Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced PS5 Review. For my money, Edward Kenway is easily one of the most interesting leads in the Assassin’s Creed series, even though he’s not actually a proper assassin for much of the game. He uses their skills and tools, yes, but only to help him achieve his goal of obtaining immeasurable wealth. He’s a charming swashbuckler that oozes charisma; he’s also selfish, arrogant, and sometime acts like a bit of an arsehole. It’s these imperfections however that make Edward such an appealing character, and revisiting his story in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced – a remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag – reaffirms just how compelling and nuanced his character arc is, putting him up there with Ezio among the series’ best protagonists. And with Resynced, Ubisoft has refined and expanded on the original in a series of meaningful ways that ensure this is the definitive pirate adventure – one that just so happens to be a fine Assassin’s Creed game, too.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced PS5 Review
A Pirate’s Life For Me
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced finds itself in the same sort of realm as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and The Last of Us: Part I as remake. By that, I mean it takes the original game and rebuilds it with sumptuous visual makeover and overhauled mechanics, but still retains the foundations of its source material. Edward’s story is still the same; he still visits legions of beautiful sun-drenched Caribbean islands, rubs shoulders with the likes of Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet, learns of the Assassin’s Brotherhood, and plunders his way across the sky-blue seas.
Cutscenes are identical to the original, albeit look a lot prettier. And, like the original Black Flag, the Jackdaw is the beating heart of Edward’s adventure. This is not a bad thing at all, and Ubisoft has been quite sagacious in what it’s changed and what remains the same. To that end, the developer hasn’t shoehorned RPG elements on Black Flag Resynced; there’s no levelled gear, enemy strength isn’t decided by arbitrary numbers and you aren’t punished for exploring off the beaten track only to find yourself mauled by the local wildlife 10 levels ahead of your character.
Conspicuous by its absence here are the modern day segments, which had you delving into Edward’s memories as a newcomer at Abstergo offices. However, this allows for a much more cohesive adventure as you aren’t being pulled out of the Animus every now and then, which to be honest really shattered your immersion.
The other biggest change that Black Flag Rescyned introduces is the combat. Enemies now have a defensive gauge that must be depleted in order to open them up to damage and instant kills, making battles a lot more strategic as you wait for the right time to parry and counterattack. A perfect parry will allow you to dispatch foes instantly with the Hidden Blade, as well as chain kills together. There’s a weighty feeling to scraps as swords clash and blows find their mark, and the controls are easy enough to get the hang of – a new dodge button makes Edward feel agile and removes some of the rigidness of the original game’s combat.
Ubisoft has also complemented the swashbuckler’s move set with a couple of melee attacks including a spartan kick and sweep, which not only aligns nicely with Edward’s scrappy fighting style but more importantly keeps battles fresh. You’ll need it too, as enemies adapt pretty well; you can’t mash one attack mindlessly and expect to come out on top, as foes will punish your accordingly.
Have At You, Matey!
Parrying can still feel a bit overpowered but is much stricter than the original Black Flag in terms of timing, and you’re limited to how many instant kills you can perform. Plus, different enemy types force you to react accordingly in the midst of a ruck; captains are tougher customers that parry your strikes; Brutes wield axes that have to be dodged to exploit their sluggish movement; and the new Demolistionist will lob grenades and use a blunderbuss to keep you on your toes.
Interestingly, Ubisoft has opted to eschew melee combat and the Hidden Blade as selectable combat techniques, with the former only used in specific sequences like bar brawls. You also can’t disarm foes and turn their own weapons against them. It’s a shame, as the option for non-lethal takedowns was nice to have, and helped keep things fresh.
Their absence doesn’t dampen Black Flag Resynced’s combat, but it does take away some player expression and freedom all the same – if you didn’t play Black Flag in 2013 on the other hand, it won’t really matter.
That’s not to say there’s no room for experimentation though. Edward’s pirate pockets are still packed with tools to open up new wrinkles of strategy, be it hanging foes from trees or yanking them in close using the rope dart, blasting enemies with your pistol for a quick kill, or nailing a burly guard with a berserker dart and watching him cut his buddies to bloody ribbons.
Personally I didn’t think the original system needed to be changed, but there’s no denying that the revamped combat in Black Flag Rescyned feels and plays great, offering greater strategic depth – plus, unlike the original, you can’t just counter and mow everyone down with instant kills. This time around, you have to work harder for your reward, and that makes it much more satisfying as a result. Is it more refined? Yes. Is it better? Not exactly, but that’s because it feels more like an alternate take on the swashbuckling nature of Black Flag’s combat, not replacing something that was poorly executed in the first place. And that’s just fine with me.
Bring Me That Horizon
The sun-soaked Caribbean open-world has also been expanded with more things to see and do. Edward can take on officers for the Jackdaw, each one granting a special perk and have their own narratives to follow in order to secure their loyalty. They’re welcome additions, and aren’t just boring reskins of existing NPCs but fleshed out characters with unique personalities and backstories that you can’t help but become invested in.
Other improvements are more subtle, but contribute to immersing you in the Golden Age of Piracy. For example, flavour dialogue has been added to NPCs and enemies alike as you explore the sun-baked islands, and Edward will comment on his findings at times, whether he’s looting corpses for treasure maps or uncovering hidden booty. It may not seem like much, but it really helps ground you in the early 1700s setting – all too often you’d explore the original game in silence outside of key missions.
There’s more islands to pillage this time around and the ability to dive anywhere offers the chance to come across new shipwrecks, leading to loot ripe for the picking.
By far the most egregious issue with 2013’s Black Flag were the eavesdropping missions, which failed you for being spotted. That no longer happens. Instead, your target will react to you if they spot you but you can still turn things around without having to reload a checkpoint, which is much-welcomed quality-of-life improvement.
Parkour also feels smooth and responsive as you clamber through trees and scale rooftops, with the addition of a manual jump button offering a bit more flexibility for Edward. The addition of a crouch button meanwhile makes a huge world of difference, as you can transition into stealth seamlessly at any point to reduce your profile instead of relying on sneaking about in tall grass and bushes. The ability to keep on the move stealthily makes a world of difference, whether you’re infiltrating an enemy stronghold or attempting to nab precious loot from under a red coat’s nose.
A Stunning Caribbean Open World Packed With Content
All this wouldn’t matter much if the core Black Flag experience (remember, this remake is still based on the foundation of the 2013 game) wasn’t much cop, but I can state unequivocally that it is – more so, in fact, as these improvements help it really shine.
The open word Caribbean setting is absolutely brimming with things to see and do, and you’re never forced to do anything you don’t want to outside of the main quest. The thing is, you’ll want to. Ship navigation and combat is still breathtakingly awesome and rewarding, and the Jackdaw now benefits from new secondary fire options to flesh out your naval warfare. Battling enemy ships before boarding them and taking their loot to fuel your upgrades (increasing your ship’s firepower, storage, reinforcing your hull and crafting holsters and new health for Edward etc) is obviously encouraged, but it’s so engaging that it never gets monotonous. Using the LR and R2 buttons to switch between different weapons is smooth and reliable, and the Jackdaw controls like a dream and feels weighty but responsive as you manoeuvre it through raging storms and face rogue waves head-on.
There’s a palpable sense of discovery and freedom at the beating heart of the Blag Flag Resynced’s Golden Age of Piracy backdrop that feels completely authentic to the era. You could be sailing on brisk winds only spot an enemy fort ripe for mortar bombardment, or use your spy glass to uncover a distant island that’s begging to be explored – only, there’s a British Man ‘O War in your path that’s begging to be robbed of its cargo, so you attack the poor buggers, board the ship and then send it to Edward’s fleet for future missions.
Plus, by splitting your time between on-foot and on the deck of the Jackdaw, the game never really has time to feel stale at all as you’re always hopping between the two.
Every Assassin’s Creed game has plenty to offer across a well-stocked map, but Black Flag Resynced absolutely nails that quintessential feeling of adventure and desire to explore perhaps more than any other entry to date.
Templar Hunts provide bite-sized narrative missions that expand the lore in meaningful ways; Assassination and Naval Contracts offer a wealth of varied missions that reward extra coin for getting creative; Shipwrecks yield precious loot; and hunting whales and sharks allow you to craft rare items for Edward. Yes, there’s a bit of repetition in certain activities that is intrinsic to pretty much any Assassin’s Creed game, but you’re not forced to do anything more than you want – and I was having so much fun peeling back the layers of the sun-soaked Caribbean, I didn’t really care.
There’s also new shanties to hunt down in the world, your very own pirate utopia complete with villa for you to decorate with various portraits, shops to expand to sell more goods, and captured ships to dispatch on timed-based missions that return more booty to your cause.
The Golden Age Of Piracy Never Looked Better
Black Flag Resynced is a gorgeous-looking game, even when played on the standard PS5. While character models lack the fidelity of Sony’s first-party output, they’re still a a huge leap over the 2013 original, accentuating Edward’s cheeky grin, Blackbeard’s menacing scare tactics, and the naive, yet infectious wide-eye smile of Stede Bonnet. More impressive are the game’s locations, with the Caribbean backdrop sparkling with lush texture work and lighting; crystal blue waters and sun-drenched beaches are brimming with details, beautiful sunsets illuminate a horizon that calls to you with the lure of adventure, and ship battles are punctuated by the billow of smoke, lighting and crashing waves.
The various towns like Kingston and Nassau have benefited from a major sprucing up and look stunning, with sumptuously detailed architecture and bustling streets and markets places, while beneath the waves, the blue waters and marine life pop with vibrancy as you scavenge shipwrecks for lost treasures.
Ubisoft has also added a proper endgame for Black Flag Resynced that highlights some of Edward’s chums like Blackbeard and Bonnet, which is a welcome addition as their stories felt somewhat unfinished in the 2013 edition. Speaking of which, the performances are still excellent, and as great as Edward himself is, the supporting cast almost give him a run for his money – Blackbeard being the biggest highlight.
The story remains as tightly-paced as it was before, with Edward’s journey covering tales of betrayal, friendship, and wonder, with missions varied enough to keep you plugging away if you aren’t too distracted by the lure of open seas.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is an absolute masterclass in how to do a remake. The game builds on the original – which was already a fantastic game in its own right – with meaningful extras and refines some of the rough edges, while giving the entire package a stunning visual makeover. What’s left is not only the definitive version of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, but one of the best entries in the franchise to date and perhaps the greatest pirate game ever to see the light of day.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is out on July 9, 2026 for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S. For game help check out the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Wiki.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.