"Now don't stand there like a barrel of wet fish. We're celebrating my retirement! Uncork this man's breakfast!" - Ed "Blackbeard" Thatch
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
The initial cinematic sequence shows main character Edward Kenway and Ed "Blackbeard" Thatch discussing the latter's retirement from piracy. The previous sequence had concluded with a victorious Kenway defeating an enemy blockade of ships. This mission was set during the nighttime and as such the following is as the sun rises. This tells the player that no time has passed between the two sequences and gives a sense of continuity.
The mission begins with tailing a nosey stranger through a rickety camp and into dense forest. This contrasts heavily with the previous mission, as this one is set on foot and requires the player to practice patience and be covert. The previous mission had the player storming through ships and destroying enemies on sight.
Once the player has reached the gates of an abandoned mansion house the sun has fully risen which allows the player to see much more of their surroundings. This will become useful as the player now has to eavesdrop on the conversation. This is a similar task to the previous but adds a secondary level of difficulty, the layer must stay within the radius drawn around the enemies or else they will fail the mission.
The design of this area foreshadows the outcome of the level. The enemies are very close to the retirement party of Blackbeard but the pirates have no idea that they are there. This indicates that there is a dastardly plan afoot.
The environment art also reflects the enemies characteristics, that even though the mansion is dilapidated they still seek out wealth and power even if it is run-down.
Now the foreshadowing comes to fruition. Ships off the coast have destroyed the town and are attacking the pirate ships. The player must change gear from creeping and stalking to speeding through a burning township to reach their ship in under a minute. This is a sudden change of pace in the mission with failure incredibly likely on the first attempt. The player cannot see the path ahead for the smoke and fire and intermittent bombings. This raises the players heart rate and prepares them for the next part of the mission.
The loud audio and bright colours prepares the player for the following ship battle. This acts as a bridge between a slow and precise piece of gameplay to a more frenetic and action packed one.
Now the player is thrust into a dangerous scenario where they must destroy and board a Man o'War. This gameplay includes attacking, retreating and circling the enemy ship until it is incapacitated and the player can board.
This is a challenging piece of gameplay and almost impossible without the appropriate upgrades. This warned to the player at the beginning of the mission, and they are advised to upgrade their ship before starting.
Once aboard then the taking of the ship is similar to other points in the game as the player must complete tasks to fully take control of the ship.
The audio of this environment is different from other ship-boardings, as in the background we can hear more yelling and gun fight than usual and also the consistent shouts from Blackbeard. This informs the player that a secondary character is in the vicinity and will likely need protecting at some point.
So far the mission has had it's ups and downs - with slow play and fast this mission is shaping up to be like the other missions - which by this point in playing AC4 is becoming slightly repetitive. Attack the ship, board the ship, kill the crew, win.
However, this does not happen. After a while of fighting the player has almost completed the tasks, a cinematic cut scene occurs showing the newly retired Blackbeard being overwhelmed by enemy sailors, Kenway attempts to help but is too late and Blackbeard in slew where he stands and Kenway is knocked overboard.
This is the first time an ally secondary character has been killed on screen. This acts as a turning point in the story, we are now approximately 2/3 of the way through the game and this is the beginning of the end. We see later in the game that other allies have died without the player's knowledge, reflecting on Kenway's selfishness and demonstrating that he must change his ways, lest he be alone forever.
To finish this mission the player simply must flee to their ship and escape the melee.
This mission is a rollercoaster for the player, as with each element of gameplay there was a hard-earned success, allowing the player to feel overly confident. This is then destroyed at the very end as they must flee from a fight, allowing allies to die in their place.
This ending should not come as a huge surprise, however, as the previous sequences were full of successes. The narrative needed to change and as in any novel our "hero" has to go through turmoil in order to grow.
Through the use of audio, art and design this mission is an effective demonstration of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag as it is has every mechanic that is integral to the game; stalking, assassinating, free-running and sailing, along with a variety of environments and characters. This mission challenges the player both in technical skills and also their perception of the narrative as this is the first major twist in the story, and it beckons in the end.
