Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced Preview: A remake in the truest sense of the word

I had never set foot in Charles de Gaulle airport before, nor had I ever seen Paris with my own eyes. But that was all about to change when I was entrusted with the task of travelling under the Gamereactor banner, with the aim of setting sail on The Jackdaw. The old frigate that served as the focal point of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, a 13-year-old crowd-pleaser that has been given a new lease of life in an upcoming remake built using Ubisoft's latest version of the Anvil Engine, which powered last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows. Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, featuring pirate captain Edward Kenway as the protagonist, returns in a few months and has never been more versatile, high-resolution or agile - based on my more or less reliable judgement, and the work that has actually gone into this is very impressive.

The first day was all about settling in and finding my way around the airport and train routes. I found my hotel just outside the Gare du Nord hub, where I was to spend the next three days; it included a minibar and sparkling wine was part of the breakfast buffet. France, as I said... I do have some insight into balcony culture and, to be honest, I don't understand French balconies - I don't smoke. However, I do use snus, and here I chose to bring the right tin that won't land me in prison. The evening was rounded off with a lovely three-course dinner at an Italian restaurant together with the Danish coordinator in the hotel lobby.

The representative from Ubisoft was a really nice chap (the same can be said of the rest of the group), but strangely enough, I still didn't find out anything about the future of Splinter Cell, nor was I given a release date for Beyond Good & Evil 2. We were, however, collectively saddened by the fact that the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake had been scrapped. Rayman's future? I dare not promise anything, but there are signs of hope...

I was called brutal around the table for my questions, but there was also a twinkle in the eye and understanding, accompanied by laughter. The fact that the Ubisoft representative is also a big fan of Returnal? That certainly didn't make things any worse, but perhaps this was because a six-foot-tall Finnish games journalist was sitting next to him with a healthy appetite - who knows.

We stumbled home through the streets of Paris and then recharged our batteries for the day ahead. A day that would be spent on a roughly four-hour preview of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced. And I'll be honest here, I can barely remember the original game. I played it briefly half a lifetime ago, but what I got to experience that day? It was actually really entertaining, and not least technically advanced, with a colour palette that brought the Caribbean islands to life according to 2026 graphics standards. Ubisoft Singapore has crafted something here that is well worth keeping an eye on. It draws inspiration and ideas from every title in the series and distils what the player wants. The combat is more acrobatic than ever, and you alternate between stealth and parkour, with virtually every surface possible to scale and climb. And diving beneath the surface? This is going to be a treat on an OLED screen if colour, contrast and high-resolution graphics are something you appreciate.

Paul Fu (Creative Director) gave a presentation on the project, before we were able to sit down and play the version that was still in development. We plunged straight into the start of the game with a Jack Sparrow-esque Edward Kenway (voiced once again by Matt Ryan), whose well-oiled one-liners had me chuckling. A chase through the jungle began, where the controls were established through jumping, leaping and swinging on vines, before leading into a free-roam section of Havana - the game's only major central city centre. We weren't allowed to record or photograph this footage as it was still in development, but I had a blast on those streets. I crept around and assassinated everything in my power. I climbed to the highest peak in the city - gazed out over the Caribbean and spotted valuable targets on the horizon, and chased pigeons that acted as collectibles. And believe me, at the top of the city? It was a view that was well worth the effort. I started a full-blown riot in the streets to evaluate the combat system, which is said to draw influences from across the entire game series, and well... what can I say, I've never done ballet, but I definitely like the animation work in the combat and the classic one-on-one setup presented here; where you parry, roll away along the terrain or over the opponent's shoulder, and then send a hidden blade through the heart of whoever feels called to a duel. The combat feels alive in a way that few games do today; it's dynamic and feels like the best in the series when it comes to Assassin's Creed and its overall gameplay.

As you'd expect in a full-blown remake, we've got other new mechanics here, too. We can recruit brand-new characters who act as "perks" ahead of the many naval battles taking place on the open sea. The characters introduced here add a fresh twist to the story with new missions - but also to the ship, with new gameplay elements that require both cunning, timing and a sharp tongue. Ubisoft Singapore has added over six hours of new content here. Lucy was a woman I had to rescue after infiltrating a ship adrift at sea; with clear stealth elements, I threw myself into the sea, swam and climbed up the railing. I sneaked below deck whilst delivering finishing blows to unsuspecting Spaniards and rescued a woman who added new elements to the ship Jackdaw - which, at sea, is something of a main character in its own right. And yes - you can bring pets on board and sing new sea shanties as you set a bearing for the destination you're going to discover or bomb the hell out of, by the book.

On a later mission, I had to get hold of a diving bell - a model resembling a 2-tonne church bell that is lowered beneath the surface of the sea to navigate the game's coral reefs and sneak through the underwater vegetation. The bull sharks were circling, oxygen was in short supply, and here I had to sneak my way towards chests and hidden secrets on the seabed, which looked like something straight out of Avatar in terms of contrast and vibrancy. Back on deck, I set off in pursuit of those sharks that had been chasing me, for now they were to be harpooned according to old custom. The bull shark didn't stand a chance, whereupon I winched the predator up and enjoyed its resources, which I spent on decorating the ship.

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced is a game to look out for, whether you played the original or want to give this relatively standalone instalment a go when it launches in just under two months. It flirts with the past, adds new elements and is packaged in a style that has been almost synonymous with Capcom in recent years when it comes to lavish remakes. Taking note of this and putting pirate captain Edward Kenway in the spotlight - that was no bad idea, in my humble opinion. I also interviewed the game's director, Richard Knight, whilst I was there, which you can read here.

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced launches on 9 July for Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5 and PC.