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Ubisoft's tumultuous period appears to be subsiding. Following a string of disappointing releases, the French multinational company's reputation had hit rock bottom. All hopes for its resurgence rested on the success of Assassin's Creed Shadows. Even Ubisoft seemed cautious, opting to delay the game's release several times. Finally, after much anticipation, Assassin's Creed Shadows launched on February 20, 2025, marking a crucial milestone in the company's quest for redemption.
Since it was released, the latest instalment of the Assassin’s Creed series has taken the gaming world by storm with this record-breaking popularity. Set in 16th-century Japan, this game takes players on a journey through contemporary feudal Japan, which is an impressively detailed world that weaves historical narratives with the series' traditional stealth-action gameplay. Let’s check the factors that are effectively contributing to its success.
When it comes to Assassin’s Creed games, they generally present a unique blend of historical settings with engaging narratives to attract gamers, and the latest game of the series has taken it to a new height. Assassin's Creed Shadows offers a dual-protagonist storyline that features Naoe, a skilled shinobi, and Yasuke, a formidable samurai. The best part is both these characters are unique in their ways.
However, most of the journey will be experienced through Naoe’s perspective, who’s on a quest for vengeance against a group of masked adversaries. The primary themes of this journey are revenge, forgiveness, and personal growth. There’s another impressive aspect that players will gradually realize: that the evolving physical scars of Naoe symbolize her emotional healing over time.
The changing dynamic between Naoe and Yasuke adds depth to the narrative and offers different perspectives on the unfolding events. Even after all this, some critics and players still felt that the second half of the game didn’t feel equally engaging. It was rather unfocused to some extent.
Without engaging gameplay, no game can be successful, and of course, the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows has contributed massively to its success. The gameplay of AC Shadows is designed in a way that it will explore the in-game world more traditionally. Missions of this game are typically designed to direct players to specific locations to complete different missions and encourage them to go for a more immersive exploration of the in-game world of feudal Japan.
Aside from that, the game has introduced a League system that allows them to recruit and interact with various characters that even include monks, ronin, and thieves. This system indeed enhances the gameplay diversity, but at the same time, it has made the critics find the associated stories lacking depth and offering limited engagement.
Finally, comes the development tactics of the game. Assassin’s Creed Shadows showcases the capabilities of Ubisoft's Anvil engine. Therefore, the game runs stunningly on next-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This game features a ray-traced in-game world, a dynamic weather system, and destructible environments. These advancements enhance the game's atmosphere, providing a more immersive experience.
Anyway, there are some restrictions as well. While the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X offer multiple modes that balance fidelity and performance, the Xbox Series S games will witness certain limitations. There won’t be any ray tracing in the main world and a default 30fps presentation.
The above discussion hints that AC Shadows offers a compelling gameplay experience to most players with its depiction of feudal Japan. The game’s engaging narrative, especially the storyline on Naoe, and the innovative gameplay mechanics have contributed to its success and appeal globally. These factors combinedly made it have a ‘mostly positive’ review on Steam.
