Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag looks absolutely stunning on the PlayStation 4, but the seafaring escapade was not built with the next generation console in mind. Throughout development, publisher Ubisoft had to wrestle with changing specifications, and that’s resulted in the release not quite taking full advantage of Sony’s next generation super machine. However, that’s not an issue that the company expects to face next time around.
“When you start [working on next-gen consoles] and you don't even know the specs or what they are going to do you don't think about that or you're going to be sick,” laughed lead game designer Jean-Sebastien Decant in an interview with Game Reactor. “We thought about next-gen graphics and in order to explore that we used the high-end PCs on the side, and then we continued just what we started with the previous games and built upon that.”
He continued: “I think that ‘next’ next-gen is going to be for the next games. The next games are going to be much more on the next-gen side. This one is really on the edge.” In other words, you’re not only going to see an even bigger bump in the visuals moving forwards, but also some technological and networking advancements, too. In fact, Decant is eager for the next Assassin’s Creed to employ the same social features already observed in titles such as Watch Dogs.
“I think that we're going toward a gaming place where the open world will be shared with other players,” he added. “Socially speaking, but also maybe multiplayer stuff. And we will have to consider the open world much more like a platform that we could sustain for years." So next time that you hop into the Animus, you may no longer be alone. This fusion of single player and multiplayer is something that's becoming increasingly prevalent on the PS4.
Of course, the company is also eager for the series to improve from a gameplay perspective – and Decant believes that it can achieve this by refining the established pillars of the brand. “We cannot tell you that we're happy and that this is how we want the game to be and we're going to do ten more games with exactly that same gameplay,” he stressed. “No, we are unhappy. We want to do more. There are lots of things that we want to refine on the combat side, on the parkour, [and] on the stealth.”
We really thought that the publisher’s recent piratical campaign was a step in the right direction, but, as Decant points out, there’s plenty more that the company can do to freshen up the franchise. We’d like to see an end to those abysmal eavesdropping missions for starters. Still, at this point in time, we’re more interested in where the series heads next. Which time period would you like the property to explore in next year’s inevitable instalment? Step out of the shadows and into the comments section below.
[source gamereactor.eu, via eurogamer.net]
Comments 6
Was never that fussed about the AC franchise but the pirates have tempted me. Already ordered my copy and just waiting for my PS4. Next time round they should do an Amazon based Conquistador adventure!
@RyoHazuki Same here. I could never get into AC, but Black Flag has really made me remember my love of pirates and the freedom of the open seas.
I loved assassins creed 2...brotherhood and revelations did a lot to sour that love and assassins creed 3 didn't do much to regain my affections. I feel cold towards the franchise now....Black flag seems better but I think it will take the next incarnation to get me interested again.
@Munkyknuts trust me i didn;t like 3, but 4 is the best AC! better than 2!
AC4 was what AC3 should have been (lush environments, mix between nature & cities, the ship stuff, the action, badass assassin, etc.)
So far it's a huge leap (i'm maybe 25% through the game), my 3rd favorite AC behind AC2 & Brotherhood, and right now on track to beat out brotherhood for second.
My biggest & virtually only gripe? The combat!
Thank god it's better than 3, even though it's using what 3 started.
The combat in AC1, 2, brotherhood & revelations was for me one of the best combat systems. Lock-on targeting with parrying, blocking, countering, disarming, and stringing kills were all excellent mechanics, albeit if the A.I. was fairly dumb.
AC3 threw it all out the window in favor of timed button presses, much to my disdain. And AC4, to my surprise and further disappointment, got rid of lock-on targeting and blocking all together!! That being said, compared to AC3, Black Flag's combat feels much better, and is presenting slightly more of a challenge to master. A.I. is smarter too, at least a little. But i miss the days of just being able to block, not having to counter everything. Guess it serves to speed up the fights, but i wish we still had lock-ons and block. Often in AC4 i am just pressing the two buttons when i need to and cutting through the enemies like butter.
AC5 needs to go back and redo the combat again, taking a tip from the animations and fluidity of 3 & 4 and returning to the mechanics of the Ezio trilogy, and implement significantly more challenging A.I., or at least a hard mode!
This fusion of single- and multiplayer is not good news for me, personally. I prefer my single player games to be exactly that: single. When I dive into a campaign, I want to soak in story, atmosphere cut scenes and such...and have less than zero desire that some stranger intrudes my game, messing with my experience. I can see why this merging could be appealing for people, but it's not for me...so let's hope this stays entirely optional as seems to be the case with Watch_Dogs or Destiny, as it would be a total deal breaker for me if it wasn't.
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