Standing on the deck of a wooden ship, listening to the sound of the boards creaking slightly as it plows through the swells of the eighteenth century Caribbean toward an unsuspecting Spanish galleon with the intent of taking anything that isn’t nailed down this is the pirate’s life, also known as Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. As the sixth main installment in the Assassin’s Creed series (despite the fact it’s name says it’s the fourth), this game is without a doubt one of the most entertaining video games I’ve ever played. During the game, the player follows the adventures of Captain Edward Kenway, a former privateer for the British navy turned pirate. He tries to find “The Observatory,” a sacred relic the Templars are chasing. The Assassins try to protect” the relic, which allows whoever controls it to see where anyone is in the world. However, Kenway isn’t a Templar or an Assassin, making this the first time the main character isn’t a part of either group. While pursuing the elusive goal of finding the observatory, Kenway is constantly trying to become wealthy enough to be able to bring his wife, Caroline, from England to the Caribbean.Playing this game was an incredible experience and was addictive from the moment I turned it on. I often found myself up at midnight when I needed to be up at five, but overall the game took me about 24 or more hours to complete. However, that was mostly because of the many side activities which gave an interesting impression of the detail that the programmers put into the game. Whaling, hunting, searching for buried treasure, pursuing assassination targets, and naval contracts are all side activities in the game.

Another piece of added detail was the historical accuracy of some of the figures alive in that time period, such as Black Beard, “Calico” Jack Rakham, and Bartholomew Roberts a.k.a “Black Bart.” The player comes into contact with all of these people at some points in the game. The game starts out with Captain Kenway trying to sink an enemy vessel. However, in the process, both ships get sunk and he swims to shore safely. On shore he finds a former assassin who was on his way to defect to the Templars, the enemy of the Assassins. Edward eventually kills this man and takes his clothing to impersonate him in Havana in hopes he will receive some great reward. However, things do not go as expected for the pirate hero and he ends up having to escape captivity with a slave named Adewale, and commandeer a brig, which he renames the “Jackdaw.” However, since most of the game takes place at sea, the player can take part in attacking any ship he/she sees and take resources from it. This was my favorite part of the game. I used my “pirated” resources to improve the Jackdaw, making the ship better able to withstand or deal more damage to other ships. One more improvement in this game is the hero’s ability to carry two swords and up to four pistols, but only if the player uses the hide of skinned animals to craft a better holster. And let’s face it, no pirate is satisfied with just one pistol. Along the way, Kenway faces life and death situations, great successes, and unforeseen losses. The constantly twisting storyline is so much more than addictive and kept me hooked until the end. So hoist the colors, and prepare for one wild pirate adventure.