Fans of Assassin's Creed Valhalla have been critical of the game's lengthy plot and numerous optional tasks, and Ubisoft has taken this into consideration. Shadows will be easier to see and more compact.

Game director Charles Benoit shared in an interview that the Shadows campaign will take about 50 hours to complete. Those who want to explore all regions and complete side quests will need about 100 hours. In comparison, the Valhalla playthrough took at least 60 hours, and the full completion of the game with all content could take 150 hours.

Ubisoft has reportedly focused on reducing optional content so as not to overwhelm players. Shadows will offer a more balanced mix of story and optional activities. The developers hope that this will make the gameplay less tedious, but will maintain the richness of the world and depth of the story.

Allegedly, players who appreciate rich gameplay will not have to sacrifice quality for a shorter duration, and those who prefer to focus on the story will be able to complete the game without having to spend hundreds of hours.

Game director Jonathan Dumont revealed that the team traveled to Japan for research, which seriously influenced the approach to making Shadows.

You're still struck by the reality of a place you've only ever read about or seen in movies. The size of the castles, the tiered mountain scenery, and the density of the forests all took us by surprise. The sheer size of these fortresses makes you say, I didn't expect this scale. We came to the conclusion that much more realism and attention to detail were required. 

More realistic world geography will be one of the main changes. To fully enjoy the open landscapes, one will now need to travel a longer distance between points of interest. However, each place will get more specific and nuanced.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey's travel system is very different from this one. There aren't always points of interest spaced 50 meters apart in Shadows. Traveling will take longer, and the world will be more open and natural. However, the locations will become richer and more detailed as you proceed. According to Dumont, Shadows has a far higher level of attention to detail, which will enable you to fully experience the Japanese atmosphere.

Main image: youtube.com

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