What's inside
- Quick comparison: the editions at a glance
- Edition by edition: who each one actually suits
- Platforms: what your hardware actually changes
- A worked cost-per-hour calculation
- Decision matrix: match your situation to a version
- Pre-order bonuses: what is actually exclusive
- Five things to verify before you commit
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Quick comparison: the editions at a glance
- Edition by edition: who each one actually suits
- Platforms: what your hardware actually changes
- A worked cost-per-hour calculation
- Decision matrix: match your situation to a version
- Pre-order bonuses: what is actually exclusive
- Five things to verify before you commit
- Frequently Asked Questions
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For most players, the Standard Edition is the right pre-order: it includes the full campaign, every technical and quality-of-life upgrade in the re-release, and any pre-order bonus the publisher is offering at the base price. The higher tiers only make financial sense if you already know you will finish the campaign and want the expansion pass bundled at a discount, or if you genuinely want the physical collectibles on a shelf. Edition choice matters far more than order timing, because in this release structure the pre-order extras are cosmetic or early-access items rather than permanently missable content.
One caveat before you spend anything: exact contents, prices, and the release date vary by region and storefront, and they can change between announcement and launch. Treat the publisher’s own product listing — not third-party aggregator pages, which frequently scrape stale information — as the authoritative source for your region.
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What we cover
- Quick comparison: the editions at a glance
- Edition by edition: who each one actually suits
- Platforms: what your hardware actually changes
- A worked cost-per-hour calculation
- Decision matrix: match your situation to a version
- Pre-order bonuses: what is actually exclusive
- Five things to verify before you commit
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick comparison: the editions at a glance
The re-release follows the tier structure most large open-world titles use. Here is how the four common tiers compare.
| Edition | Best for | What is typically included | Typical price range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Most players, first playthrough | Base game, all visual/performance upgrades, pre-order cosmetic item | $60–$70 / £55–£65 |
| Deluxe | Cosmetic completionists | Standard plus digital art book, soundtrack, extra outfits and weapons | $80–$90 |
| Gold (game + expansion pass) | Players who will finish the campaign and want more | Deluxe contents plus an expansion pass covering announced post-launch content | $100–$110 |
| Collector’s / Ultimate | Display collectors | Gold contents plus physical items: statue or figure, steelbook, map, art prints | $150–$250 |
These are general market ranges for this class of release, not a quoted price for a specific storefront. Digital editions frequently cost $5–$10 less than physical at the Standard tier, and physical Collector’s Editions are usually allocated in limited quantities per retailer.
Edition by edition: who each one actually suits
Standard Edition — best overall for a first playthrough
You get the complete base game and every technical improvement the re-release adds: modernised controls, improved lighting and water rendering, higher-resolution textures, and faster loading. Nothing story-related is withheld. Trade-off: you pay separately for any post-launch expansion, and if the publisher later bundles everything into a “complete” edition at a lower price — common six to twelve months after launch — you will have paid more in total than a patient buyer. If you are not certain you will still be playing in three months, this is the tier to pick.
Deluxe Edition — best for cosmetic collectors
The Deluxe tier usually adds $20 for digital extras: art book, soundtrack, and in-game cosmetic sets. Trade-off: cosmetics do not change gameplay, and digital art books and soundtracks are often released separately or bundled in a later sale for a fraction of the upgrade cost. Buy this only if you actively want the outfits and will use them in the first ten hours, not if you are buying it “to have everything.”
Gold Edition — best for players who will finish everything
Gold bundles the expansion pass. The maths is simple: if the announced expansions would cost $25–$30 bought individually, a $30 upgrade pays for itself the moment you intend to buy even one of them. If you bounce off open-world games around the 15-hour mark, the pass is money you will never redeem. Trade-off: you are pre-paying for content whose release dates and scope may shift, and expansion passes for delayed content have historically been discounted before all parts shipped.
Collector’s / Ultimate Edition — best for display collectors
This is a physical-goods purchase, not a game purchase. Expect a statue or figure, a steelbook, a map, and prints, priced $80–$150 above Gold. Trade-off: statues take up real space (figure boxes commonly run 25–40 cm tall and 2–4 kg), they rarely hold resale value, and pre-orders for limited allocations sometimes ship late or arrive with packaging damage. Buy it because you want the object on a shelf, not because you expect it to appreciate.
Platforms: what your hardware actually changes
Before choosing a tier, choose a platform — it affects the experience more than the edition does. Check the publisher’s official spec sheet for confirmed targets rather than assuming; the table below lists what to verify.
| Platform class | What to verify on the official listing | Numbers to look for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current-gen consoles | Whether a performance mode is offered alongside a quality mode | 60 fps performance mode; 4K/30 quality mode | You choose between smoothness and resolution unless the game offers both at once |
| PC | Recommended GPU/CPU tier and SSD requirement | SSD strongly recommended; expect 8–16 GB VRAM for high textures | Best long-term value and mod support, but launch-day driver issues are common |
| Previous-gen consoles | Whether the re-release ships on the platform at all, and whether an upgrade path exists | Often capped at 30 fps; check for a free or paid upgrade to current-gen | Cheapest entry, weakest performance, and sometimes no upgrade path |
If the listing promises only 30 fps at launch on your platform, wait for the game’s official patch notes before assuming a performance mode is coming — some releases add one weeks later, some never do.
A worked cost-per-hour calculation
Black Flag’s original campaign ran roughly 20 hours for the main story and 45–60 hours for full completion, and a faithful re-release should land in the same band. Run the numbers on that basis:
- Standard at $70, main story only (20 h): $3.50 per hour.
- Standard at $70, full completion (50 h): $1.40 per hour.
- Gold at $105, full completion (50 h) plus an assumed 10-hour expansion: $1.75 per hour.
- Collector’s at $200, full completion (50 h): $4.00 per hour — and $130 of that spend buys physical items, not play time.
That last line is the whole decision. The $130 gap between Gold and Collector’s is the price of a statue, steelbook, and prints. If you would display them, they are worth whatever display value is worth to you. If they would stay in the box, a $25–$40 third-party art print gives you the same wall presence and leaves the difference in your pocket.
Decision matrix: match your situation to a version
| Your situation | Best fit | Why | Approximate outlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never played the original, unsure you will finish | Standard | Lowest commitment; nothing story-related is withheld | $60–$70 |
| Played the original, want the same game better-looking | Standard (digital) | You already know the content; extras add little | $60–$70 |
| Finish most open-world games and buy DLC anyway | Gold | Expansion pass is cheaper bundled than bought separately | $100–$110 |
| Collect physical game memorabilia | Collector’s | You are buying the object, and that is a legitimate reason | $150–$250 |
| Tight budget, happy to wait | Skip the pre-order | Standard editions typically discount 20–40% within 6–12 months | $0 now |
| Play on older hardware | Standard, after checking the platform list | Confirm the game ships on your platform before ordering anything | $60–$70 |
Pre-order bonuses: what is actually exclusive
Pre-order bonuses for this class of release are almost always cosmetic — an outfit, a weapon skin, a small in-game currency pack — or early access to content that becomes available to everyone later. Per the publisher’s official store listing, the bonus is tied to the account that places the order, not the disc or download, so buying a physical copy second-hand later will not include it. Before treating any bonus as a reason to order early, check whether the listing says “exclusive” or “early access”; the two are very different, and only the first one is genuinely lost by waiting.
Five things to verify before you commit
- Release date and your region’s unlock time. Storefronts often list a date without a time zone; a midnight unlock in one region can be a day later in another.
- Whether the platform version you own gets a free upgrade. Some re-releases offer a paid upgrade path only, which changes your true cost by $10–$20.
- What the expansion pass actually covers. Look for named content with dates, not “additional content to be announced.”
- Refund and cancellation policy. Most major storefronts allow cancellation up to release; some do not once pre-loading begins.
- Save compatibility. Progress from the 2013 original does not carry into a rebuilt re-release, and cross-platform cloud saves are not guaranteed unless the listing states it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Standard Edition missing any story content?
No. Standard editions of this type include the complete base campaign; the higher tiers add cosmetics, digital extras, and post-launch expansions rather than cutting anything from the main story. If you only want to play through the campaign once, Standard is complete for that purpose.
Should I buy digital or physical?
Digital is usually $5–$10 cheaper at the Standard tier, unlocks at the earliest moment your region allows, and cannot be lost or scratched. Physical holds resale value and is the only way to get the Collector’s Edition extras. If you resell games after finishing them, physical usually wins on total cost.
Will the pre-order bonus be available later?
Cosmetic pre-order bonuses are typically tied to the ordering account and are not reissued, while “early access” bonuses usually unlock for everyone within weeks. Read the exact wording on the official listing — the distinction determines whether waiting costs you anything.
Do I need to have played the original Black Flag first?
No. It is a self-contained pirate story with a new protagonist, and the modern-day framing is explained in-game. Playing the 2013 original first adds nostalgia value but is not required for the plot to make sense.
Can I cancel a pre-order after placing it?
Most major digital storefronts allow cancellation at any point before release, and physical pre-orders can usually be cancelled before dispatch. Policies tighten once pre-loading starts or the item ships, so check your specific storefront’s terms rather than assuming.
Is the Collector’s Edition likely to sell out?
Limited allocations of physical collector’s editions often sell out before launch and are rarely restocked, unlike Standard editions which stay in print for years. If the physical items are the reason you are buying, order early; if they are not, the tier offers nothing you cannot get later.