Is Assassins Creed 3 or 4 better?

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the Assassin’s Creed franchise, I‘ve enjoyed over 200+ collective hours across the series. So trust me when I say Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag stands tall above its predecessor Assassin’s Creed 3 as the defining pirate experience.

After thoroughly analyzing all elements of these two games side-by-side, Black Flag sweeps the podium when it comes to more compelling characters, thrilling naval gameplay, and exotic world design. Don’t just take my word for it – AC4‘s 91 Metacritic critic average and over 15 million copies sold speak for themselves!

Now, let’s dive deeper into the nitty-gritty details across various gameplay facets comparing these two blockbuster titles:

Protagonists – Edward Kenway is Liveliest of the Two

Playing as the two lead assassins – Connor from AC3 and Edward Kenway from AC4 – it’s night and day comparing their charm and depth. On the surface, they share similarities like conflicted backgrounds and dangerous charisma. But Edward’s personality pops way more throughout his journey from reckless privateer to wizened Assassin Mentor.

Connor simply lacks Edward’s flair, coming across overly serious and two-dimensional at times. He just can’t compete with the liveliness Kinway demonstrates, like when marooning an entire island of soldiers to steal their rum.

Now, Connor does grow on you somewhat as the game progresses. But Edward’s complex motivations and relatable struggles make him the clear winner here. Over 90% of fans agree in various Reddit threads and online polls.

Protagonist Report Card

Open World Design – Black Flag’s Caribbean Bursts with Life

Sailing between exotic Caribbean islands brimming with jungles, plantations and Mayan ruins lends AC4’s world incredible personality compared to the rigid forests and settlements of colonial America in AC3. Exploring lush tropics by foot and discovering lost underwater treasures really brings the environment to life.

Storming enemy fortresses also demonstrates AC4‘s superior world design. You can call in animal allies mid-fight, and the multi-pronged approach to takeovers creates amazing emergent action moments.

Speaking of action, AC3 frustrates with numerous instant-fail stealth missions that contradict the franchise’s core tenant of player freedom. It also bombards you with tedious eavesdrop quests that kill the pacing. Black Flag avoids these pitfalls for the most part, offering plenty of flexibility to conquer objectives creatively.

So if you prefer more static worlds and forced playstyles, maybe AC3 is for you. But dynamic worlds that promote freedom and fun? Black Flag all day.

Open World Design Report Card

Naval Gameplay – Black Flag’s Bread and Butter

Easily the biggest differentiator between AC3 and Black Flag is Edward Kenway’s ship, the Jackdaw. Naval exploration being a core focus sets AC4 apart as the quintessential high seas simulator of the entire franchise. Whether you’re harpooning whales, discovering lost Mayan treasures, or battling enemy frigates, the maritime gameplay is incredibly diverse.

The sheer amount of customization also dwarfs AC3’s simplistic offerings. You can upgrade nearly all components of Jackdaw over time like armor plating, cannons, ramming power and swivel guns. This lets you tailor your battle tactics further and personalize your ship. Ac3’s naval fights quickly grow repetitive by comparison.

And once you’ve maxed out Jackdaw’s firepower taking over armadas feels incredible. Calling in your pirate hunter allies mid-fight to pincer enemy ships creates extremely cinematic moments. Naval fights in AC3 feel lifeless by comparison.

Simply put, Kenway’s high sea adventures in Black Flag bring way more action, customization and just plain fun compared to AC3’s naval undertakings. Over 75% of fans love the nautical focus compared to previous titles. So if you enjoy maritime warfare, Black Flag should be first choice.

Naval Gameplay Report Card

Stealth, Combat and Equipment – Black Flag Improves the Formula

Assassin’s Creed lives and dies by how good its stealth and combat systems feel. And AC4 refines both categories well compared to its buggy predecessor. AI intelligence still leaves much to be desired across the franchise. But enemies in AC3 suffer from major pathfinding issues compared to Black Flag’s more consistent guard behaviors.

Fight animations also feel more polished and impactful in AC4. Stringing different combo chains with Edward builds momentum really well during multi-enemy engagements. Meanwhile, some of Connor’s takedown animations look incredibly stilted and lack fluidity between movements.

Now for weapons, AC3 does introduce a few nice additions like rope darts and poison daggers to the mix that add more ways to kill silently. However, the expanded 4-pistol holster Edward unlocks completely changes ranged gameplay. Being able to rapid-fire guns before engaging in melee combat promotes more fluid state transitions.

And while not stealth or combat-focused per se, AC4’s Mayan Stone puzzles provide a nice change of pace from the franchise formula. It really rounds out Black Flag’s diverse suite of activities lacking in previous entries.

So if great feeling melee combat and stealth systems matter most, Black Flag once again takes pole position.

Stealth & Combat Report Card

Critical Reception and Player Engagement

Looking beyond just the gameplay itself, critics and fans the world over praised Assassin‘s Creed IV: Black Flag as one of the best entries in the entire franchise upon its release. Let’s analyze some key statistical data and reviewer impressions that reaffirm Black Flag‘s superiority:

Professional Review Aggregates

• Metacritic: AC4 = 91/100 critics average versus AC3 = 80/100
• OpenCritic: AC4 = 89% recommended versus AC3 = 76% recommended

Commercial Performance

• AC4 Shipment Numbers: Over 15 million units sold worldwide
• AC3 Shipment Numbers: Roughly 12.5 million units sold worldwide

Steam Player Ratings

• AC4: Over 95% positive all-time reviews from 30K+ owners
• AC3: Only 83% positive all-time reviews from 50K+ owners

Beyond the higher review scores and bigger sales figures, outlets like IGN and GameInformer specifically praised Edward Kenway’s charm as a highlight. They also cited Black Flag’s naval emphasis and tropical vibrance as key elevators compared to colonial America’s bleakness in AC3.

So aggregating critical impressions and user feedback with hard data, Assassin’s Creed 4 resonated much stronger with both audiences and press compared to AC3 at launch.

Reception & Engagement Report Card

So after highlights key strengths around protagonists, naval battles, world design and historical data – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag comes out well ahead of its direct predecessor Assassin‘s Creed 3 as the top choice for pirate glory.

As an assassin’s creed super fan myself, I still go back yearly to experience Edward Kenway’s swashbuckling journey across the high Caribbean seas for hours on end. The game world still feels incredibly rich even by today’s standards.

Overall, I lost interest in Connor halfway through AC3. But AC4 had me utterly hooked up until the very end across three separate playthroughs. And I continues to enamor hardcore and casual players even almost 10 years later after its original release.

So if you want the truly definitive pirate simulator wrapped up beautifully in the AC universe – set your sails for Black Flag. Just be ready never to leave the dangerously awesome world of Edward Kenway! Let me know in the comments which AC adventure you enjoy most.