Ubisoft is at a crucial point in its history. With Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the latest installment in the iconic franchise, the French game developer has a lot to prove. After several controversial decisions and a waning trust among fans, the company’s future rests on the success of this project. The game launches on March 20th, and here’s everything you need to know about Ubisoft’s biggest venture in a long time.
A journey to Japan in the 16th century
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes players to Japan in 1579, towards the end of the chaotic Sengoku period. At this time, the country was divided between warlords fighting for power, one of the most influential being Oda Nobunaga, known for his attempt to unify Japan.
The story follows two main characters with very different backgrounds and goals.
Naoe is a shinobi from Iga Province, daughter of the legendary ninja master Fujibayashi Nagato. After her village is destroyed, she seeks revenge against those responsible.
Yasuke is an African samurai and one of Nobunaga’s most trusted warriors. His past is closely linked to the destruction of Naoe’s home, but his true intentions are unclear.
Mastery also affects weapon development: each type of weapon has its own skill tree, and new abilities and combinations are unlocked as it is upgraded.
Throughout the story, their destinies are intertwined, while they are drawn into the conflict between the Assassin order, which fights for freedom, and the Templars, who seek total control.
Two playing styles
Assassin’s Creed Shadows stands out by offering two main characters with unique skills and play styles.
Naoe is a master of stealth and agility. She can hide in the shadows, crawl through narrow passages, perform quick rolls, and use parkour to navigate her environment. Her arsenal of weapons includes throwing knives, smoke bombs, shurikens, and a grappling hook to reach inaccessible places. In close combat, she uses a tanto, katana, and kusarigama (a sickle on a chain).
The game offers a rather beautiful landscape
Yasuke, on the other hand, is a brutal warrior who prefers to face his enemies head-on. He can break through walls and charge into battle with heavy weapons such as the naginata, kanabo (a heavy spiked club), and an arquebus (an early firearm with high damage but long reload time). His attacks are slow but extremely powerful, and he can overwhelm enemies with sheer strength.
Each mission can be completed in different ways, depending on the character the player chooses. Most parts of the story can be played with the character of their choice, with a few exceptions that are crucial to the plot.
The main story will take between 30 and 40 hours to complete, while a full playthrough with side quests and exploration can span over 80 hours.
Stealth in the game has also been expanded.
The progression system is built around mastery points and knowledge rankings. Mastery points are earned by leveling up or defeating specific enemies, while knowledge rankings increase through non-violent actions, such as collecting items or performing specific activities. For example, Naoe can meditate, while Yasuke prefers physical exercise.
The player can develop their characters by unlocking skills in separate skill trees for each hero. Mastery points can be used to improve combat abilities, while knowledge rankings unlock additional skills and upgrades.
Weapons also have their own progression system, with new techniques and combos becoming available as they are upgraded. Naoe can learn more effective sneak attacks, while Yasuke gains the ability to switch weapons mid-battle for increased flexibility.
The combat system
Combat is classic for the series and includes light, heavy and charged attacks, as well as blocking, dodging and parrying. Enemies will have segmented health bars, and the hidden blade can eliminate two segments at once. For stronger enemies, upgrades or more advanced attacks are required.
A new type of enemy, called Servants, is also introduced. These don’t fight, but alert other enemies if they spot the player, making stealth more important than ever.
The Shadows map is comparable in size to the Origins map, but is more vertical. In addition to forests and fields, the game will feature many castles, cities, and villages.
The stealth mechanics have been improved with several new features, including the ability to hide in the shadows and an “expert” mode where enemies can detect the player even on rooftops.
Dynamic world
The game world in Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be as large as that in Assassin’s Creed Origins, but more vertically designed, with many castles, cities, and villages.
We recommend using Stealth as much as possible 🙂
A new seasonal system brings dynamic changes to the environment. In winter, rivers freeze over, opening up new paths but making stealth more difficult as footprints in the snow can reveal the player. Enemies gather around fires more often, which can be used tactically.
The iconic eagle from previous games has been replaced with a spotting system, which shows the probability of killing an enemy with a stealth attack. If an enemy is marked white, the kill is guaranteed. Yellow means the enemy will survive, while red means the attempt will fail.
The sync points no longer reveal detailed map icons, but only question marks, which should encourage more exploration.
The equipment
Equipment is divided into five quality levels: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. The higher the quality, the better the stats and special effects. Perks can be unlocked through achievements, purchased, or found in chests.
The game also includes transmogrification, allowing equipment to be changed in appearance without affecting its properties.
The player will be able to develop and decorate their own hideout, where rare items can be displayed. It is also possible to recruit scouts who can find resources and prevent enemies from hunting the player.
Conclusion
Ubisoft is betting big on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and the game needs to deliver to restore fans’ trust. Critics have already pointed out flaws in historical accuracy and controversial design choices, but if the game succeeds with its deep narrative, dynamic world, and improved mechanics, this could be the turning point Ubisoft needs.
Whether it will be a triumph or a failure remains to be seen.
Technical specifications
Specifications
PC specifications
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S .
PC requirements:
- Minimum : Intel Core i7 8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1070 / RX 5700
- Recommended : Intel Core i5 11600K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060Ti / RX 6700 XT
Consoles:
- Xbox Series S: 1620p dynamic resolution, 30 FPS
- The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have three modes:
- Performance : 4K dynamic resolution, 60 FPS
- Quality : 4K dynamic resolution, 30 FPS, full ray tracing
- Balanced : 4K dynamic resolution, 40 FPS (requires HDMI 2.1)
