Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced · Secrets Guide#
Contents#
| # | Section | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | At a glance | what hidden content exists |
| 2 | Animus Rifts | the unlock order of the four short stories |
| 3 | The Animus hub | modern-layer crossover content |
| 4 | Cheat codes | the reward for full fragment collection |
| 5 | New features | photo mode and time skipping |
| 6 | The ship pet | cat or monkey |
| 7 | Series crossovers | how other titles connect |
| 8 | Easy-to-miss details | a few genuinely useful settings |
At a Glance#
| Feature | Type | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Animus Rifts | Optional short stories | Travel to the marked spot after Sequences 4, 8, 11, and the epilogue in turn |
| Animus hub | Crossover content | Requires an internet connection |
| Cheat codes | Collection reward | Collect every Animus fragment |
| Photo mode | Feature | Available at any time |
| Time skip | Feature | Only outside combat |
| Ship pet | Feature | Found around Havana and Great Inagua |
| Crossover content | Cross-title | Update content shipped from the other side of the series |
Animus Rifts#
Rifts are the remake’s replacement for the original’s modern-day office segments — four in total, all optional “what if” stories.
| Order | Unlock condition | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complete Sequence 4 | Great Inagua |
| 2 | Complete Sequence 8 | The small island near Nassau |
| 3 | Complete Sequence 11 | The Sacrifice Island area |
| 4 | Complete the epilogue | Toward Mystery Island |
| Feature | Notes |
|---|---|
| Gameplay | A mix of puzzles, parkour, and combat — short but full of ideas |
| Themes | Built around Edward, Blackbeard, James Kidd, and others |
| Rewards | Concrete goods: money and trade items |
| Verdict | More fun to play than the original’s office segments, though the modern narrative lacks a clear protagonist |
The Animus Hub#
The remake keeps the Animus hub framework that later entries in the series introduced, and concentrates the modern-layer crossover content here.
| Module | Notes |
|---|---|
| Projects | Rotating activities that pay out rewards on completion |
| Data fragments | The hub’s universal resource |
| Claiming rewards | Some rewards must be claimed online |
| Relation to the game | The main story is fully offline; the hub’s crossover content needs a connection |
Cheat Codes#
Animus fragments are the most numerous collectible in the game, and collecting them all unlocks cheat codes.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | Collect every Animus fragment on the map (the original had 200) |
| Form | In-game toggles, purely for fun |
| Standing | A collection reward — it does not affect achievement eligibility |
New Features#
| Feature | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Photo mode | Pause and frame a shot at any time, with filters, depth of field, and expression control — good for sharing community shots |
| Time skip | Switch between day and night outside combat, to line up time-sensitive activities |
| Four difficulty types | Combat, naval, stealth, and activities are independent and changeable at any time |
| Interface and accessibility | A fairly complete set of interface, controls, subtitles, navigation, and camera options |
The Ship Pet#
A new companion feature in the remake — you pick a cat or a monkey, one or the other, and it then sails with the Jackdaw.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| The choice | Cat or monkey — you can only pick one |
| Where they appear | Monkeys around Havana; cats around Great Inagua |
| What it does | No combat bonus — pure atmosphere |
Series Crossovers#
| Crossover | Content |
|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Shadows’ final update added the endgame mission “Black Tide,” tying the two games’ stories together |
| Animus hub projects | Pirate-themed rewards on the Shadows side; a Japanese-style outfit for Edward on this game’s side |
| Offline events | The developers have also run real-world treasure hunts for players in collaboration with the setting |
Easy-to-Miss Details#
| Detail | Notes |
|---|---|
| Observation Mode for entrances | Many rooftop skylights and side doors at strongholds are only visible with Observation Mode on |
| Shanty scores actually pay off | Sea shanties aren’t just collectibles — they have real effects while sailing; grab them early |
| Dismantle, don’t just sink | Choose to dismantle enemy ships after boarding — the material yield far beats sinking them outright |
| Forts first | Capturing a fort unlocks the secondary fire mode — the single biggest jump in naval power |
| See officer quest lines through | They hand out a bonus partway through, which is easy to mistake for the finish |
| No mission replay | Optional objectives missed in the main story can only be recovered from an old save — do them as you go |
For the fuller collection checklist, see the Collectibles guide; for land and sea tactics, see the Naval Combat and Combat guides. If you want the basics in order first, our beginner’s guide covers controls and early-game routing.
Explore more in our Assassin’s Creed Black Flag hub.