The past month now, I have put my Chinese appreciation phase aside to embark on a rather new pirate appreciation phase. Just like with all my recent historical phases this is due to the video game I am playing at the time which in this case was, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. From the onset it was very entertaining to embark on a historical era, that I actually knew quite little about; The Golden Age of Piracy. The game had everything I love about this series, from the content, the historical setting, to the free roam structure and game-play. It was yet another home-run experience for me that truly emerged me into the lifestyle of a pirate.
For starters I have to describe the historical setting of this game, which is always the main lure for me. The game is set in 1715 in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. The main hero, Edward Kennedy begins as a privateer from Wales, whose ship is attacked, and he later takes on a life of piracy in the Caribbean. He commandeers a large frigate which he names the Jackdaw and recruits pirates to join his crew. He sails across various Caribbean towns and islands such as the port cities of Havana, Nassau, and Kingston. This map was very educational to me, and quite a nice change from the usual European setting.
It should come as no surprise that this game is much more sea-oriented than it's predecessors. Thankfully I was already familiar with the ship gameplay format from later AC releases, Origins and Odyssey. The open voyages and battles on the sea take some getting used to, however once you personalize your ship it becomes all the more enjoyable. Upgrades to the Jackdaw can be made by looting metal, wood, and cloth which are necessary to face larger ships such as Man-at-Arms. Customizations are also available by hunting for treasure, such as the ships' sails which I chose a nice crimson color.
Aside from looting and battling enemy ships, there were also other methods to gain wealth on the open waters. The first of these was by hunting for whales and shark. Quite similar to the great Moby Dick, Edward would basically throw spears from his rowboat until the beast was killed. With the score, you could sell the meat or use it for crafting upgrades. The 2nd way to collect treasure on the sea was by diving underwater in what is referred to as "diving bell". This was a very interesting concept to me and the map is loaded with these mini exploration campaigns underwater. These quests were actually quite challenging to unlock treasure while you are avoiding sharks and holding your breath underwater.
On land the game had a very tropical feel to it, which was a nice break from the classical European settings. Besides the major port cities, there were tons of small islands and jungles to explore with unique animals such as jaguars, and ingenious tribes such as the Mayans. There was various collectibles, puzzles, and treasure chests to collect throughout each location. Most of the main settlements had a general store and a ship store by which Edward could buy upgrades for his ship and his personal armor. I will say that the arsenal of weaponry seemed quite limited compared to most games, however that could be due to the emphasis on the Jackdaw.
There were also minor business options to upgrade taverns, stores, and bonfire pits but nothing quite compared to the investment scope of the Ezio Trilogy or AC: Unity. Taking a tavern was usually pretty entertaining fighting off the local thugs, than bribing the bartender for some information with a glass of rum. There was also options to play mini board games such as checkers or backgammon, which I rarely partook in. I did however very much enjoy the Latin tropical backdrop, and hearing characters speak in Spanish. It was very interesting to be submerged in that region during the 1700s.
The Setting
For starters I have to describe the historical setting of this game, which is always the main lure for me. The game is set in 1715 in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. The main hero, Edward Kennedy begins as a privateer from Wales, whose ship is attacked, and he later takes on a life of piracy in the Caribbean. He commandeers a large frigate which he names the Jackdaw and recruits pirates to join his crew. He sails across various Caribbean towns and islands such as the port cities of Havana, Nassau, and Kingston. This map was very educational to me, and quite a nice change from the usual European setting.
The first association that always comes to mind when I think of pirates, is the Johnny Depp movie Pirates of the Caribbean. And this game certainly had elements of that fictional Disney moving starring Johnny Depp. However aside from the usual pirate cliches, this game is more so a historical setting than a fictional setting. Edward's adventure as a pirate assassin, places him right in the middle of the chaotic Caribbean seas during the early 1700s. He encounters many infamous historical pirates such as Blackbeard, Benjamin Hornigold, Mary Read, and Bartholomew Roberts. He is also caught between the battlefields of the English and Spanish navies during the time. As with moth AC stories, Edward becomes engulfed in a Templar conspiracy by which he must hunt and kill their grand-master, the governor of Cuba, Laureano Torres.
The Gameplay- On the Sea
It should come as no surprise that this game is much more sea-oriented than it's predecessors. Thankfully I was already familiar with the ship gameplay format from later AC releases, Origins and Odyssey. The open voyages and battles on the sea take some getting used to, however once you personalize your ship it becomes all the more enjoyable. Upgrades to the Jackdaw can be made by looting metal, wood, and cloth which are necessary to face larger ships such as Man-at-Arms. Customizations are also available by hunting for treasure, such as the ships' sails which I chose a nice crimson color.
Of course fast travel is still an option, by unlocking viewpoints, which makes it quicker to navigate this massive map in the Caribbean. However another sea feature of this game I really came to enjoy was the shanties. These songs, similar to the ship customizations, could be hunted and collected to your ship. On voyages the crew will often sing these songs, and if you get tired of one song you can just skip to the next one. I found this to be a very creative touch, which was also later featured in AC: Odyssey (yet the player was not able to collect the crew songs).
Aside from looting and battling enemy ships, there were also other methods to gain wealth on the open waters. The first of these was by hunting for whales and shark. Quite similar to the great Moby Dick, Edward would basically throw spears from his rowboat until the beast was killed. With the score, you could sell the meat or use it for crafting upgrades. The 2nd way to collect treasure on the sea was by diving underwater in what is referred to as "diving bell". This was a very interesting concept to me and the map is loaded with these mini exploration campaigns underwater. These quests were actually quite challenging to unlock treasure while you are avoiding sharks and holding your breath underwater.
Another way to make money on the sea, is by building and accessing a fleet. This is an early aspect of the AC series that I especially enjoyed during the Ezio Trilogy, which is the business aspect. Similar to managing a network of assassins in this game you are managing a fleet of pirate ships. You then can send your ships on various missions throughout various routes along the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the challenge of this campaign is securing safe routes which often require mini sea battles. The stronger your ship, and the safer the route, the bigger the score. I eventually got in the routine to start each game session by sending my ships on voyages which often took time.
Gameplay- On the Islands
On land the game had a very tropical feel to it, which was a nice break from the classical European settings. Besides the major port cities, there were tons of small islands and jungles to explore with unique animals such as jaguars, and ingenious tribes such as the Mayans. There was various collectibles, puzzles, and treasure chests to collect throughout each location. Most of the main settlements had a general store and a ship store by which Edward could buy upgrades for his ship and his personal armor. I will say that the arsenal of weaponry seemed quite limited compared to most games, however that could be due to the emphasis on the Jackdaw.
The gameplay on land had all the classic AC components, requiring stealth, climbing, hiding, and all-out combat. Aside from the main quest campaign, there were also various other assassination contracts and Templar missions throughout the map. Each campaign had bonus objectives, such as remaining undetected, which boosted your score upon completion. As a fan of the game, it's always nice to acheive a mission more stealthily, which requires skill, but sometimes you just have to do a smash-and-grab job. The one combat technique I quickly learned and took advantage of in this game, was dropping smoke bombs. This basically stuns everyone around you, which makes for easy multiple-kills.
As I stated in the opening, this game was yet another incredible AC experience for me. I truly enjoyed the gameplay and learned so much about the historical era (which inspired me to make a deep study of the Age of Exploration and the Age of Piracy). I also bought some new pirate decor for my place and have been eating more fried fish than usual. With most AC games it's best to take your time, and enjoy and explore everything it has to offer. I believe I achieved an 80% sync of the game after about a month of playing. So next for me will be AC: Rogue (set during the Seven Years War) then AC III (set during the American Revolution).
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