Alexander "peter bjorn" Fadin
Having played nearly every installment of Assassin’s Creed, I’ve grown increasingly weary of the series in recent years. The worlds are breathtakingly beautiful, and stabbing enemies with a hidden blade remains satisfying.
Yet, I always walk away with the same nagging thought: Curse you, open-world games, I hate you now. Why? Because the maps are overwhelmingly large, and the repetitive tasks become unbearable.
I admit, I had high hopes for Shadows. Ubisoft had delayed the game for additional polish, promising a focus on quality over quantity. For a company that has faced plummeting stock prices and widespread criticism, Shadows seemed like their last chance to rise from the ashes.
But after six hours with the game, it’s hard to see how Shadows is any different from its predecessors. If you’ve played Origins, Odyssey, or Valhalla, you already know what to expect.
A Black Samurai vs. the Templars
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Set in 1579, Shadows takes place during Japan’s Sengoku era, a time of intense power struggles. The central figure is Oda Nobunaga, the most famous Japanese historical figure in gaming, who has previously appeared in titles like Nioh, Civilization, and Total War. Much of Nobunaga’s strength rests on Yasuke, the black samurai and one of the game’s protagonists. After the introductory mission, Nobunaga acknowledges Yasuke with respect: You are an army of one!
On the other side of the conflict lies the province of Iga, which opposes Nobunaga’s ambitions. The locals are more concerned with protecting an artifact hidden in a secret cave than with their lands or lives. During a raid, the nimble heroine Naoe is tasked with safeguarding the artifact. Unfortunately, masked warriors steal it, kill her loved ones, and set the main plot in motion: revenge against the villains and the retrieval of the artifact.
A Stale Storyline
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The narrative fails to evoke emotion and relies on a tired formula. Remember when Bayek sought vengeance for his son in Origins? Or when Basim did the same in Mirage ? The heroes of Shadows tread the same worn path. You’ll be handed a checklist of objectives and level requirements, then sent off on yet another hunt.
Even the delivery falls flat. Take the opening scene, where a wounded Naoe lies on the ground as enemies prepare to strike. Instead of killing her outright, one of them says, Let’s not give her an easy death; let her die slowly. At this point, a certain comedian might have exclaimed, How dumb!
Other story moments are equally shallow. Consider Yasuke’s first meeting with Nobunaga. After a brief conversation, he joins Nobunaga’s ranks and becomes a general within six months. There’s no drama, no character development. Historically, Nobunaga reportedly doubted Yasuke’s ethnicity and even tried to wash him clean. Why, then, is the game so bland?
Naoe’s story suffers from similar issues. In the opening sequence, she loses her home, loved ones, and sense of stability, fueling her thirst for revenge. However, these losses are depicted so hastily that they fail to resonate emotionally. As a result, hunting down the local Templars feels less about their atrocities and more about fulfilling a quest objective.
Lack of Intrigue
Perhaps the story will pick up later, but there’s no sign of it yet. In contrast, Mirage immediately introduced surrealism and mystery, captivating fans with the transformation of an ordinary assassin into a legendary figure. In Valhalla, players grappled with why the real world was collapsing again. In Shadows, there’s no intrigue whatsoever.
Two Heroes, Limited Appeal
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The dual protagonists were marketed as Shadows’ standout feature. While dual protagonists appeared in Syndicate, this time the characters truly differ. Yasuke is a death machine, breaking down doors, charging into crowds, and methodically decapitating enemies while mocking stealth. His armor is sturdy, his strikes powerful, and he wields a long katana. You can hide him for a few stealth kills, but he’s easier to spot, and his parkour skills are rudimentary.
Naoe, on the other hand, is a born assassin. She excels at hiding in the shadows, scaling heights with her grappling hook, and silently eliminating enemies one by one. Unfortunately, playing as her in open combat is challenging. She lacks raw power and relies on dodges and parries. One mistimed move, and her health bar drops significantly.
If you thought you could choose a favorite character and stick with them throughout the game, think again. The stories unfold in parallel, and developers often dictate which character you’ll play as during story missions—sometimes Yasuke, sometimes Naoe.
However, during free exploration, you can switch between them. Sneaking into an enemy base? Take Naoe. Craving brutal carnage? Become Yasuke.
On paper, switching between characters sounds like a great idea. In practice, it raises the question:
Why must I choose between stealth and aggression when previous protagonists balanced both?
Take Eivor from Valhalla. She could blend into bushes, leap from rooftops with a hidden blade, lure targets with whistles, and disappear into crowds. But when necessary, she transformed into a Valkyrie, roaring wildly as she crushed enemies with axes.
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Eivor was versatile, capable of handling any situation and allowing for experimentation. In Shadows , players are confined to rigid roles. If Naoe is spotted in the middle of an enemy camp, your only option is to flee. There’s no way to turn the situation into a massacre.
Fundamentally the Same Assassin’s Creed
At its core, Shadows adheres to the same formula as its predecessors. The game begins with a lengthy corridor sequence where armies burn cities, heroes perform feats, and loved ones are lost. But once the epic setup concludes, the game reverts to familiar territory seen in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.
The world is vast, dotted with points of interest and divided by levels. New assassins should stick to Osaka and its surroundings; venturing into Yamato below level 29 is ill-advised. Leveling up is crucial because the hidden blade won’t kill hardened enemies. Even after a successful neck strike, they’ll get back up and charge at you. So, search temples for ancient scrolls, clear out camps, and loot chests for better gear.
Gear is key to success, boosting stats and unlocking new perks. Once, I infiltrated a captured temple, took keys from samurai, and retrieved a legendary armor set. With it, Naoe could kill one enemy with a hidden blade strike and throw a dagger at another, doubling the efficiency of stealth runs.
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Believe me, you’ll want that armor—but it’s buried deep within secondary content reminiscent of Go to the outpost and kill everyone. Clearing out camps isn’t a problem during the first, fifth, or even tenth attempt. But there are exponentially more such points of interest, forming the foundation of Shadows.
When Ubisoft promised to prioritize quality, they clearly had something else in mind. The most interesting thing I encountered in six hours of gameplay was two fighting rabbits. Sneak up on them, sketch their conflict, and earn a rabbit pet. Beyond that, the open world is filled with synchronization towers, bandit ambushes, and haystacks to dive into.
Like its predecessors, Assassin’s Creed Shadows revolves around grinding. You level up, acquire top-tier gear, and hunt increasingly tough enemies. The only respite comes from managing your base, where you build forges, lay roads, and adopt pets. But how does Naoe construct new buildings? By grinding resources, of course.
Grinding itself isn’t the issue. Many players enjoyed recent entries and didn’t mind the grind. The problem is that Shadows was marketed as something fresh, but it’s just an old game in a new wrapper. If you’re fine with the formula, you’ll have no complaints. But if you’re tired of it, you’ll feel suffocated from the start.
Image: reddit.com
A Stunningly Beautiful Japan
Shadows is the first Assassin’s Creed game released exclusively on PC and next-gen consoles. Running on an enhanced version of the Anvil Pipeline engine, it introduces dynamic weather, advanced lighting, and even light destructibility. Blades now cut through bamboo and vegetation.
The world looks incredible. Every blade of grass invites inspection, the wind rustles leaves, and cherry blossoms are more beautiful than in real life. The views from synchronization points are breathtaking—it would be a crime not to screenshot them. While Ghost of Tsushima may still lead in design, Shadows is surprisingly technologically advanced.
The only complaint concerns facial animations. Characters look realistic in major cutscenes but regress to last-generation quality in side quests. The game is visually stunning, mechanics work smoothly, and optimization on PS5 is flawless. But it’s hard not to wish for innovation and surprises from the series. Unfortunately, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers nothing remarkable.
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