Black Flag Resynced introduces a substantial amount of new content and gameplay adjustments to the original Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. These additions include new sidequests, a full additional story chapter, and modifications to combat, stealth, the Jackdaw ship, and legendary ship encounters. This guide details the order in which players can access these new features.
General gameplay changes have been implemented across combat and stealth. Players can now crouch anywhere by pressing the X button, and a visibility meter has been added. Heavy Strikes can be performed by holding the attack button, and Trinkets, items offering unique buffs, can be equipped. For instance, collecting all Mayan Stones now rewards a Trinket that absorbs gunfire, in addition to the Mayan Armor. The ability to pick up enemy weapons has been removed, and all hidden blade combat is now restricted to finishers. Notably, stealth missions no longer have fail conditions if the player is detected.
Significant updates have also been made to the Jackdaw and ship combat. Three new officer quests offer substantial upgrades, such as firing double broadsides, enhanced brace capabilities, and a ram ability previously exclusive to defeating all legendary ships. New secondary firing modes for ship weapons include Continuous Heated Shots for broadside cannons, Double Shot for bowchasers, Shrapnel barrels, and the Deadman's Cohort for mortars, which is unlocked via an officer quest. Swivel guns can now be aimed manually, similar to Assassin's Creed Rogue. Legendary ships are now more challenging and will respawn over time. Additionally, new sea shanties have been added, some of which are unlocked through sidequests.
The method for acquiring certain outfits has also changed, with the Jackdaw's Ship Plans now referred to as Ultimate Plans. Treasure Maps have also seen some modifications.
New Content Unlocks
The Rope Dart, a new combat tool, is provided by Kidd during Sequence 3, titled "Sugarcane and Its Yields." This item can be used to hang enemies or pull them closer, with a cooldown period between uses.
Sequence 4, "This Old Cove," marks the first major set of unlocks after capturing the cove at Great Inagua. This includes the "Art Lover" quest, where players collect art pieces for a butler named Bernard to restore the manor's collection. Two new officer quests, "A Second Chance" and "A Proper Shipwright," appear southeast and west of Great Inagua, respectively. Completing these quests allows players to recruit officers who grant special abilities and pistols. New narrative activities called Rifts and Animus Projects explore Edward Kenway's choices. The first Rift appears on the south coast of Great Inagua after finishing "This Old Cove." Players can also earn Data Fragments for Animus Projects, unlocking cosmetics and gear. Two new pets can also be found: Soot the Cat in Great Inagua via the "Cat Distribution System" local event, and Albert the Monkey in southeast Havana through the "Monkey Business" local event.
The "Blackbeard's Treasure" sidequest unlocks automatically after Sequence 8's "Do Not Go Gently" if players read Blackbeard's map. This quest involves tracking down Blackbeard's treasure and serves as an epilogue for the character Ed Thatch.
Following the completion of "Marooned" in Sequence 8, the "Captain Stede Bonnet" sidequest becomes available in the Great Inagua manor. This quest focuses on the merchant-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet, whom players encounter throughout the game.
Sequence 11's "Everything is Permitted" concludes with the unlock of "A World Without Gold," a new and significant story chapter. After completing "Everything is Permitted," the "That Bastard Maynard" quest marker appears by the tavern in Great Inagua. This quest involves Maynard, the pirate hunter encountered in the original game.
Within "A World Without Gold," players also unlock the third officer quest for Deadman, leading to the recruitment of Tobias Smith and his associated upgrade. Completing "I Just Want to Talk" and subsequent quests for Tobias Smith continues his storyline separately and eventually unlocks a new mortar type for the Jackdaw that fires a continuous stream. This represents the final major new content unlock in Black Flag Resynced.
