In those moments when Black Flag affords you the agency to pull from both Edward's combat and stealth abilities, it's a better game-Black Flag is perhaps the only released entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise where I regularly transition between both combat and stealth as the two playstyles flow together in a satisfying way. Black Flag is at its best when you play it as a scrappy pirate who sails around in search of treasure and ships to pillage, only turning to the tools and strategies of the Assassins as another method in Edward's vast arsenal. Some are enjoyable and others (like the mandatory stealth and tailing missions) are less so. As a pirate who only becomes an Assassin in the final few campaign missions of the game, it makes sense that Edward solves many of his problems as a pirate that's making the most of the tools of an Assassin, as opposed to an actual trained Assassin-and this is reflected in the combat and mission structure.

Choosing to confront foes head-on reminded me of my time with Edward Kenway, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. By the end of the demo, I was having a much better time than I was at the start.

Now Playing: Assassin's Creed Valhalla Hands-On Impressions: How Combat WorksДЇrankly, it made for a far more satisfying experience. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

Assassins creed black flag combat