Summary
The near 17-year-longAssassin’s Creedfranchise will finally delve into Japan’s Sengoku period with the upcoming November 15th release ofAssassin’s Creed: Shadows, just a couple of days after the series’ anniversary. While fans are mostly excited about finally playing as an assassin in Japan, recent rumors suggest that series developer Ubisoft may revisit classic entries in new ways in the next decade from their 31-game-long franchise catalog (excluding remasters and collections). According to Insider Gaming, these rumors are a remake ofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagand a remake of an as-of-yet-unknown classic game in theAssassin’s Creedseries.
An Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake
At first glance, the prospect ofanAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremakemay seem like an odd choice for the firstAssassin’s Creedgame remake. While it’s calledAssassin’s Creed 4,Black Flagis actually the sixth mainline entry in the series. Every mainline entry game in the series up toAssassin’s Creed: Rogue, excludingAssassin’s Creed 1, has already been remastered with 4K resolution for the eighth generation of consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. These remasters have helped ensure the Xbox 360-era of games are still playable on modern consoles, but they still often feature many of the games' flaws and glitches.
WithAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagbeing one of the most critical and financially successful entries in the series, thanks to the excellent writing of Edward Kenway’s story and evergreen pirate ship combat, Ubisoft could view this remake as a potential boost for sales. It may additionally serve as a way to bring back older Ubisoft fans, especially after the disappointing release ofthe long-delayedSkull and Bonesgamewhich was originally designed as a multiplayer spin-off ofBlack Flag. It’s currently unknown when exactly this remake will be released or what potential story and gameplay changes it may have compared to the original.
Potential Setbacks and Improvements of the Black Flag Remake
Remakes are often a dangerous flip of a coin for game releases. On one hand, remakes that remain true to the original for modern consoles can be successful, such as 2023’sDead Space. On the other hand, remakes that skew far from the original could turn out to be entirely new but fun games or be lambasted for how different it was from the original, such as the graphics ofHalo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Given Ubisoft’s past odd choices, the developer could makeBlack Flag’s ship combatmore in line withSkull and Bonesthan the original. Likewise, the remake could completely remove the modern-day aspect or give the Abstergo employee a name and face to make them an actual character.
Other Assassin’s Creed Games in Need of a Remake
The otherAssassin’s Creedremake is also unknown, but it would make the most sense forAssassin’s Creed 1to be the next remake. As previously mentioned, that game has never been remastered before, forcing players to continuously use its 2007 form if they want to play it today, glitching collectible flags and all.AnAssassin’s Creed 1remakecould rejuvenate interest in Desmond Miles’ story after he briefly appeared at the end ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla. It could expand its gameplay to align it with later stealth and combat mechanics as well as incorporate Altair story developments seen inAssassin’s Creed 2andRevelationsto have all of Altair’s mainline game story in one package.
WhileAssassin’s Creed 2throughRevelationscould use remasters, especially in terms of upgrading their graphics, oneAssassin’s Creedgame that could use an expanded remake isAssassin’s Creed 3. In terms of story structure,Assassin’s Creed 3has relatively poor pacing with how long it takes for players to actually play as Connor and become an assassin thereafter.AnAssassin’s Creed 3remakecould effectively compress Haytham Kenway’s story to make replayability easier. It could additionally add cut or new content toAssassin’s Creed 3, such as Connor’s original ending speech and a new scene featuring his three children, including Io:nhiote fromAssassin’s Creed: Reflections, to showcase Connor’s improved character growth.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black FlagandRoguewere the lastAssassin’s Creedgames to date to receive the remaster treatment in late 2019 viaAssassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collectionfor the Nintendo Switch.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
WHERE TO PLAY
The year is 1715. Pirates rule the Caribbean and have established their own lawless Republic where corruption, greediness and cruelty are commonplace.Among these outlaws is a brash young captain named Edward Kenway. His fight for glory has earned him the respect of legends like Blackbeard, but also drawn him into the ancient war between Assassins and Templars, a war that may destroy everything the pirates have built.Become Edward Kenway, a charismatic yet brutal pirate captain, trained by Assassins. Edward can effortlessly switch between the Hidden Blade of the Assassin’s Order and all new weaponry, including four flintlock pistols and dual cutlass swords.Discover the largest and most diverse Assassin’s Creed world ever created. From Kingston to Nassau, explore over 75 unique locations where you’re able to live the life of a pirate.
