Assassin’s Creed Shadows Reveals Downgrade From Odyssey

As someone who has been following and playing Assassin’s Creed since its inception, I must admit that I find myself in a bit of a conundrum with the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. On one hand, the evolution of the series from a more linear stealth game to an open-world RPG has been nothing short of breathtaking, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed exploring the vast worlds of Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

Ubisoft has acknowledged a possible scaling-back of features for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed title, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, compared to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The new Assassin’s Creed game is set for release in February and seems to build upon the open-world RPG direction initiated by Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Previously, last year’s Assassin’s Creed installment, Mirage, reverted back to the series’ original stealth formula. However, this return to tradition is brief as Shadows appears to bear only a superficial resemblance to earlier Assassin’s Creed games.

People who find the newer Assassin’s Creed games more appealing than the older versions are likely to enjoy Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, those who particularly valued the significant impact of choices on the storyline in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey may notice a reduction of that aspect in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

As per the creative director of the game, Jonathan Dumont, the primary storyline in Assassin’s Creed Shadow resembles Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla in scale and duration. However, unlike some past versions, the choices available have less significant effects on the overall plot.

In my perspective, the central voyage of Shadows echoes that of Origins/Odyssey and Valhalla, as suggested by the director over on Reddit. When it comes to choices, they are indeed part of the experience, and some do carry weight; however, their influence on the core narrative may not be as deeply branching as in Odyssey.

For some Assassin’s Creed fans, this might not feel like an upgrade, but rather a step back in terms of gameplay and story depth compared to earlier versions.

On February 14, 2025, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will hit the global stage, squarely amidst a month brimming with high-profile RPG launches. These include Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, Avowed, and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

Click here for comprehensive updates on the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game: latest news about Assassin’s Creed Shadows, rumors, leaks, and speculations. In the meantime, we invite your thoughts – do you find this new direction for Assassin’s Creed a change from its previous versions? Share your opinions in the comments below.

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2024-12-23 18:10