Earlier this year, I got to go hands-on with four hours of Assassin’s Creed Shadows and walked away very impressed with how it handles its new setting of Japan. I mostly played as the hulking samurai Yasuke, as his brute force approach felt quite novel in an Assassin’s Creed game. So, imagine my surprise when I played the actual game, and besides a brief section in the prologue, I didn’t see Yasuke again for over 10 hours and instead solely played as the ninja Naoe. That’s just one of the many ways how Shadows subverts expectations and surprises the player through the many twists and turns of its epic revenge tale.
From a gameplay perspective, the relatively late introduction of Yasuke into the core story makes a lot of sense. It forces players to get used to the stealth gameplay that fans of the franchise have come to expect, and it allows them to realize how much of a difficult battle it can be once you’ve been spotted and need to duke it out for survival. So once you finally have a formidable samurai as your character, it almost feels like an easy mode as you can slice through foes with ease and take a more head-on approach.
However, Yasuke has his own drawbacks. He’s a lumbering character that lacks the grace of Naoe, and even he is just one man, so it’s possible for enemies — especially those that are of a high level — to pose too much of a threat. That’s why it becomes important to use both characters, as different missions will sometimes be more tailored to a specific approach. An area with a ton of guards but vulnerable rooftops? Naoe can easily get to where she needs to be. A wide-open space with little ways of hiding? Yasuke can barrel through. Both play styles wind up being a lot of fun and worthwhile, so you won’t just entirely stick to one character throughout.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes full advantage of its sprawling feudal Japan. While you start out in Izumi Settsu, you’ll soon find yourself traveling throughout different parts of Japan, establishing small bases and recruiting allies to your cause as you attempt to get revenge on those who murdered Naoe’s father and discover the secrets of a mysterious box that was stolen. The world is filled with interesting aspects, from hidden treasure chests to gorgeous temples, and it’s always worth your time to help civilians in need as they can give you tips and even join your cause as a scout that you can send to narrow down locations of story missions.
There’s a tremendous amount of freedom in Shadows. Even just in Settsu, there’s a wide number of side tasks to find as you assassinate targets and do plenty of leaps of faith along the way. There’s a wonderful objective tree that shows how everything connects and organizes all of your overall goals, which helps prevent the game from getting overwhelming. You’re also always making meaningful progress no matter what you decide to do, as it levels up your character and allows for future story missions to be more achievable. There’s a great joy when you take down a key target with shocking ease as Naoe, even though an all-out brawl with Yasuke would’ve been just as fun in a different way.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review: Final Verdict
A lot of Shadows will feel very familiar to those who have played the other Assassin’s Creed RPGs — Origins, Odyssey, and Origins. So, if you’re looking for a smaller, more focused experience like Mirage, then this isn’t it. However, this sprawling epic regularly features gorgeous sights of Japan and incredibly fun gameplay with a newfound freedom of how you approach it. It winds up being the best Assassin’s Creed game in years and a true joy over its 60+ hour journey.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a PS5 code for our Assassin’s Creed Shadows review. Reviewed on version 1.002.103.
