Last week the trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows dropped and it caused some buzz. As we know gaming community is eagerly waiting to give their critics for Ubisoft’s work. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed games has been facing some mixed review ever since Origins era. Their last game Mirage was decent but it did not create the hype like a typical Creed game.
So, all eyes are on Ubisoft because they are working with one of the most famous and well-loved concepts which is the Samurais. The game will take you back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history. The timeline of the story is around 1580s. According to the trailer we can assume popular historical figures like Oda Nobunaga and Fujibayashi Nagato will be present in the game.
A Duality of Assassins: Shinobi and Samurai
It seems like Shadows will be combination of Shinobi and Samurai. There is Naoe who is a cunning and agile shinobi from the Iga province. Ubisoft presents Naoe as Fujibayashi Nagato’s daughter and she is trained by her father to be a skilled shinobi. She represents a stealthy approach which is familiar to Assassin’s Creed roots. You can utilize her mastery in stealth and parkour to indulge yourself in the environment.
Naoe also has a grappling hook that can be attached to every roof it also has several anchor points. You can use this to physically swing from one roof to another. This reminds us of Syndicate and the zipline mechanism with hook.
On the other hand, we have our second protagonist based on a real historical figure. Yasuke originates from African and he came to Japan back in 1579. Under Oda Nobunaga she became one of the samurais. This is the first time ever that you can play a real-life figure in a Ubisoft game.
Yasuke’s approach is more aggressive combat orientated. You can use weapons to block incoming attack and perform satisfying parries. He can get Katanas, Kanabo war club, Yari spears, shuriken and kunai. Moreover, Yasuke is able to use arqubes rifles to opt for long range options. Naoe can also defend herself but she can only deflect the enemy’s attacks. Yasuke and Naoe have individual skill trees and gear, but share XP, collected weapons, and resources.
The Setting of Feudal Japan
The Assassin’s Creed Shadows have been built upon Anvil game engine. This new technology allows the game to have more detailed asset meshes. It also allows the game to have a season system. The world changes its color throughout spring, summer, autumn and winter. For example, during spring and summer the long grasses will be longer and it will be easier to hide. However, during winter as the trees wither it becomes hard for you to hide. This may also impact the NPCs around you and how they behave. Like in winter the you will see the NPCs herding around a fire.
It seems like the map of Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be as big as the Origins. The map will entirely focus on central Japan during the 1580s. It is divided by historical regions like Iga, Arima and Omi. Ubisoft tried to create the central Japan as much as they could. You will see rich tapestry of storytelling and sprawling castles. Don’t forget to check out the serene shrines and picturesque countryside.
Assassinations and Quests
Ubisoft confirmed that the game will be non-linear it will be open world and you are free to play how you want it. You may naturally encounter some important targets at the same time you can also have more structed gameplay. You can choose between Yasuke and Naoe so it is up to you how you want to approach the games. Players who love stealth can go for Naoe and for more aggressive approach you can go for Yasuke. There will several side quests for you to explore and gain some extra experience out of it.
Conclusion
The release date is set for 15th November 2024 and pre-orders are open on Ubisoft’s website. The standard edition will cost a solid $70 and the Deluxe edition is $130. It will be quite thrilling to witness how Ubisoft will execute this especially when there is a huge competitor. Ghost of Tsushima is one of the main competitors for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft need to at least reach the level of Ghost of Tsushima.
