Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – review

Assassin's Creed has become a divisive franchise, developer Ubisoft's yearly release cycle leading to accusations of watering down the series' quality in favour of a stable income. Observing the shortcomings in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – simplistic combat, badly structured mission types, an awkward sci-fi metafiction imposed on an otherwise solid story – one would be forgiven for thinking these accusations hold weight. Yet for every failure, there is a greater success.The year is 1715. Pirates rule the waters of the Caribbean and have established a lawless Republic. Among these outlaws is a lethal young captain named Edward Kenway. His notorious exploits earn the respect of legends like Blackbeard, but draw him into an ancient war that may destroy everything the pirates have built for themselves.