Edward Kenway, the rugged protagonist of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, totally deserved his own Ezio-style trilogy. Edward's unique personality, status, and outlook made for a compelling story that shook things up for the better within the Assassin's Creed series. Ubisoft should have taken Edward's character and the positive player reactions thereto, and ran with them into an entire Black Flag trilogy.
Following the conclusion of Ezio's story in Revelations, Assassin's Creed 3 introduced a slightly less linear narrative and slightly more open world with the story of Edward's grandson, Connor Kenway. Yet, before Black Flag, Assassin's Creed was limited to European cities and relatively restraining stories. Edward's story in Black Flag is the best of the series, introducing an entire new open-world set in the Golden Age of Piracy.
Black Flag players can literally step into the shoes of a pirate of the Caribbean, becoming an assassin at the same pace as Edward after he assumes the guise of Master Assassin, Duncan Walpole, in the opening act of Assassin's Creed 4. Throughout the story, Edward's unusually charming personality for a pirate shines through, as he develops exponentially as a character. Beginning as a shipwrecked, greedy pirate, Edward Kenway ends his story as a father and assassin who wants to do right by the world and his family, and this journey deserved more exploration in his own high seas trilogy.
Edward's Compelling Story Deserves More Exploration In An AC Black Flag Trilogy
Edward Kenway's incredible story of growth plays out within Black Flag's narrative, alongside an historical romp across the Caribbean. Like other Assassin's Creed games, protagonist Edward encounters many historical figures in Black Flag, from the dread pirate lords like Blackbeard; through the captain of the Jolly Roger, Calico Jack; to the two most famous female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. A high seas adventure with more of these figures and Edward at the helm would have been a fantastic way to continue exploring this pirate-turned-assassin's compelling story.
Refreshingly, Edward is not a model assassin like Ezio or Altaïr, beginning his game as a good-for-nothing pirate desiring a better life for himself and eventually finding meaning within the Brotherhood. A little is actually known of Edward's life post-Black Flag thanks to the novel, Assassin's Creed Forsaken. Edward rises the ranks to become a Master Assassin, all while starting a new family with Caroline Scott and his son, Haytham.
Although Edward dies while Haytham is still young, there is an opportunity for an Edward trilogy as he is around 30 at the end of Black Flag's narrative, and dies at the age of 42. This trilogy would have comprised of smaller Assassin's Creed games than the most recent in the series, with fewer collectibles allowing for a focus on story and content. This would have been an excellent chance for Ubisoft to explore the colonial Brotherhood storyline, covering Edward's years spent training as an assassin and raising Haytham. Most importantly, any sort of sequel content to Black Flag would have provided closure to Edward's growth and character; similar to how players see Ezio's growth from a revengeful teen to a fully-fledged, seasoned assassin throughout his trilogy.
AC Black Flag's Fresh Gameplay Would've Made For Awesome Sequels
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was the most divisive of the series, possibly because it is the least Assassin's Creed-esque. Edward's story introduces plentiful fresh mechanics and less focus on stealth, arguably for the better of the series. Of course, Black Flag also continued Assassin's Creed's long-running overarching story concerning the current day Assassin-Templar conflict. Elements of the Animus, bloodlines, and destiny all continue to tie into Edward's story, but the refreshing pirate back-drop certainly makes the game deserving of further content.
Set across the Caribbean during the early 18th century, this entirely new locale necessitated new mechanics. While stealth is featured in Black Flag, Edward's game broke the mold and introduced the more action-oriented gameplay seen in the series today. Additionally, Black Flag gave players control over their ship and naval battles, as well as expansive underwater exploration and even a touch of whaling. While other games in the series, like AC Valhalla, brought masses of content, Eivor's character fails to provide a new take on assassins like Edward does.
The fresh ideas that Black Flag introduced to the Assassin's Creed series show that Black Flag deserved to have its world explored further in at least a prompt Assassin's Creed spinoff, if not direct sequel main games. Pirates, like Edward, are quite literally the antithesis of assassins; they are loud, brash, and selfish creatures compared to the calculated, stealthy Brotherhood. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag embraced these aspects, giving players an innovative, vibrant world that deserved more exploration than a single game.
Skull & Bones Is Unnecessary, Ubisoft Should Have Gone For Black Flag 2
In actuality, it appears that Ubisoft did attempt a Black Flag spinoff with their project, Skull & Bones. First announced back in 2017, Skull & Bones was to utilize Black Flag's high seas setting and naval mechanics and provide multiplayer gameplay. Since this, Skull & Bones is now no longer associated with Assassin's Creed, has received much criticism from testers, and has had its release delayed until 2022-2023.
Unfortunately, it seems that Ubisoft missed its chance to capitalize upon a high seas game utilizing their virtual Caribbean constructed in Black Flag. Within the chaos and delays of Skull & Bones, Sea of Thieves has risen to dominate the virtual high seas. Sea of Thieves' Pirates of the Caribbean crossover demonstrates the popularity of pirate games and naval-oriented gameplay reflected previously in Black Flag.
What could have been a successful game set in the Piracy's Golden Age in the Caribbean has faltered endlessly; leading to a perpetual 'Coming Soon' status in place of a scheduled release date on Ubisoft's website. Instead, Ubisoft should have invested in exploring the much-desired follow-ups to Edward Kenway's story set up in Black Flag. Although this specific period received a novel, Black Flag sequels would have allowed for further compelling, entertaining narratives that explore Edward's growth within the Brotherhood and as a father and husband, whilst still touching on his pirate past.
As Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was 2013's best-selling game, it definitely deserved a sequel; at the very least, it would have been worth a prompt Assassin's Creed spinoff. An excellent option would have been a series first exploring Edward's journey from piracy to the Brotherhood; then looking into Haytham's childhood, loss of his father, and turning to the Templars; before narrating Connor's killing of his father, Haytham, seen in Assassin's Creed 3, and the rebuilding of the Brotherhood. This sort of "Keeping Up With The Kenways" would have given much-deserved closure to Edward's awesome story, as well as giving players the opportunity to explore Ubisoft's vibrant virtual Caribbean further.
Source: Ubisoft
