Assassin’s Creed Shadows Preview
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the Ubisoft offices to check out a preview version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the latest in the long running Assassin’s Creed franchise. In addition to being set in feudal Japan, one of fans most requested locations there are several other major changes that not only shake up the series, but bring it back to its stealthy roots.
The prologue and a section of the open world were available for playthrough. The prologue sets up the main characters stories while the open world section allowed for free roaming exploration but also contained a story mission showcasing the differing ways to accomplish your goals.
The big new feature of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the dual protagonists. However, instead of experiencing the story twice as each character, Shadows opts to have both protagonists playable throughout the game depending on how you wish to tackle certain segments. The two characters are designed to provide different gameplay experiences. Yasuke is a slave turned samurai and brings a combat heavy focus ala Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s hulking Vikings. Naoe is a female shinobi who brings the series’ stealth roots back into focus.
The differences between the two characters are not merely cosmetic. Yasuke is an immense bruiser of a man with a full suit of armour. He can smash through doors and has no problem cutting down vast swaths of enemies with his blade. As per all Assassin’s Creed protagonists, he is a nimble man but he does not possess the same level of parkour skills as Naoe. In various instances exploring the map Yasuke will point out that some towers fall outside of his climbing ability and may be better suited to Naoe. Suspended ropes will also buckle under Yasuke’s weight, sending him tumbling to the ground. For those that prefer to enter a situation with all swords blazing, Yasuke is your man.
Naoe is no slouch with a katana either but taking on five enemies head on will lead to a quick death. Her skillset is much better used in a stealth situation. Series mainstay the hidden blade makes its way into Naoe’s arsenal, along with katana’s, smoke bombs and a grappling hook for navigating the environments. Darkness and shadows play an important part in Assassin’s Creed Shadows stealth gameplay, as hiding in them renders the player invisible to enemies. This means that lanterns can be shot out and candles can be extinguished to tilt the odds in your favour to take down your targets.
Shadows contains sections where you choose which protagonist you wish to accomplish your goal, so you can think about what the situation requires and who is best to deploy. As you progress through the game and make your way through the extensive skill trees, your two characters will be able to take on situations in increasingly different ways.
The other huge change is a move to more organic exploration. The open world map in Shadows is huge but discovering its secrets is now much more entertaining. The endless points of interest are gone, leading players to discover things for themselves. You can still survey vantage points, but instead of filling up your map with markers, you are tasked with organically surveilling the landscape which will put undiscovered locations on your map. If that isn’t your thing you can employ scouts to do your dirty work for you and mark the map with quest objectives and locations to check out. If you are really struggling with where to go you can also turn on a pathfinder which leads you to your nearest objective. The move to a more Zelda style exploration is a breath of fresh air and means you really get a feel for the setting instead of just moving from one point of interest to the next.
The exploration and stealth mechanics combine in one of Shadow’s most relaxing features, which is locating natural wildlife and drawing it. When you get close to certain animals Naoe or Yasuke will comment that it would be good to sketch. You then need to keep quiet to get close enough to it before nailing a perfect sketch. Whether it has a larger gameplay function remains to be seen but it is a lovely break from the bloodshed.
The organic exploration also extends to story missions. Shadows will not tell you exactly where you need to go to reach your objective, it will give you context clues such as which town they may be in and which general direction to head in. It is then up to you to explore the map and find the way yourself.
The pet eagle from the last few games is also gone, which means if you are scouting a stronghold you have to do the dirty work to mark enemies and plan your entrance. All of the exploration features serve to make you feel more present in the world. You will want to feel present in this world, as it is gorgeous. Towns are bursting with life and offer plenty of things to do. Navigating the vistas will rarely have you reaching for the fast travel options, as there is always something to see or somewhere to discover.
The section that I played through had plenty of opportunity to get your sword bloody, and I found this to be the least satisfying aspect of the playthrough. Combat feels a little clunky, especially compared to the excellent Ghosts of Tsushima. Taking on multiple enemies at once doesn’t feel as sweepingly cinematic as it should. While there are plenty of visually dazzling finishing moves and gorgeous historically accurate weapons, it doesn’t feel quite as fluid as it could be. This is fine when playing Naoe where stealth is the name of the game. But Yasuke is designed to be a brawler, and cutting down waves of enemies isn’t as exciting as emerging from the shadows to assassinate someone with the hidden blade. Granted, this is only a small section of the game and there are plenty of options to improve combat skills and weapons as the game goes on, so perhaps the combat will become more thrilling as the game goes on.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows looks to be the game that fans have been waiting for. A long requested setting, dual protagonists who noticeably affect the way the game is played, and a deft combination of the franchises love of both action and stealth games. Exploring Japan feels wonderful and the lack of hand holding offers a more immersive experience. Playing these two sections of the game have left me excited for the full release in March.
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