The last of us Notes

I chose to play a new game on normal difficulty.

A young girl lies sleeping on a couch. Her father, Joel comes in and talks about jobs on the phone. He looks tired. The girl wakes and gives him a birthday present, a new watch. He takes her to bed when she falls asleep on the couch later. There is no sign of a mother. Later on the same night, the girl is in bed and the phone rings. A man she calls uncle Tommy calls sounding agitated and asks to speak to her Dad. He hangs up suddenly. I take control of the girl, her name is Sarah. The phone is now dead. I find a birthday card that Sarah forgot to give to Joel. I find a newspaper that has the headline concerning a spike in hospital admittance. I move through the house, presumably looking for Joel. I go into Joel's room and find the television on. It shows a reporter talking about increased aggression. An explosion cuts short the report, the screen goes into static. Then, outside the window in the distance the same explosion can be seen. I go downstairs and police cars can be seen racing by in the street outside. I find Joel's mobile, there are 8 missed calls and Tommy has sent a text saying he is on the way. I head into what looks like a study and Joel comes in from outside. He is anxious and tells us to stay away from the windows and doors. He tells us that the neighbors are sick or something. A man bashes into the glass patio doors. He repeats this until he smashes his way inside. Joel is given no option but to shoot him. Joel tells Sarah that they need to get out of the area. They head outside and Tommy arrives in his car. We get in and leave the house. In the car Tommy tells us that this is going on all over town and it appears from the news that it isn't an isolated incident, it may be going on all over the country. We pass buildings on fire and crashed cars. We pass by some people walking, Joel tells Tommy to keep driving. He seems to fear that they might have the sickness, despite them appearing normal. We reach town and stop at a traffic jam. A man in a hospital gown attacks someone right in front of us. We reverse and drive off. We enter a street where people are running from something. There isn't much room to move. Joel is panicking and tells Tommy to drive. He does his best and moves on down the street. Suddenly a car hits the side of ours at speed. Sarah comes around first and tries to get Joel to wake up. He does and I have to press square to bash out the windscreen to get out of the car. The infected are attacking people outside the car. Joel gets out and an infected man tries to attack him. Tommy appears and beats him with a brick. Sarah has hurt her leg in the crash. Joel has to carry her. There are infected appearing in larger numbers. We run down the street along with many others. The infected keep popping up and dragging people down. Joel gives Tommy his gun and tells him to keep them safe. A petrol station is blown up by a crashing car, cars are smashing everywhere. People are on fire in burned out buildings. we run aimlessly, getting less and less options. Tommy tells us to get into an alley. An infected has to be beaten away, Tommy shoots him. I run into a bar with infected hot on our heels. Tommy holds the door closed against them and tells us to keep going. I run outside and into the natural countryside. Infected are right on our heels. I come to a bridge and machine gun fire cuts down the infected behind us. A solider sees us, he talks on his radio. He is obviously being told that nobody is to be allowed to leave the town. Joel begs him not to, but he raises his gun. Joel tries to run but is caught by fire. The soldier looms over him about to kill him and is shot in the head by Tommy. Sarah has been hit, she lies bleeding from a midline abdominal wound. She dies in Joel's arms in what must be one of the most harrowing and emotional scenes ever seen in a video game.

Credits roll with sound bites from the news. The disease has spread worldwide and chaos reigns. A group called the fireflies are mentioned.

20 years later we see Joel wake in a house, someone is knocking on the door. A woman called Tess comes in. She talks about a drop, which went off without a hitch. She was jumped on the way home. She thinks that someone called Robert sent them. It seems Robert is an old acquaintance of Joel and Tess who has betrayed them. He is in hiding, though Tess has learned where. We are to go and find him. The city has a curfew, it seems that this post disaster world has a harsh regime. We see people being herded out of a house and scanned with a handheld device. One is designated as infected and seems to be killed by lethal injection. The next man tries to run and is shot. We head for a checkpoint, as we go through an explosion blows up a jeep on the other side. The gates close and we must turn back. I have to run away and follow Tess to a building, I am shown how to use a med kit. In the building we meet a man who tells us that Marlene is looking for Robert also. We come to a room and move a television unit aside to reveal a hole in the wall. A tunnel leads away behind it. I pick up hidden equipment, a backpack and a gun. I have to boost Tess up to a higher ledge. She then helps me up. We move on a little and come out into the outside world beyond the wall that keeps us safe from the infected. I have to pick up a ladder and move it to a nearby wall so we can climb into a house. I can search the house drawers for items. There is a firefly pendant collectible. I move on and am told that there are spores. Joel and Tess put on gasmasks. We move on and find some corpses with fungus growing out of them. I then find a man trapped under a filing cabinet who is still just alive. His mask broke, he asks that we kill him before he turns. I have to shoot him. We move on and find some of the infected attacking a man. I am told to sneak up on the infected. I grab one and strangle him. There are two more who appear to now be eating the man they grabbed. I try and sneak up on them but they see me. I have to shoot them. I move on and find some supplies and a note. I then jump out onto the street again. Tess moves aside a pallet and we go into another building. I must collect a plank here and give it to Tess like we did with the ladder. She places the plank over a gap so we can move on. I have to climb back up out of the hole. I see a firefly pendant hanging from a tree and shoot it down to collect it. I move on into another building. A young boy opens a door and Tess bribes him to check that the coast is clear for us. It seems to be. We come to what seems to be a little shanty town black market area. Dogs and rats are on sale, presumably for food. A bare knuckle fight can be seen through a fence. Tess speaks to a man who tells her that Robert is at the wharf. I meet a group of three men, they tell us to turn around. Tess shoots one of them. I am now into a firefight. Crouching behind cover is protection, we don't get into cover as in uncharted for example. I move on into another fight box, it seems quite obvious when we are in a fight area. I am encouraged to be stealthy and take out enemies that way to conserve limited ammo. I try this with various degrees of success. I find a shiv, which helps take down enemies in a quieter fashion than simply strangling them. I pass through a garage door into the wharf area. I can see Robert in the distance. There are a lot of enemies in this large area. I clear them out mostly by stealth and then have to go into an office that Robert has barricaded himself into. I chase him in and he tries to shoot us, he doesn't have many bullets and wastes them. we have to chase him down. He ends up in a dead end. Tess hits him with an iron bar, then Joel kicks him in the face. He appears to have sold guns that were Joel and Tess's. He won't tell us who has the guns. Joel breaks his arm. He then tells us that the fireflies have the guns. Tess shoots Robert.

Mission 3
Joel suggests we go and find a firefly, as if by magic one appears. The firefly leader, Marlene. She is also looking for Robert. She isn't pleased that he is dead. She has been shot and does not look well. She tells us that she paid Robert for the guns and isn't really in the mood to just give them back. She tells Tess that she will have to earn them. Soldiers appear and we have to move. It seems that the military at attacking the fireflies, there may not be many of them left. I have to follow Marlene through the city, up onto rooftops and through buildings. I find some soldiers and have to take them out. Marlene sees a few of her friends dead. Marlene leads us into a large building. She knocks on a door with a code and then we have to open it. Inside is a young girl. Marlene wants us to take this girl, called Ellie to the capitol building. She tells us that she will give us double the amount of guns that Robert sold her. Tess does not believe and wants to see the guns first. Marlene agrees to take her to the firefly camp and show her the guns. She does not want Ellie taken to the camp though, it is too dangerous. Joel is to keep Ellie safe and then meet up with Tess afterwards. I must now take Ellie home. I make my way through streets and then have to move a dumpster to reach a higher ledge. I then make my way into an apartment. Joel goes to sleep on the couch, Ellie seems at a loss as to what to do. He falls asleep. Ellie tells him that he talks in his sleep when he wakes hours later. Tess comes back, the guns are real. They want to take the job. We move through a secret passage and then I have to pull the cord to start a generator. This powers a lift, which we take down and then move through a tunnel out into the streets. I move through a canal like area and then up through a wrecked cargo container. As I come out of it a cut scene starts. Joel his hit by a rifle but and more soldiers appear. The begin to scan us and call for us to be taken back to the city as prisoners. Ellie stabs one of them in the leg and in the chaos Joel and Tess kill the soldiers. The scanner shows that Ellie is positive for infection. Joel thinks that Marlene has set them up. Ellie reveals that she was bitten weeks ago and has not become infected, she is immune. There isn't much time to discuss the revelation as the backup appears. we have to run for it. we must sneak through the broken down sewers and canal like area avoiding guards with torches. I them climb up and into some broken down buildings. Out the other side and into a street, there are soldiers looking for us with torches. I can sneak past or wade in guns blazing. I try to sneak but am seen and it ends up in a fist and gun comedy of errors. I get through and drop into a  hole, move through a pipe and enter a new building. I move through the building, finding some items, then go through a pipe into a sewer. I come to a grate and we pause to take stock. Joel is not keen to go any further. Tess appears to believe that Ellie may have some kind of immunity to the fungus. The Fireflies want her at their camp, Tess thinks they should deliver. Joel is having anxiety over Sarah, Tess realized this, she is not very sympathetic. We move on, reluctantly on Joel's part.

Mission 4
We move on into a city street, the skyscrapers are bombed out. Tess tells Ellie that they bombed the areas around the quarantine zones to keep the infected numbers down around them.  I come to an area with a large cliff and have to find my way around the edge. I enter a building. Inside we find some soldiers torn apart. There is a body of one of the infected. Tess calls it a clicker, they become blind and have to use sound to track people, like a bat. I break through a door with Tess and as we push through the other side a clicker attacks Joel. Tess knocks it off with a kick and shoots it in the head twice. Joel in unharmed. I explore some rooms and find some items. I come to an area were Tess boosts up to a higher level. It is clear, Ellie goes next then Joel. In this area a clicker is moving around. Tess throws a bottle and it heads for the noise. This seems to be the way to deal with it without fighting it. I throw bricks and bottles away from where we need to go and move past the area, climbing over some scaffolds. I move an obstacle block out of the way then we move out onto scaffolds on the outside of the building. Back inside we are past the blocked stairs. I move on and horrible noises can be heard up ahead. I find a new gun, a revolver. I find that some soldiers have been attacked by infected and are now in the process of turning if they haven't been outright killed by the clickers. I have to fight them and it is fairly hard to stealth kill them without attacking a mob of them around you. I manage it but the learning curve is steep. We move on through the building. Joel hold an obstacle out of the way, Tess moves another in it's path so Joel can get past. I move on through the broken up maze like interior of the building. I find a dead firefly, he has a Molotov cocktail. I come to an area with more infected enemies. Once they are dealt with I can find a ladder to pull down and we get out of the area. We come out into a street, then find our way blocked by a lorry. I have to go into a building nearby and kill some infected. Then move a movable block back out to the lorry to get over it. I come to a chain lifted grate and open it for the others, as I am doing so lots of infected arrive, I go through a close  the gate sharply behind me. The infected are unable to break in. Inside this room I find a workbench, which I can use to upgrade my guns. I move on and find that I am inside some kind of museum. I move around unmolested until I make my way to small broken down room. Joel holds up a beam for Tess and Ellie to pass under, they get through but he can't. Suddenly clickers can be heard on the other side. Joel can't get through to help. I go the other way and have to take out three clickers. I climb stairs and find an infected man banging down a door. I kill him and go inside, Tess and Ellie are there with many newly infected. I kill them all. We move out of the window onto a fire escape and up onto the museum's roof. I have to place a plank across the gap to the next building. The capitol building can be seen in the distance. Ellie and Joel have a little moment of bonding.

Mission 5
I move down off a rooftop onto some stairs and find another dead firefly. I have to move a bin to get over a locked gate. We come out into the street in front of the Capitol building. I move towards it, wading through chest high water without incident, then up the grand steps and inside. The fireflies are all dead. Tess is searching for clues to where they went and where the lab is. She seems desperate to carry out the mission. Joel on the other hand wants to cut and run. Tess reveals that she was bitten and that this mission is her last. Joel freaks out. Soldiers arrive outside. Tess tells Joel to finish the job for her sake if nothing else. She tells Joel that she will buy them time, she tells him to find Tommy. She prepares to take on the soldiers, knowing full well that she will die in the process. Joel reluctantly agrees and leaves. I move on through the building and come out above Tess's last location, I see her dead on the ground and a group of soldiers in the lobby. They come after us and I kill them all. This makes Tess dying seem a bit of an anti-climax. Though she was infected and would soon be trying to kill us. I jump from a broken down part of the building into another. There are firefly bodies here, one with a hunting rifle that I can take. I meet more soldiers and fight them. The hunting rifle is really slow to reload. I fight on through the capitol building, another ten or so soldiers to deal with before I make my way back out onto the street. We find a subway and head for it. As we go down the stairs the vehicle which brought the soldiers starts firing an emplaced gun down the stairs after us. we have to run for it. There is no going back, we are committed to the subway now. The spores and rampant fungus growth are our first clue that things are not going to be easy down here. Soldiers come in wearing masks looking for us. Ellie is not wearing a mask, though she is immune to the fungus so it doesn't matter. I fight the two soldiers who are looking for us and start exploring the tunnels. There are empty train carriages in the tunnels. I come to a flooded section and Ellie tells us that she can't swim. She stays at the side and I have to swim through this flooded section. I find some submerged goodies. I can dive and surface. We need to get Ellie across the water. I find a pallet floating in the water, I can push it around. I take it to Ellie and she jumps on. I then take it across the water and she gets out on the other side. she then lets a ladder down to me so I can climb out also. I move out of the subway into the streets again. Ellie tries to talk to Joel and it is clear that he is very raw over Tess' death. He  basically tells Ellie to shut up and to do exactly what he says when he says it. The plan is to move on to a small town nearby and ask a man that Joel knows for a car.

Mission 6
We are now out in the country. A sign says that we are coming to a place called Lincoln. Ellie has never seen woods before. I move through an open area of woodland and come to a fence. The gate is locked and there is razor wire on top. I have to find a plank and place it against the wall of a small building. Then climb up on the small building using a box and pick up the plank and place it between the two buildings to allow me to get past the fence. We can now see the town and are looking for Joel's friend. I explore the town and find some clickers and not a lot else. I need to boost Ellie over a gate to open it from the other side. I am now in a long street area. Most of the houses can be entered and there is loot to find. At one corner a clicker comes running out and gets caught in an explosive tripwire trap. Bill, the friend, seems a bit crazy. I move on and find someone shot with arrows. I place a ladder against a truck and climb over out of this area. I cross a plank and climb another ladder. I have to go back and take the plank so I can cross the gap between the next building. I move on, fight a clicker then get back down to the ground. There are more traps, some that can't be passed. I hear a noise coming from behind a door. I shoot the explosive of a trap to see if it works and it does, it blows up. I move on and come to a door. Joel opens it and is caught in a trap, it loops his ankle and drags him up to hang from the ceiling. Ellie tries to get him down, lots of infected attack as well as clickers. I have to shoot them and keep them from attacking Ellie and myself. Eventually the rope is cut and Joel freed. Clickers are arriving in massive amounts. One gets on top of Joel and someone saves him by decapitating it with a machete. Possibly Bill. We have to run, there are too many to fight. This turns into a rampage through the area being chased. We have to take on a few, then move into what seems to be a safe area. Bill handcuffs Ellie and check's Joel for bites. Ellie escapes before he can check her. Joel asks for a car and we don't learn yet what Bill owes him for, but he reluctantly gives in. There isn't a working car, though the parts are available to get one going. They are in another part of the town however. Bill agrees to get them a working car if we help him gather the parts.

Mission 7
I follow bill through some buildings, a bar and some rooms. Then come out onto the street. An infected is caught in one of his traps and he decapitates it. We are attacked by a group of infected in the street. We close a gate behind us and climb the hill towards a church. In the cellar of the church, a cut scene shows Ellie and Joel arguing about giving her a gun. Bill talks about having dependants in this world being a terrible idea. He gives us a shotgun. We also get nail bombs.  Bill tells us that a vehicle crashed nearby recently and all the men were killed by infected. The battery in the car will still be good. We need to get that battery. We move on up into the church and climb out of a window. We now move through a clicker infested cemetery. Then out onto a back street with runners, the more recently infected. I move through some houses and backyards, killing infected all the way. Then Ellie has to go through a dog door to get into another backyard. I move through this next house and then have to climb on an RV. I move through another house and come out into the street where the truck is. There are lots of infected in the way. I have to fight them. Ellie is boosted up on top of a school bus that is jammed into the fence. She drops a ladder down and we can then get past the fence into the school grounds. As we do more infected arrive. We are chased around the corner. Bill opens a window and we can go inside. as I get to the window a cut scene kicks in. Joel narrowly escapes getting bitten as he goes in the window. Bill tries to get the battery from the crashed truck. The infected are trying to break in. Joel and Ellie push a heavy piece of metalwork over the door. The battery has been taken. The group are forced to go further into the school as there is no way to survive against the large group that are battering the doors in. I run into the school and have to make my way through infested classrooms and corridors. We then come to the gym. Here we meet a boss creature called a floater. It is a large fungus covered humanoid that throws bomb like fungus bags. It take a proper pounding and if you are caught by it you die instantly. Joel called them bloaters. I eventually kill it, keeping your distance and hitting it with as much gunfire as you can seems to be the only strategy. Some infected also run interference. I now have to climb up on the bleachers to get out of the gym. As I am about to be hoisted up infected arrive and must be dealt with. I get outside and escape the school grounds, more infected need dealt with on the way. We get inside a house. In cut scene we find a man called Frank dead, he has hung himself seemingly due to being bitten and not wanting to turn. Frank is Bills partner. It seems that Frank got the battery and died for it. A car in the garage has it installed. The car is good though the battery is flat. we need to push start it and the battery will charge when the car is going. We have to push the car out into the street then down the hill. All the time we are interrupted by infected rushing the car. Eventually Ellie gets the car started and we head off in cut scene. We drop Bill off back in his safer part of town. He is grumpy and an asshole as usual. We never did learn why he owes Joel and Tess.

Mission 8
Ellie and Joel are on the road, Ellie stole a comic book from Bill's house and is upset that it has a to be continued ending. She has also stolen some tapes and gay porn. They come to the city and have to negotiate roads that are blocked up with old cars. A man appears in the street, he appears wounded. Ellie wants to stop and help. Joel realizes that it is a trap somehow, maybe he just doesn't trust anyone anymore. The man is faking and pulls a gun, Joel rams him and more men appear. A bus is ran down a hill and hits the car, we veer off the road and crash into a shop. In cut scene Ellie is grabbed and Joel attacked. I then have to mash square to prevent Joel being impaled on broken glass. I kill the man and then have to go and save Ellie. We get our guns from the wrecked car and are into a fight with the rest of the enemies. I kill them and we then look for a way out of the street area. I open a large drop down shutter door and Ellie goes through and props it open. Here we find many dead bodies, presumably people who fell for the trap. I find smoke bombs here. Joel reveals he knew it was an ambush because he has been on both sides. I move on through the building looting and then find the way out. we move onto a motorway type road filled with rotting cars. We fight some more humans and then enter a security checkpoint like area. This appears to be a zone like the one we started in, only now in ruins. I find what used to be a massive bookstore, turned into some kind of processing centre. It appears that the people revolted here against the soldiers, possibly over food rationing. I have to fight many humans in the bookstore. I pass out the back of the bookstore and go through some alleys. I come out onto a street. There are more humans in the distance. I come to a flooded area of the street, I have to get a raft and move it so Ellie can cross the flood and get onto the top of a bus. She moves a plank between that bus and the next. We can enter a flooded coffee shop via a cargo container and then cross the buses to where we need to go next. We now move into a hotel. I have to move a ladder to progress. There is a safe, the combination is found above it by crossing a decrepit stair in a note. I climb up the stairs, out of a window and into another part of the hotel, the rooms section. There are human enemies here. I explore two floors of the hotel fighting many enemies. They start using Molotov’s against me here. I have to open a lift and climb up through it. Then get Ellie boosted up into the next floor. As she goes up the lift plummets down a few floors with Joel on it. He is plunged into water at the bottom. Joel tells Ellie to stay where she is and tries to find a way back up. I have to make my  way through a flooded maze, taking long swims underwater. There is a gate which can be swum under by finding the right way to swim in the corridor under it. Spores appear, so I doubt that infected can be far away. A mass of rats flood down the corridor. I move on through maze like back room corridors. There are masses of fungus now, tension is being built. something is going to attack me soon. The do, they are clickers, but they can see, they hide as well, then rush attack when your back is turned. I come to a door I cannot get past without a keycard. I go looking for the keycard. I find a generator and activate it. This brings the infected out of the woodwork. A bloater and a few of these new harder to hide from infected. The keycard reader needs the power so this has to be done. Getting through the door fast is the best option once the generator is started as once through the door the infected don't come through after you. I move on and find a bench to upgrade at. Then move on and find more enemies. I see two of them attacking and killing an infected. I am now in the hotel restaurant. I kill them and a few more. Then have to place a ladder to reach the next floor. As I climb up an enemy kicks Joel in the face. He falls down and the man grabs him and tries to drown him in water. I have to quick-time struggle, but it looks like Joel is going to drown. Suddenly the man is shot. Ellie has saved Joel. She is freaked out at having killed someone. Joel is angry that she put herself in danger. We move on into conference room,a lobby and ballroom like area. Joel sees a way forward above and we have to push a piano into place to reach the higher level. I come out of the hotel onto a balcony.

Mission 9
There are many men in the street. Joel finds a rifle, he tells Ellie to cover him from the balcony and he will go down to street level to fight. Joel grudgingly thanks Ellie for saving his life in the hotel. I fight the large group of enemies. When it is clear Joel tells Ellie to come down. He gives her a pistol. I search the area and find some loot. We come to a grate and open it. Ellie jams a movable trolley in it. I then have to take the trolley out once I am in and move it so we can climb up and out of this room. In the next room is a workbench. I move on and we see two people being shot by an armored vehicle held by the bad guys. I imagine we will have to face this vehicle soon. I go up some stairs and find more enemies in an office like area. I fight a few men here then move back out into streets. There are some enemies up high in a building here as well as in the street. Some wire bomb traps also. I boost Ellie up to a ladder and she gets it down for us. to progress. We head on through an alley and the armored truck can be heard. The truck sit in the middle of the street. It seems that attacking it is out of the question as a message tells me to avoid it. I sneak through buildings and find some enemies in them to take care of. I make my through and the car sees us at one point. It gives chase though can't fit into small spaces. I run into a building and up the stairs, out onto the fire escape and into a residential building. We move into a room and Joel is grabbed and Attacked. Ellie tries to help and is knocked away. Joel gets the better of the man in the fight and is about to kill him when Ellie shouts out to tell him not to. A young boy is standing with a gun trained on them. There is a tense stand off. It seems that these two are survivors and not the crazy enemies types, yet. They were part of a group of survivors that entered the city looking for supplies. The  hunters ambushed them. They offer to help get us out of the city. Sam and Henry appear to be brothers. They have a hideout. We are to go to it. They lead us through some shops and streets. A toy shop and into an architects office. A cut scene starts in the office. Henry and Joel talk. Henry wants to join up with the fireflies. He plans to get out of the city at nightfall and go to a radio tower outside the city to meet with his group. We are invited to join in this plan. Joel agrees. We wait until nightfall, getting some sleep. We come out into the street near the gate that is an exit to the city. I have to sneak kill or go headlong at the enemies here. I kill them all and open a gate. As we do the armored car appears. we manage to get through the gate before it can start shooting. On the other side is a truck we need to climb up. I boost Henry up and he starts lifting the others up. The truck is trying to smash the gate down.
Ellie and Sam are lifted up, however the ladder breaks with Ellie. Leaving Joel trapped. Henry and Sam leave, leaving Joel for dead. Ellie joins him back on the ground. I go into a shutter door just as the car breaks in. I then have to move through a bar and fight enemies.We come out into the street and have to run from the car down a road. The bridge is finally here and it is out. We are trapped between the car and the water. Ellie makes the choice for Joel, she jumps in, Joel goes after her. He grabs her in the fast flowing water and is knocked out on a rock. Joel comes around on the bank, Ellie, Sam and Henry are there, they are outside the city.

Mission 10
Joel almost shoots Henry for leaving them to die. Henry tells him that he had to protect Sam. Ellie tells Joel that it was Henry that fished them out of the water otherwise they would have both drowned. Joel relents and doesn't shoot Henry. We are now heading for the radio tower. I investigate a boat that is beached and then find a grate which leads us into some sewers. I find a room where the door is barred by a trolley. I remove a grate and Ellie climbs through and opens the door. I then find a large area filled with water. The roof has caved in and it looks like we need to get up over to the other side. I turn a wheel and there is something jamming it. Jumping into the water I can see that there is a pipe in the way. I move it and the wheel can be turned. This opens a gate. I go through and find a pallet above the water on a walkway. I put the pallet in the water and take it back through. Ellie jumps on and I take her across. She turn on a generator that brings the others over on a lift. I am then helped out of the water by Henry. We move on to a door, which someone has been painting on. Inside we find an area that has been turned into some kind of camp. There is a crude alarm that drops bottles which smash to make a noise. It doesn't look like anybody is home. I move through this camp and find evidence of it's demise. There are infected here and I have to fight them. I come to a door and on opening it a trap is set off. A door slams down between us, trapping Joel and Sam and Henry and Ellie on either side of it. Clickers can be heard. Around five of them go after Ellie and Henry. There is nothing we can do to help. I go on and am attacked by many infected. I find  more of the camp, all of it derelict. I boost Sam up and get through a door. We hear Ellie and Henry fighting. I jump down and meet up with them. They have a horde on their tail and are running for it. I have to join them. We get into a room and Ellie and Sam go through a grate above the door. Henry and Joel have to face a horde before the door opens. On the other side we are in a small town. The radio tower can be seen in the distance.

Mission 11
I investigate the houses and find a lot of supplies. I move on through a back garden and enter a long street. A sniper is taking shots from a window at the far end. Joel goes to get him while the others give him something to shoot at. I make my way to the end of the street fighting enemies all the way. I get up to the room and kill the sniper. I then use is rifle to take on the enemies who are now pouring into the street to attack the group. The armored car appears and begins to advance down the street. The driver begins to hurl Molotov's out of the turret. I snip him when he does so and the vehicle crashes on fire. The Molotov dropped inside when he gets hit. Then infected attack we see both Sam and Henry tussle hand to hand with them. We have to regroup at the house and then escape out the back garden. In cut scene Joel and Henry bond over motorbikes. Ellie and Sam talk, Sam has been bitten and is concealing it. The next morning, Ellie wakes, Joel and Henry are making breakfast. Ellie goes through to wake Sam, he has turned in the night and attacks her. Henry is torn, but eventually shoots Sam. He then shoots himself.

Mission 12
Time has passed, it is now fall. Joel and Ellie are in Jackson County. I find a new gun, a large pistol with a scope, called El Diablo. I have climb down a slope to the rivers edge then follow it upstream. I come to hydro electric dam. There is no way across. I turn a wheel and it lifts a bridge up. However, it is only halfway, there is a similar wheel on the other side. I need to work out how to get to it. I enter the water and find a submerged building. A pallet is stuck on it and I can dive down and free it. This means I can ferry Ellie over and she turns the wheel allowing Joel to cross. I move on and we need to go through the hydro plant. I come to the gates and try and open them. A cut scene starts. People appear above the gates inside and aim guns. We are told to drop ours. Someone tells the woman who appears to be in charge that it's alright. Tommy appears, opening the gate. Joel and he have a fond reunion. We are introduced to his wife Maria. We go inside. The group are there trying to get the plant working so that their camp can have electricity. They have horses. Joel and Tommy are sent to help with turbines and Ellie and Maria go off together. Tommy gives Joel a picture he found when he returned to their home. The picture is of Sarah and Joel. Joel doesn't want it, he gives it back to Tommy. Joel asks to have a word in private with Tommy. They go to check on the men first. I follow Tommy and he tells us about their camp, they have twenty families and are self sufficient. If the dam can be made work they will have electricity. We take a walk through the plant and watch as the men winch in a huge metal part and then start up the turbines. Tommy and Joel go to an office to talk. Joel tells him that Ellie is immune. He asks for aid to reach the Fireflies. Tommy isn't very helpful. Joel gets angry. They are almost coming to blows when an alarm goes off. Something is attacking the camp. I have to make my way through the camp we toured fighting all the way. I make it back to Ellie and Maria. Tommy sees the way Joel has worried about Ellie’s welfare. In cut scene we see Maria and Tommy arguing, it seems Tommy has made up his mind to take Joel and Ellie to the Fireflies. Tommy and Joel are talking when they are informed by radio that Ellie has stolen a horse and ridden off. I ride out with Tommy to look for her. We take a road and find it blocked after a while. A track can be seen at the side of the road. I take the track until we come to an ambush. I am now fighting human enemies. I clear this small bandit camp and then we get back on the horses and move on. I come to a ranch and find Ellie's horse tied up there. I search the empty house and find her in a teenagers room reading her diary. She is amazed that all they had to worry about was movies and which skirt to wear with which top. It seems that Joel was actually asking Tommy to take her to the Fireflies alone. Joel planned to ditch Ellie with Tommy. Ellie reveals that she had learned from Maria about Sarah. She tells Joel that she isn't like his daughter. This does not go down well. Joel tells Ellie that Tommy can get her to the Fireflies. She tells him that she knows about loss, that she has been left or has lost everyone she cares about. Joel tells her that she is not his daughter and he is not her father. Their argument is cut short when Tommy arrives and tells them they have company. Bandits are in the house. I clear the house and in cut scene we all ride off.

Mission 13
Joel tells Tommy to go back to his town by himself. He has decided to take Ellie on by himself. He asks for the location of the firefly lab. It is in the science building of the University of Colorado. Tommy tries to tell him that there is a place for him in their town. Joel politely declines. The scene shifts and we see Joel and Ellie arriving at the university. I use the horse to ride in and find the direction of the lab. I need to dismount and enter a building. There are infected. I find a flamethrower. There is a gate, which needs power. I go upstairs and find a room full of infected. The flamethrower works well. I turn on the generator and then open the gate. I get back on the horse with Ellie. There are monkeys loose in the grounds. I come to another gate. There is a generator on the other side, it is disconnected from the  gate. I sneak under a blockage into a building nearby. I move through dorm rooms and drop down into a clicker infested area. There is also a bloater. I kill them all and move on. I find myself on the other side of the gate. I move the generator which is on a trolley to the wall and connect the cable. This allows Ellie and the horse through. I make my way through the grounds and come to the lab building. It is heavily fortified. I make my way around the side and find a gate. It won't open. I see a dumpster nearby that can be moved. I use it to approach the gates, which are down a hill. It runs away from Joel and smashes the gate. I then need to use it to make my way up into a hole in the wall. The lab is depressingly empty and unlived in. Joel and Ellie are beginning to think the Fireflies have left when a noise comes from upstairs. I move through the labs and find a bunch of monkeys. I find a voice recorder which tells of a man who was getting ready to leave. He tries to set the infected monkeys free and is bitten by one. I move on and find his dead body. The next voice recorder reveals that the fireflies were no closer to finding a cure than when they started. They have moved to Salt lake city hospital. As we are talking a light shines on us through the window and someone takes a shot at the pair. I now have to move back through the building fighting. As I come to a balcony a man grabs me in cut scene. Joel and he plummet off and Joel is impaled on a metal spike. I have to shoot at two men who come for Joel. Ellie then appears. She pulls him off the spike. I don't know why they don't teach medical classes for writers. Joel would be dead if he was spiked where it appears he was hit. If not dead in seconds from having major blood vessels torn open it looks like he is hit right square in the lower back. Spinal columns run through there guys. He couldn't walk if his spinal cord was hit. I have to stumble through the building, falling and being helped up. I have to help Ellie fight as best I can. It is obvious that Joel isn't going to make it. Ellie is nearly killed by two men, though she manages to fight them. We go outside and find another guy stealing the horse. Ellie shoots him. The pair get on the horse and leave. Once they are safe, Joel collapses off the horse. He appears dead.

Mission 14
The scene shifts, it is winter. Ellie is out hunting, there is no sign of Joel. I have to hunt a deer. Chasing it through the snow covered forest. I hit it with an arrow twice and it keeps on running away. It is leaving a trail of blood and prints in the snow. I track it to an abandoned looking shack. I move through the shack and find the deer dead from blood loss. Like Joel should be. As Ellie moves towards the deer two men appear. They ask to trade with her for the meat. She is suspicious. They have medicine, penicillin. Ellie wants it, Suggesting that Joel is still alive. One of the men stays and the other goes to get the medicine. Ellie takes his gun and holds him at gunpoint. They go into the shack for shelter. As they talk the sound of a clicker can be heard. One attacks. The man reveals that he has another gun. We have to now defend the room from clickers. I do this for a spell, but they keep on coming. We then go up some stairs further into the building. I have to shoot a clicker that tries to stop the man from blocking the stairwell with a metal box. I move on and enter a large generator like room. A piece of grating collapses and Ellie falls down. She is separated from the man by clickers. I need to make my way through and then rejoin him. We need a ladder that is out of reach. He boosts us up to it. We move on through a bridge corridor into another room. I find some dead bodies. There is some gear here. We are attacked again, another survive in the room horde mode. A bloater ends the fight. In cut scene Ellie and the stranger go back to the room with the deer. The man tells her that she handled herself well and that they made a good team. Ellie tells him that they got lucky. He believes that everything happens for a reason. Which he explains. He was in charge of the men that we fought in the university. He has been looking for us. It seems he doesn't want revenge now, he gives Ellie the medicine and lets her go. She runs back to her horse and back to her hideout in a house. Joel is alive, barely. His wound has been stitched, it is to the left of his umbilicus, likely he would have a perforated bowel, causing peritonitis and maybe even a speared kidney, still penicillin will make it all better. She gives him the drug.

Mission 15
The men have tracked Ellie to the hideout. which was obvious. She goes out to draw them away. I have to ride through the town at speed, being shot at and avoiding men who try and grab onto the horse. Eventually they shoot the horse and Ellie is pitched off into the snow. I am now in a lakeside resort area with many enemies. I kill them all and move onto a nature cliff side walk. I go through a tunnel. I come to a blocked part, I must go outside and pull a box which shifts the blockage in the tunnel. I then come to a hotel like building. There are more enemies here. I kill them and find a window that is open into the hotel. I go inside and find more enemies. The way out is through the front door. I go to it and it is blocked. I have to push square to barge through. A cut scene starts as I do. Charles grabs Ellie from behind and knocks her out. She comes around in a cell of sorts in a kitchen like area. Charles’ friend can be seen cutting up meat, which appears to be dead people rather than animal. Charles appears and gives Ellie food. She asks if it is human meat, he tells her it is deer. She is starving and begins to eat. Charles talks, Ellie tells him that his people didn't give Joel and her a choice. Charles talks a good game, though in reality he simply wants to be intimate with Ellie. She breaks his finger and tries to grab the keys. Charles isn't amused, he leaves, the suggestion is left that Ellie will now be killed.

Mission 16
Joel wakes in his basement, seemingly better now. One dose of penicillin, not even a loading dose mind you is enough to cure rampant peritonitis and a punctured kidney. Yay for antibiotics. I am back in control of Joel. Though he looks pretty ropey. I leave the house and find the street deserted. As I progress a shot rings out. There are some enemies at the far end. I attack and they appear to be making a retreat. Not their normal a.i. behavior. I give chase. I come to an alley end and two of them jump me. Joel knocks them both out. In cut scene we see him torture them to find out what happened to Ellie. Once he finds out he kills the men. The scene shifts to Ellie. She is about to be killed by Charles and his cannibal chum. Ellie is about to die, she tells Charles that she is infected and he is too. This give him pause for thought. Ellie tells him to look at her arm. He does and finds the bite scar. As they debate what this means Ellie grabs a machete and kills Charles' friend. She gets away, Charles giving chase. All she has is the knife. I find myself in control of Ellie in the street, there is a blizzard blowing. I have to try and get away. I enter a building, a pet store. I can see out the window and hear Charles talking, they think she is infected and loose. We can hear them talking about getting the children to safety. I have no weapon other than a small knife. If I am caught I can't seem to kill the enemies before they shoot me. Basically this is a stealth only section and I need to find a way out. I move through this massive town area, avoiding the patrolling enemies. I come to a large bar and steakhouse, it is empty, though it looks like they were getting ready to have a meal there. I find a door and open it. Charles is waiting. This is now a boss battle. A lamp is knocked over and sets the place on fire. Charles has the key to the now locked door and I need to get it off him. He has a gun and I don't. I have to sneak up on him and knife him when he can't see me. I do this twice and then there is a shift in scene. I am now controlling Joel heading towards the town. I meet some enemies at the petrol station outside town, then pass through a wall they have built around the town. There is a cargo container rigged as a door. I move on and come to a building. I find Ellie's backpack in the room. In the next room I find bodies hung up like lumps of meat. I move out of the building into the street. I can see the steakhouse on fire. The scene shifts again. Ellie and Charles lie unconscious on the floor in the steakhouse. Ellie comes around, but Charles is stirring also. Ellie crawls for her knife, Charles appears and kicks her in the gut. I have to keep on crawling. Charles gets on top of Ellie and appears to be about to rape her. She manages to get the knife and stabs him, she doesn't stop until Joel grabs her. Joel and Ellie leave the burning steakhouse.

Spring
Mission 17
Joel and Ellie have arrived at Salt Lake city, the hospital here is where the firefly lab was supposed to have relocated to. I start on a motorway and move down into the city. This is another abandoned quarantine zone. I climb a a car and a bus to get inside. I enter a building, which is the entrance hall for a zoo. Ellie is quiet and withdrawn. I have to get a ladder down to get up to the next level. Ellie is boosted up, however, she sees something and vanishes leaving Joel to climb up. It is a giraffe from the zoo, it is now running around wild. It sticks it head in a broken hole in a building and we get to pet it. There are more of them, a herd. Ellie is running on ahead, amazed by the giraffes. We come out onto a roof and watch the herd or around eight giraffes. Joel gives Ellie a choice here, to go back to Tommy's and just live. Or to carry on and find the fireflies. Ellie suggest that all they have been through can't be for nothing. We go into another part of the building down some stairs. Joel give Ellie the photo of him and Sarah. She stole it from Maria. I head through a quarantine triage zone, then down into a tunnel leading towards the hospital. There are infected here. I fight some infected, clickers and a bloater. There are more further down the tunnel. This time there are two bloaters and some clickers plus runners. I have to boost Ellie up to a crate. I now need to swim under a submerged bus and pass a ladder over to her. I come to a jammed gate. I have to boost Ellie over to get the gate from inside. A clicker has to be shot first. I move on and find a shiv locked room, filled with gear. There is also a workbench here. I move into a room filled with water that needs crossed. There is a pallet up on a balcony. I have to swim under a long submerged corridor to get up there. Once I do I take Ellie across. She then lets down a ladder for me. The ladder breaks as I climb it. I can now pick it up, use it to reach the balcony and pull it up again. I can let it down, then place it over the gap. We now come to some fast flowing water. I move on and find an area where I am blocked by an overturned vehicle. The water stops Ellie from coming forward to help. I eventually realize after about five minutes that you can run and jump onto the vent work. As we cross the bus that was jamming the way it comes loose. Ellie makes it across, Joel is swept away on it. He falls inside and is jammed in by the rushing water. Ellie climbs on top and breaks a window. She tries to reach down to help him out, however the bus moves again. Ellie is pitched into the water and Joel is submerged. He can get free, and we have to move through the torrent to get Ellie and get her out onto land. Joel does CPR, as he does two men appear and tell him to get his hands in the air. Joel ignores them and keeps on doing CPR. One of the men knocks Joel out with the butt of his rifle.

Mission 18
Joel awakes on a hospital bed, the fireflies have them, Ellie is safe. Marlene is there, she has lost an awful lot of men on the same Journey as Joel. Marlene tells Joel that he doesn't have to worry about Ellie anymore. She explains that they need to remove the cordyceps fungus that grew in Ellie, it has somehow mutated and not affected Ellie in any visible way. Unlike any other version of the fungus. The vaccine can only be found by dissecting Ellie's brain. Marlene tells Joel that she cares about Ellie, but there is no other choice. Marlene tells the guards to escort Joel out of the camp. The guard marches Joel out at gunpoint. Joel kills him with extreme brutality. I must now fight my way to Ellie through the hospital. There are many enemies and they have assault rifles. I can claim one from a dead guard. I move on up to the next floor. I find the surgery section. I think I am close. There are a lot of enemies in the way though. I manage to get past and enter the theatre. I shoot the surgeon and assistants and take Ellie out. I am now running through the hospital with her in my arms. I manage to make it to an elevator. At the basement parking garage I meet Marlene. She tells me to do the right thing here. The scene shifts. Joel is in a car. You are supposed to think that he has left Ellie. She is in the back seat and wakes up. Joel lies to Ellie, he tells her that there are more like her, who are immune. That it doesn't help with a cure. Interspersed with this is Joel shooting Marlene to get away.

Mission 19
The scene shifts forward in time, Joel is heading back to Jackson and Tommy. I am playing as Ellie. We walk on a bit through the woods. Ellie talks about her friend Riley who was bitten at the same time as her and died. All the others they lost on they way. She asks Joel if what he said about the fireflies was true. He swears that it was and the credits roll.

17 hours.
5% of trophies.

Battlefield 4 Notes

I choose to start a new campaign on normal difficulty.

Mission 1
The game starts with our character stuck in a vehicle that is sinking into deep water. Bonnie Tyler is playing and our character remarks that he doesn't want to die to this song. His name is Recker it seems. There are four men in the vehicle. Dunn is trapped and injured. He give Recker his gun and tells him to shoot out the window so the others can swim out. This obviously means leaving him to die. I shoot the window and the screen goes black. Time shifts to 13 minutes earlier. I am alone in a corridor in a derelict looking building, that might be a school by the primary color paintings on the walls. I move on and have to jump and crouch over dome lockers. There are men in the building looking for me. I go through a door and meet a man called Pac, then Dunn. We are on a mission and have taken some intelligence. There are spec ops trying to catch us. Irish is coming to our position from another location. I have to get some ammo from a crate and cover Irish as he approaches across the street outside. Irish jumps out of a window and is followed by enemy soldiers. I have to shoot them to let him get across the street, he climbs in the window and joins us. We are now moving towards the extraction point. I fight some more enemies inside a hall like area of the school. I come to a dead end and have to use c4 to blow up a wall and get outside. I come to an overlook of an industrial area. The building we have to get to for extraction is in the distance. There are enemies in the area. I must fight my way through. I stealth kill four isolated men and then a helicopter flies into the area. I can designate targets for it. I clear the area and move through a pipe into another area of similar territory, though more industrialized. I must push on into the entrance of the factory. Inside the derelict factory we take a lift, while we are in it an enemy helicopter arrives and attacks. I have to run through the building ascending until I get to the roof and out extraction helicopter. As I approach it, it is hit by the enemy helicopter. It flies out of harms way leaving us on the roof. I see it being shot down as the building collapses. We fall and slide until we are hanging over the edge. The building seems to fall apart and we fall. I pass out and come around being helped up by Irish. Dunn is trapped under rubble. His leg is severely crushed. The only way to get him out of the area, which is on fire is to cut his leg off. We do and then help him into a civilian car which has stopped nearby. We are now driving along the road to a secondary extraction point. The helicopter gives chase and shoots at us. We hang out of the car and have to shoot it down in a bullet time like scene. It goes down in our path and we end up in the water and catch up with the intro scene. In cut scene I see the men swim out of the car leaving Dunn to drown. The intelligence concerned confirmation of Russian and Chinese cooperation. It seems a general in the Chinese army is resistant to peace and is trying to derail it.

Mission 2
We are on a carrier at sea, a leader is telling us that our next mission is to go to Shanghai and extract VIPs from a tower block. Tensions are high, a Chinese presidential candidate who was about to win called Jin Jie has been assassinated and tensions in China are high, war may be imminent. We are to rendezvous with a man called Kovic in the tower block. We start in a car driving to the location. there are soldiers in the streets and it appears that there are riots going on. We are blocked and have to leave the van, we go out into the streets on foot. As we approach the target tower block we can see Chinese spec ops troops in the area. I sneak into the side of the building, and take an elevator to the floor in question. Guns are distributed in the lift. The door opens onto lots of soldiers, we hastily take the lift up a few floors. I come out into a bar like area and a firefight. I then have to wait as a door is cut open. Spec ops teams breach in, I have time to lay some claymores which make things easier. I then have to clear this second wave. The door is opened and we move on into hotel like corridors. I turn a corner and see two Chinese soldiers opening a room door. It has been booby trapped and an explosion kills them both. Another door opens and we find Kovic and the two VIPs inside. One is injured, he does not seem to speak any English. Kovic wants them to go up as there is no way down. The plan is to steal the helicopter the soldiers came in on. The man reveals that he does speak English and expresses regret at all the violence. We move up to the roof On the roof we must clear a team of spec ops. I get to the helicopter. Kovic is going to fly it. The VIP is shot and falls. He is not dead though. We have to defend against a large team of soldiers. Kovic flies off with the two VIPs. We now need to get out another way. I take the lift and am told to get to a river. I come out into the front of the hotel and must fight my way down to the river. I enter a building that friendly civilians open for us. Many seem to have wanted Jin Jie to win the election and a civil war may be breaking out around us. Some of the civilians are fighting back, however a tank is causing them problems. We need to get a weapon that can knock out the tank. I place mines and blow up the tank, then another attacks and is similarly dealt with. We get on a boat with the civilians. As we ride along the river a light in the sky explodes brightly. A helicopter flying past falls out of the sky. It seems a massive EMP blast just went off. Irish tells the refugees in the boats to follow him.  We lead them to the American aircraft carrier called the Valkyrie.

Mission 3
Recker wakes up on a bunk in the carrier. I get up and am told to go and find Irish. I travel through the ship hearing about the problems that the EMP blast caused. I find the woman and man VIPs that we rescued. The man is in a bad way and all the electronic medical equipment was broken by the EMP blast. I move on into the lower decks and find Irish with the Chinese civilians. He seems happy that they saved them, Pac seems unsure. Pac is more worried about chain of command and it was Recker who was in charge, not Irish. we are to go and speak to the admiral to sort it out. On the way a battle stations call goes out. An American ship called the Titan that we were on the way to meet is on fire when we see it. The admiral, who is called Garrison, calls us and tells us to go and see if we can find out what happened on the Titan. Kovic is placed in charge of the mission. I take weapons then get on board a small boat. Irish is giving Kovic attitude already. The Titan is sinking, it has caught on a reef, but is likely to slide into a canyon and sink completely very soon. I reach the ship and have to circle it until I find a rent in the hull. We get out of the boat and go inside. We are looking to get the ships voyage recorder. I move through corridors until we reach a hatch and find an area of the ship that is submersed in water. We have to use scuba gear to swim. I then walk on through more ship. We hear a noise and find two men trapped under grating. There is no way to free them and the water is rising. They drown before our eyes and Irish and Kovic argue some more. It seems that the Chinese trapped the men down there. Kovic doesn't think it makes sense to board and torpedo a ship. I move on and find the hard drive of the voyage recorder. Some voices can be heard. I move into a control room like area and find soldiers. I fight them and move into another corridor. As we do the entire corridor breaks of, it seems the ship has broke in two just about right where we are standing. The half rises and then falls back down below out level. We jump out onto the deck and start along it. There are soldiers here in the way. I fight along the deck and then jump off the end into the water and a waiting boat. I must now take the boat back to the Valkyrie. Small boats are running interference on the way. As I reach the boat a helicopter attacks. We drive into an open dock area at the back of the boat and crash dock. Getting out we fight Chinese troops in the bay. I meet our men and are told that the enemy are on board in multiple locations. I have to head for the bridge. I find a helicopter attacking the bridge and must shoot it with a stinger missile. I fight on through the vehicle deck. I come to the medical bay and find the woman, who is called Hannah, the VIP we rescued from Shanghai. The man is missing and Hannah is revealed to be a formidable fighter, taking on two soldiers hand to hand. We are now going after the male. I fight through onto the deck and we are trying to climb a ladder to a control deck. Kovic is blown off the ladder and appears badly injured. Helicopters come in, carrying troops. I have to shoot them down or simply kill all the enemies they deposit on the deck. Once done we watch Kovic die, he gives us the Titan's hard drive and puts Recker in charge. I climb up to the bridge and clear a few enemy soldiers from inside. Captain Garrison appears from a locked doorway. The ship has been taken back and is clear, though in hostile waters.

Mission 4
The command ship was taken down by a missile strike and the waters belong to General Chang. To get clear we need to pass by an airfield. To ensure good missile strikes a team is to fire a flare from the airfield we need to hit. The emp has wrecked most of the targeting systems. Hannah is joining the team in place of Kovic, much to Irish's disgust. I can't imagine someone as argumentative being allowed to stay in the marines. I drive a boat out of the Valkyrie, then onto a beach. Other soldiers and tanks are advancing also onto the beach. I fight my way up the beach. Then onto streets, I have to take control of a tank. I fight others tanks and then find my way blocked by barricades in a parking garage like area. I find a control that lowers the barricades. I then have to fight more tanks. I now come to a large open parkland like area with many tanks. I come to a restaurant and we see that we need to cross an exposed bridge to get to the airfield. Irish has another strop  and argues with Hannah. We move out onto the bridge and the wind is blowing cars around like toys. I fight some men and then get pinned by a car. The others try and free me, it is no good. A boat hits the bridge which frees me, but throws me into the water. I have to swim to the surface and get pulled out. We then enter a sewer, which takes us up into the hanger area that we want to be in. I must now fire the flare which will bring the Valkyrie’s fire down in the right place. I fight through a large hanger, then come out onto the airfield. The flare is fired and we get into a jeep like vehicle. We go for a ride along the suddenly exploding runway. The jeep is overturned. Irish can be seen tending to a possibly dead Pac. Hannah appears with Chinese soldiers and captures Irish and Recker. She tells Recker that it couldn't be any other way.
Garrison can be heard telling the ship’s doctor that they lost 26 men in the attack. Our team are not accounted for. Chang may have us prisoner.

Mission 5
Recker and Irish are being tortured. Irish talks of Hannah and her husband and it seem to click with the enemy that Jin Jie is still alive and that is who we took out of Shanghai. They also guess that Jin Jie must be on the Valkyrie. Recker wakes in a cell with a Russian prisoner. He wants to escape and gives us a knife. He knocks a hole in the cell wall and we climb out onto pipes and gantries. I then come to a cylindrical area and have to knife guards and get to a control which appears to open gates and start a riot in the prison. I then meet up with Irish who is whining about finding Pac. Does he ever stop being a pain? I think Pac is dead. We fight on into an elevator then into a long road like tunnel area. I have to clear this of enemies then the Russian goes into a control room. I can hear helicopters coming. I now have to kill the waves of soldiers that get dropped into the area. Once done we go through a gate and get captured. Hannah is with these men. She shoots the two men that are with her and Irish goes mental on her. The Russian wonders why he is hitting someone who saved them. So am I to be honest, Irish is the worst fps character since Rico in Killzone. I wanted to kill him as well. We go outside and have to fight our way to a tram, we are in a snowy mountainous terrain. Getting up to the tram is hard work, for the first time the enemies are using grenade launchers. I eventually make my way to the car and start taking the ride down the mountain. Dima, the Russian begins to make some comments that make me think he knows a lot more than he is letting on. A chopper heads for the cable car. It begins shooting and falls from the cable, we crash and slide down the mountain. Afterwards everyone is alive but the Russian. Our heroes now face a long trek in sub zero conditions.

Mission 6
We are now in a jeep two days later. Hannah talks about Jin Jie and how Chang's forces killed her family. We are still in Russia, we meet some American soldiers operating behind enemy lines. They direct us to head for their superior. I come out into a large open area, many soldiers and a vehicle must be destroyed. Then a similar rinse and repeat. Then we have a woodland area that is filled with enemies. I come to a large open area with a bridge and find Russian forces fighting American. Our objective is to get across the bridge to the American side. I basically have to do all the work and kill the Russians for the Americans. I then cross the bridge and meet Major Greenland. She is under heavy siege. She can't help us get back to the Valkyrie. We suggest a plan to blow up a dam to flood SAM sites which will aid her. She tells us we can get a ride if we do this job for her. We get in a vehicle and there is a fade to black and we are at the dam. It is massive. We have to place the explosives carefully to ensure it blows. I sneak down to the edge of the dam, there are soldiers guarding it. I attack and kill them all, then a helicopter attacks and must be shot down. I climb over some pipes to get to the next area. I fight some more men then take an elevator down into the bowels of the dam. Hannah begins to place explosives and we have to protect her while she does. I then place another charge, we move out onto ledges on the edge of the dam. The power has been cut and the only way back out is to follow the scaffolding ledges. I come to a dead end. Hannah tells me to blow the charges as the enemy are appearing behind us. I do and the dam collapses. We are tipped into the torrent of water flowing out of the blown dam. I survive and join the team as they appear out of the waters. A friendly helicopter can be seen above, It is Major Greenland. She lands and tells us that she is going to kill us for losing her vehicle. I'm not sure she is joking. She then congratulates us on a job well done. She swears at her men, calling them fuck-heads, then proceeds to chastise Irish for asking what the fuck is going on. She is going to give us a ride to the Suez Canal, and hopefully the Valkyrie. We are lifted by skyhook. Irish is afraid of heights.

Mission 7
The Valkyrie is badly damaged and heading into trouble. We are in a plane and about to parachute out. We do and land on the back of the Valkyrie. I must now advance along the deck fighting. Once the deck has been cleared of many enemies and a helicopter, we go down one level Inside we find Pac, not dead after all. We are now heading for the medical bay. I fight past some enemies and then find Garrison and Jin Jie in the med bay. Jin Jie wants to show himself to the enemy so that they know he is alive. He thinks they will lay down their arms if they do. There seems to be little alternative, so we try his plan. The ship will be overrun, it is inevitable. Jin Jie talks to some Chinese soldiers and they indeed, stop fighting and appear pleased to see him. The word spreads over radios. An explosion rocks the ship, it appears that Chang is bombing it in an attempt to suppress the truth and kill Jin Jie properly this time. There is nothing much left to shoot at Chang's ship with, the plan then is to load a boat with explosives and hit him with it. We go to the vehicle deck and get into a small boat. Pac stays on the Valkyrie, Irish and Hannah come with me. I drive the boat towards Chang's ship. Some small boats attack and Irish uses an emplaced gun to attack them. As we reach the large boat our is hit and Recker seems injured. Hannah takes over driving and Irish begins placing mines on the side of the boat. We use ascender guns to attach ropes to the destroyers mast and get out of the way of the C4 blasts. We try to fire the bombs but they don't work. Someone must go back down, it seems this may be a one way trip. I have to choose who will go. Hannah or Irish. Irish has been a pain most of the game to be honest, though he is growing on me. He and Hannah have been having some getting to know each other dialogue. I also don't fancy sending Hannah to her death either, she has been a good character. I think I should go to be honest, though there isn't an option for that. I choose Irish, he goes down the rope and sets that charge, I then blow up Irish and the boat. The credits roll. 

9 hours for one play through on normal.
24% of the trophies.

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Notes

I begin a new game, no difficulty levels are presented.

Mission 1
In cut scene we see Edward aboard a ship at night in the middle of a battle. Things aren't going well. In the distance on the other ship we see a man in the distinctive assassin robes. I get control of Edward, I am told to take the wheel as the man who was doing the job is dead. I take control and have to fight the attacking ships. There are a few small ships and one larger one. I sink the smaller ones and once the larger is damaged enough a cut scene starts. The powder store is set alight and the crew are trying to put out the flames before it goes up. The assassin has come aboard the ship and kills the captain. The powder goes up and Edward is knocked overboard before he is killed by the assassin.
In a flashback Edward and his lover Caroline discuss his decision to go and become a privateer. She is sad that he will be away for two years and worried about his safety. Back in the present Edwards swims up from the depths and we now have to reach the shore. Moving in between the burning debris and wrecks of the ships. On shore Edward is joined by the badly wounded assassin. He offers to pay Edward to help him reach Havana. Edward tries to take his gun, and the assassin tries to kill him. the powder in the gun is wet and it won't fire. The assassin retreats inshore.

Mission 2
I am told to go after the assassin. I must give chase through the island foliage. There are signs of primitive habitation on the island. some native shacks and buildings. I climb a tower and synchronize a viewpoint. Then another, chasing the assassin all the time. I eventually chase him down and after a very easy fight kill the assassin. Edward loots his body and finds a letter. The letter is from someone in Havana, who is going to pay the assassin handsomely for information. Best of all the letter says that the man doesn't know the assassin and will know him by his uniform. Edward decides to take the assassin robes and go to the meeting, hoping to claim the money.

Mission 3
Edward spies a ship in a harbor nearby. We are to try and steal it. I move down and find that some other survivors of the battle, soldiers, have captured the crew and intend to steal the vessel for themselves. I can stalk them through the undergrowth and then kill the last three. I save a man called Steede, who owns the ship. He can't sail and wants to go to Havana. Which is exactly what we want. Edwards pretends to help him. I have to reach the ship's wheel. On board I now have to take the ship out of the bay and into open water. I have to avoid sandbanks and rocks. Once out into open waters Steede appears impressed with Edward's skills.

I explore the island for a bit and I find a treasure map, which leads me inshore to a statue, I have to solve a simple shape puzzle which shows me where to dig up the treasure, which I then do. as usual there are a lot of collectibles, notes, shards, messages in bottles,loot chests. As well as animals to kill and skin.

Mission 4
The scene shifts and we find ourselves leaving the animus. Only this isn't Desmond, which is basically because he died in the last game. I am a memory researcher, working for Abstergo. I am told to look at lights and then given an earpiece. It seems I have been taking a test to see if I am up to the job. I follow a woman through the modern building. She talks about the company, called Abstergo entertainment. It seems they use animus tech to make games. They are making a pirate themed game, hence the research on Edward. She gives us a communicator, which is a tablet like device. It is also a key. We use it to make an elevator move. We meet a ceo who makes lame pirate noises for us. We then get shown to our desk. It seems that they think Desmond donated his DNA memories for them to use. I am told to go back into the animus and get on with my work.

Mission 5
I return to the Animus and find Edward arriving in Havana. Steede offers to lead him to a pub/hotel where Edward can find a room. We are still pretending to be Duncan Walpole the assassin. I follow him into the city. We see prostitutes, marked with a flower icon. Then I am directed to a shop to buy new swords. Steede loses his way and I must climb to the top of a church to synch a viewpoint. As I do this, I learn the way. Stede is robbed and the robber makes a break for it while we are at the top of the church. I must chase him and kill the robber. I then meet up with Steede again and head to the pub. Here Steede goes off to do business and Edward picks a bar fight. It goes sour when the police arrive. We must now escape sight of the police and the area.

I do a few diversions here now that I am free in Havanna. Synching viewpoints. There are guarded manuscripts to steal and pirates to free from trouble.

Mission 6
I head back to the boat we arrived at Havana in. I meet Steede, who has lost his sugar and our maps. I have to follow two policemen to find out where the confiscated stuff might have been taken. They lead me a merry dance around the city. I watch a hanging with them and listen to their conversation. I now have to tail a captain and steal his key. I then have to enter a large fort. A tree outside it allows me to climb the walls. I then have to get to a room in the fort. Inside Edwards collects the map and object that he is supposed to be bringing to the governor. I must then escape the area and meet Steede again. Edwards tells Steede that his name isn't Duncan, and urges him to go to Nassau.

Mission 7
It is time for my meeting with the governor, posing as Duncan, I am to deliver, maps letters and a strange cube. I go to the location of the Governor. I knock on the gate and the guards let me in. I must walk through the fortified building to the terrace. I meet two men on the terrace, practicing their skills with pistols. One called Rogers's with a scar on his face and another called Julian. It seems that Duncan was defecting from the Assassin's to the templar side. Edwards is asked about meeting Roger's wife a few years back and tries to bluff. I am told to have a go with the new pistols. I can take a challenge to shoot the targets in a time limit. I then speak to Julian who gives me new wrist-blades he took from another assassin. Edwards tells them that his were damaged beyond repair. I now have to show off some of the hidden blade assassination skills for them. From roofs, from inside hay, from blended with a crowd. I then follow them onwards to the governor. He asks why we are late, Edwards explains his brush with pirates. The items are handed over, including the cube. The governor is a templar grand master. He takes them inside and swears all three into the templar order. The governor then tell them about a thing or place called the observatory, which can be used to spy on anyone in the world. Edward is tasked with pick-pocketing all three of them. Edward is told to meet Roger's down at the docks the next day to claim his reward.

Mission 8
I meet Rogers at the docks, Steede passes and calls us Edward. Edwards tells Rogers that he gave him a false name. We meet the governor and his men. He takes us to a prisoner, called the Sage. The governor tells us that both the templar's and assassins have been looking for this man for a long time. The governor gives the Sage the cube, which he has opened at one corner, there is a cavity in the middle of the cube, a spherical cavity. Some of the Sage's blood is put in the cavity. This we are told by Torres, the Governor, is now a key to the observatory. All that is needed now is to know where it is. We have to take the Sage back to Torre's house. I have to follow along with the group. Torres asks some difficult questions of Edward. He also tells us that the observatory is a precursor site. Assassins attack, I must fight them and stop them from killing Torres. We move trough the city. A cut scene shows assassins attacking and freeing the Sage. I must now give chase to the Sage and catch him. I fight him and knock him out at the end of the chase. Torres is pleased to have the Sage in custody. Roger's is leaving to sail. Torres gives Edward a reward and asks for him to join in on the interrogation of the Sage.

Mission 9
I  meet Steede outside a house drinking. Edward is annoyed that all he has got in reward is 1000 reales. which he obviously thinks isn't enough. Edward thinks that he can claim the observatory for himself. Maybe even to sell it's location for a better sum. He decides to speak to the Sage before the interrogation tomorrow. I enter the area and using undergrowth  sneak past the guards. I must steal a key from the warden. I then have to reach the Sage's cell. Outside his cell are dead bodies. It seems the Assassin's might have already got here. Inside I find lots of dead men. The Templars arrive. Torres and Julian. They catch Edward thinking him in league with the assassins. They reveal that they didn't think he was actually Duncan all along. Edward is thrown in jail. A flashback here to Caroline and her father thinking that Edward is a drunk and useless.

Mission 10
Edward Wakes in a cell with a man chained beside him. A guard gives them food and leaves. We break free of the chains. I then have to move through the ship killing guards until I get my weapons back. I then have to go above deck and kill all the guards above. There are pirates here in shackles. I free them and then have to free more. We are at sea and there are lots of ships in formation. I swim to the next ship and have to repeat the same moves, kill the guards and free the pirates. On the last ship I am directed to I go below and kill guards also, then free a larger group of prisoners. I then have to go above deck. I need to kill a marked Captain on another ship. I do this and then am told to take the wheel of the ship. The pirates I have freed all come aboard and we are going to steal the ship and make a run for it. I take the ship into a hurricane, hoping the others in the fleet won't pursue. I have to survive large waves and avoid water spouts, until we clear the other side. When the seas are calm we take stock of the damage.

Mission 11
Adewale, the man we met earlier is our new quartermaster. He advises us that the ship is basically a wreck, we have no food and little water. Before heading to Nassau, he recommends a stopover on a deserted island to hunt for food, take on water etc. I have to head for a small island. On this tiny piece of rock and beach with a few trees I must kill two iguanas and two ocelots. There are the usual treasure chests and animus shards, with one viewpoint to scale. I am taught about crafting, which makes Edwards's equipment better. I have to make a health upgrade ands a pistol holder, which allows me to carry two pistols. I go back to the ship and speak to Adewale and he gives me a pistol.

Mission 12
We fast travel to Nassau, the pirate city, Here I am directed to a bar. Here we meet some pirate friends of Edward. I have to find more men for my crew. I can do this by hiring them at a bar, or helping pirates in trouble which will make them work for me in return for the favor. I have to save 15 pirates then go to a hanging. Here I must save a pirate that is about to be hung. Then I have to go back to the tavern. Edwards asks his friends about the observatory, one of them, James Kidd has heard of it, though they all think it is a fantasy.

Mission 13
I meet Thatch and Ben on the beach. Ben is going to teach me how to take a prize, which I imagine means attack another ship and take it's loot. I have to go out to sea, and then use a telescope to find a suitable schooner ship. I mark it and then give chase and bring it's health bar down with cannon fire. Once it is on fire I can board it. I then have to kill so many of the crew before they surrender. I then get to take all the loot and use items to repair the Jackdaw. I have to repeat this to get enough loot. Now I am to sail to Salt Key. Here I dock and have to buy a better hull for the ship. I now have to gain metal loot. To do this I must make a nuisance of myself near shipping lanes and draw a navy ship to attack me. I must then plunder it. Once I have enough metal loot I am to go back to Salt key and speak to the local officer, I bribe him and this reduces my wanted level. I must then go to my Captains cabin on the jackdaw. Here I can upgrade the ships cannons using the metal we have stolen. I then have to go back on deck and talk with the pirates. Adewale tells me that Kidd is planning to rob a plantation.

Mission 14
I go to a small island, here I meet James Kidd, He tells us about a plantation owner called Beckford. I have to follow Kidd for a little while, he tells me that Beckford's agent is nearby and I should tail him. I find him, mark him with eagle vision and then have to follow him. I tail him across the small island to his ship. I then have thirty seconds to reach the jackdaw and give chase to the ship. I have to tail the ship into a restricted area. Here I have to avoid ships seeing me, they have a vision cone on the hud that let's us stay out of their sight. I follow the ship to an Island called Cat island. I dock near the ship and get out. I have to reach the agent who has gotten off his ship. Once I do I must eavesdrop on him. The conversation is heated, as most of the guards have been drinking on duty. He berates a lookout and a man near a bell, who it seems can raise the alarm. I must steal a key to the plantation store from a guard. I then enter the store and plunder it. If I am see the bell ringer rings the bell bringing more guards. The platform guards have a better view and can see me more easily. I can sabotage the alarm bells.

Mission 15
I meet Kidd on an island called salt lagoon. The pirate republic in Nassau now numbers 500. Yet they don't have proper defenses. Edwards tries to interest them in looking for the observatory again. Nobody is taking him up on the offer. The plan is to steal a galleon to be at the ready in the harbor should someone try and attack. I must head out to sea after a ship called El Arca del maestro. I have to find the ship using my telescope, then tail it. This takes some fine driving as there are other ships I have to avoid seeing me and the galleon has two cones of visibility. I tail it until a pirate attacks the galleon. I have to destroy a group of around seven small ships. The galleon has left the area. The Galleon has docked, we are to take it at night. The man we met with Torres, Julian, apparently is in the area.

Mission 16
I head to the fort, Edward puts it to a vote, before committing the lives of the crew to danger. They all vote aye with him. I must go ashore and reach a point in the jungle. I climb a cliff using handy handholds and then track through a narrow jungle path killing guards as I go. I see the galleon in the distance. I come to a camp with guards and have to sneak by or kill them all. I reach a small town at the bay and am told to assassinate Julian. He is on the Galleon, I am given a bonus for air assassinating him. Edwards takes a key from him as he gives us a speech about Templar order and brave new world.

Mission 17
I am sent back to the real world. Melanie congratulates me on good work. She has given me a picture as a reward. She gets a call and tells me that Olivier wants to meet with me. Oliver tells me that they are happy with my work. Higher ups at Absertgo are interested in the Observatory and want me to focus on it when I find reference to it. I am spoken to via call by someone else in the building, a tech support guy. He wants me to do a job for him, transferring a file. I am given directions to an Animus, it is behind a level one security door. I somehow doubt this is a normal job. The file turns out to be a post mortem report on Desmond Miles. It shows them taking blood and internal organ samples. The voice tells me to go to the lobby with the file. I meet a courier and the barista at the coffee stall looks and sounds familiar. I go back to my desk and back into the animus.

Mission 18
A flashback, Edward argues with Caroline, she is leaving him. Kidd wakes him from a  drunken stupor. Edward thinks the cove might be a good base. Kidd asks him to follow him. I go to a set of ruins with him. He tells me that this is a puzzle. I climb a post and have to align the symbols on the ruins to find where to dig. I dig up a disc like object. Kidd tells Edward that there are a dozen of these and he should try and find them all. Kidd has something else to show us. He takes us into a cave and into a secret templar hideaway. He shows us a set of armor behind locks. The key from Julian unlocks one lock. Kidd shows Edward a map which shows Assassin hideouts. It seems that Templars are onto them. Kidd thinks that a warning might be in order. I am to meet Kidd at his ship in the cove. He knows a lot more about Assassin's and Templar's than he is letting on. He tells me to meet him in two week time at a location.

Mission 19
I can now upgrade my hideout. I buy a harbor-master shack and a tavern. I take the ship out to sea as directed. I am then shown how to use my fleet map in the captains cabin. This allows me to direct the ships that I have attacked and claimed as my own to do small trading or fighting missions for me. The next objective is to reach the location that Kidd told us to go to. I travel there, doing some pirating on the way. I make landfall and am told to find Kidd. There are assassin's on the beach, guarding it. I must not be seen, if I am the mission fails. This is a very long stealth trek through some ruins until I find Kidd. When I do he lets us into an Mayan or Incan temple. As we do a native Assassin leader ambushes us. It seems that Kidd may be an assassin or aiding them. Kid tells the leader that Edward has the sense. The leader quizzes Edward about Duncan and why he carried out his betrayal. This was obviously a test, if we could sneak past all of the assassin's then we are good enough to be one.

Mission 20
Kidd takes us on a trek through the Mayan temple. He is an assassin after all. The floor crumbles and we have to find a mechanism to open a door. It feels like Tomb raider. I move on and have to swim through some flooded tunnels, getting air along the way. I come to a very tomb raider puzzle. Three blocks must be placed on a rotating dais in the right order. I have to match predators to prey. Birds with snakes, Crocodile with fish, and unknown with monkeys, it has lots of teeth. The puzzle reveals a large statue of the Sage. The sage is obviously not quite human. Kidd asks about him and Edward tells him the the Templars took some of his blood and put it in a cube. Kidd shows him a cube, the same, though this one has no blood. The mission ends here.

Mission 21
As we leave the temple we find that the Templar's have arrived. They have captured everyone, including the Jackdaw's crew. The assassin leader is angry, Kidd tells him that Edward and himself will clean up this mess. I am given a blowpipe, with sleep darts. I must now run around the camp freeing prisoners, my crew and assassins. Once I have freed 14 we have enough to take back the camp. Kidd shows us a man called Prins on a nearby ship. He is a target and a templar. The assassin leader tells us that we have skills, but are too arrogant. He tells us that we are not welcome. Kidd however still seems to think Edward can be made into a proper assassin. He shows us the job booths. which is a shame as we have already been using them in the cities. Kidd shows us one more secret, a door that accept the Mayan stones we have been finding.

Naval forts are heavily fortified castle that have mortars and cannons of their own. If you wear down their defenses you can go into the fort on foot and kill the commanders. This makes the fort yours and it exposes more items on the map.

Mission 22
I am directed to Nassau. Thatch has grown a beard, and it looks like he will soon be known as Blackbeard. Two pirates arrive and appear to be spoiling for a fight in the bar with Edward. Blackbeard stops the fight, he knows the men. They talk of Torres, coming to collect  some gold. They plan to steal it before he does. This interests Edward. I go back to the Jackdaw. I must travel to the naval fort where the gold and Torres are. Here I must fight a ship and a fort. Once the commander is killed in the fort battle I go to the war room. Here I find Torres. The Sage has been found, a slaver was going to sell him to Torres. Edward takes Torres and his Gold. We must now go to Kingston.

Mission 23
I arrive at Kingston, Edward and Adewale are arguing about letting the slaver profit from the deal. When they see Kidd pass by they stop as they know Kidd is there to Kill their target. Edward goes after Kidd, we must now tail Prins and Torres, I have to follow then eavesdrop. Eventually they get down to the business after chatting. Prins does not wish to make the trade after all. He has spotted the assassin's. Torres runs for it along with Prins and men are set on us. I have to kill them all. Kidd then goes after Prins. I have to stop him, I chase him down. He is angry, though sees the reason in Edward's plans.

Mission 24
I find Kidd at the top of a windmill. Edwards wants to work together on the plan to find the Sage, and to help Kidd kill Prins. Kidd reminds Edward that the assassin's want the Sage as well, he tells them that he shouldn't cross the assassin's. Edward as usual is arrogant and tells Kidd "may the best men win." Kidd tells him to sabotage the alarm bells as there are too many guards to sneak past. Edward agrees, then Kidd reveals himself to be a woman in disguise, which I didn't see coming. Though it does explain his small stature. I now have to sabotage three bells before meeting kid at the locked gates. Kidd pretends to be hurt and gets the guards to open the gate, then kills them. I must now find Prins inside the mansion. There is an alarm to disable and lots of guards outside and inside the mansion. I find Prins in a summerhouse at the rear of the mansion. I kill him. Kidd has found the Sage in the mansion, though the sage has Kidd at gunpoint. Edward tells him that they have come to save him. The Sage is dubious, he thinks Edward a Templar. The sage tells them that he works for Prins. Edward tells the Sage that Prins was about to sell him to the Templars. Kidd gets free, the sage shoots the alarm bell. Many guards come running. I now have to escape, when I do I have to meet Kidd. Edward asks her, her real name. It is Mary Reed. Mary tells Edward not to tell a soul.

Mission 25
Back on the Jackdaw I am directed back to Nassau. At the bar there appears to be trouble brewing. It seems the British intend to take Nassau as their own and civilize it. Blackbeard and Benn aren't happy about this. A pardon has been offered to pirates who turn themselves in. I am told to follow the pair. Ben thinks that the pirates should quiet down for a while and let the King find something else to occupy his armies. Ben asks if they all want to die for Nassau. Blackbeard does, Edwards also, it might be a bit of an eyesore, but in time it will develop. There is disease and no doctor. Edward ends up being a peace-keeper here. Suggesting that they find medicines without enraging the British further. The plan is to find medicines that have been lost at sea on sunken ships. I need to buy a diving bell for the Jackdaw to accomplish this. To that end I need to get 5000 Reales. I then buy the diving bell. I must set a wreck target and then sail to it. I arrive and meet Blackbeard's ship there. Steede has joined Blackbeard's crew. I am then directed to a nearby wreck and told to use the diving bell. Underwater I can use the diving bell and weighted barrels to move around and get more air. There are chests to loot. I am directed to a medicine crate inside a part of the broken up wreck.  As I loot it, the ship collapses, blocking the way back. I must find an alternate route out. A cave leads me to underwater air pockets and then to an area where currents drag us around. Finally I come out of the cave near sharks and must uses seaweed to hid from them. I get back to the diving bell and up to the surface.
The medicine is spoiled, Blackbeard isn't happy about scavenging around for medicines. He is getting his devil reputation Blackbeard persona in full swing. Terrifying the life out of Steede for practice. He tells Edward that if he doesn't get the medicine situation sorted out soon he will do it himself.

Mission 26
At sea I find Ben, he has been in a battle, which was started by Blackbeard. I must go in search of Blackbeard's ship the Queen Anne. In fog and heavy winds, I must avoid British ships which are also looking for Blackbeard. I find him and he is on land fighting British troops. I must wade in and finish the fight for Blackbeard. Once done the galleon that attacked the Queen Anne returns. I must get over to Blackbeard's ship and take control of it and fight the Galleon. With the Queen Anne's fast three volley cannons, it isn't a hard fight. I board it and kill the captain. Blackbeard's men find medicine, though not a lot. The medicine is made in Charlestown. Edward and Blackbeard plan to go there and take the lot. I am to meet Blackbeard in Charles Towne in a month's time.

Mission 27
I meet Steede out at sea, he now has his own ship. I find Blackbeard terrorizing some civilians. He has tried to take hostages in return for medicines. It has been six days and nobody has given him any medicines. Edwards arrives and scold's Blackbeard, he will go into Charles Towne and sort things out. He asks that Blackbeard gives him a day. Aboard the Jackdaw in a swamp like area I must follow soldiers in a gunboat to see what they are up to. I have to make my way through narrow areas and avoid watchtowers while I follow the gunboat. I come to a place where we can't pass without getting seen. I have to go ashore and disable the alarm bell in this little watchtower area. I then get back on the Jackdaw and follow the gunboat some more. I come to a point where the Jackdaw is too big to go any further. I am told to go on on foot. I have to eavesdrop on a conversation and then kill the captain. Once he is dead I get keys to where the medicine has been stored. I steal it an return to the Jackdaw. Edward and Blackbeard talk. Blackbeard feels his age and is wanting to retire.

Mission 28
Back in the real world Melanie wants to meet and talk about cutting footage into a trailer.
Since being shown how to hack computers on our last time at Abstergo, we can now do this with any computer we find. I have to play a minimal version of frogger to hack the computers. I hear audio files from Desmond and researchers at Abstergo. I meet Melanie, then go up to the CCO's office. As we reach the office, he calls her to go in first and tells us to wait. As I wait, the voice tells me to go do a mission for him. I head to a security room and hack it. I see a feed from inside the office. I hear Olivier and Melanie talking to a woman, who appears to be their boss. They are being told to find the observatory as their highest priority, screw the games. I am told by my voice to break into the office of Olivier and find his schedule for the shareholder meeting. Our voice wants to know about the date and place, I go out onto a window and get into an external window cleaning device. I am taken up to the CCO's office. I hack his computer and get the info. I have to take it down to the lobby. I then come back to my station and back into the animus.

Side Mission Templar hunt
In Nassau I meet an assassin, who tells me to tail some men to a templar. I then have to kill the templar, when I do, it turns out he is an assassin also. It seems two brothers are having a feud. I then meet the other brother in a second mission and have to follow him. He tells me that they each have half of a treasure map. I now have to tail the brothers as they meet. They part and I tail the bad brother to a woman and have to listen to their conversation. They have sent another assassin to kill the first brother. I have only fifty seconds to run and save him. I kill the assassin and the brother tells me that he is leaving Nassau rather than kill his brother. Let him live with one half of a useless map.

Mission 29
Edward argues with Caroline, she still isn't coming back to him. In Nassau at the bar Edward talks with the barmaid and another pirate. A cannon fires in the harbor and I have to investigate. The Templars have arrived in Nassau. They want to speak with Ben and Blackbeard. Ben meets Rogers on the beach and I have to tail them. I tail them through Nassau, they intend to take the fortress and restore it to full strength. I have to infiltrate the fort which can be done by circling round the outside near the hanging nooses at the front door and scaling the outer walls. I then have to sneak down into the fort and steal Roger's plans. When I steal them I witness Roger's basically telling a group of pirates that they accept the pardon or hang. Ben wishes to accept, a few others do not.

Mission 30
Edward sees that Nassau is over as the pirate republic. He wishes to escape the blockade that Roger's naval ships have placed in the harbor. I speak to the pirates that are against the pardon and gain their aid. A ship is to be filled with gunpowder and set ablaze on a collision course with the blockade. I have to collect four gunpowder kegs. These are kept guarded well and I have to sneak or fight my way to each one. Once I have all four the mission is over.

Mission 31
I meet Vane stealing gunpowder, he is making a mess of it. We are nearly seen and overhear a conversation. They plan to sink all the pirate ships in the harbor. I must tail the men who have been given the order to prevent it being passed on. I follow them to a ship and am then told to kill Commodore Chamberlain. I go aboard and kill him.

Mission 32
I meet Vane on the beach and begin the plan to blow up the blockade. I must escort the fire-ship to the blockade. If it is sunk before it hits them then all is lost. I get it there and sink most of the blockade. Two large ships are in the way, I can fight them or simply run. I chose to run for it. Out in the open ocean we see vane's ship has escaped as well.

Mission 33
At Great Inagua, Edward's little base, Kidd taunts him for having no notion for anything but drink and riches. I go to a location out at sea as directed. I find Blackbeard, he has found himself a place to settle down. In retirement so to speak. Edward joins him at his party and he talks of a lead to the Sage on a slaver ship called the Princess. Edward spies a man at the party walking away, he looks suspicious enough that Edwards wants to follow him. I follow him and find that he is a spy of the British Army. I have to eavesdrop on his talk with his commander. I do and they lead me to a cliff edge where they fire a signal. This is to tell a fleet of ships to attack Blackbeard’s little hideaway. I have to reach the Jackdaw in under a minute. Now I have to attack and board a galleon. Once I have it worn down we board it. I have to blow up two powder barrels and kill some snipers on the rigging. I then get a cut scene where Blackbeard is killed in the fighting. Edward is knocked overboard as he watches Blackbeard fall. I then have to swim to the Jackdaw and escape the area.

Mission 34
Out at sea I meet Charles Vane on his ship, he is sickened by Blackbeard's death. He wants to help us find the observatory, in the hope of getting out of the pirate game before what happened to Blackbeard happens to him. I now have to locate a royal African company ship called the Princess. I find the ship and end up in a battle. Vane's ship is disabled and I need to take his men on board. I then need to take on three ships while staying out of range of a naval fort. I then need to board the slaver ship once it is disabled. After the battle and the ship is taken, we are betrayed by Rakim, vane's first mate. He take the Jackdaw and leaves Vane and Edward alone on Vane's wrecked and drifting ship.

Mission 35
Edward and Vane have reached shore and are have been on the island a while it seems. Vane steals Edwards catch of oysters. I follow Vane to some ruins, which I must climb to get to him. He then jumps down and runs away. He blames Edward for losing his crew. vane has found some guns when I catch him, and it seems we will need to kill him before he kills us. I chase him and kill him. This seems to be a turning point for Edward, he seems to finally realize he is better than the other pirates. It isn't explicitly stated, but it looks like Vane is suffering alcohol withdrawal.

Mission 36
Rakim didn't last long with the Jackdaw and Kidd has brought the ship and crew back to Edward.  In Kingston I find Adewale speaking to a worker for the slaver company. He tells us that the Princess is due into dock. He also tells us that some other people have been interested in the ship. Edward goes to investigate. I find Rogers and Hornigold and tail them to meet with the Templar leaders. I must then eavesdrop on their conversation. I find that they have the Sage in custody and that once they have a drop of someone's blood they can use it against them. Hornigold has turned from the pirate side and joined the Templars. He knows Edward is there, it is a trap. I must now escape the ambush.

Mission 37
Back on the ship I head to a map point, we are sailing to the coast of Africa. I find myself near the coast. I have to fight a small amount of small ships. Which isn't that much of a chore. I am then directed to the coast. I must now enter a fort like area and find the Sage. I find The Sage in a camp. He has been attacked, seemingly by Portuguese. Edward tells him that the Templars are behind the attack. The Sage appears to be finally ready to believe Edward is on his side or the assassin's. He tells Edward that if he kills the two Templars Burgess and Cockram he will help him. I go to a large camp and find the two men and kill them. They talk of the family that the Templars have given them and ask what Edward has. I am transported to the beach near the Jackdaw. I meet the Sage, he is gathering a crew. He won't tell any secrets at the moment, though is we aid him he will.

Mission 38
On the island of Mysteriosa Edward and the Sage talk. He tells Edward to sail to a location and only bring those he trusts. I go to a location and I meet The Sage on the Princess. The sage wants a treasure that the Portuguese are transporting. I have to find a Portuguese ship The cargo that he wants is vials of blood. First we must fly a Portuguese flag. I have to steal one from one of their ships that is docked at a cove. I climb the rigging and steal the flag. Then using the flag we must move into the Portuguese area and find a specific ship called the Nosso Senhor. I find it moored at a jetty. Someone can be seen getting off it carrying a large box. Robert's thinks this is the treasure. I have to get ashore and loot the box. When I do the box is empty. I go back to the Jackdaw and now have to tail the ship that had the box aboard. We tail it to a dock and Roberts suggest we steal it. I have to clear lookout towers so that the Jackdaw can get closer. I kill the captain and in cut scene the Jackdaw Crew take the ship. I must now get it out of the area, fighting ships that attack. Robert's reluctantly agrees to let us see the Observatory.

Mission 39
We meet Robert's at the location he specifies, however Hornigold has followed us. We must fight him. I fight a few British ships and eventually take down the one he is on. He runs it aground before we can board and hides in a ruin. I give chase and  have to kill him. I kill Hornigold and again he tells us the Templars are the good guys.

Mission 40
I head back to the location of the Observatory and meet Roberts on an island. He tells us that the path ahead is dangerous. I find men hanging just up ahead, something here does not want visitors. I quickly find that there are natives of the island. Dressed in Mayan garb. They hide in the bushes as Edward does. I have to clear some forest paths of them and then some caves. Then more forest before coming to some ruins that are precursor. I finally realize that Roberts must be a descendant of Desmond or another person whose ancestral line is special like his. His genetic line makes the precursor technology respond. Robert's shoots the men who have carried his gear, saying that they would be driven mad by what is inside. The door opens with lines of force. Roberts talks about it being 800 years since he was last here. He talks of enjoying his new role as captain. Inside is a vast precursor ruin, like the hub world of Assassin's Creed 3. He leads us through and we see lots of the little blood cube vials. We come to a stage like area with a disc at the centerpiece. It has a skull in the middle. Roberts tells us that the device is like a spyglass that can see vast distances. Robert's inserts some blood into the skull, it shows us the view from Rakim. He is watching Kidd talk to a woman. Roberts then changes it to a templar and we see Torres talking about getting blood samples from the houses of parliament and lords in Britain. Roberts knocks Edward off the edge of the dais into water. It seems that Edward has outlived his usefulness to him. I climb out of the water, back onto the stage to find that Roberts has closed the door, sealing Edward in. There is a gap high in the ceiling. I have to clamber my way out. I come out onto a cliff edge, the only way down is to slide and  fall down. Edward lands in the water and is badly injured. I have to limp to the beach  and come across Roberts and his men. Roberts gloats and tells Edward that he will turn him in for the bounty.

Mission 41
In the real world we awake in a different room and are groggy. On a screen Melanie's voice tell us that Olivier has went missing. A hacker has been found to be stealing secrets. We have been put in what is called the bunker for our own safety. I am told I can keep on using the animus. The hacker's voice comes back into our earpiece. It tells us that we must erase all evidence of previous hacking. He wants us to go to the server room. The hacker is the head of IT. He takes Melanie away from the door so we can get in. I go into the massive church like sever room and hack a computer here. I see a video about the game Abstergo are making. Then I see the precursor woman, Juno. She seems to be alive somehow in the computer networks and we may have just helped her. The hacker was working to let her take over our body. It seems that he has been lying to us all along. Things don't go as planned, she doesn't use our body. There seems to be little else to do but go back into the animus.

Mission 42
We go back to Edward, he is held captive in a Jamaican prison. The Templars speak to Edward, they ask him to take him to the observatory. Kidd and a woman are also about to be hanged. They claim to be pregnant, which gets them off. Edward is placed in a tiny cage, in public. I have to rattle the cage to distract the guards, an assassin comes and kills them. He lets us out. He tells us that he is here to rescue Kidd, he asks for our help and will give us passage. I have to reach the prison entrance in the military camp, which is hard work. Then find Mary/Kidd. When I find her she is unwell. It seems they actually were pregnant. Mary's child is missing and her friend Anne is in labor. We  have to escape the prison. I begin walking and it is obvious that we aren't going to get far. Mary tells Edward that he has to do his part, then dies in his arms. Edward carries her out of the prison. I have to get to the beach and a boat. The assassin and Anne are in the boat. Edward puts Mary's body in the boat. The assassin gives him an assassin's uniform. He tells him that he hasn't earned it, but it suits him.

Mission 43
Edward is drunk, in a tavern, obviously taking Mary's death and losing his ship and dreams well. Robert's appears with the skull from the observatory and taunts him. I follow him and we have a vision of dead men. Hornigold, Blackbeard, Kidd, Torres. Caroline and Mary all taunt him. Roberts needs to be killed at a party of sorts and then we are on the Jackdaw heading into storms. Edward is woken on a beach by Adewale. He tells him that he is off to join the assassin's. The Jackdaw is ours again. I have to travel to Tulum, the home of the assassin's. I meet Adewale, it seems that the assassin's here haven't recovered from the last time Edward visited. The assassin's leader hears Edward finally lamenting his course in life. Especially nagging him is the death of Mary. He wants to set things right by her. The assassin leader Ah Tabai, tells Edward to follow him. He talks about the creed. Edward is more willing to listen now. An alarm is sounded, a ship has landed and men are attacking. I must fight through the forest and onto the beach. Then kill the captain on his  ship. This ends the mission. Anne is in Tulum, she has lost her child. Edward comforts her, and it is her who ends up comforting him.
Time passes unseen, Edward has a new mission and a new quartermaster. He is going after Torres and Roberts. We set sail, less a pirate, more of an assassin.

Mission 44
I meet an Assassin in Kingston. He tells us that Rogers is attending a function. I am to steal a disguise from an Italian diplomat and take his place at the function. I find the diplomat at the docks and tail him until I can get him alone. I assassinate him and take his clothes. I can now walk straight into the party. Here I see Rogers. I have to kill him undetected so that he does not recognize Edward. I hide on a bench, and he passes right by me. I kill him and he tells us where Roberts is. I now have to escape the guards. Then go back to the assassin.

Mission 45
I find debris at sea, a survivor tells us that a large ship attacked and simply killed everyone. Edward believes that it is Roberts. I start the mission docked on the Jackdaw. I have to find Roberts. I sneak through the  camp and find him, he makes a run for the ship. Escaping on his ship we must give chase on the Jackdaw. Other ships attack Roberts' ship as we do, ambushed by the Portuguese. I wear his ship down and board it. Then kill Roberts. He talks of hearing her voice in the temple. Also that Edward must destroy his body and not let the Templar's get a hold of it. He gives us the observatory skull.

Mission 46
In Havana I find an assassin girl on a rooftop. Edward shows her the observatory in action and it shows us where Torres is. Edward gives the girl the skull for safe keeping. She gives him a hug and wishes him good luck. I now have to go and kill Torres. I go to the fort and tail his personal guard a big armored guy called El Tiburon. He goes to another fort and I can see Torres inside. I kill him and find that it is an imposter. El Tiburon is now a boss battle of sorts. I kill him, shooting him is the best way to deal with him. Avoid him and reload as fast as you can. I then have to escape the fort and reach the assassin's bureau. Edwards realizes that the blood sample labeled as Torres wasn't actually his blood. Torres is heading for the real observatory location, not realizing that the skull is actually the important part. We are to give chase.

Mission 47
I dock at the island of the precursor site. I am told to go ashore. I have to retrace the long route back to the temple. The natives have been killed by Torres' men. I reach the temple without incident, some of the block like stones are moving up and down with a white smoky glow. I tell Anne to wait outside. Inside the temple stones are in motion and also emitting blasts of energy. I find some of Torres' men who aren't having much luck staying alive. I clamber across the room and come to the room where the skull was originally. I have to take out some of Torres' men and then clamber across the rapidly shifting room. I fight Torres on the altar and kill him. Adewale, Anne and the Assassin leader appear. They put the skull back on the altar and make the temple safe again. A letter is given to Edward.

Mission 48
In the real world the Sage, Robert's is in the bunker with our character. He is the voice on the radio. He has been trying to get Juno to occupy our body. He talks of our kind being only tools for the precursors. It seems that he can be reborn thanks to Juno. Guards come in and  shoot him. Melanie comes to our aid. I wake in a room with Melanie, she asks if we can walk. She tells us that we have done a good job. Everything is hushed up and we are sent back to work. I take the opportunity to hack more computers and find some audio and video files. I go back to the animus and join Edward at Great Inagua. The assassins have been given leave to move in. Edward is to sail for London soon, he asks Anne to come with him. She refuses. A ship comes into the cove, a British one. A young girl of around twelve gets off and meets Edward. Is this his daughter? The credits roll with Edward at the helm of the Jackdaw and the young girl at his side. They talk. Her name is Jenny, Caroline's daughter. Caroline has died.
A scene shows Edward and an older Jenny at the theatre. It looks like the same theatre from the start of Assassin's Creed 3. Haytham is shown as a child of around eight here, his mother is mentioned, but not seen.

32 hours
40% of trophies for one play through.