Previous Assassin's Creed games were well regarded for their storytelling, and the next game in the series, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, will stick to the series' gritty tone and feature a believable cast of characters, and not caricatures of pirates.
Ubisoft's lead content manager Carsten Myhill had a lot to say about the game in a recent interview with MCV.
"We have a fantastic opportunity for pirates in video games. Certainly when Assassin’s Creed III naval came out, there was a clamor from the fans for a pirate game. There’s no doubt that the people want it," he said.
"But it’s not easy. It takes a very talented team, a lot of experience and great tech. It’s one thing having good naval combat, but combining that with good boarding and land-based gameplay in a seamless way, is hard to do."
When asked how the team planned to portray its pirates, Myhill responded that the team would be giving the game a realistic treatment.
"We’re staying away from cliches. Things like walking the plank, parrots on the shoulder and hooks for hands. We are giving pirates the HBO, reality treatment. And that allows us to redefine piracy in entertainment. No longer is it for kids."
In other words, the game's not going to be like Pirates of the Caribbean.
Assassin's Creed 4 is set for release on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in late September.