Black Flag Remake Earns 9/10 as Fallout Season 3 Begins Filming
Multiple major gaming stories have broken today, headlined by Ubisoft Singapore’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Memory Reset earning an impressive 9/10 score from IGN. The remake, rebuilt from scratch using the same Anvil engine powering Assassin’s Creed Shadows, launched today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms with both Simplified Chinese voice acting and subtitles. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Fallout TV series has officially commenced production on its third season, Chinese RPG franchise Chinese Paladin (仙剑奇侠传) celebrated its 31st anniversary with a development roadmap, and new reports suggest Microsoft may be shifting strategy toward Xbox console exclusivity for first-party titles.
IGN awarded Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Memory Reset a 9/10 score, praising the title as a thorough modernization of the 2013 pirate classic. The review highlights significant upgrades to naval and land combat featuring new techniques that improve depth and clarity, along with completely revamped mission design and refined parkour and stealth mechanics. However, some legacy issues persist, including occasionally sticky free-running and inconsistent enemy AI behavior. The game was rebuilt from the ground up by Ubisoft Singapore rather than receiving a simple HD remaster, retaining the original story of Edward Kenway’s pursuit of fortune and redemption across the Caribbean. The standard edition is priced at ¥248 (~$34), with the deluxe edition at ¥298 (~$41) on Chinese digital stores.
Amazon’s Fallout TV series has officially started production on its third season, with actor Walton Goggins confirming his return as the popular Ghoul character by sharing behind-the-scenes makeup photos. Goggins’ performance has been widely praised for its unique charm, dark humor, and complex character development. No plot details or release window have been announced, with information remaining under wraps. Separately, rumors have emerged suggesting Obsidian Entertainment may have initiated early development on a new Fallout game. If accurate, this would mark the studio’s return to the franchise since Fallout: New Vegas. The project is described as being in very early stages with no specific details yet disclosed.
Chinese Paladin (仙剑奇侠传) publisher Softstar celebrated the series’ 31st anniversary by releasing a detailed year-in-review covering game development, brand collaborations, merchandise, and partnerships. Key projects include the ongoing open-world title Chinese Paladin World (仙剑世界), the Chinese Paladin IV remake utilizing HD remastering and new engine technology, and other new titles. Bloomberg reports that Microsoft may shift toward keeping more first-party games as Xbox console exclusives to drive hardware sales, though multiplayer titles would still launch on PlayStation platforms. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution were recently confirmed as Xbox exclusives. Meanwhile, leaker Nash Weedle claims Ni no Kuni 3 will be revealed at this year’s The Game Awards, inheriting the series’ signature Studio Ghibli-inspired art style, though Level-5 has not commented on the rumor. The Black Flag remake getting top marks from critics and the Fallout show entering production are both encouraging signs for their respective franchises.
