Our Assassin's Creed Black Flag guide lays out all our advice and pointers for getting through the game. While it's not quite as big as previous Assassin's Creed games like Odyssey, Shadows, and Valhalla, Black Flag Resynced is still quite dense, so there's a lot to cover. From basic features, key things to know, and changes from the original, to quest help and locations for all the major collectibles, this guide will help you whether you've earned your sea legs or not.
Black Flag Resynced platforms and review
Black Flag Resynced is out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. On PC, you can also play it on several different services, including Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect, so there are plenty of ways to play.
If you're on the fence about hopping in though, take a look at our Black Flag Resynced review, where our reviewer said that, "strong pirate adventure foundations and roguish charm keep this remake afloat, but it splashes between wanting to be faithful, and wanting to make adjustments, not quite able to find an elegant middleground between the two."
Black Flag Resynced changes
As a remake of 2013's Assassin's Creed IV, Black Flag Resynced features quite a lot of changes to modernize and bring it in line with the previous Assassin's Creed Shadows. But it also includes a few new features too, and you can learn about all the changes in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced here. One of these new features is the ability to fast-forward to the next morning or evening, but this Black Flag Resynced skip time function is quite easy to miss.
If you also want to know how long it takes to beat Black Flag Resynced compared to the original, I've also explained that in this guide, laying out estimated completion times for the remake for three different playstyles.
Black Flag Resynced Jackdaw upgrades
Edward Kenway's pride and joy, the Jackdaw, is quite a fragile ship at first, which is why it’s essential that you focus plenty of your time in Black Flag Resynced upgrading it. Eventually, it'll become a brigantine that can take on all manner of challenges the Spanish and British Empires and the Caribbean Sea can throw at it, but here's what you need to know about and look for as you sail around:
- Black Flag Resynced repair ships: Make sure you know how to keep the Jackdaw in tip-top condition.
- Black Flag Resynced Ultimate ship upgrades: The final upgrade level for most of the Jackdaw's features require a sort of blueprint as well as the usual Reales and raw materials, so make sure you know where to find them all.
- Black Flag Resynced Officers: Resynced adds two more unlockable officers for Edward's crew, both adding some naval combat abilities for the Jackdaw.
- Black Flag Resynced pets: They're far from essential as they’re purely cosmetic but you unlock companions to join you at the helm.
Black Flag Resynced quests and activities:
The quests in Black Flag Resynced are generally straightforward, with stealth being practically optional, but there are some that can be a little puzzling:
- Black Flag Resynced Sage and Prison Key: Finding the Sage and prison key needed to break him out is one of the earliest things Edward must do in the game. It's not too challenging, but if you don't know where to look, it might trip you up.
- Black Flag Resynced statue puzzle: Later when you reach Tulum for the first time, you'll have to complete some statue puzzles that seem more at home in an Indiana Jones movie.
- Black Flag Resynced Blackbeard's Treasure: Infamous pirate Blackbeard has some treasure hidden away in a secret cove, so here's where you need to look.
- Black Flag Resynced Naval Convoys: These naval battle open-world events can be quite tricky early on as you need to fight multiple ships at once, but these pointers will help you successfully commandeer the convoy.
Black Flag Resynced collectibles
All the collectibles from the original Black Flag are back for Resynced, but due to some map tweaks, they aren't at the same coordinates, so you'll need to find them all again:
- Black Flag Resynced Templar Keys: There are only four keys needed to unlock that armor back in Great Inagua, but each one is tied to a specifical Templar side quest.
- Black Flag Resynced Mayan Stones: Here's where you need to look for all 16 Mayan Stones to unlock the mysterious door back in Tulum.
- Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps: Buried Treasure can be found abundantly in Black Flag Resynced, but you get the maps first.
- Black Flag Resynced Legendary Ships: Patrolling the four corners of the map are colossal ships of extraordinary power – these are endgame threats that should only be tackled once you've got the Jackdaw suitably upgraded.
© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.
