Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Shows Off Blood and Borrows a Mechanic from Shadows

Ubisoft has released a detailed look at the parkour, stealth, and combat systems in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced—and crucially, shown off the game with its blood effects enabled.

Last month, Ubisoft gave fans a first glimpse at Black Flag Resynced, a ground-up remake of the beloved pirate-themed Assassin's Creed entry. While the footage was well-received, fans questioned the absence of blood. Now, a new blog post diving into the game's mechanics features plenty of bloody gushes and sprays as pirate hero Edward Kenway stabs and slices his foes.

Another notable reveal is the addition of the Observe mechanic, borrowed directly from last year's feudal Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows. This system lets players quickly tag enemies highlighted with Eagle Vision. In earlier RPG-lite Assassin's Creed games, a similar function was available via an eagle drone, but Ubisoft has repeatedly stated that Black Flag Resynced is not an RPG, and there's no eagle here—or in Shadows, for that matter. Observe is a useful, easily learned mechanic that encourages players to survey their surroundings.

Other changes include a speed boost when mantling after a wall run, the ability to roll after landing to maintain sprint speed, and previously detailed features: manual crouching (for better stealth), jumping (for better parkour), and raising or lowering your hood (purely cosmetic).

Ziplines have been added for smoother traversal, and Edward can blend into groups of three or more civilians for social stealth. Players can also hire dancers or throw coins to create distractions, costing 10 Reales.

After years of leaks, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is just months away from launch. The long-awaited remake arrives on July 9 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a $200 Collector's Edition that includes the same Edward Kenway statue spotted on Vinted earlier this year.