On the PlayStation Blog, technical art director Robert Foriel says the technology delivers “sharper pixel quality and exceptional image stability, effectively eliminating distracting visual artifacts caused by motion and vibration, and creating a smoother, more immersive experience that allows players to stay fully engaged in the world without interruption.”

As showcased across various comparison videos, this also means significant improvements in ray-traced lighting, dynamic vegetation, and more. The former is more accurate and stable (with less flickering), while the latter looks much crisper, especially when viewed at a distance and in motion. Particle effects also benefit, delivering consistent quality even with multiple transparency layers.

However, its implementation was also seamless for the team, as noted by technical artist Nicholas Lopez. “The code changes were minimal, almost identical to the original PSSR integration. Yet the upgrade brings a noticeable improvement in image quality across the board. It’s rare to get such a significant visual boost with so little tuning required.”

Upgraded PSSR support goes live on April 7th with Title Update 1.1.9 at 7 AM PST. You probably shouldn’t expect much else in terms of new content, especially since it’s in the “final phase” of post-launch support, but here’s hoping for some surprises.

Other titles slated to receive support for the tech include Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, and Control Ultimate Edition. Stay tuned for more updates on their release dates, and savor Upgraded PSSR while you can, especially since there are no plans to update it in the future.

Enabled with the “Advanced Parkour” option in the settings, it does exactly what the name says, allowing players to jump wherever they want. While that may not seem like a big deal, combining this with Naoe’s other parkour techniques provides even more freedom to the game’s various vertical playgrounds than before.

Other new additions with the update include detailed stats. That’s right – you can finally see everything from damage and posture damage to cooldown reduction and vulnerable damage. Even niche stats like the number of health segments removed from specific assassination techniques are covered. Finally, critical hits will cause the enemy’s health bar to flash, providing more visible feedback.

Ubisoft also confirmed that Claws of Awaji will launch on March 10th for Nintendo Switch 2. Released in September 2025 to mixed reviews from critics and players, the expansion continues the base game’s story with Naoe and Yasuke venturing to a new location. You can check out our review here.

But while Jin Sakai’s quest is the common thread, each of these open-world titles offers something unique, whether it’s in their settings, protagonists or overall direction. Which emerges as the clear favorite? Let’s delve into every single aspect, starting with…

World Design

One of the bigger criticisms surrounding Ghost of Tsushima is how repetitive its world could be – something Ghost of Yōtei addresses immediately. The relative freedom to find your own path is great, but so is the overall layout of the world, as you seamlessly transition from discovering onsens and fighting off wolf poachers to dismantling enemy camps or challenging a disciple of Takezo. The fact that each activity, even within the same category, feels unique and memorable is also a major plus.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is in second place. Even if it features many of the same tenets of the publisher’s open-world formula, the sheer variety in locales, right down to individual castles, is pretty nice, as is the fact that there’s a proper open-world alarm system. But Where Winds Meet is no slouch. Locations like Kaifeng City are packed with things to do, but even if you’re exploring the massive Jianzhu, there’s no shortage of quirky NPCs, interesting side quests and killer geese.

Systemic/Emergent Gameplay

To that end, it feels like there’s always something unique, be it impressive or downright bizarre, to discover in Where Winds Meet. The fact that you can go around stealing from other people, then end up in prison, is only one of several possibilities. Yōtei doesn’t offer as many – Atsu’s only real failure state is death – but the way it handles random encounters, whether it’s bounty hunters, lone assassins or passersby, is well done. It even leverages those to aid in your quest to learn more about the Yōtei Six.

Shadows leans into observing and gathering clues from NPCs to learn more about potential targets. It also has random encounters like helping out someone who’s being attacked or solving a riddle. A decent effort overall, even if it’s slightly behind Yōtei.

Combat

By itself, Yōtei should easily win. It’s an excellent expansion on Tsushima’s fundamentals – just with new weapons (kusarigama, my beloved), abilities, and tactics, which are further expanded on thanks to the new Charms. The overall visceral nature of combat – the precision required for parries and disarms – also keeps it near the top of melee combat titles. That being said, Where Winds Meet, despite how different it is, excels in its own ways, presenting cool over-the-top abilities, fun weapons (like the rope dart), and just overall excellent responsiveness. In that sense, both titles are about on par.

Shadows falls behind, sadly. Its combo system is more robust than previous entries, but the overall feel isn’t anywhere near as smooth as Yōtei or Where Winds Meet. Even its weapons just aren’t as exciting. On the bright side, it does excel in…

Enemy AI

Compared to Yōtei and Where Winds Meet, Shadows’ AI can be pretty deadly, especially if you crank the difficulty settings up. Guards are more sensitive to noises and will investigate more thoroughly, which allows for its main appeal – the stealth – to really shine. Enemies in combat aren’t too shabby either, presenting a decent challenge, especially if you’re surrounded.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Yōtei’s combatants are deadly, perhaps even more so than Tsushima. The toughest duels, especially on Lethal difficulty, could easily rank among some of 2025’s more challenging bosses. However, much like its predecessor, a full assortment of tools, weapons, and techniques makes it easy to sneak about and dispatch large groups.

The enemies in Where Winds Meet aren’t overly bright, but they’re not pushovers either. You’ll still need to think carefully before engaging with tougher threats, especially if your gear isn’t up to snuff. But overall, it’s an easier game to delve into as a whole.

Story

Atsu’s personal quest for vengeance and eventually redemption wins out here, of course. Even if some may bemoan the use of revenge in a major PlayStation title once again, it’s taken in a surprisingly interesting direction with some excellent cinematic panache. The characterization as a whole is also very well done, whether it’s Atsu growing more as a person after years of emotional suffering or Saito’s somewhat sympathetic, but manipulative, thought process.

The main story in Where Winds Meet is, surprisingly, pretty robust. It channels the Wuxia genre with its reliance on the epic tales of heroes during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, while keeping you emotionally invested throughout (especially when it comes to characters like Ruby and Killer Blade). And it’s only up to Chapter 2.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows starts strong enough, but sadly can’t keep the momentum going, dragging in places before suddenly concluding (with Claws of Awaji answering the more pressing questions). The lackluster English voice acting and cutscene direction also don’t help. Naoe and Yasuke are still interesting characters, though.

Quest Quality

Fancy engaging in a tragic ghost hunt for a mystic set of armor? How about taking on bounties and ending up in dangerous hideouts used to train assassins? Ghost of Yōtei has all this and much more. Outside of its open-world activities, the quests are simply immaculate, whether you’re infiltrating a fortress or attending a performance as the, let’s say, lead dancer.

Where Winds Meet may not have that same level of polish and structure, but it makes up for it with some excellent variety. You’ll observe different animals to learn their techniques, embark on Forged Tales, engage in Rhetoric Duels, delve into dungeons, the list goes on. It’s all pretty fun without bogging down the pacing.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows, despite throwing too much at you too quickly, has some fun quests. Infiltrating castles is cool, especially given the different approaches of Naoe and Yasuke, as is having separate quests for them. Spreading objectives across multiple regions, especially when some remain locked, is annoying, but the companion quests, assassination board missions and kuji-kiri quests are pretty good.

Visuals

Once again, Ghost of Yōtei is the winner, though both Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Where Winds Meet put up strong fights. Everything about Yōtei, from the implementation of ray tracing to the extensive draw distance, particle effects, and performance, is top-tier. Very rare frame drops can occur, but on an aesthetic level, it’s simply superb.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows it, and say what you will about everything else, its depiction of the late Sengoku-era Kansai is excellent. Atmos provides some stunningly realistic weather effects, further enhancing the environments, and cities feel alive with detailed NPCs. Where Winds Meet is in third but only by a bit – its fidelity doesn’t surpass its competitors, but it’s still shockingly close, especially for a free-to-play game.

Conclusion

To no one’s surprise, Ghost of Yōtei wins out in several categories, from the presentation and story to the world design (and rightfully so). However, Where Winds Meet puts up a great fight, excelling in its own combat fundamentals while presenting a fun world to explore with numerous surprises and an endearing plot. Assassin’s Creed Shadows does excel in stealth, and while the world design, systemic gameplay, and quests can be good (while combat is okay), it falters heavily with its story.

While this proves that Sucker Punch was right on the money when it came to designing Yōtei, it also highlights just how good Where Winds Meet can be, even if you’re looking for a single-player title. The price of entry is pretty much non-existent. Shadows isn’t the worst option by any means, but you should prioritize the others first, depending on the kind of epic journey you desire.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

On Access the Animus, however, associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois argues their necessity, especially when it comes to post-launch support. “Microtransactions, for all the flak it gets, allows us to do the Isu stuff, the quest stuff, the parkour updates, all of it.”

It’s hard to argue with that, especially given the sheer range of free content, including new story quests, companions, activities like Corrupted Castles, level cap increases, and new abilities. Plus, Naoe is even more fun to control thanks to the advanced parkour additions, and that’s a plus.

The collaboration, however, is a different matter, as fans like The Hidden One on Twitter called it a “total mess.” “Almost 90% of the entire collab quest is just very generic climbing and swinging with really poorly put together routes.” They also called the cutscenes “atrocious”, especially compared to Valley of Memory, a free expansion-sized update for Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Perhaps even more insulting is that finishing the quest doesn’t provide an outfit (like the Mikasa Ackerman digs). Instead, it directs you to the store to pay for them. Suffice to say, this hasn’t gone down well for some fans.

Of course, Ubisoft claims the title is “overperforming”, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see even more microtransactions to accompany the free content. Rumors claim that a free co-op mode will launch next year, and before that, Shadows is finally arriving on December 2nd for Switch 2.

Sadly, that’s not all. An entire quest is included, which sees Naoe and Yasuke venturing into the Crystal Cave – a perilous environment with dangerous heights. They’re apparently investigating a “terrifying experiment,” and what else should be teased but a potential boss fight against a Titan? The signature syringe and transformation animation certainly seem to indicate as such.

What is Yasuke getting in all this? Why, an armor set with Titan-like stylings, including a creepy grin. Does it make much sense? Not really. Will it cost a bundle? Most likely. Either way, new content is on the horizon, and according to Ubisoft’s roadmap, it’s live tomorrow.

Other new additions include Naoe’s version of the War Kick and Yasuke finally learning how to take down foes in a non-lethal fashion. There’s also “A Puzzlement,” which is supposed to be more lighthearted.

If that wasn’t enough, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch on December 2nd for Nintendo Switch 2. It won’t include Claws of Awaji, which is scheduled for release in 2026.

November 7th marks the day that a pre-order date will reportedly be announced with an alleged retail price of “around” €50. Before this, the open-world action RPG was discovered on the French retail site Auchan (which has since been removed).

Stay tuned for an official announcement in the coming weeks. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Launched this past March, it reached five million players as of July. You can read our review of the launch version, but there have been several updates that added new missions, New Game+ and parkour improvements.

An expansion, Claws of Awaji, is also available. Check out our review for it here.

The comparisons were inevitable considering how the two titles intersect in many ways. We’re not going to dive into the obvious narrative beats centered around a protagonist hell-bent on bringing down the ones who took the lives of their loved ones. But Ghost of Yotei has many other things in common with Assassin’s Creed’s take on ancient Japan. But does it manage to one up its rival? Has Sucker Punch done enough to differentiate itself from Assassin’s Creed this time around considering how Jin Sakai felt like an Assassin in all but name?

It’s time to find out!

Japan Like Never Before

The first main intersection between these two titles is their setting. Ancient Japan seems to be quite an attractive destination for modern video games in recent times.

But as far as Assassin’s Creed Shadows is concerned, it was a place that fans of the franchise had been desperate to visit. Assassin’s Creed Shadows’s choice to frame its story against the backdrop of the Sengoku period’s strife made perfect sense, allowing it to weave in the eternal conflict between Templars and Assassins while giving players a beautiful recreation of the era.

Ghost of Yotei, on the other hand, takes place a while after that time period, taking its players to the island of Ezo where the law of the land has no sway over many of its denizens, giving Sucker Punch the perfect stage for a tale of revenge. Once again, this game was a long time coming, and the choice of setting is certainly a win for the studio as it has allowed it to let Atsu loose in a world where her unique brand of justice provides the scope for a lot of introspective story beats and some incredible action.

But which game did it better? That question’s better answered by examining how each title has managed to fit the overall experience within the framework of the time period it is set in, balancing it against player’s expectations. It would be easy to give the win to Assassin’s Creed Shadows considering how effectively it has managed to utilize the period’s conflicts, architecture, and characters to craft an experience that was authentic and entertaining.

But Ghost of Yotei has done well to bring a very nuanced take on what life in Ezo would have been with the common folk under constant threat from those who seek power and control in a land that’s forgotten by the rest of its nation. Both games have excellent takes on ancient Japan that tell similar stories but approach them from equally viable angles. We’d call it a draw between the two titles as far as the Japanese setting is concerned.

Beautiful Open Worlds With A Lot To Do

The open world in Assassin’s Creed Shadows was an absolute stunner. It was detailed, dynamic, and deliciously enticing thanks to its weather system, the excellent Exploration Mode, and the Anvil Engine doing a fantastic job of making it feel alive. Exploring Japan was simply incredible, as was the way in which there was always something to do or discover at every turn.

On the visual front, it was evident very early on into Shadows that the decision to delay the game’s release was a good one. Ancient Japan was just gorgeous, with stunning vistas, dense jungles, winding roads, and quaint villages dotting a landscape that had us stopping to admire the scenery on many occasions. As the first truly current-gen experience in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Shadows was an absolute beauty.

However, the open world in Shadows was mostly repetitive, with a limited set of activities that soon became tedious despite the manner in which they were presented to players. For instance, chasing down Knowledge Ranks by visiting various locations and architectures and tracking down lost codex pages soon became a chore. But it was one that we couldn’t ignore thanks to how the game’s combat required that players constantly pursue a higher Knowledge Rank.

With that being said, infiltrating fortresses to collect new gear was a blast, and actually engaging with the limited selection of activities available was undeniably fun. But Ghost of Yotei is a different ball game altogether.

Ghost of Yotei’s visuals are as good as Shadows but the open world is a different story altogether. Sucker Punch does make better use of color palettes to bring a more vibrant take on the island of Ezo while the presence of filters paying tribute to legendary Japanese fillmakers is certainly a great touch, we’d say that the two games are quite evenly matched.

While its take on ancient Japan is as visually striking as Shadows, Yotei gives us an open world that’s constantly in conversation with its players in a way that blows its rival out of the water. It’s alive, but in a way that’s more meaningful to us, the player. The wind nudges us in the direction of objectives while birds, foxes, and other creatures often pop up to guide us towards points of interest.

And that’s not even factoring in the way in which we were able to discover new locations by purchasing smaller maps from vendors and actively matching them to their actual locations on the game’s main map. It’s an idea that’s a lot more engaging and immersive than simply scaling Viewpoints and hitting the sync button to uncover the area around you. Yotei features a lot of creative flourishes that make its open world one that organically encourages exploration, and rewards it in ways that matter to the story as well as gameplay.

While it’s a close tie on the visual front, Ghost of Yotei takes the win as far as the quality of its open world is concerned. But what about the quality of quests in both games?

Engaging Mission Designs

The quests you get to take on are the bread and butter of any open world title. And in this regard, it’s quite a close competition between Shadows and Yotei but there’s a clear winner here. While Naoe and Yasuke did have a lot on their plate in Shadows, the quality of those activities and the manner in which they integrated with the game’s other aspects does need a closer look.

There are two factors at play in this regard. The first one is the way in which Shadow’s Exploration Mode brought a refreshing layer of discovery to the gameplay loop. Having to actually search for objectives once you get to the general area they were in was a fantastic touch, and is one that we’ve really liked ever since its introduction in Origins.

The second part of that equation was the Mission Boards. They were a great way to organize and track a sprawling number of objectives from quests that hit you at a frankly overwhelming pace as you explored the world in Shadows.

Putting these two facets of the gameplay loop together made for an experience that felt streamlined and engaging. But what of the objectives themselves? That’s where things begin to fall apart in our opinion. Most of the quests in Shadows involve tracking down targets presented to you via the corresponding Mission Board, and then assassinating them, or maybe engaging them in combat.

Additionally, they were gated behind your player level, forcing you to put an interesting quest on hold simply because you weren’t at the right level to take it on. That was quite annoying, especially in a very interesting questline that involved tracking down rumors of Yokai which had us quite invested in each target and their story. While the quest design in Shadows was undoubtedly good, the quality does come up short when you compare it with how Yotei handles its main and side content.

That’s because Atsu’s tale brings her into contact with both friend and foe in ways that are far more organic. The open world often sends her in the direction of new tales, or even has important NPCs come to her when she makes camp. And of course, while many of the quests she does take on involve violence and killing, there are quite a few of them that bring poignant touches to her character arc, and ones that even create the scope for somber reflections on her role in the world and the life that comes after her hunt for the Yotei Six ends.

All of these quests are tracked via a clue card system that’s so immersive, it makes Shadows’ Mission Board system feel simplistic in comparison. Managing objectives is just fun in Ghost of Yotei, and organically coming across new things to do in the game happens so often it was hard to stay on track as we thundered across the island of Ezo.

There’s also the fact that as a PS5 exclusive (at least for the foreseeable future), Ghost of Yotei made excellent use of the DualSense 5’s advanced haptics, motion sensing, and touchpad. It was really immersive when we had to emulate Atsu’s brushstrokes during her time painting the world around her, using the touchpad in a way that was a far cry from sneaking up on an animal and watching a cutscene play out in Shadows. Cooking food and forging were other activities that outclassed anything Shadows had to offer thanks to the efficient use of our controller, and are additional feathers in Yotei’s cap in terms of quest design and quality.

We’re going to hand the win to Ghost of Yotei on this one. Which brings us to a factor that’s a crucial part of both quests and the overall gameplay loop in both titles: their combat systems.

Fast, Fluid, and Fun Combat

A samurai, a shinobi, and a ronin walk in, but who comes out with their life? Both Shadows and Yotei bring myriad ways to bring a swift and grisly death to any who dare stand in the way of their protagonists. But how do we go about picking a clear winner? Fortunately, that’s quite easy.

Shadows took an innovative approach to stealth and combat, bringing us two protagonists who each specialized in one aspect with the option to seamlessly switch between the two. Although we’re still annoyed that Yasuke was unplayable for the majority of the game’s first act, it gave us a chance to get used to fighting as Naoe, who’s no pushover once her blade is drawn.

Combat in Shadows was the best version of the RPG-like systems that was previously brought to the table in Origins. Dodging enemies, parrying their attacks, and unleashing devastating abilities of our own as Naoe was a blast. The katana, tanto, and kusarigame were potent weapons, allowing her to tear through enemy ranks if she so chose.

Yasuke was a power trip like no other, his giant frame belying his incredible agility and deadly precision with his katana, or the raw power he wielded with a kanabo. His teppo was another great addition, and switching between his weapons to unleash brutal and deadly force on his enemies is a feeling we’re yet to discover again in any game. He brought a unique brand of chaos to the battlefield thanks to how he could easily dispatch even the most talented of opponents.

That approach might seem like Shadows takes the win as far as combat is concerned but it isn’t as easy as that. As a mercenary who trained her whole life to become a deadly killing machine, her proficiency with multiple weapons coupled with Sucker Punch’s unique mix and matching system in the heat of battle made Ghost of Yotei’s battles feel desperate, deadly, and decidedly satisfying when talking on large groups of enemies.

While other tools like smoke bombs and the like are shared between the two titles, the manner in which Yotei weaves in the need to use different weapons, fling dropped weapons at enemies, use your Ghost tools and special abilities, and generally be great at balancing multiple enemies at once gave it a level of challenge that was not only a step up from Tsushima, but easily outclasses Shadows’ already great combat.

It’s a definite win for Ghost of Yotei on the combat front. But that’s only one of the ways in which the two titles’ protagonists deal in death. When you decide to strike from the shadows (pun intended), does Atsu measure up to Naoe?

Shadows brought a very welcome overhaul of the franchise’s approach to stealth, letting Naoe use her environment to her advantage in ways that past titles simply could not match. With multiple ways to stay out of sight and a grappling hook that lets her take to the rooftops with ease, Naoe is the ultimate Assassin as far as hiding in plain sight is concerned.

On the other hand, Atsu’s stealth abilities do get a serious upgrade over Jin but it’s not by much. Yes, she could bring her enemies to her using her kusarigama just like Naoe but the stealth framework in Yotei is only an iterative upgrade over Ghost of Tsushima and as such, cannot beat Shadows on the stealth front.

As far as the enemy AI is concerned, things get a little murky. In the heat of battle, Yotei’s enemies are decidedly more intelligent than Shadows’ soldiers. They coordinate attacks quite well, coming at you with varying weapons that force you to make split-second decisions or desperately dodge out of the way to gain a little breathing space. They also flank quite effectively, forcing you to stay on your toes any time your blades are drawn.

Shadows’ enemies are far more forgiving, often hanging back when one of their buddies is trying to stick you with the pointy end of their weapons. But when the lights are off and they’re hunting you in stealth sections, things get quite interesting, especially on harder difficulties. They’re quite relentless and can even spot Naoe when she’s lying flat on a rooftop, hurling projectiles at her while calling for reinforcements.

Pitting the two games against each other in terms of enemy AI, we’d say that it’s a tie between them, with each title bringing a solid offering to areas that it emphasizes.

The Final Verdict

Despite both games bringing a lot of excellent mechanics, stunning visuals, great stories, and brilliant combat and stealth to the table, it’s Ghost of Yotei that edges ahead of Shadows. It brings so many creative flourishes to a very authentic take on Japan that allows it to be an open-world title like no other, and one that raises the bar for the genre as a whole.

While Shadows certainly puts up a good fight, Sucker Punch’s new flagship is now the one to beat in our eyes.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The story focuses more on Naoe, with Yaskue playing a supporting role, as she ventures to Awaji Island to reconnect with someone important. Unfortunately, the Sanzoku Ippa are keen on making things difficult, effectively hunting the duo with traps and ambushes.

Players will have to think more tactically (one boss fight is highly reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s The End) and utilize the new Bo. Available exclusively for Naoe, it allows for a wide range of combos and mobility.

Claws of Awaji is free for those who pre-ordered Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but you can pick it up standalone for $24.99. A new Premium Edition is also available, containing the base game, expansion, the Sekiryu Gear Set, two weapons, and cosmetics for $109.99.

However, Awaji Island is also teeming with danger. Existing outside of the base game’s map, it offers new biomes like beaches on top of swamps and jungles where enemies could easily ambush and trap you, per Xbox Wire (beware of spoilers). Perhaps most intriguing is that they can disguise themselves as citizens and attack when least expected.

The duo must take on a “powerful and terrifying faction,” which also means “new, unique bosses” to fight. Thus far, we’re keen to see how it continues the story, especially considering how Shadows ended. Just make sure you finish the main quest to start the expansion immediately.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review of the base game.

As revealed in the patch notes, clearing New Game+ will award two new weapons – Whisper of Gold, a Legendary long katana, and Dragon’s Gold, a Legendary katana. Each comes with unique perk engravings and even creates a gold cloud when striking enemies.

The other big addition is a new Animus Rift. After unlocking Yasuke in the open world and completing “From Spark to Flame,” you can go to the Animus Board to find a new quest, “Chained.” No spoilers, but there are some aspects which could have interesting repercussions for the future.

Check out some of the patch notes below for more details on other changes and improvements. Assassin’s Creed Shadows will receive another massive quality-of-life update at the beginning of September before the release of Claws of Awaji on September 16th. Head here for more details.

AC Shadows Title Update 1.0.7 – Release Notes

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Removed a performance warning on MacBook Air when using M4 following improved support.
• Fixed an error in Photo Mode where the “Show UI” prompt was visible in preview mode, affecting players taking screenshots with their native systems.
• Individual items will now have their dedicated page within the store.
• Katsuhime no longer vanishes from the hideout after the previous 1.0.5 fix for the breakup bug.

Balancing

• Adjusted the number of Mon received from trading. Purchasing items costs less, whereas selling items gives more.
• Increased the number of resources gained from dismantling items.
• Slightly increased the amount of crafting materials needed to upgrade items.
• Rebalanced the end of season chest rewards and increased the quantity of crafting materials and Hideout resources given.
• The Radial Effect upgrade in Yasuke’s Teppo tree had its base damage increased from 25% to 50%, and its damage is now also further increased by other Armor Buster upgrades.
• Allies now gain more health and damage as the player levels up.
• Ronin enemies now have 4 Health Segments, up from 3.

LIST OF BUG FIXES

General

• Cultural discoveries near Katano Castle now appear correctly in the codex after being observed.
• Corrected Naoe’s Kata dialogue in Wakasa.
• Added a ‘Mark all as Read’ option for the Codex menu.
• Added a Level Selector for Knowledge Path.
• Fixed the ‘Limitless’ trophy occasionally not unlocking after obtaining a legendary piece of gear of each type.

Gameplay

• Addressed an issue where players potentially got stuck outside the Animus wall during the Revenge mission in Tsuruga Castle. Get back here!
• Fixed a bug where players could get stuck inside a room in Saika Castle.
• Corrected a bug where players could get stuck whilst exiting the Miyataki Warehouse.
• Fixed a bug where players could get stuck inside rocks in the Obama Hillside area.
• Addressed an issue with Naoe’s Robes of the Enraged.
• Genzaburo’s Teppo Master is back from lunch and is now present at Kaya Shrine.
• Fixed an error with some cross-progression achievements caused if a playthrough was partly on MacOS.

Skills & Upgrades

• Fixed an issue where the “Hidden Hand” cooldown reduction upgrades were not applied.
• Fixed an issue where the “Extended Perception” Shinobi Upgrade didn’t grant the extra tools damage.
• Corrected an issue where the “Nightcrawler” Assassin passive didn’t grant damage at night.
• Corrected an issue where the “Endless Barrage” Tanto Upgrade was instead granting the effect of the “Contemplation” Tanto Upgrade, and vice versa.
• Fixed an issue where the “Invigorating Kill” Tanto Upgrade only worked with the stabbing part of the move and not the throw.
• Addressed an issue where the “Teppo’s Might” Teppo Upgrade only worked with the automatic follow-up shot and not the Teppo melee swing.
• Corrected an issue where perks that increased adrenaline gained on deflect, parry and dodge had little to no effect.
• Fixed an issue where damage assassinations gave less adrenaline than successful assassinations.
• Fixed an issue where the “Ability damage” knowledge tree node had no effect beyond 1st level.
• Corrected an issue where the “Posture damage” knowledge tree node had no effect beyond 1st level.
• Solved an issue where the “Vulnerable damage” knowledge tree node had no effect beyond 1st level.
• Fixed an issue where afflictions had lower durations on civilians than on enemies.
• Fixed an issue where damage reduction perks weren’t applied against some enemy projectiles.
• Addressed an issue where the “Wave of Wasps” Teppo was awarded with a random perk, instead of its legendary perk.
• Addressed an issue where equipping the “Gown of the Spirit” Naoe Light Armor prevented all tools from applying any buildup.

Visuals & Graphics

• Addressed various environmental issues with floating trees and rocks. Tree huggers rejoice!
• Fixed an issue where the glowing eyes on the Mountain Demon Kanabo appeared out of place when the weapon was holstered.
• Corrected an issue where the Ikko Ikki banner within the Hideout did not match its preview.
• Fixed an issue causing the game to crash when previewing hideout cosmetic stations on a building with the Dragon Skin applied to it.

UI

• The database entry for Sen No Rikyu now displays the correct image.
• Corrected an issue where setting HUD visibility to “Disable”, then switching to “ON” would cause some of the HUD modules to not work.
• Fixed a text-only issue where “Armor Avoidance” Long Katana Upgrade stated it granted 100% armor piercing, when it only granted 50%.
• Corrected a text-only issue where “Marksman’s Touch” Teppo Upgrade stated it granted 100% armor piercing, when it only granted 50%.
• Fixed a text-only issue where “Widespread” Tools Upgrade stated it increased the Smoke Bomb radius to 10 meters, when it only increased it to 5 meters.
• Addressed a text-only issue where “Absolute Shockwave” Kanabo Upgrade showed 167% instead of 67%.
• Corrected an issue where the “Improved Ground Assassinate” icon was larger than intended.
• Reworded the “Improved Sense” Assassin Upgrade to showcase the lingering effect duration in seconds.
• Reworded the “Temporal Mastery” Bow Upgrade to showcase the slow time duration in seconds.

Localization

• Corrected the German localization in Rescue the Special Guest.
• Fixed an error where unnecessary characters appeared in the German translation of the “+50% damage on next hit after a kill” engraving.
• Addressed a typo in the “Kirishitan” codex entry for Cristão.