Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Launch Party
There is little time until Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is released, and Ubisoft decided to christen their launch down on Toronto’s Harbour Front.
Ubisoft took over the Amsterdam Brew House and set the scene for a stoic launch. The back room was full of game developers, industry people and gamers a like. This was not a lunch for those who created and designed the game, this was a launch for fans.
There were four kiosks, with four screens each, allowing anyone to play Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. There was no hand holding by devs or limited play on the Play Station 4’s. They unleashed you into the world and let you discover the game for yourself. The initial impressions look good.
The game on a PS4 looks brilliant. It was like going into a movie theater and watching it on the big screen. The portrayal of the Caribbean was lush, colourful and full of life. It gave you the feeling of being on the high seas, and most important, it gave you the feeling that you were in control.
The new PS4 controllers added a new element to the game play. The touch pad could be used to navigate the map and the menu screens, which was a cool feature. It was similar to navigating with a smart phone or tablet.
The game is familiar with any fan of the Assassin’s Creed series. It doesn’t matter what console you are coming from, the controls are universal. The combat feels more fluid than Assassin’s Creed 3. You can also choose your style of fighting.
If you’re a fan of Errol Flynn, you can swing around on ropes, dance and weave your way around the environment, kick and throw barrels at people and glide from boat to boat with ease. If you’re more of a Johnny Depp aficionado, just jump in and slash about in a drunken stupor.
They have come a long way from AC3. There are more environmental effects to play with and the world feels open and vast, you don’t get the confined feeling from its predecessor. The one concern, that was shared amongst many, was the story line. A lot of people still feel the sting from AC3 and are wary of the same thing happening again. There is only so much you can learn from a few hours of game play. However, there is optimism.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag gives you a sense of hope and adventure. The Ubisoft launch party did its job. It built some great hype for the game. People were excited to play and interact with it. This is the pirate game people have been waiting for since Sid Meier. If hoisting the main sails, with an aim to misbehave, is on your agenda, then Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the game for you.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is slated for release on October 29th for Xbox360, Play Station 3, WiiU and PC. It is scheduled for the next gen consoles on November 15th for Play Station 4 and November 21st for Xbox One.
