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Assassin’s Creed Shadows created massive hype even before the game was launched. After back-to-back downfalls, Ubisoft was kind of desperate to make this game a huge success; therefore, facing a couple of delays, finally, the game was finally launched on March 20, 2025. This latest Assassin’s Creed instalment takes players to 16th-century Japan and offers rich and complex historical intrigue, dynamic characters, and immersive gameplay. Now that players can dive into this experience, it is high time to know whether this experience is worth it.
Analyzing the core features of the game, this guide will help players determine whether this game has met the expectations of gamers.
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise is considered one of the most noteworthy open-world RPGs ever created. However, in recent years, these games have become hugely inconsistent. While the conflict between Templars and Assassins remains captivating, the mediocre storylines and repetitive gameplay of these games have made gamers a bit bored with this franchise. However, the latest one seems to have taken things to the next level with its gameplay innovations and other features.
The story of the game takes players to the backdrop of feudal Japan, where players will see two protagonists, Naoe, who’s a skilled Shinobi looking for revenge, and an immensely powerful African samurai, Yasuke, who’s been struggling to reach the esteemed position of a samurai. Both these characters serve warlord Nobunaga.
This introduction of the dual protagonists is not new in the AC franchise, but this is the first time the game is offering two different gameplay approaches through them. While one is giving a complete stealth-based gameplay experience, the other one shows what power can conquer. However, now if one wants to compare these two different gameplays, Naoe's journey is more fascinating. Her transformation from a humble shinobi-in-training to a stealthy but brutal assassin seeking retribution is specifically appealing, providing a fresh perspective within the series.
Here’s the issue. A lot of critics and gamers have felt the narrative of the game is not equally engaging for both protagonists. While Naoe's storyline is extremely intense and attractive, Yasuke's character development is to some extent overshadowed by her powerful appearance. This has disrupted the flow of the story at some points. Well, overall, talking about the narrative and storyline, Assassin’s Creed Shadows' strategic exploration of revenge, forgiveness, and cultural identity adds depth to the gameplay experience.
Even though some of the recent Assassin’s Creed games have explored intense action-adventure themes, the storyline of the Shadows has got back to its roots, particularly in the realms of stealth and exploration. Therefore, this latest instalment has reintroduced a refined parkour system that allows players to navigate the intricate architecture of Japanese castles and temples seamlessly. The best part of this exploration is Naoe’s grappling hook. This grappling hook enhances the mobility of gamers during exploration and adds a new dimension to the traversal and combat system of the game.
Next comes the combat system of the game. AC Shadows offers a wonderful combination of traditional swordplay and shinobi tactics to gamers to cater to a wider range of audiences. The most striking part of the combat system is the contrast between Naoe’s agility and stealth and Yasuke's brutal physical power. These different combat styles appeal to a wide range of gamers with different playstyles.
When coming to the graphics of the game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has nailed it visually. The portrayal of 16th-century Japan is breathtaking. Ubisoft has paid attention to every detail regarding landscapes, architecture, and character designs. Aside from that, the dynamic weather system of the game and season change have made things further lifelike. Finally, the voices of the protagonists were chosen so well, that it gives a feel of authenticity to the entire experience.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is currently standing at an 81 Metacritic score as per the critic reviews. At this point, the game is running pretty well, with loads of gamers worldwide playing it. With the features and gameplay innovations that this game has shown, it can easily be one of the testaments of Ubisoft’s dedication to keeping up the qualities of its games and surviving this challenging situation. The narrative is not perfect, but still, it can be easily one of the best games released by Ubisoft in recent times.
