Assassin's Creed Shadows Review

Assassin's Creed Shadows comes out at a very important time for Ubisoft and the entire Assassin's Creed franchise. Made by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft, this action role-playing game comes with expectations of the greatest magnitude. Ubisoft has struggled in the past, especially with this series, as many of the previous releases did not really excite fans, and following Assassin's Creed Valhalla's mixed reactions, they require redemption. 

The series of delays that came with Assassin's Creed Shadows' release certainly did not help with the added pressure. But we are here; the game finally brings action to feudal Japan – a setting that fans have been expecting for a long time now. And Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't only meet expectations, but someone says they go beyond them in several areas; it's not just another huge open-world RPG with an Assassin's Creed logo stamped on it. 

Instead, this game takes the series back to its roots by emphasizing stealth and parkour, key elements that a lot of us have missed, features that have truly made us fall in love with the franchise. The game was refined and developed using the classic Assassin's Creed formula, and it welcomed newer fans from Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Origins, making it one of the best entries in the franchise in recent years.

Assassin's Creed Shadow is set in late 16th-century Japan, and its story is told through two main characters: Yasuke, an African samurai who becomes the first main character in the series based on an actual person, and Naoe, a young Shinobi who is driven by a desire for revenge and determined to fight off evil forces in Japan. 

As with almost every Assassin's Creed game, the game tries to blend in a hidden war between ancient orders with historical events. This time, the story is based on a civil war that tears Japan apart at the end of the Sengoku period, where forces led by Oda Nobunaga, a famous historical figure, swept across the country. 

Ubisoft has before in Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Odyssey that they are capable of creating interesting and charming characters, and in this game, Yasuke and Naoe continue the trend. Both of the characters are pretty well-written and engaging. They have strong personalities that also make their teamwork feel real and powerful.

The way that the game shows this important era in Japanese history with real historical figures like Nobunaga playing roles is quite engaging. But without handing out any spoilers, I wouldn't say that storytelling is the game's strong suit. The dialogue along the times can feel awkward, and the interactions are just as clumsy; the accents of some minor characters seem jarringly out of place in the historical setting. 

Abrupt camera changes and scene shifts occur too frequently, and some characters are either overly annoying or quickly forgotten. This makes the overall experience feel rough and uneven at times. It's kind of annoying because there are moments where you actually feel as though the game can tell a good story, but it's just held back.

I'd say the heart of the game lies in its mid-section, which covers around 40 hours of play after the initial 10-hour prologue. During this part, most of the main missions have the two characters working together; often, one character is out of you while you take control of the other, but the game does give you the opportunity to switch between them. 

And they'll even meet up sometime so we can watch them have a conversation about the latest mission or target they have eliminated. During this stage, the two characters are free to explore the entire game world.

But your main objective is to hunt down Shimabukuro, a secretive group of influential figures who helped in the invasion of the Iga region, and they follow the clues of a mysterious box-like object that drives the plot. This was the main gameplay loop of Assassin's Creed Shadows really kicked in. 

Yasuke and Naoe travel from region to region to help local people and take out puppet masters who hide in their strongholds. And just like other recent Assassin's Creed games, most of the gameplay involves attacking forts and enemy camps, finding better gear, harnessing skill points, etc.

Each character in Assassin's Creed Shadows has a choice of different weapons. These weapons come with their own special attack, which you can unlock and upgrade by spending points as you progress. The characters also have different attack styles. Yasuke is more robust and samurai-like, while Naoe is much more slender, agile, and assassin-like.

As you discover more and add more quests to your board, it becomes increasingly satisfying to see just how much content the game has to offer to you. Interestingly, you aren't obliged to kill every target. A lot of the quest allows you to show mercy to some of the enemies, and some of these choices even lead to rare arguments between Naoe and Yasuke. This is one of a few times when the game makes you feel that your choices really do matter.

And by the time you're done with the game know that your quest board is still full of side missions and other tasks, encouraging you to keep on playing even after you're done with the main story. Although I did like the central part of the story to be engaging, there are times when it isn't always like that. For instance, when the game shift is focused away from the personal journey of the main protagonist, it sometimes loses its energy.

I'd appreciate if there were more scenes where the two characters interacted on a deeper level, like the early campfire discussions that hinted at more personal bonding later on in the game and I also feel as though that it was sort of a missed opportunity to not capitalize on the disagreements of the main characters and not develop that further. 

There were also larger ideas that Assassin's Creed Shadows introduces, like how powerful leaders can sway young people or the idea that sometimes violence is needed to create change, but these themes are only touched upon briefly, possibly to please a wide range of audience, but I can't but feel like the plot had more potential.

Despite having a lot of strong points, Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't faultless by any means. My problem lies with how the story is told. As I mentioned before, the narrative does tend to be disjointed. The late introduction of Yasuke makes him inadvertently take on the role of a secondary character. Ubisoft's decision to focus on both characters equally really reduces the emotional weight of their individual stories. 

The pacing of Assassin's Creed Shadows was pretty strong, but it does feel uneven at times during the lengthy mid-section of the game, where the focus is on the hunt for Shimabukuro and the mysterious box. 

Although the world is exciting to explore, this year, the amount of content can feel overwhelming, and not every side mission or target is as interesting. Assassin's Creed Shadows does try to include romance options for characters, but these feel shallow and don't really affect the story in any significant way.

Visually, Assassin's Creed Shadows is very impressive. The game's interpretation of feudal Japan is stunning; it is brightly colored, rich in vegetation, and has breathtaking views for you to take in. It makes exploring the world an experience that you'll remember. The highlight that really caught my eye is the dynamic changes in the seasons.

Each season in Assassin's Creed Shadows brings its own special look, which adds to the overall immersion. Whether you're wandering in small villages or large cities, every area feels like it's crafted with passion. The series shows off unique layouts, impressive buildings, and natural features that remain memorable long after you leave.

The Anvil Engine the game runs on has been improved for Assassin's Creed Shadows. This improvement is noticeable, and small details such as water rub signs off tile roofs, wind gusts that scatter falls in the autumn leaves, and even small touches like herons quietly moving in ponds, although there are a few technical issues like textures that sometimes pop or minor glitches, it doesn't really take anything from the immersion.

Another area where Assassin's Creed Shadow excels is in its sound design. The soundtrack provides a level of depth and emotion, particularly throughout the significant story cut scenes. The soundtrack's use of traditional instruments and mood-enhancing songs makes it a wonderful fit for a game based on the Japanese environment. The sound effects, from the clang of swords and combat to the gentle leaves rustling in the wind, are all impressively done and give the feeling of being fully immersed in the game world.

Assassin's Creed Shadows the noticeable improvement that blends the series' strong emphasis on stealth and parkour with a large open-world design and the role-playing elements that have been common in recent titles. Although I wouldn't describe the narrative of the game as perfect, it's certainly one of the best entries in the franchise in a long time.

The reintroduction of elements that we previously grew up with and loved and when you had to that the fresh innovation the game brings into the dynamic reaffirms the franchise legacy whilst inviting both older and newer fans to experience a unique chapter in a beautifully rendered feudal Japan. 

Despite some of the narrative shortcomings, Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the standouts of the year that offers a deep, engaging, and visually stunning experience, making it one of the games to get if you're looking into getting into this franchise or even if you are a long time series fan.