Abstergo took samples from Desmond’s body to continue their research. A new protagonist appears in this release of the series, and he’s hired to go through more of the memories. He takes on the role of Edward Kenway, a pirate (and also the father of Haytham Kenway). Historically, this game takes place before the events of Assassian’s Creed III, but the modern actions and consequences still occur after those from the earlier game.
Abstergo is looking for information about an ancient structure called the Observatory, and they hope that Kenway’s memories will lead them to it.
Edward uncovers a conspiracy between Templars in Britain and Spain. They’ve located the Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, who knows where the Observatory is hidden. The facility’s purpose is to monitor anyone, anywhere in the world with just a sample of their blood.
Edward kills an Assassin named Duncan Walpole and then takes his place at a Templar meeting in Havana, where he learns more about the hunt for the Observatory. This starts a great naval journey that takes him from the Americas to the Caribbean and on toward Africa.
He eventually catches up to Bartholomew. They find the Observatory together and take the artifact that gives it power. Bartholomew turns on Edward, and the Assassin ends up in prison. He escapes and joins Ah Tabai to chase down Roberts and the Templars. Kenway gets the artifact back and returns to the Observatory to seal it away.
Finding out that his wife has died and that he has a daughter named Jennifer, Edward returns to England.
Back in the modern day, our protagonist meets John, another Abstergo employee. They work together to find out what’s going on at the company. The information is taken to Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, who are still working in the resistance against Abstergo.
Meanwhile, the protagonist’s work does not go unnoticed by Abstergo Entertainment. CCO Olivier Garneau and project manager Melanie Lemay praise the research this prodigy is doing, but eventually Lemay suspects that the employee may be compromised. Some time later, Garneau disappears…
John helps the protagonist to get into the Animus core, and Juno appears. She explains that she cannot influence the world at this time, nor can she possess the protagonist as her agents planned. John, who is the reincarnation of Bartholomew Roberts, tries to kill the protagonist to hide his plans. Instead, he is slain by Abstergo agents.
The protagonist is contacted by the Assassins, but they don’t know that Bartholomew was there at Abstergo, nor do they know who else could be serving his order, the Instruments of the First Will.