New Details On Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Emerge
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag‘s Mission Director Ashraf Ismail from Ubisoft Montreal has let loose some new details on what to expect from their upcoming entry into the franchise.
In an interview with PlayStation Social Media Manager Sid Shuman on playstation.com’s blogcast, Ismail was quick to point out that while the game is a fantasy take on this historical era, a sense of authenticity was focused upon in development. “We want people to feel like they experienced this time period.” The game will take place in the late 17th, early 18th century and stars a new main character named Edward Kenway.
Ismail went on to note how the series is evolving, stating, “It’s really a new experience for AC. We’re really pushing tons of new activity because we really see that AC has got a maturity in its gameplay mechanics so we’re able to push new things.” Some light was also shed on the world itself and the overall experience that they are aiming for. “Alot of the new environments are actually catered to different types of gameplay.” While stealth is the goal in many cases, that style will not be forced upon the player. However, Ismail warns, “Good luck not playing [certain areas] stealth.” When situations do call for those tactics, though, he assures players that they can expect new ingredients for it.
In true Assassin’s Creed fashion, the gameplay will be wide and varied, boasting “50 Unique Locations that are seamless” including “beaches that you can just swim up to or drive your ship to.” Problem solving will again play a role, perhaps more prominently this time around, and environments enhance this notion. “The mine ruins are more about navigation puzzles, things like this,” says Ismail, as opposed to “the plantation and the jungles which are much more dense and stealth driven environments.”
Locations won’t be the only new flavor in AC4. States Ismail, “We’ve also pushed Edward himself as a pirate captain and as an assassin.” To add to the variety, new navigation and fighting mechanics have been notably tweaked, highlighting Edwards’s new iconic weapons including dual wielded swords. According to Ismail, players will also be able to use up to 4 guns at once and can integrate combos between them. He compares the use of guns and a new quick-fire mode in this iteration to other third person shooters but they are intended to add some strategy into the gameplay resulting in an increased emphasis on skill-based combat. “The enemies in this game will be a bit more dangerous so fights will be a bit tougher. This is where the guns will have a bigger role to play [along with] the dual wielding swords.”
Assassin’s Creed 3 introduced the Anvil Next Engine which was designed to add depth and mood to the game’s presentation. Ismail claimed this engine’s original intent was also to open the AC series up to new technologies in the next generation. Regarding the PS4 version, he confirmed that they are supporting “the new controller with all its unique functions” though he was reluctant to add any more details, stating that the next-gen version was just announced but more information “is definitely coming in the future.”
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is scheduled to hit store shelves on October 29th with next-gen versions to come shortly thereafter.
