Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context YMMV / AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag

Go To

1----
2
3* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Surprisingly, for a blank-slate protagonist, the Abstergo Entertainment employee has this going. The story makes it seem as though John from IT is bullying you from one hacking operation to the next, threatening to scapegoat you if you don't go along. If you've been taking advantage of the hacking skills he's taught you and used the security access he's granted you to gleefully hack your colleagues' terminals and computers, then what does that say about you as a character? Are you just in it because of John's threats? Are you just a bit overly curious after seeing the tidbits that John had you dig up for him? Or, are you gleefully exploiting everything that John has done for you because you enjoy accessing restricted information? Or, at least after a certain point, are you just pissed that [[spoiler: your employer has drugged and imprisioned you and, as the final insult, your annoyingly perky boss comes on the intercom to tell you to get back to work?]]
4** Abstergo Entertainment and its employees as a whole. Are Olivier Garneau and Melanie Lemay simply decent people who are an UnwittingPawn to their JerkAss bosses[[note]]for example, Olivier claims not to know why, other than "orders from above", they're not allowed to call Julien du Casse and others "Templars"[[/note]] or are they PunchClockVillains who are JustFollowingOrders no matter how bizarre and illegal[[note]]Lemay -- although reluctantly -- locks down the Abstergo building and imprisons all her workers in the office, which violates more civil rights than you can shake a fist at! Then again, according to her, she had the authority to detain them ''indefinitely''...[[/note]]? Are the employees merely interested in working to make a good product or are they consciously spreading Templar propaganda. WordOfGod is that [[spoiler:Olivier may be the only one who 'does know who his bosses are', while 'most people at AE' are indeed the UnwittingPawn.]] It's later revealed in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'' that [[spoiler:Lemay, at least, is indeed a Templar. And given that a file for Otso Berg, who plays a big role in ''Rogue'', shows up in Black Flag, it seems that WordOfGod was misleading. For all that she's quite perky, it appears Lemay knew from the start. Although she may only have been promoted after the Assassins [[VideoGame/WatchDogs had Olivier contract-killed by Aiden Pierce]].]]
5** Oliver Bowden's [[Literature/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag tie-in novel]] which adds an epilogue to the events of the game muddies Edward's redemptive story to some. It's hard to accept that Edward truly learned that "''money wasn't everything''" as the main game insists when at the end of the book, [[spoiler:after becoming an Assassin, he takes the Prime Minister Sir UsefulNotes/RobertWalpole's pardon and offer of money and business in exchange of sparing some Templars, justifying this on grounds of it serving as a foundation for his 'Assassin business']]. Is Edward a morally ambiguous AntiHero who was a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, or a mere opportunist with DelusionsOfEloquence and self-importance?
6** Edward Kenway is unique in being largely mercenary in motivation, a more-or-less normal person thrust into the ongoing Assassin/Templar conflict. The Templars are appalled that Edward would prefer piracy over their ideas of a OneWorldOrder, while the Assassins regard him as a selfish jerk who's wasting any potential he might have. Even his own beliefs about making money to provide for his wife is suspect, since she loved him for who he was and it was he who wanted "a good life, and easy life". Whether he's a good man who's a JerkWithAHeartOfGold or a self-destructive FailureHero who wasted many of the best things that happened to him is up to fans to decide. This also sometimes informs opinions on the Caribbean's Assassin Order. Those who think Edward is a good man led astray may bristle at the Assassins presumption that he owes them anything [[note]]Albeit he ''did'' lead an ambush to their doorstep that led to many deaths. And when prompted for the reason, Edward simply said "Money was my only aim", showing no seeming concern for the unintended consequences of his actions. [[JerkassHasAPoint Hardly a response that most people would keep their cool upon hearing...]][[/note]]. Keep in mind, the Assassins who didn't know Duncan Walpole's face would definitely have been given a description; as far as they knew, Edward was simply a hired guard. If you consider this interpretation to be true, their indignation doesn't seem to stem from a desire to see Edward better himself, but rather a sense of jealousy and shame that some of their trained Assassins were floored by a lucky drunk, perhaps disguised by a sense of self-righteousness as well.
7* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper:
8** A downplayed example. Adéwalé constantly shouts advice Edward's way during naval battles, but as Edward's quartermaster, that's pretty much his job. Moreover, the only reason that he wasn't captain of the ''Jackdaw'' to begin with... is because he's black. (Edward admitted that their initial crew of rescued prisoners was too racially prejudiced to accept Adéwalé as captain, even though Adéwalé was obviously more experienced, so in a sense Adéwalé was also TheManBehindTheMan.)
9** If you want to board a ship, don't engage it near a captured fort. The fort will blow it out of the water well before you can get into position.
10** The game keeps reminding you that you can pick up floating crates and castaways by pressing [insert console-specific button] even after dozens of hours of playing, during which you've probably done this very thing hundreds of times. Same goes for numerous similarly trivial hints that never stop popping up at inopportune moments.
11* AntiClimaxBoss:
12** By now, a staple of the series with [[spoiler: Laureano de Torres being a Platform Puzzle boss, who as an old man, dies with a single air-assassination.]] But it's also played straight with others like [[spoiler: Benjamin Hornigold and Black Bart]] who you would expect to put up more of a fight. The game's Legendary Ships are far more tough than any story-mission boss, either on land or at sea. Especially galling in the case of [[spoiler:Hornigold]] since his sea fight is against a Schooner, the weakest class of ship, when in real life, he had a 30 gun sloop (although given the ''Jackdaw'''s capabilities by this point, even 30 guns wouldn't have made much of a difference).
13** [[spoiler: Bartholomew Roberts is especially a disappointment since he's made out to be the GreaterScopeVillain of the Caribbean and Edward's AlwaysSomeoneBetter as a pirate, and he's also a HumanoidAbomination, a reincarnation of the God of Death in many old religions. Given this buildup, you would be forgiven for expecting, at the very least, a MagicFromTechnology based BossFight on the order of the Altaïr-Al Mualim or Ezio-Rodrigo Borgia or even Connor's fight with King Washington in the DLC.]]
14* BadassDecay: Retroactively this comes into play. [[spoiler: In the ''Literature/AssassinsCreedForsaken'' novelization, Edward's final fate is shown, dying in battle in a fight against a bunch of random mooks (one of whom is killed by ten year old Haytham) when as a captain he was a scourge of the navies and could easily tackle multiple enemies at once and he was still fairly young. There's the fact that he was attacked at the dead of night and maybe hadn't been active for years, and he did put up a fight but still, all in all, a fairly ignominious end.]]
15* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The PC/[=PS3=]/[=PS4=]-exclusive Aveline missions feel like this all around - as [=AC4=] content, as a tie-in to the [=AC3=] saga[[note]]it's the only mention of Connor after the events of [=AC3=] despite him only appearing in voiceover form[[/note]], and as part of the setting's overall narrative.
16* BrokenBase:
17** Is setting an ''Assassin's Creed'' game in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy a good idea, or just over-the-top and out of place? Was it a good idea to release another numbered sequel just a year after ''Assassin's Creed III''? Was it a good idea to make ''IV'' a {{prequel}} instead of going forward in the timeline?
18** The emphasis on sailing. A welcome expansion to a fun but underutilized mechanic of the last game, or just frustrating and awkward? Does it detract from the Assassin's Creed experience, and even if you think so, do you still enjoy it as a pirate game?
19** After the game came out, people liked the game but debated on whether it was a true ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' game or just a pirate game with the main series holding on as an ArtifactTitle, with some wondering if it would not be better as a pure pirate game with all the Assassins Vs. Templars stuff taken out... a prospect ''VideoGame/SkullAndBones'' seeks to fulfill.
20* CrazyIsCool: Blackbeard. He's violent, he's ruthless, and he's impulsive, but damned if he isn't likeable! [[spoiler: Sadly, he's TooCoolToLive.]]
21* CreepyAwesome: Bartholomew 'Black Bart' Roberts has this shtick, he's Edward's AlwaysSomeoneBetter as a pirate and is so charismatic that he goes FromNobodyToNightmare with one single awesome speech that is an AwesomeMomentOfCrowning in itself, and moreover has VillainousValour in asserting "a merry life but a short life."
22%%%%%% Designated Hero is more than "antihero" or "protagonist who does bad things". It only counts if the narrative presents him as a straight forward hero when he does anti-hero things.
23* DemonicSpiders:
24** Water spouts deal an insane amount of damage to anything caught in their large area of effect[[note]]they take about three seconds of being vaguely near one to empty a fully upgraded ''Jackdaw'''s health segment regardless of bracing or not, making it the most damaging thing in the game[[/note]], move around erratically, always happen in heavy weather that makes navigating difficult anyway, and there's absolutely nothing the player can do about them except running away, which isn't always an option and harder than it sounds in any case. They're also much, much faster than any ship including the ''Jackdaw''. The storms that spawn them can happen anywhere at any time outside of story missions, so there's always a chance of a random spout completely ruining your day in 30 seconds or less. Oh, and they usually come in packs of three, with you caught right in the middle. They do sometimes help the player by destroying enemy ships, but the odds are much higher that they'll go after the ''Jackdaw'' instead.
25** The [[GiantMook Brutes]] with their axes and grenades, and their tendency for their counterattack to ''hurt'' you rather than simply parrying your strikes can be a nightmare to fight when they're surrounded by other {{Mooks}}. Counterattacking ''them'' is merely a dodge rather than a chance to fight back. The best way to deal with them is to break their defense, but when there are many other enemies around, striking them afterward can become tricky. [[ThatOneLevel They can often appear in Smuggler's Dens too]].
26** Any footman with a ranged attack can be this, especially when traversing narrow ledges. A single shot can send Kenway falling to his death, notably in ship raids.
27* DracoInLeatherPants:
28** While not shirking from emphasizing the fact that Pirates live off plunder, the game's perspective on the pirate's republic and the relative egalitarianism of their life over that of the Law enforcers like Woodes Rogers and Julien du Casse makes many players openly root for the Pirates over the Templars ''and'' the Assassins, with some lamenting [[spoiler:Edward joining the Assassins and becoming a ReformedCriminal, preferring him to remain a pirate forever instead]].
29** Edward Kenway in the game is a WildCard who care more for [[{{Greed}} obtaining a fortune]] at [[FatalFlaw the cost of those he consider friends and family]]. To the fans, he's a daring [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority rebel badass]], fighting against those in power for their own greed and corruption.
30* EnsembleDarkhorse:
31** Blackbeard unsurprisingly, though whether he's a darkhorse when he's an obvious crowdpleaser is up for debate. Still the LighterAndSofter, TheMentor who is AFatherToHisMen approach to this legendary bad guy made him incredibly endearing and cool while making him no less awesome.
32** Benjamin Hornigold, like Haytham Kenway, has a JerkassHasAPoint standing among fans, the fact that he dresses, speaks and acts more like the hero than Edward Kenway himself doesn't hurt either. That and he gives Edward an epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
33** Charles Vane, who even has his own fanclub (the "Vaneglorious Bastards"). A good portion of his appeal comes from his voice actor, Ralph Ineson, who has a very deep, guttural voice (sort of in the same zone as [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Commodore Norrington]]).
34*** An oft-heard cry in fandom is the desire to see Vane, Hornigold and Thatch get their own DLC where they can be properly awesome.
35** James Kidd / [[spoiler: Mary Read]] in both aspects is very awesome.
36** Adéwalé is pretty cool too and arguably more likable than Edward. This was likely intentional, as he now has a DLC campaign named ''Freedom Cry'' out.
37** Ah Tabai for his Altaïr-like dignity and sense of understanding has also attracted a few fans.
38** Woodes Rogers is a more minor example of this, he's usually seen being [[HoYay slashed]] with Julien Du Casse.
39* EsotericHappyEnding: The ending to the game is rather uplifting, with Edward fully embracing joining the order and finally reuniting with his family. This is slightly marred by the fact that Edward himself is very blatantly DoomedByCanon thanks to this being a prequel to [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII the previous game]]. [[spoiler: In fact we know for a fact that Edward suffers perhaps the bleakest HappyEndingOverride of any of the ''Assassin's Creed'' protagonists. He gets killed by mercenaries hired by his apprentice Birch, who turns out to be a Templar, with his death being a contributing factor to the downfall of the Assassin Brotherhood in London. His daughter gets made into a sex slave while Haytham gets indoctrinated into becoming a Templar by Birch]]. Knowledge of this makes the seemingly upbeat ending come off as rather bittersweet.
40* EvilIsCool: Bartholomew Roberts once he becomes a pirate. Charles Vane [[spoiler: pre-SanitySlippage]] is also cool.
41* FanNickname: The Abstergo Research Consultant has been nicknamed "R-L" by many.
42* {{Fanon}}: RL's gender- due to several scenes [[spoiler:involving Juno]], it's common to assume RL is a woman.
43* FranchiseOriginalSin: When it was released, Black Flag was generally well received for breathing new life into a franchise that had begun to fall prey to StrictlyFormula. However, some of the things that set apart it apart from previous instalments (An outsider protagonist who is indifferent to the Assassin/Templar conflict, and a large part of the game focusing less on stealth and more on pure combat with [[RPGElements RPG Elements]] - In Black Flag's case naval combat.) are also things later games in the series, particularly ''Videogame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' and ''Videogame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'', would be criticized for.
44* GameBreaker:
45** The Templar and Mayan Armor. Templar armor goes hand in hand with DiscOneNuke, as it is available after doing some easy, if lengthy, missions lines unlocked in the first fourth of the game, and makes Edward a walking tank that takes an extreme amount of damage to take down. Mayan armor makes Edward ImmuneToBullets, albeit without the damage-reducing effects of the Templar armor, and can let the player snipe enemies without getting damaged by riflemen.
46** Berserk darts can veer into this from time to time. Why chase an assassination target down when you can snipe them from the bushes and watch as their own guards cut them down in self defence?
47** There's several tricks with regards to boarding gameplay that can make dealing with non-Legendary enemy ships[[note]]Legendary ships cannot be boarded[[/note]] a ''lot'' easier than presumably intended:
48*** First, enemy ships will stop shooting once you come alongside and grapple an enemy ship -- evidently none of their captains decide to sacrifice their disabled ally to ensure the sinking of the ''Jackdaw'' -- and you'll 'leave' the naval combat phase, which effectively makes the ''Jackdaw''[[note]]though ''not'' Edward[[/note]] invincible for the duration of the boarding action.
49*** Second, you're almost never required to cross over to the enemy ship, only to kill a number of enemy crew and complete certain other objectives (i.e. destroy the enemy ship's powder reserves, kill enemy sharpshooters, kill the enemy captain[[note]]which can be achieved by nailing him with a sleep dart from as far as one of the ''Jackdaw''[='=]s masts, after which he can be [[OneHitKO one-shotted]] by anyone such as your crew[[/note]]), with no special restrictions as to how to achieve these other than destroying an enemy ship's flag[[note]]though if you can get from one of the ''Jackdaw''[='=]s masts onto a remaining mast on the enemy ship, you can avoid the deck altogether[[/note]]. In practice, if you've got enough ammo you can almost always stay on the ''Jackdaw'' and plink away with Edward's personal ranged weapons... or if you've got a high enough Crew, you could very well just let the Jackdaws handle the enemy crew!
50*** Thirdly, not only can swivel gun shots kill multiple enemies in one hit[[note]]and upgrading them will increase their area of effect[[/note]], but you're not required to use up all five swivel gun shots in one go, so if Edward took enough damage aboard the enemy ship to risk desync, you can have him flee back to the ''Jackdaw'' to regenerate health[[note]]at the slow "open conflict" rate[[/note]] while manning the gun. Moreover, if the enemy ship is sufficiently small and your shots sufficiently precise, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqpXK8cXQHk&t=8m43s&hd=1 you may carry out the boarding objectives entirely with swivel gun shots]]!
51*** Fourth, the post-boarding prompt for what to do with a captured prize will still appear -- in particular, "Repair the ''Jackdaw''" -- ''even if a multi-ship combat is still ongoing''. Combined with the ''Jackdaw''[='=]s invincibility during boarding, a player can keep the ''Jackdaw'' afloat in a drawn-out battle for as long as they can make it to the next boarding, i.e. "nibbling one's way up the food chain" against a high-level enemy ship by focusing on disabling, then boarding and capturing lower-level allies to "recover health" whenever needed.
52*** Finally, you can avoid naval combat with non-Legendary ships in free-roam altogether if you're not already in naval combat... by releasing the ''Jackdaw''[='=]s wheel, diving over the side, ''swimming to the target ship and wiping out its crew in personal combat single-handedly'', then swimming back to the ''Jackdaw''; your first cannonball impacts against the cleared ship will immediately disable it, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq5A__yzi4M&t=390s&hd=1 you'll even get a special slow-motion camera view of the shots]], and upon the boarding prompt you may even get the success lighting/crew animations/what-to-do-with-the-prize prompt ''with everyone still on the'' Jackdaw''[='=]s decks'... even if the disabled ship is a level 60 man o' war! If you [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXuhtZNUYqY&hd=1 end up having to complete an objective anyway]], you'll be able to carry it out without having to kill any (more) crew.
53** Qualified in that you have to be able to defeat ''a'' Legendary ship, but in [[DualBoss the HMS ''Fearless'' and HMS ''Royal Sovereign'' boss fight]] both ships drop one half of the normal reward, and if you loot one of them before going down to her sister ship you keep the drop -- as long as you can consistently defeat and loot one each time, that's 10000 ''reale''s per fight!
54** The Charge attack, gained by beating all four legendary ships. A bit unwieldy to use sometimes, but on a successful ram, the enemy vessel will instantly be crippled to boarding status. Even a ''man-o-war'' will be brought down in one hit from a charge.
55* GoodBadBugs: When entering port, The Jackdaw sometimes enters in a peculiar manner, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8C1iRd8OrU flipping itself over until it's upright]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pQ_ZozZIio rising from underwater]], or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACvogQiU_tY dropping from the air on to the ocean surface]].
56** Another funny one has Edward becoming invisible during cutscenes. Equipping the Stealth Outfit while piloting the ship can result what seems to be a ghost at the wheel.
57** Under certain conditions,[[note]]the Legendary Ships' AI will only be hostile with Edward at the wheel, so if you refuse to take the helm of the ''Jackdaw'' after the boss' introductory cutscene, the boss will continue sailing with "neutral" AI[[/note]] the Legendary Ships can be stealth-boarded and then [[OneHitKO sunk with one cannon]] just like any other ship. It works best with ''[[LightningBruiser El Impoluto]]'', but can even be done against ''[[DualBoss HMS Fearless]]'' [[DualBoss and]] ''[[DualBoss Royal Sovereign]]'' with enough patience and fortuitous wind.
58* HarsherInHindsight:
59** The mission [[MushroomSamba "Delirium"]], has Bart Roberts remarking to Edward:
60--> ''"Remember my creed, boy? A short life and a merry one. That is all. The world owes us nothing more than this. So take what you will, and then die before you live to see yourself made a fool."''
61** Readers of ''Literature/AssassinsCreedForsaken'' know that Edward did [[spoiler:live and was made a fool by Reginald Birch.]]
62* HilariousInHindsight: The "Team Edward Kenway" jokes became even funnier after Syndicate introduced Jacob Frye. As a bonus, they're both the primary protagonists of their respective games and the first two such primary protagonists to be British (specifically, Edward’s Welsh).
63%%* ItsEasySoItSucks
64* JerkassWoobie:
65** Edward Kenway. He may be a arrogant and greedy {{Jerkass}} whose selfishness ends up causing more harm, but as the story progresses, you can't help but feel sorry for him. He becomes estranged from his wife when he travels to the West Indies, and [[spoiler:she dies before he could return home and make amends with her, meaning he NeverGotToSayGoodbye.]] Meanwhile, he [[spoiler:loses his pirate comrades one by one, including his father-figure and later on his best friend.]] Not only that, his obsession with riches [[spoiler:caused his quartermaster to leave him]] and nearly cost him the loyalty of his crew as well. Even his BittersweetEnding where he's [[spoiler:united with his daughter and starts a new family]] becomes HarsherInHindsight for those who have read ''Literature/AssassinsCreedForsaken'' before this.
66** [[AxCrazy Charles Vane]]. He may be a violent and psychotic pirate, but it's pretty hard not to feel bad for him once he [[spoiler:gets mutinied by his crew (though you could say he deserved it considering how poorly he treated them.)]] Then, he begins losing his sanity [[spoiler:while stranded on an island with Edward. By the time Edward sees him in prison, Vane has become nothing more than a broken wreck awaiting execution.]]
67** [[NobleBigot Benjamin Hornigold]]. Once a proud privateer forced into a career that he never really had the heart for, he tries to fulfil his goal of making a land for free men, only to see said dream fall into shambles within the span of two years. [[spoiler:This caused him to join the Templars and hunt down many of his former comrades, causing him to be feared and hated by the very people he served alongside with.]]
68* LesYay: Mary Read and Anne Bonny. There was no avoiding it, really.
69* LowestCommonDenominator: Abstergo Entertainment market their products InUniverse on this belief and the game deconstructs this mentality for all its controversial implications:
70** For instance, Aveline's story gets bastardized into saying that she ought to be a nice role model for girls who is quiet, listens to her mother, and doesn't hang out with roughnecks, implying that she can't think and take care of herself.
71** Olivier Garneau, while endearing expresses confusion about the game's content in the database entries, such as lamenting the fact that [[spoiler:Edward Kenway is a LowerClassLout and that Mary Read is a WholesomeCrossdresser]]. He also expresses confusion on whether to treat Caroline as a nag and shrew or justified in her criticism of Edward as too much moral ambiguity for their audiences to deal with.
72** The game has strong female characters in [[spoiler:Mary Read]], Anne Bonny, and even Caroline, whereas the final ''Devils of the Caribbean'' trailer might as well be directed by Creator/MichaelBay, with women merely reduced to pleasure objects for pirates and the PirateGirl not present in the group.
73** The Market Analysis video about Ratonhnhaké:ton/Connor Kenway, specifically when the devs considered focusing on his pre-Assassin years.
74-->''"Mohawk culture lacks [[WhiteMaleLead the balance]] to tell the true story of America. Moreover, we feel that the Mohawk language will be an issue for most of our audience. We therefore feel that although Ratonhnhaké:ton's early life is of some interest to our more educated viewers it's unlikely his story will appeal on a more broader scale being [[CulturalPosturing too foreign]], as it were for normal audiences."''
75* MagnificentBastard:
76** [[FromNobodyToNightmare Bartholomew Roberts]] is an elusive {{wild card}} who ends up becoming the most successful pirate of his time. Pursued by both Assassins and Templars for his knowledge of The Observatory, Roberts helps [[Characters/AssassinsCreedEdwardJamesKenway Edward Kenway]] locate the Observatory after he gets Edward to free his crew and steal a Man-O-War for him. Reaching the Observatory, Roberts removes the Crystal Skull, leaving the Observatory inoperable to anyone else, before he [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder backstabs]] Edward and sells him to British authorities once [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he served his purpose]]. Eventually getting killed by Edward, Roberts asks that Edward destroy his body before he [[FaceDeathWithDignity gracefully passes]], having followed his creed to live "a merry life and a short one."
77** [[TerrorHero Edward Thatch]], the pirate "UsefulNotes/{{Blackbeard}}", is a founder of the Pirate Republic of Nassau. A brilliant naval commander and pirate who adopts a [[TheDreaded terrifying reputation]] and frightening appearance to intimidate and trick others into surrendering, Thatch also helps Kenway set up the theft of ships to reinforce Nassau, risking everything to gain medicine for its people. Even at his own end, Thatch demonstrates no fear, [[DefiantToTheEnd fighting to the last]] with a proclamation that in a world without gold, he and Kenway may have become heroes.
78* MoralEventHorizon: Any pretenses of Torres of sophistication and intelligence and even fair-mindedness goes out the window in the final mission [[spoiler: where he and his soldiers charge to the Observatory in Long Bay, Jamaica and massacre what seems to be a hundred native tribesman of the Taino. Edward finds their corpses dotting his path up the jungle.]]
79* {{Narm}}:
80** The Portugese voice actors in the game are ''awful''.
81** [[spoiler:Edward [[DrowningMySorrows Drowning His Sorrows]] to the point of affecting the Animus loading sequence]] either furthers the tragedy of the situation... or pushes it into laughably silly.
82** The Abstergo videos and promo material are ''intentionally'' narmy and feature StylisticSuck, but still you can't top their {{Flanderization}} of the central tenet of the Assassin's Creed:
83--> [[{{Bowdlerization}} "Nothing is sacred and everyone is committed... to RUM! PLUNDER! And WOMEN!"]]
84** TheReveal that [[spoiler:Kidd is actually a woman]] may come off as a CaptainObviousReveal since [[spoiler:"Kidd" is obviously voiced by a woman, and looks quite a bit more effeminate than the other male pirates.]]
85** The near constant Capitalization of certain Words in the Subtitles may be Period-Accurate, but after a While, it stops being Atmospheric and starts being Silly simply because of how it Never Stops.
86** The scene when Edward pummels Vane. The animation on Edward's punches is stiff and awkward, and the lack of sound effects, along with Vane's almost total lack of reaction, makes it look like he's not even touching him.
87** The TearJerker ending runs into narmtastic MoodWhiplash when a chair floats past Anne Bonny in the background just as she starts her song.
88* OlderThanTheyThink: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5optp9bhGw The blowpipe]] is proudly stated as the new weapon available in this game, much like the rope dart in ''III''. The problem is that not only is [[http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Blowpipe the weapon available, albeit in a lesser state]] in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIIILiberation'', but Aveline, the [[PlayerCharacter playable ancestor]] in that game, is also in this one, making it a bit more than a slight oversight. It's also functionally identical to the dart launcher Ezio had mounted to his hidden blade in ''Brotherhood'' and ''Revelations''.
89* {{Padding}}: Scraping together the final 2% of synchronization for OneHundredPercentCompletion requires chasing down 46 chests, 30 animus fragments and 3 secrets in uncharted territory. The sequence to do this usually goes like this: open map, mark target, sail 1-3nm to target, bring the ''Jackdaw'' about, swim to tiny island, pick up stuff, swim back to the ship, rinse and repeat. Since neither the animus fragments nor the secrets serve any in-game purpose, and the money you get from looting 46 chests is chump change in the post-game, this adds several very boring hours to the game's play time for no meaningful reward whatsoever. That the long time at sea is bound to spawn numerous storms that prevent you from releasing the ''Jackdaw'''s wheel at will makes this even worse.
90* PlayerPunch:
91** [[spoiler:Edward and Blackbeard are attacked at the latter's retirement party by British soldiers. Eventually, onboard a ship, Blackbeard is overrun and killed by soldiers while Edward is too far away to help him.]]
92** [[spoiler:Benjamin Hornigold, Edward's former pirate friend, joins the Templars, resulting in him becoming an assassination target for Edward.]]
93** [[spoiler:The entire end of the level when trying to help Mary Read escape from a Jamaican prison. Dying from complications brought about during the birth of her child, Edward tries everything he can to get her out alive, from letting her lean on him, to flat out carrying her. In the end Mary dies despite Edward's best efforts and pleading, and the best he can do for her is carry her body out. Out of all others, this death seems to hit Edward the hardest by far, causing him to go through a massive HeroicBSOD.]]
94** For readers of ''Literature/AssassinsCreedForsaken'' the entire game is an ironic, PlayerPunch because of the ForegoneConclusion, especially if you go GottaCatchEmAll and go for 100%: Every fort you capture, all those whales and shark you harpoon, the underwater wrecks you scour and those legendary ships and man o'wars and galleons you sink? Well, [[spoiler:it's all meaningless in the end. Edward Kenway will lose everything he ever built and achieved, even his EarnYourHappyEnding on which it ends will count for little, and his family will go FromBadToWorse with three generations of TraumaCongaLine.]]
95** [[spoiler: The autopsy video and memos of Desmond Miles]], found by hacking your way around Abstergo Entertainment in the modern day segments. The former exists to [[spoiler:[[AllDeathsFinal cement the fact that he's dead]], and the latter, a series of messages he recorded on his phone during the events of ''III'' for his father, has him reflecting on his life and regrets as he realizes [[HeroicSacrifice what's to come]].]] As it turns out, this broke [[spoiler:William so hard that he quit the Order.]]
96* PolishedPort: In contrast to the Wii U port of the game (see below), the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch version on ''The Rebel Collection'' is a MUCH better translation. While taking a slight hit visually and lacking multiplayer, the framerate rarely dips whether docked or in handheld, and it has exclusive Switch features like HD Rumble and gyro-aiming for ranged weapons. It also includes all Initiates content that was [[TemporaryOnlineContent made unavailable in 2014]] such as the Black Skull Sails and Haytham Kenway's Overcoat. The only downside is that Rogue isn't on the cart, thus requiring a download of it.
97* PortingDisaster: Whereas the UsefulNotes/WiiU port of ''III'' wasn't anything special, it wasn't a ''complete'' disaster by any means. The same can't be said for this game's Wii U port, however, which runs with a very poor frame rate and suffers from massive input lag, which at best can make assassinations feel clunky and imprecise, and at worst renders the game borderline unplayable. LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading, missing graphical effects that make the image duller even compared to the older 360 and [=PS3=] ports, and a complete lack of DLC are also issues.
98* ScrappyMechanic:
99** Far, ''far'' too many of the missions are tail and/or eavesdrop missions (tail, and also be within range of your target, often with guards patrolling), especially in late-game.
100** [[BrokenBase Some complain]] about far far too much emphasis on the sailing, exactly the same problem that ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' had.
101** You cannot perform unarmed dual stealth takedowns, making paired enemies your biggest obstacle if you try to play non-lethally, especially since whistling usually attracts the attention of both guards.
102** Wreck diving sucks to some players because all your skill, armor and weapons don't mean squat down there. They're also {{Timed Mission}}s in areas with numerous invincible patrolling enemies, which doesn't do the feature any favors. Made worse by the fact that most of the ''Jackdaw'''s elite upgrade plans can only be found in nondescript chests at these locations, so if you you want to have a chance at taking on the legendary ships (or are just a completionist), you'll have to do so.
103** Smuggler hideouts are similar in that deep diving is required to access them. Once more, Kenway is forbidden from bringing his gear for these runs, but to twist the knife further, he'll have to contend with hostile pirate smugglers [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard armed with the usual sets of weapons]]. It can be difficult to neutralize them all without swords, guns, or even darts! If that wasn't enough, there's the possibility of treasure maps and assassination missions taking place in these areas, ''after'' you already explored them.
104* ScrappyWeapon: Firebarrels. Given that in naval combat, you're mostly going to be resorting to broadside attacks, a mortal barrage at the start, and the occasional chain shot and ram for frontal assaults, there's essentially little use for deploying fire barrels in the rear. Enemy ships usually avoid it with impunity unless you spam them, yet even then the chances of hitting aren't too good - as such, if they're to be used, do so to make the enemy ships turn into a better direction rather than for their damage.
105* SpiritualAdaptation:
106** If you want to see what a ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' video game would look like then ''Black Flag'' serves as an amazing adaptation. The game even spoofs the franchise with a fictional, in-universe movie titled ''Devils of the Caribbean''.
107** It's also a good adaptation of ''Series/BlackSails''. Not only do they share the same setting, locations and similar cast of characters but they involve pirate captains sailing the high seas with a motley crew of shipmates and also serve as a prequel to another work. Hell, there's even a character called "Flint" in both works.
108* {{Squick}}: Just before [[spoiler:James Kidd is revealed to be Mary Read]], she cuts her finger and uses her own blood as lipstick surrogate. Her lips then keep this color for the rest of the game, making you wonder if this was really just a quick and dirty method because nothing else was at hand.
109* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: Critics have praised the game for taking what worked in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', particularly the sailing while cutting down the railroading, creating a much more open and nonlinear experience. It is generally considered the best title in the Franchise since ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII''.
110* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
111** What? You expected a pirate game ''not'' to have a suspiciously similar version of the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' theme? (Indeed, one of the battle themes)
112** The music that starts playing when you are about to start the harpooning mini-game resembles a lot to the theme from ''Film/{{Jaws}}''.
113* TakeThatScrappy: Played with yet doubling as a TakeThatCritics for those who didn't like [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII Connor]]: His Abstergo Market Analysis video reeks of this, with the narrator echoing real-world player complaints of the character's nature as TheStoic and the setting of his early years as reasons to pass on making him a Virtual Experience character. Thing is, this is the opinion of the [=21st=]-century successors of his enemies, whose other market feasibility analysis videos wildly mischaracterize the other ancestors[[note]]for example, implying that Ezio Auditore is a DirtyOldMan[[/note]].
114* ThatOneBoss:
115** ''El Impoluto'' is by far the toughest Legendary Ship of the five. It's just as tough as the other four, but whereas their gimmicks were fairly simple to deal with, the ''El Impoluto'' features a massive ram that can do heavy damage to your ship, taking off a full health bar if you don't brace against it. It's also terrifically fast, so much so it can easily catch up to you even if you full speed away from it, and it can turn on a dime at a moment's notice. Finally, it has powerful broadside cannons. All in all it's a LightningBruiser of a ship that can take lots of punishment, evade poorly-aimed fire (especially mortars), and use its ram and cannons take you out with only a few shots. Even with elite upgrades, it's a challenge to sink.
116** Among the forts, '''Conttoyor'''. It is one of the only forts to spawn specific conditions once you get near it. Those conditions? A storm and not one, but ''two'' waterspouts that ''circle the damn thing''. One runs a tight ring around the fort, and one runs a more distant ring, and as with all other waterspouts, getting caught in them means trouble, so you have to be doubly careful while also contending with fort's morters/broadsides.
117--->'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEUtAT4Oig0 Ryan]]''': Apparently God had a vested interest in that particular fort.
118* ThatOneLevel: Ambergris Key is easily the worst Smuggler's Den to go through. The den itself is incredibly tight, small, and narrow, with little room for hiding. Enemies are grouped together, and since Kenway can't bring his own swords in Smuggler Den takedowns]], it's impossible to do dual assassinations. There's also many [[DemonicSpiders Brutes]] in the map, all too happy to smack you around with an axe and bomb you with grenades, and many of the smaller pirates have pistols. This is one of those areas with both buried treasure ''and'' an assassination mark.
119* ThatOneSidequest:
120** The sea-shanties. They're hard to locate on the map, easily blending into its surroundings so that you'd have to scour every inch of it to find them. Like the Almanac pages from ''III'', they're floating pages that fly away when you get near them, requiring you to run all over the city chasing them down. And if you don't catch them in a certain amount of time they disappear, requiring you to go all the way back to the start and wait several minutes for them to respawn. Most become trivial to catch by simply spawn-camping their respawn point for a minute after their disappearance, but it's still tedious.
121** As described under {{Padding}} above, achieving OneHundredPercentCompletion wouldn't be bad at all if it didn't include hunting down ''79'' collectibles on tiny islands all over the Carribean Sea.
122* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Julien Du Casse is a gun-slinging, Assassin Killer that's hyped up to be a sort of Rival to Edward. He's also the very first Templar who dies if you don't count Duncan Walpole, and he doesn't put up too much of a fight. The bulk of his contribution to the game was being a weak BeefGate to Edward's new Island Fortress and the Templar armor set.
123* TooCoolToLive: Probably the most prominent examples in the franchise as a whole, though historical context probably makes it a giveaway.
124** [[spoiler:Blackbeard. Even in death, he still goes down fighting to the end. DoNotGoGentle indeed.]]
125** [[spoiler:Hornigold, the charismatic GentlemanThief turned pirate hunter and Templar.]]
126** [[spoiler:Charles Vane, the AxCrazy loon that people can't help but root for.]]
127** [[spoiler:James Kidd/Mary Read. Her death is considered by many to be the biggest {{Tearjerker}} moment in the entire game, and that's saying something.]]
128* ToughActToFollow: As much one for its series as for its ''genre''--there simply hasn't been a pirate-themed game since ''Black Flag'' that achieved its level of notoriety. ''VideoGame/SeaOfThieves'' is the closest, and it mostly pulls it off thanks to its MMO concept giving it a very different niche. This became especially visible with the launch of ''VideoGame/SkullAndBones'', with a major part of the critiques of that game coming down to the fact that it lacked a lot of ''Black Flag'''s features and ideas, despite hailing from the same studio and being built as a pirate game from the ground up.
129* WinBackTheCrowd: After the mixed reactions garnered towards the ContestedSequel ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', ''Black Flag'' managed to surprise critics who found themselves heavily enjoying the open world sailing aspect of the game. Today, it's considered one of the top entries in the series.
130* TheWoobie:
131** Blackbeard. He was once one of the most notorious pirates of his time and feared by many. However, like Hornigold, he's simply forced into a career of piracy once Privateers like him were no longer needed. The fall of Nassau, [[spoiler:the betrayal of his mentor Hornigold]] and age catching up to him has him hoping to retire in peace. However, just as he retires, [[spoiler:he ends up getting ambushed and killed in a final stand against the British.]]
132** [[spoiler:Mary Read is one as well. Living most of her life longing for freedom in a patriarchal society, she's forced to disguise herself as a man in order fit in. She constantly tries to convince Edward to become a better person than the money-obsessed {{Jerkass}} that he was, only for him to constantly ignore her despite her sticking up for him. Then, she loses her lover in their final stand against the British who imprison her and took her newborn child away from her. She then dies a slow and painful death due to illness and the poor treatment by her guards who think she's a lowlife trash that deserved to die. To twist the knife even further, she never got to see Edward become the better person that she long hoped for.]]

Top