It has been over eight months since various rumors first surfaced that anAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagremake is in the works, but as the project was never officially confirmed by developer Ubisoft, it seemed like a far too distant reality. However, now thateven more evidence of the rumoredBlack Flagremake has surfaced onlinethis year, it seems that reality may now be closer than it initially led on.
In the gaming world, the word “remake” is used so loosely that it is often mistakenly interpreted as meaning several different things — from a game largely only receiving updated visuals, as inShadow of the Colossus' 2018 remake, to a game being entirely rebuilt from the ground up, withFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand its predecessor,Final Fantasy 7 Remake, being two of the best examples of that. In light of that, it’s worth speculating on how Ubisoft could transformAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagif the rumors of a remake are true, let alone if the developer is going the route of rebuilding the game rather than simply enhancing its graphics.
Black Flag Could Afford to Spice Up Its Combat
There are several features, especially when considering more modernAssassin’s Creedtitles, that aBlack Flagremake should consider adopting in that case. WhileAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s naval combatis widely considered the series' best — and arguably better than Ubisoft’s more recent pirate adventure,Skull and Bones— its ground combat is somewhat lacking in several areas, especially compared to the installments that came after it and even some of those that came before it.
Overall,Black Flag’s ground combat can be very brutal and satisfying, but it lacks the diverse mechanics of some of the series' other installments, resulting in it being overly simple and oftentimes far too easy. ABlack Flagremake could spice up the original game’s combat, perhaps by adding more tools and skills to Edward Kenway’s repertoire.
Black Flag Should Liven Up Its Assassin’s Creed World
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagdoesn’t have the emptiest world in the franchise, as its cities and ports are often bustling with activity in certain areas. However, the launch ofAssassin’s Creed Mirageset a new standard for “living” game worldsin theAssassin’s Creedseries by introducing a world full of NPCs that feel alive.
Rather than performing static tasks or remaining in one place throughout the game,Mirage’s NPCs often seem to function less like video game characters and more like real people, executing a variety of tasks and dynamically responding to the player’s presence, much like those in other immersive worlds likeRed Dead Redemption 2’s. To keep up with this new modern standard,aBlack Flagremakewould do well to observe what makes these worlds more like characters than mere scenery.
Black Flag’s Soundtrack Deserves a Remake
Apart from everything else it has to offer,Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s soundtrack is arguably one of the franchise’s best. During much of the game, the music sounds as though it belongs to a blockbuster film, rather than a triple-A video game, which is perfect for its premise and setting.
IfBlack Flagis indeed getting a remake, a remake of the soundtrack might also be in order, much like theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogyhas been doing with the score from the original game.
Of course, it’s currently unknown whether the rumors are true aboutAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flaggetting a remake. If it is, there are plenty of things Ubisoft could do to improve even more what is widely considered theAssassin’s Creedfranchise’s best installment. Hopes are high, at least, that it will be more than a visual overhaul and include features that have made some of the series' more modern installments successful.
