As much as I love Assassin’s Creed, I haven’t dabbled in the multiplayer until Black Flag. It may or may not have something to do with the hunt for my first Platinum trophy. That being said, I know that many of the gameplay elements that are present in Black Flag have been around since Brotherhood. Since it’s all new to me, I’m going to discuss my experience in its entirety.
Maps: Each map is themed based on a particular portion of the single player game (Havana, Tampa Bay, and even the Prison!). They are appropriately sized, bounded by the “memory not available” walls we’ve all grown accustomed to in the single player experience. They are littered with NPCs carrying out their daily routines, which include hanging out at bars, haggling wares, or conversing around a campfire. As with the single player game, standing near a group of NPCs will allow you to blend in. An added multiplayer bonus is that your character will also like them. This is great for hiding as you truly blend into the crowd. If you’re near a bar, for example, your character will automatically spawn a mug and sip on it occasionally. This is also true of NPCs who walk around the map. If you get close enough, you blend in and walk with them as if you’re part of the discussion. There are also doors which temporarily seal behind you, great for get-aways.
Maps Verdict: Full of varying terrain and diverse NPCs, the maps are laid out very well. It’s very easy to blend in to crowds of people as you progress towards a target or away from a potential attacker. Full blown pursuits will lead you sprawling between busy city avenues or across roof-tops. Be careful though, as wildly sprawling through the city is clumsy and can result in devastating takedowns.
Game Modes: There are a few distinct game modes which result in one of the following game mode types: hunter vs. hunted, capture the flag, and zone control. While the latter two are common in most other game types, the hunter vs. hunted game mode is unique to Assassin’s Creed and where I spend most of my time.
In the traditional Manhunt mode, you take turns being either the hunter or the hunted.
As a hunter, you follow an indicator on the bottom of your screen; the larger the shaded area gets, the closer you are to your target. This is somewhat misleading as the indicator reacts to your character’s line of sight and not your own, as this game is taken from a third person perspective. The result is that careful camera work is required as your view may be obstructed by a box whereas your character can already see around it. Once the entire area is shaded, that means your target is in your direct line of sight.
Since the area is littered with NPCs, some of which look like your target, finding the correct target is a challenge. Luckily, there are abilities which can assist you. Throwing coins down to elicit a small riot, for example, is great at weeding out human players from their computer counterparts. Of course, the real excitement comes from the Focus system. The longer you have marked a target (using the trigger) and the closer you get, the more points you get for the execution. This is a very interesting dynamic that results in some pretty intense gameplay. Any sprinting (from either the hunter or hunted side) is penalized by being auto-marked, so discretion is key. Choosing the wrong target also penalizes you from attacking for a brief time and also disrupts your indicator. It’s important to select your target wisely as you will only get a single chance. Some of my most memorable moments result in sitting quietly near look-alike NPCs, waiting to see if I’m going to get hit or if my attacker choose poorly, opening a counter attack and an escape.
Regarding the hunted side of things, your only indication of enemy placement is via aural cueing (whispers). The louder the whispering gets, the closer your attacker is. With abilities such as blend (which automatically changes the closest NPC to turn into your character model) or bodyguard (which sends out a look-alike to go attack the hunter) you can try to stay one step ahead of being the next victim. By stunning your target via punch, you can temporarily escape and move to the next hiding spot. I cannot count the number of times I stunned an enemy and ran way, only to be blindsided by a second hunter as I turned a corner.
A variant on this team based mode is the free-for-all Wanted mode, in which you are not only the hunter but the hunted simultaneously. While you must be aggressive in hunting your target, you must also be casual enough to blend in, as somebody is looking for you. Progressing higher in points will result in additional hunters being assigned to you. This is a great game balance that ensures one player doesn’t run away with the victory too quickly!
Lastly, Wolfpack mode is human players vs. NPC targets. In this mode, communication is key! Simultaneously killing four people scattered across the map for big multipliers, or defending key chests from waves of NPC attackers will earn you points and time to progress. Any unspent time at the end of the session is converted into points. Getting your pack onto the leaderboards is a lot of fun and is great for bragging rights.
Game Modes Verdict: The most unique multiplayer I have played in some time. Carefully assessing a situation may yield a huge point kill, but may also leave you exposed for the counter attack. There are numerous offensive and defensive abilities to master. Successfully using them and scoring a big takedown is one of the most satisfying experiences in multiplayer. It's a great combination of risk vs. reward.
Misses: There are a few things that really bother me about multiplayer. At times, whether it is an issue of the PlayStation Plus service or Ubisoft’s servers (or even peer-to-peer networking), human players will pop in before NPCs. It’s pretty easy to figure out who your target is, and it makes setting up for the big point kills much too easy.
Also, sometimes chaos reigns. I’ve been killed (and killed) for maximum points even when my focus meter wasn’t fully charged. I’ve seen other players “game” the system by running around wildly and getting a lucky kill, too. It seems that the system sometimes cannot keep up with frantic, fast action. It’s annoying to lose the game with a sloppy buzzer beater kill.
I know people also sit on a lead by jumping from rooftop to rooftop, preventing you from killing them. While there are ranged weapons in the game, they take too long to fire and require a direct line of sight, which is difficult to obtain. Although there is a penalty for a sloppy kill, there is no penalty for sloppy hiding, something I'd like Ubisoft to address in future titles.
Overall: Despite a few annoyances, it’s a great addition to a great game. It’s the most unique multiplayer experience I have had so far and I really enjoyed it. If you were like and kept passing it over, I strongly encourage you to go back and see what you were missing. I rated this game a five out of five. It gets high marks for multiplayer originality, character customization, and sense of progression. Sometimes multiplayer devolves into more run-and-gun styles without the point system adjusting accordingly (nothing like getting killed for 900 points by the enemy your ally just stunned), but I can't knock a star off for that. Join me on PSN! Gamertag: vypermajik.