Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

This was my biggest problem with Assassin's Creed 4. For all of its mechanical improvements; for the wonder I felt as I sailed the ocean, with orca, dolphins, even great whites breaking the surface to my port side as I outran a royal trade armada; for the excellent performances and character moments throughout ... it felt disjointed. Directionless. Black Flag, like its protagonist, is constantly waiting for its dare-to-be-great moment.

The game does occasionally suffer from the shortcomings of its predecessor, and doesn’t quite feel like a sequel — as you’re less of an assassin and more of an imposter — but it is in fact the best and most accomplished entry to date, with a massive world to conquer, ships to plunder, rum to drink and leaders to assassinate. If you’re in the mood for killing, stealing and boarding some vessels illegally, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the greatest pirate simulator of all time. “Piracy is the way o life. Ahoy.”