Background Story#
Table of Contents#
| # | Section | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Historical Backdrop | The Caribbean in 1715 |
| 2 | Two Factions | Assassins and Templars |
| 3 | Pieces of Eden | What the Isu left behind |
| 4 | The Observatory | This game’s central prize |
| 5 | The Sage | Who Roberts really is |
| 6 | The Modern Day | The Animus and the Animus Center |
| 7 | The Remake’s Choices | Which lore was kept |
Historical Backdrop#
1715, where the story begins, is a special turning point: the Peace of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession, and thousands of armed privateers lost their legal status overnight — the Caribbean thus became a golden stage for pirates. Nassau turned from a barren island into the “Pirate Republic” precisely on the backs of these men with nowhere left to go.
| Element | Notes |
|---|---|
| Time span | 1715 to 1722 |
| Geographic stage | The Caribbean, with ports such as Havana, Nassau and Kingston |
| Balance of power | Spain, Britain and France in three-way contention, with pirates caught in between |
| Historical tone | The decade when the Golden Age of Piracy turned from peak to decline |
Two Factions#
The underlying framework of the whole series is a pair of millennia-old enemies:
| Faction | Creed | Role in this game |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin Brotherhood | Free will; no one may control others in the name of order | Operating from strongholds like Tulum, their strength in the Caribbean has grown thin |
| Templar Order | Trading order and control for peace | Already holding governors, navies and commercial networks |
What makes this game interesting: Edward is initially uninterested in either side — he just wants to make money. The conflict only truly begins after he is dragged into it.
Pieces of Eden#
Artifacts left by the Isu civilization, collectively called Pieces of Eden, are what both factions have fought over for a thousand years.
| Type | Notes |
|---|---|
| Crystal Skulls | Directly tied to the Observatory; one of the keys to activating it |
| Other Pieces | Different forms across entries; the common trait is the power to bend human will or perception |
The existence of the Pieces explains how a pirate story ends up on the series’ main lore line.
The Observatory#
The Observatory is this game’s MacGuffin: a facility belonging to the Isu civilization, said to be able to surveil any corner of the world.
| Aspect | Notes |
|---|---|
| Function | Through blood samples and the Crystal Skull, locate and “watch” anyone who has been marked |
| Activation | Requires the Sage’s blood and a specific Piece of Eden |
| Contenders | Total control is exactly what the Templars want |
| Story role | Every thread in the second half ultimately points to it |
The Observatory is at heart a surveillance device — which ties this game’s theme tightly to the series’ running conflict of “freedom versus order.”
The Sage#
The Sage is the reincarnation of the Isu Aita — the body is reborn again and again, and memory carries on through the bloodline. In this game, the Sage’s identity falls to Bartholomew Roberts.
| Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|
| Identity | A continuous reincarnation of an Isu consciousness |
| Story role | His blood is one of the conditions for activating the Observatory |
| Double identity | Outwardly a sea-roving pirate captain; inwardly the prize both Templars race to claim |
| Later impact | The Sage concept remains a key thread in later series entries |
The Modern Day#
The series tradition is to frame the historical segments with a modern-day narrative layer, and this game’s handling of it is one of the more distinctive in the series.
| Layer | Original | Remake |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | You play a research analyst at Abstergo Entertainment | The corporate backdrop remains, but no playable office segments are offered |
| Gameplay | Walking the office, hacking terminals and cameras | Replaced with Animus Center tie-in content and four optional rifts |
| Progression | Forced switches on a fixed schedule | Entered entirely at the player’s discretion |
| Result | Modern segments dragged pacing and were often skipped | The historical story flows better; modern info becomes optional extras |
The remake adopts the Animus Center framework introduced in later series entries, integrating projects, data fragments and rifts. For players who just want the pirate story, this treatment is clearly friendlier.
The Remake’s Choices#
| Item | Handling |
|---|---|
| Main storyline | Kept, without rewriting |
| New dialogue | The original writer returned to write additions, focused between Edward and Caroline |
| Modern office segments | Removed |
| Rifts | Four new optional short stories, each with substantial rewards |
| Paid story chapters | Not included |
For characters and new story content, see the Character Guide and Story Walkthrough pages.