The legends of death from the shadows continue in Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.”

“Black Flag” is the newest addition in the action-adventure franchise and was released Tuesday.

In “Black Flag,” the assassin explores the high seas with swashbuckling pirate adventures and naval combat. While this addition to the series doesn’t offer any groundbreaking elements, “Black Flag” is still a great game.

One issue I came across was the graphics quality. It’s nothing to brag about.

As Ubisoft is known for completing these games quickly, it’s understandable the graphics aren’t the highest priority; with that said, “Black Flag” still leaves me wanting more.

Once getting past that minor problem, I do love the Caribbean atmosphere the game throws the British assassin into. The vibrant colors and exotic scenery do well in making a dynamic world interesting to explore.

Exploration is the main reason I pick up games like “Black Flag,” and this game doesn’t disappoint there. The open world map is incredibly large, which seems like a running trend in modern gaming, and I’m fine with that. I could spend countless hours sailing around the islands seeing what trouble I can get into.

Naval combat is a great aspect carried into this new game. This was one of the better parts of “Assassin’s Creed III,” and seeing it more fleshed out in “Black Flag” was great. As a pirate enthusiast, ship battles were easily one of my favorite parts of the game.

Combat in the Assassin’s Creed series is always something I want to like but often find lackluster. There are no major innovative changes to be found here. While not as cut and dry as the others, I still hoped for more of a challenge.

I used to love the storyline of Assassin’s Creed games, but that got lost with the third installment of the franchise. The pirate assassin of “Black Flag,” Edward Kenway, is no Ezio Auditore, for those who have played “Assassin’s Creed II.” The story is interesting enough to follow but still falls short compared to earlier games.

Despite a few bumps, “Black Flag” is a spectacular Assassin’s Creed game.