Gear up and sharpen your blades for a new chapter of Assassin’s Creed!
Developed by Ubisoft Quebec, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the 14th major instalment of the Assassin’s Creed game franchise following 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage and takes players to 16th-century Japan as the nation struggles towards unification under the iron fist of Oda Nobunaga. Fighting for freedom and answers, players follow the parallel paths of Fujibayashi Naoe, a shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai.
For the purposes of this review, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was played on the PlayStation 5. Given I’m not your regularly programmed game reviewer, you might not know that I am a hardcore Assassin’s Creed fan. From the first time I watched my dad play, I was completely hooked by the game’s visuals, mechanics and storylines. I have played all but one of the games in this franchise, some more than a few times, and have a deep passion for the series and the stories it weaves. So, when I was offered Assassin’s Creed Shadows to review, my whole life went on hold so that I could play it.
Fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise have been begging for an instalment set in feudal Japan for decades. While there’s a sense of disappointment it took this long for the Ubisoft team to deliver, the finished product (in my humble fangirl opinion) is incredible. The amount of detail that has gone into the game’s world building and character design is top tier, resulting in one of the most visually dynamic games that I’ve had the joy of playing in some time. This isn’t all that surprising, given that the Quebec team were also behind the unbelievably dynamic Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
New features introduced in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, like the active seasons, help the game environment feel fully rendered and four-dimensional. The way the seasons impact gameplay also feels so authentic; snow in the winter slows your movements, storms in the summer present unique opportunities for stealth, and all the seasons can be skipped and changed to suit your objectives and taste.
Reintroducing the dual-protagonist game style from 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed Shadows allows you to choose your playable character based on your preferential play style. Both Yasuke and Naoe have unique skill sets and separate skill trees, allowing you to customise each character’s abilities and strengths. Naoe, a shinobi, is a stealth specialist capable of moving soundlessly through the shadows. In comparison, Yasuke is a warrior with a well of brute strength.
With both characters having different backgrounds, the game also offers a dialogue setting where all in-game characters speak their native languages, perfect for players looking to completely immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ story.
Unlike previous games where one character outshined the other *cough-Evie-Frye*, the playable characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are totally distinct from each other and it’s essential to understand your limitations with both. Knowing when to change characters to make it through a mission is essential and encouraged. Make the most of their skills to help get you through. Having two playable characters also allows you to tackle the main story any way you like, with a redesigned objective board that clearly separates main and side missions in a beautifully illustrated display.
With the rise of open world exploration in games, Assassin’s Creed Shadows also offers players a rich map with loads to discover, from temples to burial sites and places for Naoe and Yasuke to meditate and train for XP. As you explore Japan, helping civilians in need also presents opportunities to gather intel on side quests, loot, and landmarks.
As I played through Assassin’s Creed Shadows, some of my favourite features of the game were actually quite small. When playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, one of my least favourite things was how civilians would attack you when you engaged in a fight with enemies in their presence. Removing that feature in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the best things the Ubisoft team has done. Truly nothing was more irritating than fighting an enemy only to get attacked by a woman holding a broom.
Additional features that I’ve loved are the introduction of a conversation log, giving you time to assess your options when choosing dialogue that could impact the outcome of your story, auto-synchronisation at viewpoints, and the not new but thoroughly used pathfinder to help you navigate through Japan’s beautiful mountainous terrain.
Despite logging huge amounts of hours in this game, I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Much like Ubisoft Quebec’s last entry into the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is absolutely stacked with places to explore, trophies to unlock, and stories to unfold. Whether you favour stealth or strength, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will test your skills like never before, all while plunging you into a world of Japan’s immense beauty and culture.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available to play now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna, and Mac operating systems.
For more information, visit:
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-au/game/assassins-creed/shadows