Kidd, and Stede Bonnet.

Going into Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, resynced and expecting only a graphical update to be more modern, you will find yourself greatly taken aback. The team over at Ubisoft were obviously fans of the original but saw some quality-of-life improvements where needed early on, while yes, getting back behind the wheel of your beloved Jackdaw, basically the other main character of the game, is like riding a bike and fits like a glove.

Combat:

When words fail, it’s time to get dirty, still rocking the classic hidden blades, dual swords, and guns. A familiar feeling washed over me, but soon I realised a key difference: in the original game, chain takedowns from countering the enemy were all I took to take out a group.

In Resynced, a perfect parry is now all you need to quick-kill your foe. While yes, it is not as easy as the original, some more thought is now needed when engaging in combat.

The naval combat was something I adapted to quite quickly, and it’s what provoked me to seek out similar combat styles in future games, but nothing quite hit the same; here Resynced made it even better.

After launching your cannonballs and guns at an enemy ship, thick smoke now lingers across the water, temporarily blinding the view. You literally have to wait for the smoke to settle before getting a clear shot at the danger before you.

Missions:

Original missions return with revamped and newly created cutscenes and objectives. The storyline synchronisation menu has been removed, and so too have the optional side objectives. New characters seem to fit as if they should have been there 13 years ago!

Sailing:

It doesn’t feel like going from point A to point B. The seas are filled with treasure and dogfights to your heart’s content. Combat the elements with rogue waves, strong winds, and lightning storms to knock your ship around, but make sure you use full sails when those tornadoes strike and chase you down like you took the last ale at the bar. Make sure to keep your ship repaired and upgraded, as gathering materials and crew members is something you need to do while out exploring the seas.

Ship upgrades remain a strong suit, but have been given a deep love and appreciation. Edward can now recruit officers and pets to accompany him upon the Jackdaw.

Visually speaking, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag’s resync is very impressive, from the vibrant colours of the sea to the beautiful sunsets. With the Anvil engine, Ubisoft has really brought the game up to modern-day standards, and it’s well worth the effort in my opinion.

The Xbox Series X has 3 modes: quality, balanced, and performance, running at 20/40/60 fps with each mode carrying cutbacks to lighting, shadows, LoD, hair quality, etc. However, no matter your playstyle, very little tweaking was needed on setup to give you a crisp-looking game.

It wouldn’t be Black Flag without sea shanties. The audio, for the most part, is on point, with no overbearing intrusive sounds: the calm sounds of the sea mixed with the ever-classic sea shanties and combat music when the need arises. I am grateful that some things only got better and not changed.

WHAT’S CHANGED: COMPARING BLACK FLAG – 2013 vs RESYNCED

Back in 2009, Ubisoft created a game engine specifically for Assassin’s Creed known as Scimitar or, as it’s now more commonly known, Ubisoft Anvil.

Anvil is the catalyst for the heavy changes in Resynced.

Some of the key features you would notice:

• Complete modernisation for the current-gen hardware.
• Upgraded Water physics: better transparency and wave simulation
• Dynamic lighting: with PBR (Physically Based Rendering) and RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination)
• Seamless world: drastically reduced loading screen and expanded World map
• New Characters: Learn more about the West Indies as new characters such as Lucy Baldwin, The Padre, and Bernard Woodhouse emerge to aid Edward in his quests.
• Upgraded fighting mechanics: Slice and slash your way through many a foe, with new animations and abilities to help sway the battle in your favour.

As a huge fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, mainly Desmond’s story, I have felt the steady downward slope, but in recent times, with games like Mirage, I think the launch of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced was a positive move from Ubisoft. Overall, I found myself putting hours into the game without even realising it, and I was reminded why I loved these games so much.

Now, sure, there are still some scuffed things, like the AI holding objects that float in the air, but seeing this game back in 2026 brings back so much nostalgia that I never felt bored, nor did any of the changes feel game-breaking.

The fundamentals of the AC universe come from its beginnings, which is why we fell in love and still play these games today. We fell in love with being a pirate sailing the seas, plundering and looting the days away.

Now, Resynced has opened and expanded this beloved entry, a true testament to paying attention to what we love most in the franchise. You ask any Assassin’s Creed fan which game stands out the most, and more often than not, Black Flag would be mentioned. In my opinion, Resynced was a great move by Ubisoft and a great step for the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

Written by: Matiyus