AC: Black Flag Deserves A New Game Plus Mode More Than Any Assassin’s Creed

One game stands out from the prolific Assassin’s Creed catalog, largely thanks to its unique additions to the franchise and its engrossing setting. Released back in 2013, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag brought players into the age of pirates with ship combat, flintlock pistols, and a whole lot more. While many remember AC: Black Flag fondly, it’s a hard game to go back to, simply due to its extended tutorial sections and its lack of a New Game Plus mode.

Eight years ago, most console adventures didn’t expect to hook players for years on end. While New Game Plus was an established feature in many series at the time, Ubisoft seemed to prefer players just pick up the next Assassin’s Creed game the following holiday. Still, the series never offered a real substitute for AC: Black Flag, and spending hours ramping up to the base campaign feels like a fool’s errand in a time with so many snappier experiences to enjoy.

Ubisoft knew it had something special with Black Flag and tried to create a follow-up fans to enjoy. Announced at E3 2017, Skull and Bones was meant to take the memorable pirate ship battles of AC: Black Flag and center an entire multiplayer game around them. Unfortunately, despite showing up again at 2018’s show, Skull and Bones never ended up on store shelves. The game is still supposedly on the way, following a 2020 Skull and Bones development reboot, but those who want to experience that system have to either settle for an old Black Flag save or load up another title, like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and lose the pirate theming.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Needs A New Game Plus Upgrade

While many of Ubisoft’s sprawling Assassin’s Creed games would benefit from some sort of after-credits content, Black Flag‘s extended setup makes it particularly hard to pick up and play a second time. Even mainlining the story, it takes at least two hours to get to piloting a ship, and there are countless upgrades to procure before the ship feels as decked-out as a veteran player might want. An option for those with completed save games to dive into old missions or just refresh the ocean with fresh enemies, a la Far Cry, would allow players to remember what’s great about AC: Black Flag without dedicating another 20-30 hours reliving the entire saga.

Video games are unique in that it’s very difficult to preserve the experiences they provide in pristine condition for future generations. Even for an 8-year-old game like Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, telling modern players to go back and experience what makes it one of the best Assassin’s Creed games is a tall order. While there are likely still several more years before Ubisoft puts work into a true remake of the adventures of Edward Kenway, here’s hoping it considers an endgame that lets players go back and experience the game’s best parts without also experiencing its most tedious moments.

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