Introduction: A Thrilling Trip Through Japan Revitalizes the Series

I’ve played many Assassin’s Creed games, but rarely have I truly loved them. Ubisoft’s historical fiction has always been tantalizingly close to greatness. Many fans believe the series peaked with Ezio Auditore’s Renaissance Italy trilogy. Since then, the franchise has become bloated, offering hundreds of hours of repetitive open-world exploration in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Viking Britain. Odyssey was the last I played seriously; while I found the setting exquisite, the gameplay felt irritating and the scale overwhelming.

The Assassin’s Creed games excel at historical fiction, meticulously recreating lost eras. They’re the closest thing to time travel. I play them for the virtual tourism, but often find that 80% of the gameplay boils down to parkouring and assassinating.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: A Breath of Fresh Air

Released this week after some delays, Assassin’s Creed Shadows surprised me by making running and killing more fun and engaging than it has been in years. This is largely due to the setting: 16th-century Japan, the era of Oda Nobunaga, samurai, shinobi, and complex conflicts. Japan was rapidly changing, having recently opened up to the world. Shadows places two protagonists at the heart of this change: Yasuke, a slave turned samurai under Nobunaga, and Naoe, a peasant shinobi forming a resistance movement.  

Dual Protagonists, Dual Playstyles: A Masterstroke

• Naoe: Stealth and Agility:
  • Naoe is fast and quiet, making stealth a genuinely viable and enjoyable gameplay style for the first time in ages.  
• Yasuke: Strength and Combat:
  • Yasuke is strong and skilled, capable of cutting through enemies when combat erupts.  

This dual-protagonist approach adds variety and choice. Both characters are compelling, and their stories resonate. Yasuke’s delayed re-entry into the narrative kept the gameplay fresh, preventing the campaign from becoming monotonous.

A Visual Masterpiece: The Beauty of 16th Century Japan

• Unparalleled Visuals:
  • Playing on a PS5 Pro, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the most beautiful video game I’ve ever seen. The lighting, architecture, and natural landscapes are breathtaking.
  • The seasonal changes add a beautiful layer of diversity to the world, allowing for a fresh experience.
• Exceptional Detail:
  • The level of detail is astonishing, from the intricate architecture to the lush environments.
  • The multilingual script, offering Japanese and Portuguese with subtitles (“immersive mode”), adds another layer of authenticity.

Playing in “immersive mode” created a sense of delicate and dangerous maneuvers in every conversation. Subtle changes in character expressions conveyed volumes, making the interactions surprisingly nuanced for an assassination-focused game.

Historical Authenticity and a Serious Tone

If you enjoyed FX’s Shōgun, you’ll find a similar level of care and respect for the setting in Shadows. While Assassin’s Creed has always taken a playful approach to historical authenticity, Shadows adopts a more serious tone. Many characters are based on real historical figures, and the side quests and dialogue are grounded in realism.

• Naturalistic Approach:
  • The world feels believable, despite the fantastical elements of the gameplay.
  • The game is very well researched.

Areas for Improvement: Streamlining the Experience

• The Animus: A Relic of the Past:
  • The modern-day Animus subplots feel unnecessary and interrupt the historical immersion.
  • It is time to let the modern day story go.
• Overly Complex Systems:
  • The game suffers from too many menus, skill trees, and equipment upgrades, making it feel fiddly and overwhelming.

Despite these issues, the beauty of Japan and the engaging gameplay made me willing to overlook the game’s complexities.

A Streamlined and Enjoyable Return to Form

If you’ve skipped the recent Assassin’s Creed games, Shadows is a worthwhile return to the series. It’s as streamlined and enjoyable as the series has been in a long time.

Bonus Recommendation: Expelled!

If you don’t have 30-50 hours for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, consider Expelled! from Inkle. It’s a story about a working-class scholarship girl trying to avoid expulsion from a posh English boarding school in the 1920s. It’s full of humor and intelligent commentary on the British class system.

• Available on: iPhone/iPad, Switch, PC, Mac
• Estimated playtime: 4 hours

Conclusion:

Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers a stunning and immersive experience, setting a new standard for visual fidelity in video games. The dual protagonist system, coupled with a meticulously crafted historical setting, makes this entry a standout in the Assassin’s Creed franchise.