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All My Worthwhile AC videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_rnO4iz0ALl5Vt9yiv2wlSfJFO9Z3vsI
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YouTube Videos & Additional Links
Leo K Catch Ledge Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcsd0tDQ5dw&t=
Jcers Vault to Hang Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U59x7C5L0wk&t=
Dallin_S Kenway Saga Advanced Parkour Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyiPiX86PtA&t
My Original AC4 LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_rHGgg3wuo&list=PL_rnO4iz0ALmAig8vUQjpp-qrfSLGsP3Z&index=1&t
Mod to fix Kenway’s Fleet: https://www.nexusmods.com/assassinscreedivblackflag/mods/426
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
07:06 – Sequence 1: Edward James Kenway
11:06 – Black Flag Novel Interlude
25:04 – Sequence 1: Black Flag
34:36 – Modern Day 1: Welcome to Abstergo Entertainment
44:03 – Sequence 2: Lively Havana
1:11:18 – Sequence 3: Prizes & Plunder
1:42:10 – Modern Day 2: A Small Favour
1:51:54 – Sequence 4: Nothing is True…
2:14:05 – Sequence 5: Unmanned
2:28:29 – Sequence 6: Devil’s Advocate
2:50:20 – Modern Day 3: Corporate Pressure
2:58:17 – Sequence 7: The Gunpowder Plot
3:07:03 – Sequence 8: Do Not Go Gently
3:30:47 – Sequence 9: Trust is Earned
3:42:25 – Sequence 10: The Observatory
4:00:50 – Modern Day 4: The Bunker
4:04:20 – Sequence 11: …Everything is Permitted
4:30:52 – Sequence 12: Ever a Splinter
4:43:48 – Modern Day 5: A Face From The Past
4:55:05 – Epilogue
4:58:50 – Coda
5:00:57 – Outro
Resources on Ubisoft’s Allegations
https://twitter.com/ABetterUbisoft
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/2/21499334/ubisoft-employees-workplace-misconduct-ceo-yves-guillemot-response
https://twitter.com/DennyVonDoom/status/1276648649565638657?s=20
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-05-18-ubisoft-has-reportedly-made-minimal-changes-following-abuse-allegations
https://kotaku.com/the-messy-stalled-reckoning-at-an-assassins-creed-co-d-1847336158
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzZppEUBv9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3JTDTfoicc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUmwbpq1Xr4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx2sKd9oq4A
#assassinscreed #BlackFlag #Lazerzz #Retrospective
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Love the game, just hate how it tells you where everything is…
I haven't finished yet so maybe this gets commented on but I'm pretty sure abstergo wanted to find the observatory because they wanted the Isu blood that was there to experiment on
This was my favourite era of AC games. Even though I think Ezio's trilogy has a better story and more focused assassin experience and Unity has better gameplay in general and looks the best, AC3 and Black Flag came in the optimal time of my life for me to love them and I connected with Conor and Edward as characters far more than with Ezio or Altair. They embodied a freedom and rebeliousness that were more relatable to me than Ezio's unachievable charm or Altair's stoicism and religious adhearance to his creed. They really knew their target audience back then, and most things in the game were made for their audience to enjoy, money was a byproduct.
Just finished it, great video mate! Excited to continue my black flag play through soon!
Would also like to add that I'm fully on board with you doing a more in depth review of AC2/B.
And you're not missing anything with Mirage. I played it, first new AC game in 10 years. I traded it in the next day.
Funny how the game that is mentioned under your description section, is AC 3.
Black flag was my second AC after 3 and it is absolutely my favourite in terms of escapism, AC1 being close behind, and I think you perfectly portrayed everything I love about it and I he depth it has if you’re not just playing it with a pirate simulator mind set (also very much appreciated the little Valhalla talk which I’ve admittedly wanted to hear for ages, pretty similar views on how I feel about it)
I think the Assassins use the word mentor the same way Christians use the word pastor. Every church has pastors in it, but only one is my pastor.
I think Edward is the most underrated AC protagonist of them all. For me, he’s my favourite, and there’s far more depth and growth to him than there is to the others, maybe bar Ezio.
Great video thanks 🏆🔥🦅
James’ quality of production always amazes me you can tell he really loves this shit. Whether he has 2 subscribers or 1 billion he will always deliver.
This was a remarkable video. Throughly enjoyed, unsurprisingly. All of your AC videos tend to be masterful, as well as other retrospectives, like Horizon, Sonic, and Subnautica. I’ve watched all of your AC retrospectives, including the ones from the playlist you mentioned. I’ve always respected your understanding of this franchise better than most fans do anyway. I feel genuinely terrible that the series has soured your taste and trust from ever investing in it again.
I genuinely found mirage to be a nice small addition to the franchise, albeit you don’t ever see yourself playing it. I can promise you that there are things worth your time and appreciation, you of all people would recognize them within the game, be it the narrative themes, classic gameplay, or short duration. I know you’ve said your piece here, and in the last Mirage video, but all I ask as a longtime fan of yours is to be open and give it a go anyway, I believe you might be surprised yet still. I know you’ve ignored my comments from the last Mirage video, since you already disagree without having tried it. Your take on it is something I’d personally watch in an instant, not to mention the long awaited Valhalla review you cancelled. As someone who understands AC so well, your voice is relevant and I’d love to hear your honest opinion once more, just not blind sighted.
Literally started watching this video as something to watch while eating and went on to spend two days watching it to the end. Thankyou so much for making this video and reminding me how much I loved Black Flag and for so many extra insights about the characters and their actual real life story. I don't think I've watched a whole 5hr youtube video with such dedication but from the first 30 minutes you had me hooked (partly because I love this game). Subscribed ❤
As bland as Black Flag & Rogue's on-foot combat system is, I believe that it at least works well for the boarding segments.
As Whitelight said, it would be difficult to imagine how the boarding would be tolerable with AC2 or Unity's combat.
It's been a great week for my favourite content format. Noah Caldwell Gervais at the beginning and this to finish the week off (for me, I know this dropped earlier). So many long form video essays, so little time.
Awesome video besides the ads every 10mins…. Makes it a pain in the ass to sleep to
I love this game specially the occasional tailing missions…
4:23:00 The fact that ubisoft try to do this again with odyssey and valhalla but at such a shallow level, it mirrors how shallow ubisoft is
Today I learned that you dont have to hunt white sharks, and I didnt have to spend an hour trying to beat 1 at level 1.
This was the first mainline assassins creed game i didnt ever play, after 3 I never played another AC game, i heard everyone say it was good but i just couldn't bring myself to go for it, this video is excellent and it and your other retrospectives reminded me why I loved this series to begin with
James, this was truly incredible. I started crying during your summary in the end.
Defy was the first video I saw from you. Thanks for this and all the other great videos throughout the years, James! (And of course, all the great videos in the future)
Not YouTube saying this video is about AC3😂
dont mind me, leaving timestamps to come back
1:05:18
"You're a good man Edward Kenway. A good man."
I can bet all my money that he is gonna rag about ac odyssey at some part of the video.
(fyi i haven't watched the vid before)
You Made art out of art
Would love a review of Assassins Creed Forsaken as a follow up to this. Great Video 🙂
"People are wrong about Black Flag, it's not just a great pirate game. It's a tremendous Assassin's Creed game." Cheers to those words!
I'll never forget 2013, Black Flag is the game that came with my PS3. I personally picked it because the pirate themed cover caught my eye – I literally came for the pirates, and stayed for the assassin's creed (at the time, a decade ago!)
Back then, I knew pretty much nothing about AC.
I started the game and I was taken by the natural environments, got curious about everything I was looking at and listening to – once it dawned on me that there were games previous to this entry – which at first thought were 3 but ended up being 5 – I stopped playing and thought to myself:
"I gotta play this story from the beginning" wanting to know and experience everything that led to this game.
I paused the game not even completing 'sequence 2' and, in about a month or so, got all AC games previous to Black Flag.
I loved (and still do) AC1. The Ezio trilogy became some of my favorite games ever, and Ezio, one of the best characters in gaming history to me, period. AC3 was the hardest to warm up to (after killing Johnson and Pitcairn the game became quite boring to me, ngl) but the completionist in me pushed me to finishing it so I could jump back into BF.
I was an AC fan by the point I got to finishing it at last, and I've never fell a heavier weight from such a story before – AC Blag Flag's writing is phenomenal!
Nowadays, while I've fallen out of love with the franchise, I still play the first games occasionally and find them entertaining still (some more than others) and boy do I still love Black Flag, yeah, flaws and all.
Thanks for this video, James! A neat watch 😀
I think ac3 coming last
I am honestly interested in retrospectives of all the AC games you havent done retrospectives on yet! I would especially LOVE to see your opinion as a fellow Rogue hater. People praise that game WAY too much and I selfishly want to see someone tear it apart more cleverly than I can. On the other hand, as an AC3 defender I really want to see you revisit it and see if any of your opinions have changed with time.
I will watch this video in full. It may take me a month, but I will watch this video in full
21:30– 21:42 what I hate the most about that book is it creates a bias for Edwards decision making when he becomes an assassin. Throughout the book it seems the only reason he chases the observatory is because the Templars burnt his family home. He blames them so he does everything in his power to dismantle them and gives the impression that the only reason he joined the assassins was because the Templars hurt him and the same could’ve happened vice versa if for whatever reasons the assassins did the same thing. It makes his decision to join the assassins weaker because rather than seeing the two sides and joining the one that most aligns with him and his values, he just hates the Templars from the very beginning and his path in joining the assassins is already paved for him
The diving bell section prompted an interesting thought;
Given you were talking about how being able to dive anywhere means that nothing is as interesting as when things are marked and can be crafted into an actually interesting place, it lead to the thought that the Assassin's Creed games have become a parody of the Creed itself; everything is permitted but lacks the wisdom to not act on it. You can dive anywhere, you're free to do so, but it'll be uninteresting and pointless, compared to the limits of a set area which seems less free but is more interesting.
I hope this made sense.
How about ranking/tier listing Animus's "white rooms" (memory room, loading screens, you know what I mean)?
25:04 – bookmark
Fucking banger again
3:25:45 it’s also worth mentioning that Dylan Thomas is also from Swansea, the same city that Edward hailed from.
The issue with the whole "this is what a good AC game should be" typically involves surface level stuff that are integral to the DNA of the series (parkour, stealth, etc.). These arguments point at Unity or 2 as the "gold standard", as hints to the the "good ol' days". But I personally don't find those my favourite. My favourite AC games are 3 and 4. It's something about the music, the dialogue, the themes, the settings… So unique and well executed that I can cope with the other less stellar aspects of them. And I'd still say they are DEFINITELY AC games. They have the parkour and stealth, but… They are very far from what people think AC should be.
AC can be far more than an open-world collecthaton. The RPG games have an issue of not being good RPGs on their own rights. Except maybe Odyssey, which exchanges anything AC to being a decently good ARPG. Origins manages to cope itself through the RPG genre through sheer novelty of the setting and immersion. Valhalla fails in… basically every regard. Including delivering a good viking fantasy…
AC 4 is so good because it was the first game in the series to have the balls to expand what AC could be and it went full force into it for the budget, assets, mechanics, and time constraints they had.
But right now, I feel like Ubisoft barely knows what they want to do with AC. To them, imagining a linear AC game is impossible. Or a Hitman-esque level based one. They are so stuck in thinking ACs DNA is open-world grindfests that they ignore the DNA that actually matters: Conspiracies, mysteries, historical fantasies, assassins vs. templars.
I can totally see an AC game without stealth or parkour being good. Those aren't inherent to the DNA.
Please, please do a retrospective of AC 3. You even mention in this video the first five sequences are good. It just seems incomplete to skip it.