Resynced is an incredibly faithful remake that solidifies Edward Kenway's journey as one of the best Assassin's Creed entries.11:00, 08 Jul 2026Updated 11:07, 08 Jul 2026Well over a decade on from when it first shook up the Assassin's Creed franchise, Black Flag returns by way of an all-new remake that once again proves it's a pirate's life most players crave.‌I don’t think I was the only person who questioned Ubisoft’s intention to remake 2013’s Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag when it was first announced. A 13-year-old game it might be, true, yet even by today’s standards it still looks, plays, and sounds great when fired up on modern consoles. Alternatively, though, with its emphasis on ship combat, exotic Caribbean location, and swashbuckling central pirate hero in Edward Kenway, it’s a fan-favourite instalment for a reason. I suppose it only makes sense as the series’ first proper remake candidate. But I still had a seed of doubt about whether modern Ubisoft could pull it off.‌Well, not only does Resynced expand and build upon the original game’s bones in a way that presents it in a better light, it does so in a manner that treats Kenway’s seafaring outing with a great deal of respect. Ubisoft Singapore clearly loves Assassin's Creed Black Flag as much as we do, having gone out of its way to retain what made it brilliant while sprinkling in a few appreciated extras.‌Does mean that narrative surprises for returning players are somewhat limited? Sure. But with upgraded visuals, a revised control system, and few new excuses to poke around the West Indies, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is an unequivocally brilliant remake that celebrates a time when the series was at its height.The best thing I can say about Resynced is that it looks just as I remember it - even though that’s so clearly not true. Now taking full advantage of Ubisoft’s latest Anvil engine incarnation, exploring all the fruitful sights that the sun-kissed Caribbean has to offer has never been more beautiful.The sea shines blue under the beating heat of the glistening sun, Kenway’s pirate coat sways in the wind gracefully following a jump, and the facial animations of characters have enjoyed such a leap in fidelity it’s extremely easy to get lost in the stories of Blackbeard, Charles Vane, and the like. While the original Black Flag is still very much playable, visually, Resynced unsurprisingly blows it out of the water (literally, in some cases).‌Good looks will only get you so far, however, and thankfully Resynced makes plenty of appreciated gameplay changes that makes this open-world adventure far less of a hassle to get around. Beginning with on-foot exploration, running is no longer tied to the right shoulder button like the Assassin’s Creed games of old, and is instead feels more natural when accessed on the left analogue stick as is now the standard.Parkouring up and down buildings, meanwhile, benefits from the incredibly fluid climbing control system brought in with last year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which means clambering up and down is now tied to a specific face button, resulting in less embarrassing fluffs when attempting to scale and descend from great heights.‌Arguably the biggest change comes in how combat is handled. Rather than focus heavily on button-mashing or having Edward awkwardly standing around waiting for enemies to attempt an attack that you can then counter, Resynced takes a page from the newer, shoulder button geared combat style that first made its debut with Assassin’s Creed Origins.Countering and parrying is still highly emphasised, but is made even more involved thanks to the addition of active skills such as the rope pull, leg sweep, and others, all of which helps give Edward’s 1-versus-many encounters an extra splash of dynamism. Better yet, beating down an enemy’s defence meter to stun them now leaves them wide open for a final takedown finisher, most of which look more brutal than ever thanks to the significant step up in graphical fidelity.Whale of a timeShip combat, by comparison, hasn’t undergone the knife to quite the same extent - but that’s only because Ubisoft pretty much nailed it the first time around. Taking to the seas to battle it out with frigates, forts, and the painfully challenging man-of-war ships in the endgame is still as tactical and thrilling as it always was, testing your ability to brace when rival shots come in while finding the correct positioning for Kenway’s beloved Jackdaw ship to fire off all kinds of impactful shot types, whether it’s the side cannons, front guns, or long-range mortar.‌There was a time when I felt ship combat pretty invasive to the traditional Creed formula. However, here, now over a decade on, it does well again to help solidify Black Flag as the definitive ship combat game. In some 13 years, it truly is yet to be bettered.Speaking honestly, a large part of why Resynced works is because the original Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag always has and still does. Sure, there’s the ability to crouch on demand now, tailing missions tend to not immediately fail you when spotted, and there’s a dedicated button for lowering Kenway’s hood, but this is very much the same game (mostly) as you remember it. Only now it boasts a major facelift and slight mechanical overhaul.Ubisoft Singapore has clearly taken a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, for the most part. It’s much like the recent Dead Space remake in that way, being brilliant largely due to the genius of the original game it’s built upon. This leaves very little on the table by way of actual surprise, as you’d expect, yet there’s still an art and magic to being transported to the days of 2013 near seamlessly.‌Funnily enough, it’s mostly in the game’s story and character work where Resynced makes the biggest changes - and even then they largely come in the form of nips and tucks. Matt Ryan’s central performance as Edward Kenway, a Welsh-born chancer who leaves his boring life behind in favour of piracy in the hopes of finding his fortune, is still as endearing as it was previously.The bulk of his journey hasn’t changed, but it has been finessed in the form of three new naval officers that can be recruited onto the Jackdaw to offer unique upgrades, but perhaps most significantly, a string of endgame missions centred on Blackbeard. As Kenway’s de facto father figure in the early game, he’s now the subject of an all-new endgame chapter that further shines a light on the two’s relationship, and it’s a very welcome coda to the wider Black Flag saga. It's a good workaround in lieu of a proper Black Flag sequel.‌Despite initially being hesitant about whether it even needed a remake, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced quickly won me over and ultimately justifies its own existence in a multitude of ways beyond the obvious visual upgrade. Although it’s a mostly recreated experience that aims to slightly enhance the original material rather than throw out the blueprint entirely, I’d struggle to find a better way to re-approach what is unabashedly one of the best games in the franchise.Exploring the West Indies on foot and by boat has been made more beautiful than it’s ever been, the revised combat system is a lot more involved and therefore rewarding as a result, while the sprinkling of new narrative content helps to tie up most of the loose-ended relationships Kenway left behind.Resynced is in love with the original game as much as a lot of us are, and the labours of said love are on display in almost every aspect. Put bluntly, Resynced is easily now the best way to play Assassin's Creed Black Flag either again or for the first time, further enhancing what already was the definitive single-player pirate game.Article continues belowRating: 5/5Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is scheduled to launch on PS5, Xbox, and PC on Thursday, July 9 .