Abstergo Industries - a modern-day front for the Templars' organization - has opened an entertainment subsidiary in Montreal, Quebec, using advanced technology that allows reliving fragments from the lives of people from the past. The unnamed protagonist is hired by the company to connect to the life of Edward Kenway , a Welsh privateer living in the eighteenth century.
The story begins with Edward assuming the identity of a rogue member of the Assassins, reporting to Laureano Torres, the Governor of Cuba and also the Grand Master of the Templars. Initially motivated by greed, Edward Kenway finds himself at odds with both the Templars and the Assassins, who are both pursuing a mysterious man known as the Sage in order to gain access to the secret technology of the First Civilization.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the sixth major installment in the series. The gameplay continues from previous installments with free-form movement, climbing on buildings, and a mission-based system with main and secondary quests. However, some tweaks have been made to the combat system.
The game features an open world that can be explored seamlessly without loading transitions between ship navigation, swimming, and exploring land. The Caribbean Sea is fully explorable, including three full-fledged cities (Havana, Kingston, and Nassau), smaller settlements, and uninhabited islands. Players can hunt animals, fish, and uncover treasure maps. Early in the game, Edward Kenway gains access to the Jackdaw, a ship that can be outfitted, upgraded, and used in naval battles.
It is also possible to recruit crew members for the ship. The game's world is larger than any of the previous games, making exploration more engaging.