14 DAY TRIAL // Carsten Myhill, the lead content manager working at Ubisoft, says that the new Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag will adopt a mature tone and will tell a complex story, which includes a realistic take on the piracy phenomenon, complete with violence and a look at the more unsavory aspects of the profession.
The developer tells MCV that, “We have a fantastic opportunity for pirates in video games. Certainly when Assassin’s Creed III naval came out, there was a clamour from the fans for a pirate game. There’s no doubt that the people want it.”
The naval battles that players have already experienced will be at the core of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, but the Ubisoft team also needs to deliver land-based gameplay that feels fresh and exciting and boarding elements to complete the pirate theme.
Myhill adds, “We’re staying away from cliches. Things like walking the plank, parrots on the shoulder and hooks for hands. We are giving pirates the HBO, reality treatment. And that allows us to redefine piracy in entertainment. No longer is it for kids.”
The Assassin’s Creed series has aimed for a mature theme since the first game in the series, which has delivered assassinations that were bloodier than most firefights in other video games.
But the tone began to lighten up significantly in the games where Ezio was the main character.
It seems that Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag will mark a return to the more serious tone of the first video game while adding a new meta-story to the franchise.
The trailer that Ubisoft has released for the game has already showed violent battles and at least one intimate encounter that protagonist Edward Kenway refuses to take part in.
The game is expected on the PC, next-gen consoles, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 during the fall.