An Assassin’s Creed game — Assassin’s Creed Shadows — set in Japan has been a long time coming. Ever since the original released way back 2007 (Jesus Christ time is a bitch), fans have been clamouring for a Japanese-set entry.
Now, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is almost upon us. Ubisoft finally saw fit to give in to the deafening demands of fans and release a game set in Japan before anyone else beat them to it…cough…Ghost of Tsushima…cough…Rise of Ronin.
Better late than never though and thankfully, after a few hours of hands-on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, I’m pleased to report that things are looking good. Brutal? Yes. Incredibly violent? Sure. But also, very, very good.
Hands-on Assassin’s Creed Shadows Preview
I was able to play two separate sections of Assassin’s Creed Shadows in my hands-on; the opening hour of the game and a chapter much further into the story. The opening is a chance for Ubisoft to introduce us to the new protagonists — Naoe and Yasuke — as well as set up the story and show off the incredibly beautiful digital Japan.
While not overly long, the introductory cutscenes are extensive and it is a while before you’re able to get into the action and start playing. Once you do though, Ubisoft takes no time to establish that Naoe and Yasuke are very different characters and that this time, the Assassin’s Creed playstyles have been cleft in twain.
Yasuke is the strong, brutish, combat-focused character. He can run through walls and doors, throw enemies around and generally monopolise any fights he gets himself into. He’s not great at climbing and free-running and his stealth skills leave a lot to be desired. Taking control of Yasuke is initially jarring because he feels so singular and so unlike any other Assassin’s Creed protagonist. It doesn’t take long to adjust to his unique playstyle though and once you do it opens up a whole new way to play.
Naoe is the more traditional Assassin’s Creed protagonist. She’s nimble, sneaky and a whiz when it comes to climbing and free-running. She also has her own hidden blade whereas Yasuke does not. Naoe is a notch or two quicker than any other Assassin’s Creed character which feels like a deliberate point of difference to further differentiate her from Yasuke and reinforce her status as a Shinobi and all that comes with that particular vocation. She is, however, much, much weaker than Yasuke and can be quickly overwhelmed in combat if you’re not careful.
It’s interesting that Ubisoft has chosen to separate the different Assassin’s Creed playstyles into the two protagonists as it makes for a wildly different experience playing the game. In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Eivor was capable of everything; combat, stealth, climbing…you name it. The same can be said of Kassandra and Alexios. It didn’t matter which character you chose, the experience was roughly the same.
Ubisoft takes no time to establish that Naoe and Yasuke are very different characters
In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you’re going to be forced to play as both characters in order to get the most out of the experience, but also to ensure you get the full story. Yasuke and Naoe have very different beginnings in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, different motivations, and different paths in the world and in the story. At regular intervals during main missions, you’ll be prompted to select which character you want to proceed as and these choices can change how the mission plays out and how you approach your objectives.
Out in the open-world, you’ll need to regularly switch back and forth between Naoe and Yasuke and thankfully the time it takes to load when you switch is mercifully short. Given the amount you’ll be switching between the two, this is so important for keeping the rhythm of the game going and not frustrating players when they just want to climb to a viewpoint as Naoe because Yasuke can’t do it.
After the scripted and linear introductory sequence, I was let loose on a later chapter that involved the kidnap of a young boy, hidden threats to a local lord and a conspiracy. Here, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ new system of allowing players to discover objectives and locations for themselves was on full display. Instead of choosing a mission and having the objective simply appear on the map, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will display some clues and information to point you in the right direction. From here, you can either explore the area to try and find your objective on your own or use your network of buddies to help you narrow it down.
It’s so refreshing to actually have to explore this intricately crafted and gorgeous world rather than simply ignore everything around you and head to a map marker. It helps make Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Japan feel like a real place with real people. It also separates itself from previous games in the series where, after a while, it felt like an endless series of fetch quests across the map without any real context or connection with the environment.
Likewise, climbing to a viewpoint and synchronising no longer simply adds a tonne of icons to the map. Instead, it provides you with a number of points of interest which can only be fully revealed by travelling to them. From there you get to discover what activity or item is there and preserve a sense of mystery and surprise while you explore. It truly makes exploration feel far more rewarding and enjoyable as instead of ticking off an endless to-do list you’re fully engaged with exploring Japan, enjoying the scenery and getting that dopamine hit whenever a secret reveals itself.
It’s so refreshing to actually have to explore this intricately crafted and gorgeous world rather than simply ignore everything around you and head to a map marker.
Speaking of hits of dopamine, some of the activities you can engage in are sublime. My favourite so far is the painting challenges. As you explore you’ll come across an animal or person and you’ll need to focus on them, sneak up without disturbing them and wait until Yasuke takes the scene in before painting what he sees. It’s a far cry from the brutal combat and give you a chance to take a breather and bask in the beauty of your surroundings.
Similarly, while it’s not really an activity or challenge, patting the Akita Inus warms my heart. I didn’t find any Shiba Inus while I was playing, but I’m sure they’re floating around somewhere and when I do find them, I will be patting them all.
I’ve mentioned the brutality of combat a few times and I feel that this point needs to be hammered home. In my hands-on, I mostly played as Yasuke so I’m not sure if the violence and gore extend to Naoe as well, but Yasuke is an absolute butcher. As you’re playing and fighting as him, you’ll be chopping off heads, impaling enemies on swords, lifting them in the air and generally tossing them around like broken and bloody ragdolls. It’s full-on.
This ties into Yasuke’s playstyle, but it’s still shocking the first time you see him cleanly slice someone’s noggin off and watch as it flops to the ground followed swiftly by the debonced body. Combat isn’t all that different from what I recall from Valhalla. Yasuke and Naoe both have access to different weapon types which change how combat works and unlock different special moves activated by spending adrenaline points.
Per everything else about these two characters, Yasuke’s special abilities are all about inflicting massive damage and straight-up brutalising folks, while Naoe’s are about finesse and a swifter form of murder. That doesn’t mean that Yasuke is any less stylish than Naoe though. In fact, his special abilities are usually accompanied by slow-motion, the screen turning black and white and sprays of red blood gushing out of your enemies. It’s fully samurai porn and I am here for it.
While my hands-on was fairly extensive and I got to experience a lot of what Assassin’s Creed Shadows has to offer, I also barely scratched the surface. Assassin’s Creed RPGs are some of the biggest games available and playing for only a few hours is always going to be limited. Hell, I’ve racked up close to 100 hours in Valhalla and I am still miles away from being done with it. Assassin’s Creed Shadows has this same energy, but I feel excited to dive in rather than tepidatious.
Usually, when an enormous game, especially one like Assassin’s Creed, is served up, I am drained before I even boot it up cause I know how much trekking back and forth and how many map markers and icons I’m going to need to clear. It’s a slog, let’s be honest. However, the steps Ubisoft Montreal has taken with Assassin’s Creed Shadows and the preservation of exploration, wonder and discovery have me keen to dive in, wander around and get lost for hours on end.
That being said, if I see any dogs, they will be pat. Sadly, I tried to pay a cow, a deer and a baby fox, but those control freaks at Ubisoft wouldn’t let me.
Come on guys, let us pat all of the animals.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available on 20 March 2025.
Leo Stevenson attended a hands-on event in Sydney as a guest of Ubisoft Australia.
Flights were provided by Ubisoft Australia.
