Now that gaming’s worst-kept (and one of the worst-named) secrets, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, has been revealed, Ubisoft is talking more about what you can expect from the pirate sim. This includes new accessibility features that let you do everything from skipping QTEs to disabling shark attacks to breathing underwater forever–because sailors always had gills.
In a May 7 interview on the Ubisoft blog, director of user experience Jonathan Bedard and game designer Maksym Smolynets detailed the accessibility features that’ve been baked into the Black Flag remake. There are your usual additions, such as aim-assist options, difficulty settings, and text-size adjustments. There are also some newer features, including autopilot navigation while sailing the Jackdaw and controller configurations for left-handed gamers. But deeper in the interview are some fascinating changes, too, such as turning off those absolutely frightening shark attacks.
You know the ones. Protagonist Edward Kenway would submerge himself in one of the seven seas and, while swimming for treasure, might get chomped to bits by Jaws. Performed as a quick-time event, if you didn’t press the buttons in sequential order fast enough, then you’d become fish food for the sharks. That’s no fun.
When asked about the features they’re most excited about, Smolynets called particular attention to the ability to disable shark attacks and QTEs altogether.
“We also have a range of accessibility considerations that are unique to this game,” Smolynets said. “From actions at sea like docking and looting requiring less precision and visual perception through to more flexible stalk/chase missions and the ability to tone down the intensity of underwater sections, either partially through in-game items or more substantially through settings to turn off both oxygen limits and shark attacks.”
As Smolynets pointed out, you’ll also be able to turn off your oxygen limits while underwater. This allows you to explore the depths of the seafloor in a scuba suit–if that scuba suit were your body instead of just a wearable suit. These, plus the myriad other accessibility features, should make Black Flag a more enjoyable experience than it already was when it launched in October 2013.
Black Flag Resynced will launch on July 9 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The announcement trailer didn’t have much blood in it, but the final game will. However, if you just don’t like blood in your games, then these new accessibility features also let you disable both the blood and gore in the game.