Sam DeLongI recently rolled credits on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows on PS5. After all of that waiting, controversy, and discourse, I can say without a doubt that it is an Assassin’s Creed game. It’s more classic Creed, for better or worse. I dug deep into this game, reaching nearly 100 percent completion. It was my own doing, but it’s also because I love Samurai and Ninja lore so much. Ubisoft has finally delivered on our long-awaited Japan setting for the franchise. But how does it hold up in a post-Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima world?
Visually, it might be the best-looking AC Game in Years
When you do all the typical Assassin’s Creed elements — such as climbing towers, sneaking around castles, and assassinating hopeless soldiers from bushes– the gameplay sings. I immediately made a beeline for as many eagle vision tours as possible, just as I had done in every other AC title. Shadows’ Samurai-inspired score — a barrage of flutes and wind instruments swells as you climb each tower. Even on a base PS5, Assassin’s Creed might be the most visually pleasing title. Previously, that crown had been held by AC Unity, but Shadows’ vision of Japan is a sight to behold. You will explore lush grasslands, endless fields of sakura trees, and a castle that leads into the sky.
Combat is a bit of a Mixed Bag
As you navigate Naoe’s and Yaksue’s tale of revenge, you will find yourself doing many familiar Ubisoft-like things, including the aforementioned stealth sections. While I don’t think it’s a “return to form” as many have suggested, it will be familiar to anyone who played recent titles, such as AC Mirage. Out of stealth, both characters can parry, resulting in a satisfying sword clink. The hit detection for the parry can be a bit off, causing you to miss sometimes. Moment-to-moment combat gameplay is fun, thanks to the game’s weapon variety. Each weapon also has its own skill tree. A successful parry also opens an enemy up to a counterattack, resulting in brutal takedowns. I particularly like Naoe’s chained blade, which can be used as a long-range and crowd control weapon.
While the combat is fun, it just isn’t the evolution it needs to be, especially in a series with many systems that have begun to show their age. Dodging and rolling are clumsy, feeling a little too much like an out-of-date Souls game. Controlling large groups of enemies is a total mess, and hit detection is everywhere. Yaskue’s combat is much more crunchy than playing as 2018 Kratos from God of War. Yaskue has access to more bone-shattering heavy weapons in the game, including various spears and clubs. He can also smash through doors and barriers, allowing him to take a less stealthy approach. Like Naoe, he has skills that can be mapped to the face buttons.
The Bloody Story is the Game’s Best Feature
Assassin’s Creed has a long, confusing timeline with time jumps, connections, and lore. So, I always expected its storytelling to deliver like an RPG would. It also has character and gear levels, so it’s a franchise trying to be an RPG in many ways. But I think AC Valhalla’s long run time turned off many players. Yaskue’s role in the story delves into some very dark places, and his journey will tug at your heartstrings and make you ponder the morality of a samurai forced to join forces with an Assassin.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is still an Assassin’s Creed game. And it’s also a samurai/ninja affair. But its adherence to the former holds it back because it has one foot in each genre, and because of that, it never feels quite cohesive as it should. The early parts of the story are a largely Naoe-focused tale, a blood-soaked revenge conspiracy that rips her from her home and sends her down a Kill Bill-esque odyssey that sends her all over Shadows’ beautifully realized version of Japan. As sub-quests and different paths are open, objectives will appear in your journal as a series of circles. Many of these are optional assassination targets, similar to the cabal of generals you could take out in AC Odyssey. Another such side objective revolves around castles. The large structures are heavily guarded areas patrolled by heavy Samurai enemies called Daishous. Defeating all of them in a given area will award you a key to a locked chest, which will grant high-level gear. Gear and weapons can be leveled up using resources, and any cosmetic can be added to any gear.
While AC Shadows seems to lean more into a stealth reliance, it also falls back on what has plagued the franchise for years — a story that starts strong, but feels like it’s being padded in the middle and ultimately begins to drag. Sometimes, it feels like a linear game forced to fit into an open world checklist. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows also suffers from sporadic pacing, mainly since its world isn’t built for two protagonists. It feels like a parallel between the game we want to be and the game Ubisoft thinks it needs to be. It’s a story-driven game forced into the structure of an open world monstrosity.
Verdict
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is a compelling, bloody story against its long-awaited feudal Japan backdrop. Its later story beats have some epic set pieces and equally great performances. Despite that, though, it’s still an Ubisoft slog to get through, and ultimately, its uneven pace might make the journey to get there worth it. It struggles to justify the balance between its two heroes — and while they play differently, they still feel the same, providing enough gameplay disparity to invest in either one truly. Yaksue’s inability to stealth and parkour means that most will use Noe for exploration, which completely breaks the immersion of the experience in gameplay and story. It’s still a Japan-inspired journey worth taking — even if Ghosts of Tsushima did it better.
