Mobile Watch: Black Flag Companion App

Ah yes, “Companion Apps”. Publishers and studios have been kicking around this next-gen buzz phrase for a while now, but what do they actually mean for gameplay? Are they worth your time and attention?

What they essentially aim for is a heightened sense of connectivity between the games you play and the mobile devices that are almost always within reach. Their features and uses vary from game to game, though all are intended to create a sort of synergistic bond to enhance your in-game experience.

At first the concept may sound counter-intuitive. After all, if I’m playing a game, whether it be offline or in multiplayer, I won’t want to take my eyes off the action. If developers can’t display all of the relevant in-game information on the screen, then they need to simplify matters, not coax players into balancing their tablet against their TV.

However, it soon becomes clear that companion apps tend to offer something more supplementary than essential, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s companion app being a prime example.

After signing in with Uplay, the app immediately gives you a spread of information which is synced to your in-game progress, including maps, stats, and a portable Animus database.

The first thing many will notice is the live map. Boot up the app, connect to a console and an enlarged map will appear on your device, tracking your position as you explore the Caribbean. Despite the slight lag, it’s actually rather helpful, allowing players to see beyond the game’s mini-map without diving into menus. If you’re the sort who likes to hunt for collectables then this definitely speeds up the process.

Treasure Maps are also synced to the companion app. You’ll come across these while playing Black Flag, looting them off cadavers strewn across some of the game’s more remote areas. The idea, as with any treasure map, is that they lead to riches or, in Black Flag’s case, some pretty sweet ship upgrades.

Normally you’d have to access the maps via a menu or equip them in the secondary weapon slot. Though the latter method works just fine the companion is still one step ahead. By using a mobile or tablet you can have the relevant map in place as you scour hotspots for booty. That’s the core purpose of the companion: to speed up in-game processes that could otherwise start to grind.

The same can be said of its last and perhaps most important feature. Like Brotherhood, Revelations, and Assassin’s Creed III, Black Flag harbours a simulation/management mini-game. Whenever in the Jackdaw’s cabin you can access Kenway’s Fleet, issuing them orders to take and trade goods with colonies. It’s a brilliant way of getting some extra cash and provides a much-needed incentive to plunder ships on the high seas.

The problem with Kenway’s Fleet is that it’s bound to a selection of menus with no real sense of interactivity, much like the trading simulation in Liberation. Time spent sifting through options on a list could be better invested exploring or completing side missions.

Though you still have to wade through the same menus, the companion app lets you do it away from the main game, whether you’re on the bus, in class, at work, or waiting for the kettle to boil. As long as you have an internet connection, your data will carry straight over to Black Flag the next time you boot up the game.

Despite some initial scepticism, I found the companion app to be intuitive and a real enhancement to the Black Flag experience. Though primarily used to display information more conveniently, it was the Fleet connectivity that ultimately sold me.

If Ubisoft can pull off a similar trick with its other upcoming titles and their companion apps, we’re in for a real treat. However, most exciting is the prospect of next year’s Assassin’s Creed (let’s not kid ourselves, it’s definitely happening.) Behind the scenes, Ubi has been developing an AC social network, if you will, dubbed “Initiates”. It’s basically a hub that stores your progress throughout the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise. Covering everything from kill to unlocks and minutes spent, it’s all there.

Furthermore, Initiates has a network of “Missions” which are basically a secondary layer of trophies/achievements. They reward players with XP for their Initiates profile and even dish up exclusive rewards which can be redeemed in-game.

It’s a brilliant scheme albeit one that can only be accessed via a PC or laptop. If Ubisoft were to connect Initiates with a definitive Assassin’s Creed companion app, then we’d be looking at a real winner.