10 Things Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Does Better Than the Original

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has finally come out, and the game is already a massive success. The original game was already a fan-favorite, but it isn’t a stretch to say that Resynced just takes everything to the next level. The game looks and plays great, but visuals aren’t the only thing Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced does better.

From finally getting a dedicated crouch button to making combat immersive instead of a button-mashing act, this remake does a lot of things right. Here are ten things that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced does better than the original,

The Caribbean Feels Realer Than Ever

The 2013 game aged fine for its time, but Resynced’s rebuilt Anvil engine gives the water, weather, and light a texture the original never had. Storms roll in and change how a battle plays out instead of just looking pretty in the background, and the ocean genuinely earns its reputation as the game’s biggest star.

This is a purely cosmetic change, but the upgraded visuals really do wonders. The most important part of any good pirate-based game is for players to get immersed in the experience, which is much easier when the water actually looks good.

Combat Stopped Being a Button-Mash

Edward’s swordplay used to lean hard on flashy animations to sell the fantasy. This time, timing actually matters, hits land with weight, and chaining a stealth kill into open combat feels intentional rather than lucky. It’s still not a deep system, but it finally reacts to what you’re doing, especially on a portable platform such as the Steam Deck.

The combat sees Edward actually counter enemy attacks and retaliate with proper takedowns. It isn’t a stretch to say that the combat is very similar to the Batman Arkham games, where one good counter can help you take down anyone. Knowing when to time your blocks and when to dodge properly is the way to go.

Naval Battles Have More Depth

Ramming, secondary cannon options, and the ability to disable a ship before boarding it instead of just sinking it all give sea combat more depth. Officers you recruit bring their own abilities into a fight too, so no two encounters play out the same way anymore.

While this adds a cool twist in naval gameplay, it also ensures that players actually try their hardest to recruit as many unique characters as they can. This aspect was missing from the original game.

Your Crew Is More Fleshed Out

Officer characters now come with their own questlines woven into the main story, tying directly into how you upgrade the Jackdaw. It gives naval progression an actual face instead of just a resource bar.

Following someone’s personal arc between sea battles adds a reason to care who’s on your deck. The crewmates in this game aren’t just numbers to fill your ship requirements, but actual fleshed-out characters. While they definitely won’t be deep enough to be too memorable, this is still a nice addition.

Edward Stops Fighting the Controls

Edward finally has an actual crouch button, and that alone fixes half the reason stealth in the original felt clumsy. Parkour doesn’t stutter mid-jump the way it used to either. Previously, climbing a wall used to mean guessing which ledge the game thought you meant. 

Manual jumping clears this up completely. This doesn’t sound like much until you’re three rooftops into a chase and Edward finally goes where you want him to. The original was known for having some iffy controls, but Resynced definitely does them better.

Tail Missions Are More Convenient

The original game had a nasty habit of failing a tailing mission the instant you got spotted. This was no matter how close you were to finishing. Resynced changes that. Players who get caught while playing a tail mission can get another chance at finding their target or hiding from the enemy.

Not getting an instant restart during these missions is a nice addition, especially because of how much time it saves. Tailing has never really been a tough mechanic in Assassin’s Creed games, so it makes sense that the developer would want to ensure that players can get these sections done ASAP instead of having to constantly restart. 

New Story Threads

Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet both get meatier arcs. Three brand-new officers are also written straight into the main campaign instead of stuffed into a side menu. None of it feels like the usual remake filler. These characters actually have weight in the plot.

This does tie into the previous points of the crewmembers being more than just decorations. However, these characters have been fleshed out much more than the rest. It makes sense, considering how important they were supposed to be in the original game. Knowing more about the infamous Blackbeard and some of the most interesting officers is a large step in the right direction.

Diving Is Worth Doing

The original’s underwater sections were mostly there to break up the pacing. Modernized controls, quicker actions, and noticeably denser marine life turn wreck diving into something closer to a genuine treasure hunt, sharks included. It is no longer just a chore between naval battles.

Not to mention, this ensures that there’s something in every corner of the world. There’s a dedicated button that lets players check for nearby treasure or items of interest when underwater. Therefore, players can easily make their swimming adventures worth it.

No More Loading Screens

Sailing into a major port used to mean a hard cut and a wait. Resynced streams everything, so the transition from open water to a crowded harbor happens without interruption. This helps keep the world feeling like one continuous place, and is definitely something Black Flag Resynced does better.

This doesn’t mean that the game doesn’t have any loading. However, most players will find that their games will load much quicker than the original used to. In particular, players are thrust into the action quicker when fast traveling between harbors.

The Pirate Feeling Is Enhanced

Matt Ryan’s back in the booth as Edward, which matters more than it sounds. Swap voice actors and every returning cutscene starts to feel like a bad dub. The crew still breaks into the same sea shanties out on deck. Ubisoft actually built a proper photo mode instead of leaving screenshots to whatever the pause menu allows.