Assassin’s Creed IV’s DLC Offers a Very Different Kind of Rebellion

All those islands in the Caribbean that are plush vacation spots now? They used to be colonies, outposts for imperial powers that were replete with inhumane slave labor. Some of these places exploded—sometimes into self-rule—with violent uprisings and rebellions. The new add-on—out tomorrow—for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag puts you in the middle of one of these stories.

The Freedom Cry DLC stars Adewale, previously seen as the first mate to Edward Kenway in the game's main campaign. A former slave himself, Adewale's side story looks like it's going to parallel the history of places like Haiti. It's tough to say if the combat seems more violent but the context certainly gives it a different weight.