Hello everyone!
We’re back with another Deep Dive article. This time, we’ll be showcasing some of the ways that we expanded on the original Black Flag in Resynced. From new missions and content and to updated environment layouts and level design, the team updated multiple elements while staying true to the core of the original game.
This time we’re joined by Creative Director Paul Fu and Game Director Richard Knight.
Please note that all footage is from a work-in-progress build. Make sure to watch in 4K for the best quality. HUD settings may vary depending on the capture to showcase examples of customizable options.
New Missions
New endgame chapter: “A World Without Gold”
If you’ve played the original Black Flag, then the character of Blackbeard is likely burned into your brain like the fuses he wore in his hat. With a new set of eight additional missions, you’ll experience Blackbeard’s expanded story which unlocks at the start of the final sequence in the game – look out for the quest in the Hideout. You’ll have to play the game to find out what’s in store for you and how the tale of Blackbeard unfolds.
Officer Side Missions
In our previous deep dive on naval gameplay (check it out here in case you missed it), we outlined the three new officers for the Jackdaw and the benefits of each. Not only does each come with a questline you can follow to discover their stories in the Caribbean, but the perks they provide midway through their questlines unlock a gameplay perk for the Jackdaw.
Unlocked once you reach Great Inagua, Adéwalé will inform Edward of two potential recruits known as Lucy and the Padre, while the final officer known as Tobias “Deadman” Smith can be recruited through the “A World Without Gold” questline mentioned above. Lucy can be found at Salt Key Bank, imprisoned aboard a Man-o-War. Edward will have to sneak aboard to free her and add her to his crew. Meanwhile, the Padre can be found in Punta del Caracol; a holy man with a checkered past now serving a small village. Edward will need to aid him and convince him to return to a life of piracy. Below is some new gameplay footage from the Padre’s questline.
You won’t have to fully finish each Officer’s questline to unlock them and bring them along as part of your crew, but if you want to learn more about them and their motivations for joining you, you can conclude their stories with the remaining missions.
Other Side Missions
New Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet Quests
Starting in sequence 8, a new treasure quest sees Edward sent on a hunt by Blackbeard to not only uncover loot, but cement Blackbeard’s reputation as a builder of a free society. You’ll have to play to discover more and uncover the twist yourself, but check out the “Health to the Company” cinematic trailer we shared recently for a taste of what’s to come.
Stede Bonnet is another beloved icon of the pirate age, and we wanted to expand his role a little in Resynced to honor the legacy of this unlikely gentleman pirate. Stede’s story is, by now, well known amongst many, and we wanted to give him a more satisfying conclusion, so we’ve added a new mission and a fitting epilogue to his tale. You will receive a letter from Stede asking Edward to meet with him on Mystery Island, where you’ll be able to uncover what happened to the legendary gentleman. This quest unlocks when you start Sequence 9, and the additional quests can be found in your hideout or appear on the map once available.
“Coming back to the Caribbean gave us some opportunities to address some hanging threads from the original game,” said Richard Knight. “In the years since, players have been wondering what happened to Blackbeard and Stede, and we’ve seen Stede featured in a number of very cool movies and shows, so people know even more about his interesting life. We wanted to give both characters a proper send-off and to tie a bow on this Bonnet.”
Additional Animus rifts
While Resynced’s focus is on the tale of Edward Kenway, there are four optional rifts which each relate to some of the key characters in the game, such as Edward, Blackbeard, and James Kidd. These will conclude… Well, you’ll have to discover the conclusion for yourself by seeking them out.
Revisiting Mission Structure and Layouts
Layouts and Structure
Mission structure in general has been tweaked to both provide you with more options to complete your objectives and refresh the experience to match some of the updates made to systems like parkour.
“Each quest in the game was built from scratch,” says Paul Fu. “The directors all did full playthroughs of the original and made notes as they went to point out areas of the game that were the most confusing, the things that didn’t make sense anymore in a modern game, and what could be improved. The result was a lot of changes – sometimes small and sometimes large – to the level and mission design.”
The biggest changes are clear right from the first mission. We adjusted some details of parkour paths, scripted events, collectibles, and sometimes even the layout itself. The goal here was to make traversal more intuitive and coherent, while also maintaining believability and honoring the spirit of the original game. The cities and locations all still follow the same general layout as they did before, but the details have been reworked and revisited to match the modern parkour mechanics. Some missions and objectives have also been updated for a better experience. For example, some tailing objectives have been replaced with investigations or new stealth objectives to increase the variety of activities and better fit the story. Changes like this have been made across the map, so even if you know the original like the back of your hand, you’ll have plenty of new parkour routes to explore and exploit with the new mechanics.
"Many Assassination missions have also been expanded with optional objectives and secrets,” says Paul. “We wanted to expand on the lore of the assassination targets without violating the original narrative. For example, in one particular mid-game assassination, you can find a target’s room (with a hidden reward) by eavesdropping on some soldiers.”
Another change we’ve made is when you unlock the Rope Dart tool. Previously, it was an item unlocked a little later in the game, but in Resynced you’ll get access to it in Sequence 3, giving you a lot more options throughout the game when dealing with enemies both for stealth and distraction, as well as a tool that holds its own in melee combat.
Tailing Missions
You’re tailing someone, eavesdropping on their conversation to get the info you need to complete your task. Maybe you get ahead of yourself or lose concentration and get caught. In the original Black Flag, this meant a desynchronization, and we felt your frustrations as well. In Resynced, we’ve modified things so that failing an eavesdropping or tailing mission will no longer result in starting over, and there will be multiple paths to gain the information you need. If you’re caught early or lose sight of your target for too long, your objective will switch and may require you, for example, to enter combat and locate a note on a defeated enemy, chase down your target and take them out, or continue investigating in a different location. This gives you far more optionality in how you approach tailing and eavesdropping missions. In the following clip, we will take out a captain who you're tailing in a sequence in Havana: a move that would have resulted in a desynchronization in the original Black Flag.
How have Templar Hunts, Assassins Contracts, and Naval Contracts changed?
Templar Hunts from the original game have been reworked to meet the standards of modern parkour and provide a commensurate challenge, while also updating the narrative a little to fit better into the updated experience. You can still expect to unlock the same rewards for your hard work by using the five keys on the locked gate in the Hideout.
Assassin Contracts return and can be picked up in major settlements at pigeon coops. We’ve remixed these a little to distribute them a more evenly across the map and rebalance them, while also fleshing out the character contracts with additional dialogue and deeper motivations, and reworking their introductions to weave them more seamlessly into the narrative. Rewards for naval and assassination contracts have also been updated, including some new items that weren’t available in the original game.
Skip time feature
Whether you want to complete a quest in the cover of night or get that perfect sunrise picture on the beach, the new Skip Time feature has been added for your convenience. All you need to do is hold down the Skip Time button when outside of combat to cycle from day to night – or vice-versa – giving you a little more control over the environment and how you take on missions.
The Hideout and Other Locations
The Hideout
Every rogue needs a hideout, and Edward is no different. As you progress through the game, you will unlock a Hideout on Great Inagua. The isle features a small village and a villa on the hill overlooking it where you’ll house your collection of treasures, be able to manage your fleet of captured ships, access new side missions, and even collect a regular income from the residents of the island.
In Resynced, we wanted to bring the Hideout to life and add a sense of progression to match Edward’s own changing fortunes. Now you’ll find a variety of buildings in the village below which you can unlock and upgrade, which will not only change how they look, but also confer a number of benefits. For example, the General Store will start out as an abandoned shack, run down and disused. Investing a little money, some crafting materials, and some trade goods will result in it being improved up to three times with a clear visual upgrade. You’ll also get access to rare and legendary weapons, decorations, and outfits for Edward.
Fair warning, if you’d like to discover these on your own, this is your cue to close the article. Here’s a list of all the buildings and some of the benefits you’ll receive for investing in them:
General Store (three levels) – unlock rare and legendary weapons, decorations, and outfits
Tavern – get access to three mini games which Edward can play, and add to the tip jar to increase your chances of finding a Royal Convoy on the open waters
Harbormaster (three levels) – increase the number and tier of upgrades you can purchase for the Jackdaw
Brothel – dancers become free to hire and a number of combat and sailing benefits are applied to Edward, the Jackdaw, and its crew
Campfire – drunk pirates become free to hire and two more slots are added to Edward’s fleet
Fisherman’s Wharf (New to Resynced) – increase Hideout passive income over time and double effectiveness of skinning hunted animals
Treasure Dealer (New to Resynced) – unlock exclusive items and a map restoration service, increase Hideout profit over time, and unlock a chance for increased profit on fleet trading missions
Mansion Façade – increase maximum passive income and a slot in Edward’s fleet
Tower and Garden - increase maximum passive income and a slot in Edward’s fleet
Guesthouse - increase maximum passive income and a slot in Edward’s fleet
Aside from the benefits you’ll unlock, you’ll also start to notice the village becoming busier and more full of life, with bustling streets and activity everywhere you look! Be sure to spare some of your riches and share the benefits with the villagers.
Milo van der Graaff
You’ll also find the dubious Milo van der Graaff has made his return to hand out naval contracts, but this time you’ll meet and talk to him in the flesh. The owner of a trading company with a less-than-honorable reputation, van der Graaff can be found at the Hideout while his employees – who also offer his contracts – can be found throughout the Caribbean to offer Edward dishonest work for dishonest pay. Milo will offer a mix of naval combat missions and assassination contracts, and his story has been developed to give you a little more information on this “honest businessman.”
“Milo existed in the original, but you would only see his name mentioned in letters,” says Paul. “We decided to physically add Milo to Great Inagua early on in conception, to give this ostentatious man a presence in the game.”
Bernard Woodhouse the Butler
Great Inagua’s villa also boasts a new character – Bernard Woodhouse. Bernard is introduced briefly in the main story when Edward takes over the Hideout and is Great Inagua’s caretaker and the villa’s butler. Underneath his prim and proper exterior, Bernard houses quite a few secrets. As you collect relics and art (both familiar and new) for the villa, you can expect to unlock more story elements about Bernard’s life and the villa mysteries.
“We knew that many completionist fans would come back to the Caribbean looking for new things to collect and do,” says Paul. “Woodhouse was added to provide narrative to the collection quests in the Hideout. Along with Woodhouse comes new paintings for the player to collect. For example, players can find paintings of Edward’s friends – and targets – in the open world.”
Playas and treasure hunting
Playas (small islands which can be explored for rewards) previously had only one or two chests. We wanted to add a little more value and incentive for players to explore and feel connected to the world. Along with increasing the number of rewards, we’ve added some unique treasure to some of these locations – keep an eye out for the Guardian Beast Trinket on Dry Tortuga, for example – as well as Animus Keys which will unlock, amongst other things, some cool outfits for Edward, weapons, and ship vanities.
You might also find some locations which add a little color and narrative to the world of the Caribbean with unique encounters or vault entries which give deeper insight into what’s going on in the modern day. To encounter them all and become a true master of the Caribbean seas, you’ll have to sail far and wide to explore each location thoroughly.
New local events in the world
Speaking of which, local events are small narrative moments or extra flavor that we’ve added to the world. These could be small voice lines added to Edward or other NPCs or characters that comment on letters received or events in the world, additional animations to react to things that happen to and around Edward, or extra lines from NPCs that might give you hints and clues to the story or little rewards you can uncover. For example, each plantation now features small extra narratives that are tied to locating the key necessary to open their warehouses. In one, a pet crocodile named Lucia might get in the way of easy retrieval of the key, and in another a forbidden love story unfolds between a British officer and the Lady of the house. Be sure to visit each of the plantations, not just for some rewards at the end, but to discover what other tales await you!
“These small moments add a little color to the world,” says Knight. “They’re not intrusive or constantly telling you what to do next, they just bring Edward and the people who inhabit the Caribbean to life a little more and make the world feel more immersive. And if you keep your ears open, you might just get a hint as to where you can find one of the new shanties we added…”
Difficulty Settings and Gameplay Impact
For Resynced, we’ve updated the experience so you can meet the challenges Edward faces on his journey in a way that suits you.
“We want to give players more choices,” says Paul Fu. “If you’re a sword combat expert but have the subtlety of a broadside canon, maybe you want to up the combat difficulty but lower the stealth difficulty. It means the challenges can meet you where you are instead of having these huge difficulty spikes every time you have to engage in a certain type of activity.”
There are four separate difficulty settings you can tweak to your heart’s desire: combat, naval combat, stealth, and activities. Each is split into three difficulties: Forgiving, Intended, and Hard.
The Forgiving setting, generally, is for story-focused players or players who have not yet mastered the mechanics of a particular activity.
Intended is the default and it closely mimics the experience of the original Black Flag, providing a balance between the two other settings and is most suitable for players familiar with action-adventure games.
Hard is for those who want a challenge and to test themselves against everything the game can throw at them.
You can change these on the fly, so if you find a specific section of the game too challenging, you can edit them mid-game and put them back when you overcome it. Each has a variety of effects on gameplay, so let’s take a look.
Combat Difficulty
Changing the difficulty here will affect melee combat outside of stealth, so when Edward is on dry land, in a fort, or raiding the deck of an enemy ship. The number of enemies who will actively attack Edward when he’s surrounded, the frequency of those attacks, and the amount of damage Edward’s own attacks do will all be affected by this setting.
Stealth Difficulty
This setting takes effect when Edward is keeping a low profile, skulking across rooftops or between blades of tall grass. Changing this setting affects the distance at which he’ll be spotted by enemies, the amount of time it takes for them to detect him while he’s still somewhat hidden or far enough away, how long enemies will hunt for Edward when they become alerted or suspicious, and which state they will enter upon witnessing certain higher profile acts.
Naval Combat Difficulty
Combat while piloting the Jackdaw will see a number of changes based on your difficulty choice. The Jackdaw itself will be affected by the amount of damage that is dealt against enemies, how much effect bracing has against incoming damage, or whether damage will automatically be repaired outside of combat. Meanwhile, enemy ships will also do different levels of damage and have the cooldown of their ram ability affected. Hostile forts will also deal varying levels of damage and cooldowns will differ based on your choices.
Activity Difficulty
Lastly, activities refers to exploring shipwrecks and hunting with the harpoon. Creatures you meet while diving will do different amounts of damage, spawn more or less frequently, and Edward will have more or less time to dodge incoming attacks. Similarly, this setting will affect the damage Edward does to his prey, incoming damage he receives, and even Edward’s ability to interrupt incoming attacks will be affected, with the Hard difficulty requiring a perfect attack to prevent them.
So, whether you want to push your limits or just see what happens next in Edward’s tale, try playing with these settings and finding the ones that fit you best.
And that’s it for this deep dive! It’s just a glimpse at some of the ways we expanded on the original Black Flag, so make sure to check out our deep dives into parkour, stealth, combat, and naval gameplay to learn more about the host of new features, missions, mechanics, and more. Keep an eye out for more deep dives and reveals all the way up to Resynced’s launch on July 9.