Assassin's Creed 4 has five hours of modern day play, most of it optional

[Dohc-WP]

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will let you choose how much of the present day you want to explore, to a point. Game Director Ashraf Ismail revealed via the Ubiblog that the game will feature "a solid three to five hours" of gameplay that takes place at Abstergo, the sinister mega-corporation antagonist of the series. Most of the modern day gameplay is optional, however; only roughly 20 minutes will be required.

"You leave the Animus five times during the game's main path and each time you're there for about three to four minutes," Ismail told the Ubiblog.

While in the game's modern day setting, you'll play as an Abstergo programmer, researching protagonist and assassin-pirate, Edward Kenway. Dig through the company's files, and you can uncover information, including what's happened to Desmond. "You get to see what Abstergo Entertainment as a company is doing with your research. You get to see the progression of what they're trying to do, which is really fun," Ismail said.

Software programmers and pirates don't tend to get along in the real world, but in Assassin's Creed 4, they apparently go together like peanut butter and jellyfish. No wait. Jelly. Just regular jelly.

Source: Ubiblog

 

[Snare]

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will let you choose how much of the present day you want to explore, to a point. Game Director Ashraf Ismail revealed via the Ubiblog that the game will feature "a solid three to five hours" of gameplay that takes place at Abstergo, the sinister mega-corporation antagonist of the series. Most of the modern day gameplay is optional, however; only roughly 20 minutes will be required.

"You leave the Animus five times during the game's main path and each time you're there for about three to four minutes," Ismail told the Ubiblog.

While in the game's modern day setting, you'll play as an Abstergo programmer, researching protagonist and assassin-pirate, Edward Kenway. Dig through the company's files, and you can uncover information, including what's happened to Desmond. "You get to see what Abstergo Entertainment as a company is doing with your research. You get to see the progression of what they're trying to do, which is really fun," Ismail said.

Software programmers and pirates don't tend to get along in the real world, but in Assassin's Creed 4, they apparently go together like peanut butter and jellyfish. No wait. Jelly. Just regular jelly.

Source: Ubiblog

If they are able to fully make his work; I'm already imagining a full game featuring the Templars. I admit I am intrigued by being able to see the Abstergo side of the story

 

[Glordit]

Snip!

5 hours just for modern day play? F**** HELL! Thats more play time than the average FPS these days. Looks like they are going to a massive amount of content as well this time.

 

[Snare]

5 hours just for modern day play? F**** HELL! Thats more play time than the average FPS these days. Looks like they are going to a massive amount of content as well this time.

Eish...how much HDD space its gonna chow

 

[Dohc-WP]

Eish...how much HDD space its gonna chow

Im sure alot less than COD Ghosts (that will probably have a 5 hour Campaign "whistling

 

[Ike_009]

Well that sucks, I enjoy the current team so to be an abstergo agent could be lame

 

[Snare]

Well that sucks, I enjoy the current team so to be an abstergo agent could be lame

I actually would love to play as Abstergo agents. Seeing the side of the stories from the Templars would be really interesting. I mean my favourite part of AC III was playing as Haytham. For the short time you played him you learn to admire the tenacity and resourcefulness of the Templar Order. A full game with them as the protagonists would actually be something I would buy in a heartbeat

 

[Ike_009]

Considering the game will still be on killing templars it will be more akin to DNA spying like in the first game than seeing the templars angle of the war. Remember Hathan was an assassin who changed sides, he was more of traitor that's also why I was pissed when I found out he was a templar.

But I'll reserve judgement for game day for now.

 

[Snare]

Considering the game will still be on killing templars it will be more akin to DNA spying like in the first game than seeing the templars angle of the war. Remember Hathan was an assassin who changed sides, he was more of traitor that's also why I was pissed when I found out he was a templar.

But I'll reserve judgement for game day for now.

Imagine an AC game where you get to play as a double agent between the 2 sides. And you have the option to decide either whom you will join at the end of the day

 

[Ike_009]

Imagine an AC game where you get to play as a double agent between the 2 sides. And you have the option to decide either whom you will join at the end of the day

That sounds way to complicated, not to mention how it will stuff up the continuation of the series.

 

[Snare]

That sounds way to complicated, not to mention how it will stuff up the continuation of the series.

Wouldn't be too hard. Are you telling me in the entirety of the war that's spanned centuries there hasn't been a single double agent? You can have it as add-on content, featuring characters NOT necessarily involving the Desmond line. That way the choices you make in game don't mess up continuity. Besides, it would be good to be able to make up your mind yourself as to which side you personally believe in

 

[Ike_009]

I never said there has never been a double agent but to have main character choose a side at the end means that the following game would not be consistent depending on the users previous choice.

Now when we also need to consider that you would be playing the character and so he would likely be fairly large to the end story. But let's say you do play as a character who is insignificant then what's the point really. Are telling me you would be happy to invest your time into an character so that his final choice is actually a significant choice on your part that it means something and then see it was all meaningless?

The problem here is in order for the choice to be the interesting choice you want it will require you as a player to invest time in the character. However for the story it will have to be essentially pointless in order to ensure the continuation of the series as a whole, meaning you as a gamer have achieved nothing.

 

[Grievous]

I'm really glad its optional, hated the modern day stuff in the other Assassins creeds. If its cool I will play it, but in general I just want to play the more historic stuff.

 

[matt]

Hopfully it's not 5 hours of reading people's emails to fill in plot.

 

[Snare]

I never said there has never been a double agent but to have main character choose a side at the end means that the following game would not be consistent depending on the users previous choice.

Now when we also need to consider that you would be playing the character and so he would likely be fairly large to the end story. But let's say you do play as a character who is insignificant then what's the point really. Are telling me you would be happy to invest your time into an character so that his final choice is actually a significant choice on your part that it means something and then see it was all meaningless?

The problem here is in order for the choice to be the interesting choice you want it will require you as a player to invest time in the character. However for the story it will have to be essentially pointless in order to ensure the continuation of the series as a whole, meaning you as a gamer have achieved nothing.

Yes actually. That would be the kind of player punch that truly makes you understand the reality and nature of war. That not every soldier is important. Hell even Desmond is only important because of his genetics and nothing more. Playing through a game where you understand from the get go that your decisions might not change anything at all in the long term would make me more invested in the short term. It's why games like Crisis Core were so fantastic; where you know your end fate and you cannot change it but you play on because NOW is all that is important.

it doesn't have to be a full game, but DLC even ala ME2 style. Sometimes we play games not to progress the story but to better understand ourselves.

Besides in the grand scheme of the series you as a player achieve nothing anyway. The story is being told in a linear fashion, nothing you do in the duration of the games affects the endgame in any fashion so it wouldn't be too jarring to experience this again.