5 Things the Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake Needs to Have

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Despite releasing numerous versions and updated editions of their games, Ubisoft has never fully remade an Assassin’s Creed title. However, it’s widely believed they are currently working on a remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, likely to be released soon. Considering the original game came out over 12 years ago – and while it remains a fan favorite – a lot has changed in both the Assassin’s Creed series and the gaming world in general. This new version will likely need significant updates to appeal to modern players.

Beyond simply reviving its multiplayer, here are five essential features for a remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.

5) The Structure of the Original’s Combat

The combat in Black Flag evolved from Assassin’s Creed 3, which itself borrowed a lot from the fast-paced fighting in the Batman: Arkham games. While popular at the time, this style of combat isn’t as common in modern games. This makes the counter-focused fighting system in Black Flag feel unique today, and a remake should preserve that distinctiveness.

This remake should improve on what the original game did well. It could make more combat moves useful – many were easily overlooked – and refine the smooth, fast-paced action that makes these types of games so enjoyable. Later games in the series after Black Flag had uneven and often bland combat, relying too much on uninteresting special moves or basic blocking instead of rewarding skillful combos and kill streaks. A pirate should feel powerful in a fight, and the first game aimed for that feeling. It would be a mistake for the remake to move away from that approach, and unfortunately, reports suggest it might be doing just that.

4) Only a Slight Dive Into RPG Territory

Turning the remake into a full-fledged RPG could ruin the combat. Sadly, reports indicate it’s heading in that direction with gear stats and a loot system for Edward Kenway. This is worrying because we don’t want the remake to repeat the mistakes of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, where the loot offered minimal benefits and was frustrating to manage.

Ideally, the RPG elements in these games will focus on offering diverse playstyles rather than relying on minor stat increases or insignificant bonuses. It would be great to see builds that genuinely change how you play – for instance, equipping pistols that recharge after a successful parry, or a sword that creates a smoke screen after a kill streak. While it’s unlikely Ubisoft will avoid adding too many unnecessary RPG systems that could diminish the core gameplay, there’s still hope they’ll implement them in a way that enhances the experience. Reports suggest they may have already reduced the scope of these systems based on initial negative feedback.

3) The Inclusion of the Freedom Cry DLC

The Freedom Cry expansion is easily one of the highlights of the Assassin’s Creed series, especially considering some of the weaker DLC released over the years. It was a well-crafted, self-contained story that added a lot to Black Flag and remains memorable today. Including it in this remake would be a significant improvement.

It would be great to add this expansion to the main game, but it’s also reasonable if Ubisoft chooses to release it as a separate purchase, similar to how Capcom handled the ‘Separate Ways’ DLC for the ‘Resident Evil 4’ remake. ‘Freedom Cry’ could definitely be improved, and it deserves the same level of attention and development as the original game.

It’s important to find a way to include this content, but Ubisoft’s recent cancellation of an Assassin’s Creed game set after the US Civil War – a game that would have had players confront the Ku Klux Klan – makes that feel less certain. Freedom Cry tackles the difficult topic of slavery and centers Black characters, so it would be a disappointing and cowardly move for Ubisoft to remove it now, simply because of complaints from a small group of prejudiced people. After all, Shadows, which featured a Black protagonist, was commercially successful.

2) A More Seamless Open World

Black Flag offered players incredible freedom to explore the open ocean, letting them sail anywhere, raid other vessels, and even hunt sea creatures. Unfortunately, frequent and lengthy loading screens hindered this sense of freedom and made the experience less enjoyable.

Over time, the game series has reduced the number of loading screens, and the newest hardware should continue that trend. Reports suggest the latest version will eliminate loading screens entirely when players return to their ship. This is a significant improvement, particularly for an open-world game, and would be even better if the game encouraged exploration without relying heavily on on-screen markers and directions.

1) More Open-Ended Mission Design

The game’s overall design should also extend to its missions. Black Flag sometimes limited players with strict objectives and punishing failures, and this problem hasn’t improved over time. Instead, the game should offer more open-ended missions that don’t penalize players for trying different approaches or force them into a single playstyle.

As a big fan, I always felt like getting caught while trying to overhear conversations shouldn’t immediately send you back to the last save. It’d be way more interesting if it just meant you had to find another way to get the info! I think the series has really been needing a world that feels more alive and reacts to what you do, letting you try different approaches. A remake of Black Flag would be the perfect opportunity to really lean into that kind of gameplay, because honestly, the first game could sometimes feel a little too limiting.

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2025-12-19 17:11