Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review – Feudal Blades

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has been running strong since 2007, and since the start, fans have clamored for a title set in Feudal Japan. A dozen or so installments later, developer/publisher Ubisoft has finally delivered Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which whisks players back to 16th-century Nippon for another exciting open-world, action-stealth adventure. Though similar in style to recent entries in the franchise like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Shadows separates itself with a greater emphasis on exploration and stealth, along with two unique playable protagonists and open-world progression that feels less checklist-style in nature. After numerous delays and hefty anticipation, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has finally arrived, and in many ways, succeeds in its vision.

The Shinobi and the Samurai

Assassin’s Creed Shadows transports us to late 16th century Japan, where tensions brew in a blossoming civil war for political power. We are first introduced to Diogo, an African slave who finds himself working under the influential Lord Oda Nobunaga, who strikes up a deal with an order of Jesuit priests. Under Nobunaga’s mentorship and training, Diogo is reborn as Yasuke, a fearsome samurai who’s as every bit loyal as he is talented. With Yasuke at his side and his army at his back, Nobunaga invades the Iga Province, home of the shinobi, Fujibayashi Naoe.

As her village burns and her family is slaughtered, Naoe is left hopeless, but in the wake of the attack she finds renewed purpose. Learning of an ancient order of masked samurai who have stolen an important relic, Naoe seeks revenge for the Iga Province. Due to her thirst for vengeance, Naoe eventually crosses paths with Yasuke, and though enemies at first, decide to pair up to uncover a much deeper conspiracy.

Over the course of the game’s three major acts, Naoe and Yasuke grow to become excellent allies, aided by an expanded network of secondary characters. Shadows is very much a character-driven story, with significant time spent exploring both Naoe and Yasuke’s pasts in playable form. These personal arcs and the grander story of feudal Japan are intriguing, even if some of the supporting cast misses the mark. In comparison to previous titles like Odyssey and Valhalla, it’s also a more grounded story, with a notable absence of mythological influence. Depending on your personal preference, this can be a good or bad thing, but either way, the story is presented well.

Assassination Artistry

Assassin’s Creed Shadows keeps things relatively close to the vest with its gameplay, following the established formula but with some notable changes. This is still a third-person open-world RPG, where you run or ride your horse around the map, discovering locations and quests as you scale towers, infiltrate enemy encampments, and generally stealthy battle your way through the game. However, Shadows eases off of the waypoint-heavy progression that has been persistent in recent Ubisoft titles, and instead requires players to explore the exceptionally beautiful landscape in order to find their objectives. “Scouts” can be used to ping the map and get a better idea of an objective’s location, but there are very few instances where the game explicitly tells you where to go. There’s still a helpful pathfinder that will guide you toward your next mission, but generally speaking, Shadows requires a far more observant eye than before.

Additionally, the topography of feudal Japan has been done justice, with plenty of mountainous terrain, most of which cannot be bypassed on foot. As such, you’ll spend far more time soaking up the ambiance as you travel from point A to point B, further preventing you from blindly dashing from objective to objective. Further variety can be found with the game’s new changing seasons, which naturally progress between multiple stages of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, affecting both the visual design and exploration possibilities of the map.

In terms of combat, Naoe and Yasuke are markedly different, though both are lots of fun to play as. Naoe is agile and stealthy, able to scale heights quickly thanks to her grappling hook, making her best for sneaky infiltration or fast traversal. Her parkour animations are particularly cool, as she performs flashy flips, dives out of enemy sight, and scurries across slopes with grace.

On the other hand, Yasuke is far beefier, easily withstanding more damage in battle while simultaneously wreaking havoc with his stellar swordsmanship. Often times he lacks the element of surprise, but makes up for it with his overwhelming power, allowing him to bash through locked doors and more. When playing as either protagonist, combat feels satisfying and weighty, with responsive parrying, bloody execution animations, and a varied arsenal of cool abilities. Generally speaking, this is the best thatfighting has felt in Assassin’s Creed in quite a while, though the combat mechanics haven’t been massively overhauled.

Common RPG mechanics continue to be prevalent, including leveled zones, multiple gear slots, and skill trees that unlock new abilities. Naoe and Yasuke have unique skill trees based on their main weapon types and core strengths, opening up various passive buffs and special moves. Gear can be upgraded and bestowed with various engravings, while old gear can be sold to vendors for cash or dismantled for raw materials.

You have a base “level” that increases over time, improving your main stats, but new abilities can be learned using a currency called “mastery points”. These points are obtained by interacting with a wide portion of the game’s content, including main and side quests, discovering locations, and more. It’s a tried-and-true system that works well in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, rewarding the player for interacting with all manner of gameplay, not just combat or quest completion.

The Bottom Line on Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Overall, Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers more of the series’ signature mix of stealth and action, easing up on mythology in exchange for a more believable, grounded experience. The two playable characters are both a blast to play as and offer distinct gameplay styles, with personal storylines to experience as well. There’s a noted emphasis on player exploration and discovery, with fewer waypoints and quest markers, and a non-linear progression that puts you in charge of how the story advances. While Shadows tries some new things, it feels much more focused than some previous entries in the franchise, both in narrative and gameplay. This is one of the better modern Assassin’s Creed games, and with a great setting and over 60 hours of content, it’s a suitable successor in a series that’s been around for nearly two decades.