On a recent press preview trip, I got to sit down with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s game Director Ashraf Ismail to chat a little about the game. One of the things he divulged was that the core experience of the game, the meat, as it were, would run your 20 hours; without taking any of the peripheral stuff in to account.
In the same interview, he also told us that roughly half the game will be spent at sea, or aboard the Jackdaw, Captain Edward Kenway’s own pirate ship, which serves as the game’s secondary main character.
A few things. You may have noticed that yes, once again there’s a bit of an issue with the sound. I’m happy to report that this should be the very, very last time one of your videos will have bad sound, as we finally have out very own microphone.
You may also notice that the interview seems to…well…just end. That, unfortunately, is a result from a technical glitch that destroyed the rest of it. In it, I asked Ash about the differences between the current and next-gen versions. He told me that they’re mostly just aesthetic differences, helping create a more tangible world where every bit of foliage has its own physics, the dynamic weather system has better physics; y’know – stuff that just pulls you further in to the world.
I also asked if he felt the current generation of consoles held them back creatively, to which he replied in the negative. they’ve managed to do everything they set out to do, with the core experience very much the same between both generations.
I also asked him, quite matter of frankly, why anybody should buy his game; and enthused with some rather visible passion, he told me that it’s the most complete and realistic pirate game made to date, and on top of that, the most complete Assassin’s Creed game yet.
I believe him.
As a side note, regarding the beard. Yeah, that was totally to get in to character for the pirate thing. A black beard. Yes. And not because you guys called me a lady dwarf the last time I appeared on camera and hurt my feelings. Definitely not that.
On that note, here’s the game’s latest trailer.
Last Updated: October 1, 2013
ToshZA
October 1, 2013 at 10:03
I want this game very much. Very very much. I’ll buy a PS4 for this game. And Witcher, but that’s a long way away.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 1, 2013 at 10:09
Digging the vids guys. It’s really awesome 🙂
Perhaps investing in some noise canceling mic’s might be worth it?
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
October 1, 2013 at 10:13
We have one now. As i said. This’ll be the last of the ones with bg noise.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 1, 2013 at 10:23
Lol. See I didn’t read properly again. Was more interested in the vid. Awesome sauce!
SaintsRowNigri
October 1, 2013 at 10:53
You lie! The manly beard distracted you!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 1, 2013 at 12:44
Indeed!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 1, 2013 at 10:11
“Daddy, why does that lady have such a big beard?”
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
October 1, 2013 at 10:17
Shut your mouth, nana.
TiMsTeR1033
October 1, 2013 at 10:19
Glad to see you got the beard back man
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 1, 2013 at 10:25
lol
Hammersteyn
October 1, 2013 at 10:32
What if you live in Joburg. What’s the nearest mountain?
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 10:39
That’s a trick question, the answer is the closest mine dump.
Sargon
October 1, 2013 at 11:10
^ Made my day.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 1, 2013 at 12:45
You clearly lack a beard or you would know the answer
Hammersteyn
October 1, 2013 at 12:53
Hehe, actually I don’t love in Joburg, but I do have a nice bushy beard
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 11:10
That made me lol too much.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 10:26
I thought lady dwarves had beards too. Damn you Terry Pratchett, you’ve led me astray again.
SaintsRowNigri
October 1, 2013 at 10:27
Who was first? Pratchett or Tolkien?
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 10:29
I’d go with non-boring one, so Pratchett.
SaintsRowNigri
October 1, 2013 at 10:32
You find Tolkien boring? Please hand in your geek card!
Okay, his books are way too musical for my tastes. But come on, the movies were awesome!
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 10:38
I’ve never been able to sit & read LOTR for more than 30 min at a time. And then there’s the 50 page long songs & poems. I’ve never read any of them lol
The only movie I enjoyed was the first one, the other two just seemed too rushed & disjointed to me so rated “okay”.
Umar Jaeger
October 1, 2013 at 10:40
Have to agree very rushed
SaintsRowNigri
October 1, 2013 at 10:42
I have lost all faith in humanity
Rincethis
October 1, 2013 at 10:33
BOOM! and… AGREE!
Umar Jaeger
October 1, 2013 at 10:27
Wow is it time for the ION already, I think this header beats the fireman header HANDS DOWN
SaintsRowNigri
October 1, 2013 at 10:28
I worry about you…
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 10:29
TESTOSTERONE!!!!!!!!
Umar Jaeger
October 1, 2013 at 10:35
lol Plenty and plenty it seems
Rincethis
October 1, 2013 at 10:32
Nice work Geoff. You looked semi-professional and I know that must have taken a lot of time in front of the mirror gurgling the theme tune of Glee. Love the videos people!
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
October 1, 2013 at 10:33
Lol. the interview was actually just after we’d gotten off a boat in the middle of the damned ocean for four hours. I felt awful, was sea-sick like hell.
Rincethis
October 1, 2013 at 10:37
Where was it done?
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
October 1, 2013 at 11:01
Genoa, Italy.
Hammersteyn
October 1, 2013 at 10:33
Blackbeard was still scarier than no beard
Ultimo_Cleric N7
October 1, 2013 at 10:35
AARRRRRR you going to buy this? I will.
Chinadoll
October 2, 2013 at 03:56
Yes
Umar Jaeger
October 1, 2013 at 10:38
I always thought that AC was leading into the present day and that it we will have something like watch dogs meets AC . But it seems the Story is going to drag on forever
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2013 at 10:40
Well they have to release one every year, so it shouldn’t be THAT long 😉
Umar Jaeger
October 1, 2013 at 10:42
lulz!….Well as long as we have milk that is. My nipples are tired of this
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 1, 2013 at 10:46
So sexy, so manly!
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 1, 2013 at 10:47
BLACKgreyBEARD!
Sargon
October 1, 2013 at 11:11
This is going to cost a lot of money. I’m not sure I’m going to buy it for twenty hours of gameplay. I might have to wait and see what the reviews are like.
P.S. No Rome II review yet guys? I’m hurt. The only review I was looking forward to all year!
Sad Panda the Great is Sad.
Chinadoll
October 2, 2013 at 03:56
Not just only Twenty hours of gameplay? you will have lots of side missions as well besides the game is longer then most triple A titles today…longer then Bioshock,Uncharted games,the Last of Us,Halo games so stop complaining and being cheap..
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
October 2, 2013 at 08:07
Maybe you ought to reread my comment before you reply next time, yes? I wasn’t complaining. I was pointing out that I (me.. just me.. not everyone else) am not sure that I (again.. just me here) may not want to buy a game that only has twenty hours of core gameplay in it. You see.. this doesn’t make me cheap. This makes me economical. In addition, this comment was in no way an attack on the game or the franchise. I just like getting more bang for my buck. Economical. I repeat… economical.
Anyway. I bought Borderlands 2 and all it’s DLC and it was well worth the price. I’ve sunk four times the amount of hours into that on the main story and DLC lines alone already and I’m not about to stop. DotA 2 is free – and I’ve already sunk 100 hours into that. Rome II I bought and have sunk around 80 hours into it since release and haven’t finished a campaign yet. No side quests in that game to pretend to keep you busy.
So.. personage Chinadoll.. it isn’t about being cheap. It’s about my (again.. just me here) personal gaming preferences. Maybe also why I didn’t bother buying any of the games you mentioned above.