Assassin’s Creed Shadows is definitely in the Top 3 best in the franchise.
It’s been more than a year since the predecessor, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage. This installment was positively reviewed mainly because it brought back the traditional stealth gameplay style that gave the franchise its own identity. After a couple of delays, we finally got our hands on the brand new game by Ubisoft in the franchise Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Now, this one is completely different because the setting is feudal Japan, which is a setting that the majority of fans, such as myself, have been begging for years. And now that it’s a reality, we simply couldn’t wait to play and see for ourselves how the game turns out. However, there is a problem.
We should discuss the Elephant in the room and acknowledge that since the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it has met with an intense level of controversy. This is primarily because one of the two protagonists (Yasuke) in the game is a black person. A large portion of the criticism comes from the idea that having a black samurai is “disrespectful” to Japanese culture and that he should’ve been replaced by a Japanese person.
It’s also said that Yasuke was not a real samurai. Because of this, the game was described as “woke.” Whether they have a point or not is anyone’s guess. Plus, this isn’t looking good for Ubisoft, especially when they’re going through serious situations that could potentially bring a disastrous end to their company. Funny enough, Assassin’s Creed Shadows might be their saving grace.
Truthfully, the outrage hasn’t altered my level of excitement for getting this game, and the only thing I was concerned with was whether the game was better than the last game. Although Mirage met with mixed reviews, I personally loved it. But do I feel it’s better? Well, continue, and we can discuss it together.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes you to the year 1581, a year within the Azuchi-Momoyama era. The story stars two protagonists. Naoe is a shinobi who is on a personal journey of retribution and resorting to peace back in her homeland. Yasuke is a samurai who is also going on his own personal journey, self-atonement, and self-discovery.
This era was in the remaining years of the Sengoku period, which featured a brutal civil war in Japan. The story includes many historical events and figures, such as the 1581 assault of Japanese daimyō, Oda Nobunaga, and more. Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ story features choices that impact its outcome. Some of you might like this, but if you select the brand new ‘Canon Mode’ feature, it removes the ability to make story-changing decisions and instead displays canon events.
The gameplay features the most impressive, refined, and realistic combat in an Assassin’s Creed game. Seriously, upon playing, it felt like I was the ultimate assassin during stealth and in battles, and whether I was playing as Yasuke or Naoe, I performed the slickest hits, combos, and takedowns. However, I enjoy playing Naoe far more than Yasuke due to her acrobatic movements, animations, and abilities. Meanwhile, Yasuke is more a brute strengthened samurai warrior who is also fun to use.
Speaking of which, both characters can be switched at any time during the general gameplay. However, Yasuke won’t be unlocked until much later in the game. Both protagonists have their respective weaponry. Primary weapons such as the Katana and Kanabō war club, and secondary weapons like the Kusarigama, Kunai, shuriken, and more.
The game is designed as an open world, and the world is very similar to 2018’s installment, Origins, which is most definitely the perfect map size. And the missions are designed as non-linear because you’re encouraged to tackle enemies more creatively and freely.
And, of course, there are some additional gameplay features. There is a new grappling hook system that allows parkour, more fluid, and impressive assassinations and exploration. There are vantage points, but only for you to scan for interests. You can now crawl on surfaces to increase stealth, as well as enter small openings.
Both protagonists have the new observe mechanic that brings out your objectives, interests, and other key information in order to help you out more in your missions. Plus, this feature can also be used while crouching on certain vantage points. Also, during dialogues, certain conversations will end in battles if you fail to take advantage of the information you were given.
Allies can be recruited, as well as trained in customisable hideouts and home bases and a growing assassin network. And speaking of which, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has sizeable customization for you to dress up your warriors to match your vision from head to toe with an incredible selection of gear and outfits – including horses.
Another cool new feature is being able to break objects. I particularly like the fact that you can cut down bushes, trees, and so on, including bamboo. And seeing that the game has so much vegetation, it’s hard not to do this. There are some strong gameplay resemblances to 2020’s Game of the Year contender, Ghost of Tsushima. Such as sword fights, the way you parry attacks, the boss battle format, and more. However, features like those played a great part in the game. Therefore, they’re welcomed in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
The visuals also deserve a mention because they’re simply jaw-dropping. The designs all around make you feel like you’re in Japan. Moreover, the realistic weather system brings this game to life. For example, when snow melts as the hours or days progress, it is just utter brilliance.
Now, this game isn’t perfect because it does have a few glaring issues. Despite how good and dynamic the combat is, it’s occasionally clunky. Microtransactions have managed to remain a thing in this game, just like in Odyssey, Origins, and Valhalla.
Moreover, if you’re planning on getting this on PC, you must know that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a very demanding game. And seeing that this is a AAA title, it makes sense. So, you must look at the specifications to make sure that your hardware can handle it. There have been reports of raw performance struggling a little, mostly when it comes to the low-end builds. However, it surprisingly includes the newly released 5090, as it may be able to play in native 4K resolution.
Plus, in regards to frames and Ray Tracing in their respective resolutions. Yes, the game is that intensive. But in general, as long as your hardware meets the latter requirements, you will have a very playable, stunning, and enjoyable experience nonetheless. So, there isn’t much to worry about. In fact, most of the time, the performance issues are barely noticeable, and depending on your specifications, some of you may not experience any issues at all, such as myself, mainly due to owning a very powerful PC.
However, not only does Assassin’s Creed Shadows surpass its predecessors, but it’s without a doubt in my Top 3 favorite and best games in the franchise. An incredible story, gameplay, visuals, and much more to make this a game you must get your hands on. Obviously, it’ll take much more than this game to get Ubisoft back on track and to gain the trust of many fans, especially when they’ve had questionable releases of games over the years. But this is a fantastic start.
