Assassin’s Creed Shadows Prioritizes Player Choice in Combat to a Stunning Degree

We’re just over a month removed from the official launch of Ubisoft’s long-awaited Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Now, we’ve been given a much more thorough look at the integral gameplay systems and what’s in store for the next major entry in the franchise. In an in-depth preview of the game, I’ve walked away with a better understanding of how Assassin’s Creed Shadows aims to offer choice and flexibility while playing as the two different protagonists Naoe and Yasuke in the Feudal Japan-era adventure.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set in one of the most widely requested backdrops for a game in the franchise. With hours spent over this new preview, I believe the wait may have been worth it. Feudal Japan has become a far more common game setting in the last era. However, with Ubisoft’s spin on Assassin’s Creed, I think there’s enough here to make Shadows stand out amongst its contemporaries and previous entries in the franchise.

Enter the prologue of the game where you’re introduced to Naoe and Yasuke. Naoe is a formidable young shinobi who has been engulfed in the war after the Nobunaga samurai invaded her home village of Iga. The prologue unfolds and highlights how Naoe’s father sends her to the Aekuni Shrine as a means to escape the onslaught. With the backdrop of the Nobunaga samurai and the Iga shinobi battling, Naoe makes her way out only to get sidelined by a shadowed samurai. These are the early-stage breadcrumbs that help set up Naoe’s meeting with Yasuke. Yaskuke, on the other hand, is introduced in his prologue as an African man brought to Japan as an outsider. His journey sees the Nobunaga interested in his skills, as the Portuguese handed Yasuke over to Alessandro Valignano and Louis Froisare, two Jesuit Priests. Yasuke is large in stature. Villagers cower and take notice of him as he walks the port of a village. Unlike Naoe, Yasuke is a heavy-striking samurai.

How the game delivers its prologue sequences is actually quite interesting. The beginning of the preview is wrapped around what’s called the Animus Hub. It’s a brand-new interface introduced in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. When entering the Animus Hub, I was exposed to the ways that this menu will serve as the touchstone between the new game and future entires. This hub is split into Memories, Projects, Exchange, and Vault. There are fractures the timeline while in the animus, preventing players from accessing all memories of Naoe and Yasuke. I’ve always been a fan of the sci-fi elements of Assassin’s Creed. Especially when they plant mysterious seeds that’ll sprout and grow throughout the duration of the game. Outside of the core gameplay loop, theorizing how the Animus Ego and these new elements will shape the game has been a highlight for me.

The second part of the preview largely hands over control between Naoe and Yasuke. Here, I got a taste of how gameplay and missions differ depending on which character is chosen. Naoe is much more of your traditional assassin character, using rooftops and the environment to hide from enemies to take them out silently. For those who have missed more traditional Assassin’s Creed gameplay as of late, Naoe is a refreshing return to form in so many ways. Yasuke is far more a brutal tank. He’s loud and commands the attention of enemies. His gameplay style lets you take on multiple enemies without a care for being caught. It’s a little bit refreshing. However, I think I gravitate to Naoe’s style far more based on this latest preview.

For instance, when tasked with infiltrating an enemy castle, Naoe is best suited if you want to avoid attention and use stealth mechanics to bypass combat or get the drop on enemies. Naoe has a heavy emphasis on stealth. For instance, she can go completely prone in tall grass, hiding from enemies. She can also vault and climb up walls with ease, accessing taller points of the area. One of the coolest features Naoe possesses is the grappling hook, which lets her swing from trees or climb up to rooftops. Combat with Naoe is fast and frenetic. However, she isn’t optomized to take much damage. So, players must rely on stealth tactics to clear out enemies as much as possible before going head-on. Her weapon set is ferocious. However, she doesn’t have the means to parry or take much damage so she’s at a disadvantage in some scenarios. That said, I do like the offset advantages and disadvantages of Naoe. It’s and interesting compromise for those yearning for that classic Assassin’s Creed experience.

In comes Yasuke. He’s the polar opposite of Naoe. Yasuke is a castle in and of himself. He’s able to march into enemy compounds and take on waves of enemies with ease. His attacks are vicious and brutal. He can whip out a sword and impale enemies. Using his weapon set, Yasuke can inflict a ton of damage, and use some pretty insane takedowns on enemies. However, Yasuke is far more heavy and slow. Thus, he’s not as agile to get around as Naoe. He can’t hide like a traditional assassin. And his attacks are more methodical and plodding. The beauty is that choosing between the two really comes down to personal preferences. You can also choose who you want to play by holding the X or Square button on your controller. Swapping between the two is seamless, letting you pick up exactly where you were. It’s quite different from say the character swap in Grand Theft Auto 5 where the trio of characters felt like they were out living their lives. Here, Naoe and Yasuke are more at your disposal to swap when you want to take a different approach in the game.

One of the things I’m consistently weary of is the exploration and bloat that comes with an Assassin’s Creed game. I’ve followed the franchise since its inception and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla broke me. 120 hours in and I had still not completed every little marker on the map. I still don’t have a taste of how many activities or markers will end up on the map. However, as we explore the Iga province, the world offers little contextual icons. As you explore villages and townships, you’ll pick up more information that’ll then be reflected on the map. By chatting with characters and exploring, new quest locations become available. No longer is it as rise and repeat as finding a viewpoint and uncovering everything the area has to offer. Now, it’s much more systematic and incentivizes exploration. Exploration is also streamlined with the new Pathfinder system. Using this, you can have a guided line that leads to your primary destination. It’s nice as it takes away some of the guesswork that’s involved when travelling from one part of the map to the next.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows also introduces kakuregas, which are a form of safe house in the game. Here, you can fast travel to these locations safely, restock your items and speak to accomplices. You can also take advantage of the Objective Board. By meeting new characters and completing challenges within the game, more objectives become available to you.

While I had seen a behind-closed-door preview of Assassin’s Creed Shadows last summer, this latest round of previews now has me far more excited for the game. While the recent delay from February 14 to March 20 was unfortunate, I’m confident that an extra month of polish will go a long way for an already solid experience. It’s been a frustratingly long wait to see Ubisoft tackle Feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed. However, with Shadows now looming over our heads, I can’t but celebrate the work that’s been going into crafting this experience. How the final game shapes up is yet to be determined. However, I’m more optimistic about the tailored gameplay and exploration than I’ve ever been.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is launching on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, PC and Mac.