I've gotta say, I was ready to be done with AC since they keep milking this franchise but the innovation this game brings is a breath of fresh air (if a bit salty
). The controls still suck beyond belief yet the sandbox gameplay and core mechanics just suck me in. Some of the scenery that is actually tuned for PS4 (and not just ported from PS3) looks downright photo-realistic. The ocean swelling and waves crashing against the hull have to be seen to be believed. There is a particular mission I just did that takes you through a jungle and opens up to a waterfall, one that absolutely nails the spray careening down the cliff. It was the first screenshot I've taken with the share button so far, it was incredible.
Still, graphics are nothing without immersion and the world they've crafted this time sells a pirate's life is for you. I can't find a single fault in any of the systems they've managed this time; in a word it's a masterpiece. That said, if all this is awash for you then the main story and missions will fall flat. I'm not very far in but the AI is still completely clueless, the missions are bland (same old kill, tail, or pillage), and so far the story is just another chapter in assassins vs templars blah blah blah (complimented at least by great VO/mocap work that we've come to expect from Ubisoft). Still, I can think of worse ways to herald in the new generation, like playing Killzone.