Edward Kenway's actor gave me one piece of advice before playing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, and I'm glad I followed it

Of all the games I've never played, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag may be the most celebrated. I've heard praise aplenty for its enticing sailing mechanics and roguish protagonist Edward Kenway, but I've never felt the desire to explore Ubisoft's take on the Golden Age of Piracy – at least, not until I saw the first trailer for Resynced.

The remake's announcement was received with huge excitement, so much so that even a landlubber like myself, who has never really clicked with Ubisoft's back catalog, was caught up in the frenzy. So when I met Kenway's actor, Matt Ryan, I took the opportunity to ask him if I should play the original or begin with this new iteration. "Start with Resynced," he said, and so I did, and I can say with glee that it's the best Assassin's Creed game I've ever had.

Running down to Cuba

In play, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is as gorgeous as it is gripping. Tearing across the cruel yet comforting waters of the Caribbean, I'm in awe of the multitude of things to do: battle enemy vessels, lay siege to forts, harpoon sea creatures, drop anchor at some new shore; or simply bond with my ship's many animal companions (Albert the Monkey is my best friend).

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The result of all these activities is hours feeling like minutes, with no amount of time ever enough to slake my thirst for more adventure – and I say this as someone who normally gives up on Ubisoft games before the 10-hour mark. Why has Resynced hooked me so easily? It starts with the location.

The Caribbean is one part of the globe I can't imagine myself visiting. Not for lack of desire, to be clear, but a deficit in funds. Travelling isn't cheap, so the beauty and history of this area of the world will likely always remain a mystery to me, Black Flag Resynced provides a welcome alternative.

Boasting a beautiful map brought to life by Spanish architecture, Mayan ruins and tropical beaches, there's few games as pleasurable to play tourist in than Ubisoft's latest pirate entry. I have a similar relationship with the Like a Dragon series, taking in the streets of Kamurocho or enjoying an arcade in Isezaki Ijincho as if I'm simulating a vacation instead of concerning myself with any plotlines.

In fact, so great is the joy of simply existing in Resynced, I relish doing the open-world-checklist-style side quests on offer, something I usually ignore in favor of pursuing the main narrative threads. Instead of sailing after my destiny, I'm uncovering treasure chests like I'm in The Goonies, or tinkering with ancient puzzles like Nathan Drake.

Riches and reputation

Now, while there is no doubt equally as much pleasure to be found in the original Assassin's Creed 4, I can't imagine I'm missing out by playing Resynced instead. Some content has been cut, and we're a fair few years on from the rose-tinted Xbox 360 era the original game launched in, but playing on PS5 I'm having just as magical a time as I was led to believe I would.

The visual overhaul is magnificent and I can see how big an improvement it is because my mind's eye isn't clear of nostalgia. The character movement is slick, and the settings menu gives options to adjust the free-running/parkour experience for a more nuanced feel. Add to all this the fluid open-world structure with an impressive lack of loading screens, and it's hard to imagine any version of this game from two console generations ago could contend with it.

And yet, I still believe it could. The enjoyment I get from Resynced has me eager to play more games from the franchise. I want to try Altaïr's story, see Ezio's trilogy through to the end, and find out what AC3 has to offer before eventually setting sail in Ubisoft's first version of the Caribbean. Sure, I'll likely struggle with aged parts of the older game, but something tells me it'll be worth the effort. Whether I stay the course I can't know yet, but the desire to try is a sign of Resynced's quality.

All that's left to say is thank you to Matt Ryan. His encouragement has resulted in hours of fun listening to sea shanties, swordfighting with soldiers and cuddling with Albert. Here's to the rest of my voyage.