Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag appears to be less about planning, biding your time and striking to assassinate targets and more about arcade-y piracy. This is either a brave step towards a new direction or a desperate attempt to hold on to a depleted IP by any means necessary.

Then again, knowing that Assassin's is the lamest order ever, almost losing to the Templars by the beginning of the first game despite all games ending in an Assassin victory... It's no surprise that some members might seek more profitable means of living.

Anyways, on to the stuff. First, we have a Facebook album full of gameplay material. Basically, ship battles are going to be arcade as all hell and Jackdaw, at least by the specks, will be able to go toe to toe with the mightiest Man-of-Wars. There will be a lot of ship to ship battles as well as siegeing sea fortresses - and both of those things eventually devolve to "you should really stab their commanding officer post haste". You'll also have to hunt animals to craft (hello, PETA...) items, dive in pre-set places (and go ashore where ever the hell you like) and consider the matters of loot.

And the devs are so considerate that they even made a mobile app (see below) that works with the game to make it better. Me? I see it as an unnecessary burden from the player's part and a new dev tool to keep you hooked to the game. After all, to make the app useful, they probably have to carve up something in game that would make it useful - and if you're playing it even when you're nominally back in meatspace (at work or on a bus), then you are kind of hooked up on it more.

But the fans already take the bait hook, line and sinker, so those sods can admire all the "loot" that the "Buccaneer edition" entails: a figurine of the main character to keep company to the figurines of your waifu, art book, soundtrack, litographs, 3 additional singleplayer missions as well as items for both MP and SP play and... well, you catch my drift.

Then again, despite all my negativity, I'm kind of intrigued by the whole piracy and ship battle shenanigans. Hope it's good if I ever get to play it!