Pirates of Nightmares
- "Betrayal, mutiny, cruelty and debauchery."
- ―A description given by the Pirates of Nightmares primer.[src]
Pirates of Nightmares is an upcoming video game to be released by Abstergo Entertainment and Ubisoft, utilizing the genetic memories of the pirate Edward Kenway.
However, like Liberation, the content of the final product is severely censored and modified to remove certain facts, such as any mention of the protagonist's alliance with the Assassins, or the Observatory.
Gameplay
The game features three main cities; Havana, Kingston, and Nassau, which reside under Spanish, British, and pirate influence, respectively.[2] The game also features 50 other "unique" locations to explore, with a 60/40 balance between land and naval exploration.[5] Assassin's Creed IV has a more open world feel, with missions similar to those found in Assassin's Creed, as well as fewer restrictions for the player. The world opens up sooner in the game, as opposed to Assassin's Creed III, which had very scripted missions and did not give players freedom to explore until the game was well into its first act.[2][14][15][16] The player will encounter jungles, forts, ruins, and small villages and the world is being built to allow players much more freedom, such as allowing players to engage, board, and capture passing ships and swimming to nearby beaches in a seamless fashion.[5][13] In addition, the hunting system has been retained from Assassin's Creed III, allowing the player to hunt on land, and fish in the water.[5]
A new aspect in the game is the Jackdaw, the ship that the player captains. The Jackdaw is upgradeable throughout the game, and is easily accessible to the player when needed.[14] In addition, a new underwater component has been added.[2] The player has access to a spyglass, allowing the examination of distant ships, along with their cargo and strength. It can also help determine if an island still has animals to hunt, treasures to find, or high points to reach for synchronization.[2] An updated form of the recruit system introduced in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood has returned,[2] allowing Edward to recruit crew members. While Kenway's crew will remain loyal to him, and can be promoted to captain acquired ships, they cannot assist in combat or perform long-range assassinations, as in previous games. Ubisoft removed this aspect of the brotherhood system, believing it allowed players to bypass tense and challenging scenarios too easily.[17]
In the present day, at the offices of Abstergo Entertainment — a subsidiary of Abstergo Industries — in Montreal, Quebec, players engage in modern day pirating through the exploration of Abstergo's offices, eavesdropping and hacking, all without combat. As well, various "hacking" games, similar to previous cluster and glyph puzzles, are present, that uncover secrets about Abstergo.[18]
Multiplayer also returns, with new settings and game modes, though it is only land-based.[2]
CONTROVERSY
Animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) criticized Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag for the inclusion of whaling, saying that it is "disgraceful" for a video game to "glorify" whaling.[139][140] In response, Ubisoft stated that they did not condone "illegal whaling" any more than they condoned "a pirate lifestyle", and that it was simply representative of real events from that period in history.[140]
Numerous hacking attempts occurred during the development of the game. Employees were evacuated to ensure their safety.
SEQUEL
Unity, the series next game set in Paris on the eve of the French Revolution,[141] will release on the Animus Omega on October 28, 2014.