It may have taken years to get to this point, but we’re finally getting an Assassin’s Creed game set in Japan- and though things did look hairy for a while, after multiple delays, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now looking increasingly promising with each new showing. From its setting and renewed focus on stealth and parkour to the way it’s approaching exploration and world design, the action RPG is making plenty of promises that have turned our heads. There’s a lot that we can’t wait to experience ourselves when Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and here, we’re going to talk about a few such things.
CLAMBER OVER THE ROOFTOPS OF JAPAN
Parkour is always right up there as one of the biggest attractions of every new Assassin’s Creed game, and you an bet your bottom dollar that it’s up there as one of the biggest reasons we’re looking forward to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The prospect of a period Japanese setting that you can parkour all over is an exciting one as it is, but add to that significant improvements – such as nimbler movement or an added emphasis on actual handholds, with all surfaces no longer being climbable – and our excitement grows manifold.
MESS AROUND WITH THE GRAPPLING HOOK
Naoe – one of two protagonists that’ll take centerstage in Shadows – is going to have access to a grappling hook as one of several exclusive tools, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it in particular. It’s going to be fully physics-based, and is promising to add an interest layer to the parkour mechanics- which, as we just went over, are looking plenty enticing as is.
EXPLORE THOROUGHLY
The idea of exploring another gargantuan Assassin’s Creed open world that feels almost procedurally generated in its design would have been a daunting one, but thankfully, Shadows is seemingly distancing itself from that kind of bloat. Touting roughly the same size as Origins’ Ancient Egypt map, Shadows’ Japan is looking like it might just strike the right balance between being large and being sufficiently restrained. More importantly, the game is also approaching exploration in more organic fashion than past Assassin’s Creed action RPGs have done, with the focus being on immersing players in the world rather than keeping them caught in a loop of checklists and collectathons.
CHECK OUT ALL THE NEW WEAPONS
A new setting means a new roster of weapons. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is bringing plenty of those to the table, from katanas and shuriken to arquebuses, naginatas, and more- and we’re itching to get our hands on every single one. Be it Origins or Odyssey or Valhalla, this is one area where the series has yet to disappoint ever since it adopted its new action RPG formula, so our expectations are high for Shadows. Oh, and yes, we’re absolutely going to get our money’s worth out of Naoe’s hidden blade.
BATTER ENEMIES AS YASUKE
Between the two protagonists, it’s Yasuke the samurai who will grab the spotlight when it’s time to be involved in a duel mano-a-mano, with Naoe’s skillset being much more focused on stealth and agility. And honestly, the idea of playing as an elite, supremely skilled samurai is an exciting one. The game will also tout flourishes such as an added focus on environmental destructibility to give combat more of a punch- here’s hoping that has the desired effect.
SNEAK AROUND AS NAOE
Many who come to Assassin’s Creed want stealth more than combat, and thankfully, Shadows will let you do things that way, courtesy of Naoe. The shinobi is a trained stealth specialist, and her moveset will reflect the same. Going prone and crawling around, squeezing through gaps, hide in tiny spaces and even boxes, and more similar moves will allow Naoe to stealth around much more effectively. For all stealth fans who’ve been hoping for the series to start getting back to its roots a bit more, that’s excellent news.
USE NAOE’S SHINOBI TOOLS
Naoe will complement her nimble and agile natural moveset with a number of specialized tools that’ll help her sleuth around more effectively- being the trained shinobi that she is. You can expect the regular stuff, like smoke bombs to hide yourself, or bells to distract enemies with. Some of the other tools get a bit more creative- like a bamboo pipe that Naoe can use to breath through while she hides underwater in shallow water bodies.
TRY QUESTS WITH VARYING APPROACHES
Though both Naoe and Yasuke will each have some exclusive quests, Ubisoft has confirmed that players will have the option to play most of the game’s quests as any of the two characters- and we fully intend to put that to the test. The two characters clearly have very different play styles and abilities, and we’re curious to see, for instance, how differently the same quest could be played depending on which of the two you’re playing as.
PLAY AROUND WITH THE LIGHT AND SHADOW MECHANICS
As part of Shadows’ concerted effort to put stealth back in the front seat, the game is also introducing a new, dynamic light and shadow system. Shadows will now serve as hiding places, which means destroying light sources to dynamically create new hiding spots will play an important role. Such systems have been done in stealth titles many times over in the past (Splinter Cell probably being the example that comes to mind first), and when done well, they usually make for a much more engaging gameplay experience- so here’s hoping Shadows doesn’t disappoint.
REJOICE IN THE RETURN OF EAGLE VISION
Something else that Naoe is going to have access to is Eagle Vision, which veteran Assassin’s Creed fans will likely be ecstatic about. A staple of the series for the longest time, the mechanic was dropped in favour of a fully controllable avian companion in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Like Mirage, however, Shadows is bringing Eagle Vision back, once again as part of its renewed focus on stealth gameplay. We’re curious to see how the mechanic will have evolved, and how effectively the game uses it to enhance its stealth systems.
EXPERIENCE THE CHANGING SEASONS
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is promising to bring its world to life in a number of ways, but none more promising than the seasons system. As the game progresses, the seasons will change, which, in turn, will bring about significant changes in the environments themselves. Of course, you can expect that to impact gameplay as well- like stealth becoming more difficult in snow (what with your footsteps being louder and more visible), or verdant, overgrown fields turning into perfect hiding spots when spring arrives.
RECRUIT A NETWORK OF SPIES
Assassin’s Creed fans who’ve been around a while tend to have fond memories of recruiting underling assassins that you could then call on for aid in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. Shadows is set to feature a similar (sort of) system, which will see players recruiting and training an entire network of spies. And what exactly will these spies do? Their primary purpose will be gathering intelligence and feeding you information about the world, which could potentially feed the game’s exploration loop in intriguing ways.
MESS ABOUT WITH THE EXPANDED BASE BUILDING
Expanding and customizing Ravensthorpe in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was easily one of the game’s highlights, so yes, we’re excited about the feature’s return in Shadows. Players will once again have a central hub, this time a shinobi Hideout, that you’ll be returning to time and again. Promising greater control over how the Hideout takes shape thanks to a Sims-style grid and a larger range of options, the base building mechanic is looking quite interesting.
HAVE FUN IN PHOTO MODE
Assassin’s Creed always knocks it out of the park with its photo modes, and our hope is Shadows will be no different. If the game can capture the beauty that its period Japanese setting has the potential to deliver (which it’s looking like it will, based on what’s been shown so far), we’re going to be spending a lot of time in photo mode.
TRY AND MAKE SENSE OF THE MODERN-DAY STORY
We’re dreading this and are excited about it simultaneously. On one hand, modern-day storylines in Assassin’s Creed games have been a hot mess for several games running at this point. At the same time, we also do remember a time, back in the Desmond Miles days, when the series’ present-day plots actually used to be good. Shadows is meant to kick off a new modern arc for the series, and we’re hoping (perhaps foolishly) that it’ll be more like the Desmond stuff than the not-Desmond stuff.
