Assassin's Creed 4 News: Gameplay Revealed in Extended Preview Before Release Date

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is one of biggest titles coming out this year for a wide array of consoles, from the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, to next-gen systems like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. While there have been many previews of the game, few have shown the open world that will be its hallmark. But now, IGN has gotten the chance to explore the Caribbean setting, and check out the vastness for itself.

The game will allow players to explore the world via the Jackdaw, the ship that protagonist Edward Kenway pilots. Players can sail the clear blue ocean without a single loading screen appearing. The ship is easy to maneuver and use, and players have different speed options and mechanics for steering the ship that allow the Jackdaw to move about the map and also gain the tactical advantage during combat. While the ocean is a vast place in real life, in Assassin's Creed 4 there will be plenty of objects to explore and enemies to take on or avoid while players go from island to island.

As for the various islands in the game, there will be some real-world islands to explore like the Bahamas and Cuba, as well as other islands players can explore at will. Some islands will be smaller and insignificant, while others will have secrets that can be unlocked. Players can also explore certain underwater locales, such as sunken ships. These sequences have players looking for loot underneath the waves as they deal with running out of oxygen and predatory aquatic animals.

Overall, the Assassin's Creed series has been one of the most consistent series in the previous console generation, and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is one of the games poised to show gamers the power and abilities that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are capable of. Between the huge open world, lack of load times, and gorgeous graphics, the game will be one of the highlights of both consoles' launches. It will be interesting to see what Ubisoft has hidden in the game, and what sort of surprises are in store plot-wise. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will be available on Oct. 29 on current gen consoles, and will be available at launch for both the PlayStation 4 on Nov. 15 and the Xbox One whenever it is available.