Though it makes a variety of changes to the original, Black Flag Resynced adds quite a lot of new content to the much-beloved Assassin’s Creed instalment. There’s a boatload of new sidequests, including a whole new chapter you unlock later in the game. There are also tweaks to combat, stealth, the Jackdaw, and legendary ships.
The point of this guide is to walk you through the new content as you play, so you know what unlocks when, and don’t miss anything along the way.
How to access all new content in Black Flag Resynced
Before I run through how to access all of the new stuff in order (so you can use this guide while playing), there are a few more general changes to the game.
First off, combat and stealth:
- A new blunderbuss-wielding enemy
- The ability to crouch anywhere by pressing X and a visibility meter
- You can perform Heavy Strikes by holding the attack button
- There are now Trinkets you can equip with unique buffs. For example, finding all Mayan Stones now also gives you a Trinket that absorbs gunfire as well are the Mayan Armor it used to
- You can’t pick up enemy weapons anymore
- No more hidden blade combat beyond finishers
- No more fail conditions for stealth missions if you are found
And in terms of the Jackdaw and ship combat:
- Three new officer quests that provide upgrades, such as firing double broadsides, enhanced brace, and the ram ability you used to get by defeating all legendary ships
- New secondary firing modes for ship weapons, including:
- Continuous Heated Shots for broadside cannons
- Double shot for the bowchasers
- Shrapnel barrels for the barrels
- Deadman’s Cohort for the mortar (unlocked via his officer quest)
- Swivel guns can now be manually aimed AC Rogue-style
- Legendary ships are tougher and respawn over time
- New sea shanties, some of which you unlock via sidequests (like Captain Stede Bonnet)
The way you get many of Black Flag’s outfits has also changed, the Jackdaw’s Ship Plans are now called Ultimate Plans, and the Treasure Maps have changed somewhat, too. All that said, here’s everything new in order of when it unlocks during the game.
1. Rope Dart (Sequence 3: Sugarcane and Its Yields)
This is Black Flag’s new combat tool, a rope dart you can hang enemies with, or throw at them to pull them towards you, though it has a cooldown.
2. A bunch of quests, Rifts, and two new pets (Sequence 4: This Old Cove)
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This is the first major set of unlocks once you take the cove at Great Inagua. This includes:
- Art Lover quest: You’ll meet the butler, Bernard, during This Old Cove, and he tasks you with collecting art pieces to restore the manor’s lost collection.
- Two new officer quests: A Second Chance and A Proper Shipwright will appear to the southeast and west respectively. These quests see you recruit two officers to the Jackdaw who provide special abilities and a nice pair of pistols if you complete their questlines fully.
- Rifts and Animus Projects: Rifts are new narrative activities that explore Edward Kenway’s choices. The first one appeared for me on the south coast of Great Inagua after I finished This Old Cove. From this point on you can also earn Data Fragments for Animus Projects, unlocking cosmetics and gear. As you progress the story, you’ll unlock more Rifts, so keep an eye out.
- Two new pets: The first new pet is Soot the Cat in the town of Great Inagua, marked by the Cat Distribution System local event. The second is Albert the Monkey, who you can find at the Monkey Business local event marker in southeast Havana, off the shore on a ship. Your equipped pet in your loadout will sit on the railing as you sail.
3. Blackbeard’s Treasure sidequest (Sequence 8: Do Not Go Gently)
This sidequest unlocks after Do Not Go Gently in Sequence 8 and sees you tracking down Blackbeard’s treasure via a special map. This quest automatically starts through the main story, so you don’t need to worry about activating it yourself. This acts as an epilogue for Ed Thatch’s character.
4. Captain Stede Bonnet sidequest (Sequence 8: Marooned)
Once you complete Marooned, you’ll find the Captain Stede Bonnet sidequest marker in the manor in Great Inagua. As with Blackbeard’s Treasure, this quest is about the merchant-turned-pirate, Stede Bonnet, who you encounter throughout the game.
5. A World Without Gold chapter and one more officer quest (Sequence 11: Everything is Permitted)
Though this is a very late unlock, it’s actually most significant for my money, adding an entirely new chapter to the game. Once you complete Everything is Permitted, you’ll find the That Bastard Maynard quest marker by the tavern in Great Inagua, after you leave the Assassin’s Compound with Anne. As you might have guessed, this quest is about Maynard, the pirate-hunter you briefly met in the original game.
You’ll unlock the officer, Tobias Smith, via this questline when you complete I Just Want to Talk as well as his upgrade. His quest then continues separately to A World Without Gold. If you then complete No Box Dark Enough (which you’ll find in Great Inagua) and then his subsequent quests, you’ll unlock a new mortar type for the Jackdaw which fires a continuous stream. This is the final major new unlock in Black Flag Resynced.
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