Developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest Assassin’s Creed title that finally makes its way to feudal Japan, a setting in which a lot of fans were hoping to see this iconic franchise in some day. While we finally have the game in our hands now, its development cycle has been a bumpy one with plenty of issues, delays, and misconceptions throughout the past years. However, despite everything that went bad, our review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a positive one because Ubisoft has really managed to deliver on its promises. This is our review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the PS5 in which we explore a gorgeous feudal Japan and assassinate the feudal lords from the shadows.
Back when GTA V announced that it would have three separate protagonists, a lot of players had doubts about the game and wondered how a game like GTA would work with three unique playable characters. The same situation happened with Assassin’s Creed Shadows when Ubisoft revealed Naoe and Yasuke, two completely different playable characters for its new title, and fans of the franchise wondered how they would fit into the game and how much this would affect the overall game style of the game. Based on their fighting styles, Naome is a shinobi who sticks to the shadows and strikes from the dark while Yasuke is a samurai who prefers heavy weapons and likes to go face-to-face with his enemies. After spending 60+ hours on this review of the game, we are happy to state that Ubisoft has managed to find a perfect balance for both characters in the game as both of them have their own unique playstyle and both will appeal to fans of the franchise in their own special way.
The story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place during the 16th century feudal Japan. Unrest is high across the entire country as the forces of Daimyo Oda Nobunaga are sweeping across the country killing everyone who opposes them. During his onslaught, Oda clashes with other daimyos which causes massive battles across different regions of Japan and has left most of the villages and areas in ruins. One such province was Iga from where our first protagonist Naoe was affected due to the war and soars an oath to take revenge against everyone who did her wrong. Throughout the main story of the game, we see much of Naoe’s story from the current and her past which shows how the battle reached her province and what caused her to take this route.
While the game begins showcasing Tasuke’s story, Naoe soon takes center stage, and it is only after quite some time that we can see Tasuke back into action. As the story unfolds, both of their stories start to intertwine, and certain events force them to start working together towards the same goal. As you progress through the story, the game’s narrative pushes more toward Naoe as it dives deep into her past, her training, and everything else but there is very little from Tasuke’s past. We only know that Oda Nobunaga picked him as a fighter when he freed him from his previous master, whom Tasuke was serving as a slave. Oda made Tasuke a Samurai and from there, he served in his army as a leader under his own command.
The story does an amazing job of showcasing how the Japanese culture works when it comes to battles and combat. This is certainly a brutal era and very few rules were followed by the armies when handling their opponents and it is evident in the game as well. When compared with the previous Assassin’s Creed titles, Assassin’s Creed Shadows easily sit in the higher ranks when compared with brutality and cultural-specific combat tactics. Nonetheless, the narrative is quite gripping and once you invest some initial hours in the story, it certainly keeps you glued to the screen as you move from one target to another.
Naturally, there is an organization that needs to be taken out and it has many high-tier targets that you need to take out before targeting the leader. In this case, it happens to be The Onryo, a masked group that has been causing a lot of trouble under the shadows. As you play the game, you will gain access to the Objectives screen where you will find all of your main targets, side quests, and NPC quests that you find in the world. Instead of following a typical list form of quests, Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces a circular form for each of the quest types. Both Naoe and Yasuke have their own circles with character quests and people from specific areas have their unique circles with side quests. The main targets are found in the middle of the screen with each one having a branching set of quests that you must complete before you gain enough information to take them out.
Knowledge is key in Assassin’s Creed Shadows because the game only gives you a subtle hint of where to find your next target. From there, you have to use your map and other hints to find the exact location or character to get the next set of information to proceed with the quest. The game gives you complete freedom to pursue the main story and you can pick your targets from the available ones. At one time, you may have three targets available with their quests and you can pick the one you want at your own pace and even complete their quests side-by-side if you want to. There is no linear progression in the game. Some of the targets are present in the map right from the start because in some situations, we killed a rather difficult enemy who later appeared on the Objectives screen as dead, but their organization was still unknown to us as we had not found out about the target or their organization.
This does not apply to story-specific targets who are vital for the narrative, and they will only appear at key moments, but the rest are fairly accessible for assassinations if you can find their locations on your own. To help you out with your navigation and finding important markers for quests, you can use scouts if you have some available. These scouts are recruited by finding them in the world and helping them in different ways. These are basically normal citizens who join your cause after you have helped them. If you want to assign scouts to a mission, they will clear the fog covering that particular region and unlock the quest marker for you but these scouts have another use as well so you will need to watch out as these scouts only replenish once every season.
If you don’t want to use the scouts, you will need to physically visit the exact location using markers and other information provided in the quest information for directions. This is an immersive way of exploring Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Japan because you actually need to do the homework for your next target before killing them.
Japan is a beautiful place, and it is one that you really should explore all the way to its far-reaching points. Each location has a lot of characters, and you will find a lot of secrets and NPC interactions along the way. Each season allows you to see Japan in a different scenery. One thing you will notice instantly is that Ubisoft has made physical exploration mandatory this time around and you will need to physically visit locations to know more about them. There are viewpoints located all around the map but even if you go to one and synchronize it, it will only remove the fog from the map around it. The locations will still remain a mystery, but they are marked as a question mark for you to manually explore them.
Once you arrive at these locations, you can explore them freely or sneakily if they are important military spots. Some important locations will have treasure chests, resources, and other important items that will help you on your journey, so it is always worth exploring them. Sometimes you will run into stockpiles of resources that must be collected by your scouts after you mark them. This only works if you have available scouts in your backup otherwise you can return in another season or when you have enough free scouts in the current season. Exploration is vital for the gameplay experience in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and it is also rewarding. If you stumble across a Kofun, you can explore it and complete the platforming challenge to unlock Legendary Gear for yourself. Similar to previous entries in the franchise, exploration is highly rewarding.
Apart from assassinations and completing platforming challenges, certain locations will offer collectible challenges where you will need to find a specific number of scrolls. Completing these small challenges also rewards you with Knowledge Points which increase your Knowledge level. Each new level unlocks new skill tiers for both characters. Both Naoe and Tasuke have unique skill tiers that allow them to unlock powerful new passive bonuses or active abilities to dominate the enemies. This time around, Ubisoft has taken the classic Skill Tree approach for upgrading the characters. Each character has unique skill trees for different weapons and play styles and you can upgrade whatever fits your gameplay style. If you prefer stealth, you can aim for the Assassin Skill Tree for Naoe but if you prefer a more classic Assassin’s Creed feel, you can aim for the Shinobi Tree.
Similarly, Tasuke has unique Skill Trees for playstyles and his choice of weapons as well. Both characters offer completely different playstyles. Naoe is light and nimble and hence she is good for parkour, agility, and taking out enemies from the shadows. She can take out one or two enemies in a battle but anything more than 2 and she can be easily overpowered because she is not good at taking damage. On the other hand, Tasuke is a brute, and his huge size gives him an edge in melee combat scenarios. He can kick around enemies and finish them off with powerful attacks with his weapons. His size gives him an advantage in combat but on the negative side, he is unable to do parkour or move around quickly in the shadows.
Missions in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are designed according to both characters in mind apart from some missions. You can take your pick from the two characters for certain missions and based on your choice, you will need to play accordingly. With Tasuke, you cannot expect to use stealth to your advantage. You will be charging into combat and be ready to face enemies head-on. If you choose Naoe, you will need to stick to the shadows and avoid heavy enemies if possible. Naoe has a decent selection of abilities at her disposal. She is quite agile, and she is also the first assassin in the franchise who can dodge while in a prone position. She is also the only one who has Eagle Vision while you can zoom in to mark enemies as both characters. Both characters bring their own unique characteristics to the table, and this opens up new opportunities for you to play the game.
There are plenty of weapons and items for both characters to use in the game. Naoe relies on ninja tools to parry, and defeat enemies but she excels at keeping a distance from the enemies. She comes equipped with the hidden blade which is the franchise’s signature weapon, and it allows her to take out enemies quietly. She also has other cool toys with her like the Smoke Bomb, Kunai or our favourite Shuriken. On the other hand, Tasuke has bigger weapons and not many tools to help him out in stealth. Unlike Naoe, Tasuke does not need to rely on stealth weapons and tools, but he can use the environment to his advantage. Tall grass and dark areas can be used to hide from patrols and take them down one by one. Similarly, certain seasons will provide you with additional environmental benefits as well.
One of our least favorite sections of the game is probably its Microtransaction menu. There are a lot of custom skins for Naoe, Tasuke, and your horse along with charms and other items packed in the Microtransaction store. Since these are only visual items, you can completely steer clear of this screen but if you want to add some pizzazz to your characters, you can spend some additional dollars here to look fancy. Some of the skins are actually quite good, especially for the horse but we prefer our games microtransaction-free. Assassin’s Creed Shadows also brings with it the Animus Hub, which is Ubisoft’s answer to a game launcher for the franchise. It allows you to launch all Assassin’s Creed titles you have installed right from the launcher which are portrayed as Memories. Other features on offer here include Projects which are missions that grant Hub currency for rewards that can be redeemed in Exchange or Trade.
Coming to the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is one of the best settings to ever be featured in an Assassin’s Creed game. Japan looks absolutely gorgeous and there were several instances where we would just stop and look around to appreciate the scenery. Japanese architecture is one of the most unique ones in the world and it looks very nice. The game captures its essence very well. Apart from the architecture, the world design is also different from any of the previous titles in the game. There are no tall buildings or structures to jump from. The towns and villages are far from each other with smaller buildings in them. Very few castles or temples have high roofs but otherwise, the buildings are normal-sized.
Even if you are rushing to complete a mission, sometimes you just stop and look around in small fishing villages or quiet temples. The ability to pet nearly every animal in the game is also a great addition. There were instances where we were heading to another location but were caught in the middle of a fight between two factions on the road and we had to partake in it and collect the loot. Sometimes, you may find an NPC who will offer you another side quest that you can complete. At any time in the game, you do not feel bored but naturally, after spending over 40 hours in the game, a certain level of grind does start to appear in the gameplay, and you will notice certain side content repeat itself in different forms. This is inevitable because, in a world as big as Feudal Japan, there were bound to be some reputations.
The same can be said for the sound design of the game as well. The sound effects are crisp, and it immerses you in different scenarios. There are plenty of large-scale battles in the game and during these scenarios, the sound design of the game really comes into play. You can hear the swords clanging in the background, horses running around, and soldiers battling with each other. One of our favorite sound mechanics is the immersive mode which turns on English subtitles with Japanese voiceover. It elevates the gameplay experience to another level.
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Final Verdict:
With Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has picked the best elements from the previous titles and mashed them together in one gorgeous setting. The Feudal Japan featured in the game will definitely make you fall in love with the world and the two characters are equally solid and grounded within the world. The gameplay is refined, and the game itself is very well optimized for the PS5 console. If you have been waiting for Assassin’s Creed Shadows for some time, we are happy to report that you will not be disappointed after playing it. Everything about the game is beautiful and great to experience. Highly recommended for new players wanting to jump into the franchise as well as long-term fans.
Final Score: 9.0/10
A PS5 code for Assassin’s Creed Shadows was provided by Ubisoft for this review. Read our Review Policy.
